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The Joy & Sorrow of Housekeeping

By William May
Published: 10/06/03 Topics: Comments: 0

Whether you own a villa on the Mediterranean, a hut in Phuket Thailand or something in between; whether you have fabulous amenities or the bare necessities, guests will judge your rental home primarily by its cleanliness. Surprising but true.

OK as a man I admit I don't get excited about housekeeping. So it is with a bit of trepidation that I write on the subject. Except to say that the results of a survey I once read where astonishing to me.

THE SURVEY
I happened upon the results of research in a Hawaiian business publication. It had two main sections. In the first, thousands of visitors were asked to rate which amenities, features and experiences made their Hawaiian stay "wonderful." The weather drew something like 15% of the respondents. Warm ocean came in at something like 12% (I'm doing these numbers from memory). Restaurants, accommodations, residents and sports all came in with 5, 6 or 7%.

Next guests were asked what attributes would make their stay "terrible". Weather, prices, transportation, delays and so forth again received a 5 to 8% nod. But on the "Room not clean enough" line OVER FIFTY percent of the guests indicated that would make their trip a disaster.

I've often told friends that I must have been mistakenly born an English/German couple in Washington State because I am pretty sure I was meant to be born in Hawaii. Recently I decided that Kauai is now my home town - because it seems to me that a person's home town should be where they feel most at home. For me that is Hawaii. I love the weather and beaches of course, but there is a certain demeanor about the people, the music and the entire Ohana (family) culture.

I am convinced that is why millions of visitors venture there very year. But even in paradise guests have made it clear that an improperly cleaned room will destroy their entire vacation. And that should be wake up call to all Vacation Rental Owners.

THE SORROW OF HOUSEKEEPING
If you rent your home through a management firm you may find that some do a superb job, usually if they are larger and have sufficient staff. Others do an adequate job with which guests find little fault. If you self manage or use a small firm you may have bumped into what makes housekeeping a chore. Let's examine why.

First, Housekeeping simply isn't a high paying job. Some workers are well educated and conscientious. Others are not. And even the good ones are not necessarily in it for the long term, as they wait for a better paying and less strenuous occupation. Second, in the majority of destination resorts the need for housekeeping goes up and down with the season. Employees seek stability in jobs and being too busy in summer and not receiving enough income at other times is tough on their budgets.

Another problem is that there are few training programs for cleaners. You may ask yourself, "How tough can it be to learn how to clean." Yes some of us had it drilled into us by our parents. But not everyone lives in a clean home. What is acceptable to them probably isn't to your guests. Plus some small housekeeping firms don't include enough supervision in the bids they give you to clean your house.

And lastly, its not enough to only clean your home after each guest. Houses (including yours at home - I dare say) require periodic deep cleaning procedures. Its very easy to not wash the windows, carpets and walls frequently enough. Today, many owners charge guests for the "out-clean" in hopes it covers what they are charged. But it seldom is enough to also pay for the deep cleaning. So those costs come right out of owners pockets, providing they don't try to skimp to save a few dollars.

THE JOY OF HOUSEKEEPING
So is housekeeping just a gigantic headache that must be constantly endured. The answer is - it doesn't have to be. Here are some tips on how to make housekeeping a joy - and one that will gain you return guests and extra bookings.

PAY ATTENTION: Whether self managed or through a manager, owners must demand that their home be meticulously cleaned after every guest. The only way to make sure its getting done is to inspect it yourself, and to do so in an unexpected way. If you live close enough simply stop by on the date and time after cleaners finish and before guests arrive. You may be surprised by what you find. If your home is far away, book your next stay using a friends name, then show up yourself to see how the cleaning looks. Does the manager clean as well for guests as they do for you?

EVALUATION SHEET: Make sure Guests are left or are mailed an evaluation sheet after EVERY stay. (It should allow them to be anonymous) With luck you'll get wonderful comments and thank-you's. But jump on any that indicate a lack of cleanliness. Ask your manager to retain the evaluations received about your unit and then check them every time your in town. If you self manage, copy every evaluation to the housekeeper - good or bad. That way they can enjoy the compliments or increase their quality.

HIRE THE BEST: Particularly if you self manage, take the time to locate ALL cleaning firms in your area. Ask to see homes they've cleaned. Do it on the spot without allowing them to primp for you. Ask for a list of owner references. Quiz the owners carefully. Ask them if they know of other owners the cleaners no longer handle. Then call those. With enough input the quality and reliability of the housekeepers will be obvious.

