Lesson 1.2.

2
Common problems related to housekeeping

Problems with hotel housekeeping range from guest dissatisfaction to injuries on the job. A guest
may complain about housekeepers over an untidy room and broken or missing personal belongings.
Housekeepers are required to clean many hotel rooms per day and must often interact with guests,
visitors and employees. The long hours and strenuous work required by housekeepers are quite
demanding—making the job physically dangerous

1. Language Barriers
Language barriers are often a major problem in hotel housekeeping. Because hotel housekeeping
jobs are physical labor positions that can easily be filled by women, many hotel housekeepers are Latin
women who only speak Spanish, according to Hotel World Network. This can be a burden when they need
to communicate with English-speaking guests and employers. A short-term solution to language barriers
between employees can be to establish a color-coding system. Color-coordinate cleaning rags with
relevant cleaning chemicals can also be helpful in keeping employees knowledgeable, efficient and safe.

2. Job Completion
Most housekeepers are required to restock rooms with fresh soaps, linens and towels on a daily
basis. Discontent can arise for guests if housekeepers cannot keep up with room demands or they forget to
stock rooms with certain items. To avoid these problems, supervisors should post bi-lingual reminder notes
for all housekeeping employees, states Hotel World Network. Once tasks are complete, it is recommended
that housekeepers sit on the bed and look around the room with the point of view of a guest. They should
note if more vacuuming is required or if there are any stains or leaks that need fixing.

3. Physical Injuries
Injuries on the job are another problem with hotel housekeeping. According to The New Standard,
while top-of-the-line hotels in the US strive to provide luxurious amenities for their guests, housekeepers
are expected to deliver more demanding tasks in the same amount of time. Muscular and tendon strain is
common, as are reparatory issues. "Part of the reason why it’s been a challenge for this issue to come to
light is because our housekeepers don’t complain enough about what they’re going through on the job,"
states Unite Here union spokesperson Amanda Cooper..