TRAINING: Be sure that your housekeepers are well trained by their firm or management company. Go over your expectations with them and ask how they do their cleaning. If they can't explain it they may not be doing a full job. Some management firms participate in the Vacation REntal Housekeepers Association which even has certification for cleaning pros. You can learn more about them at (HousekeepingPros.com)HousekeepingPros.com.

DEEP CLEAN: Remember to undertake regular and thorough deep cleaning of carpets, walls, windows, drawers, cabinets and so forth. Don't put off the windows because they look clean enough. Setup a schedule and stick to it. Pay the cleaners well for these laborious tasks. In the long run it saves you the expense of emergency cleans or, worse yet, guests who move out and demand a refund.

MANAGE THE CLEANERS: Like most other employees, housekeepers, housekeeping firms and property managers need to be managed. Its not enough to presume they are all doing their job and doing it well. Take the time to compliment them when they are doing a good job. That provides you the right to reprimand them (nicely please) when the cleaning isn't up to par. Keep in regular contact. Be easy to reach if they need to contact you. Return their phone calls quickly.

MYSTERIOUS BEHAVIOR: It is a strange phenomenon but numerous owners report it. Sometimes long tenured quality cleaners sometimes become unreliable and inadequate for no apparent reason. Maybe they burn out, or are distracted by personal events or spread themselves thin. Whatever the reason, be aware that the person who has done the job so well for you for years but one day simply fails to show up, or may begin missing important cleaning out of their routine. If the oversights are minor you must call and instruct them to overcome the problem. But if the problems are larger it is best to simply find another cleaner.

HAVE BACKUPS: No matter how happy you are with your current cleaning firm, take the time to interview others, get bids and maintain contact with them. When you cleaner stops performing well (And I'm almost convinced they all do so eventually) you will be ready to jump to the new firm. Failure to have backups could cost you numerous bookings and thousands of dollars. Not to mention embarrassment and angry phone calls.

GUEST AGREEMENT: We have homes in some remote locations and some high in the mountains are often hit with huge snowfalls. That caused us to insert a clause in our Guest Agreement that warns them about possible but infrequent cleaning challenges. In short, it says if due to conditions, illness or other unavoidable problems a cleaner is unable to get to a home before their arrival they are welcome to do their own cleaning and be reimbursed for it. This has never happened to us but its not a bad idea to cover yourself legally.

NO ONE IS PERFECT: Lastly, allow that no one is perfect. It is a lot of work to clean homes, especially in back-to-back bookings. Most cleaners really have to hustle to get the job done right. Even the best may miss something. Don't switch cleaners for that reason. And don't expect cleaners to get every chair back in its exact location. Allow them to be imperfect but expect them to do a good over all job.

DISREGARD THE NUTS: In recent weeks we have received glowing reports from guests. One said, "This was the cleanest home I have ever stayed in, including my own." She plans to stay with us again soon. But another guest called mid-week complaining that "there is dust on a window sill." We offered to call in the housekeeper but the guest refused saying, "Why should I be bothered."

The home in question is fairly easy to clean and the housekeeper had been doing it for two years without problem. Rather than confront the cleaner we choose to put the visitor on the "Unwelcome Guest" list. Not all guest complaints should be forwarded to the housekeeper. Part of your job is also to isolate housekeepers from unreasonable expectations.

Please see the website section for other ideas:
- Tip and Techniques
- Supplier directory of Web Listing Sites
- See the Section Outside Resources

FEEDBACK:
As always I seek your feedback. Please share you thoughts, stories, compliments and complaints on this or any other subject by writing me at Director@VROA.orgDirector@VROA.org.

HOME OF THE WEEK:
Here is one of the most creative websites ever. Lucia and Marcia Villela, two sisters from Rio de Janeiro Brazil who own and operate four wonderful homes near Disney World in Florida. Check it out at (disneymagicvacationhomes.com)disneymagicvacationhomes.com. The homes and site have disney themes, music and Mickey Mouse. How can you go wrong.

*** If you want your place added to the list of weekly contenders just drop me an email.

Author: William May – Volunteer, Vacation Rental Association
Blog #: 0031 – 10/06/03

Comments: 0

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