I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

27
AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK “…improving our levels of customer service through our ‘one and only way’ system and Audit process for room cleaning”. THE ONE AND ONLY WAY © InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

description

I Clean - The One & Only Way

Transcript of I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

Page 1: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

“…improving our levels of customer service through our ‘one and only way’ system and

Audit process for room cleaning”.

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

Page 2: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 1

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK Welcome!

Congratulations on being selected as an Auditor for the programme. It is a very important role, and your enthusiasm and commitment are key factors to the success of this programme within your hotel.

You may well be reading this before attending the launch and introduction workshop with your Housekeeping Manager or Head Housekeeper. Please read through it before you attend.

Within this handbook, you will find all the general information about the programme and your role within it. Once you are familiar with the programme and your responsibilities, you will find all the specific information you need to take you on to the next stage of your implementation in the Room Audit Toolkit.

Contents of this handbook

Page

2

3

3

5

8

10

11

15

22

24

25

26

Introduction and Background to the Programme Aims of the Programme

Benefits of the Programme Your role and responsibilities as an Auditor Our ‘One and Only Way’ System for guestroom cleaning

Training the ‘One and Only Way’ System Your Support Materials The Audit process

Acting on results Celebrating Success Ideas from Other Hotels Getting Started

Page 3: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 2

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

Introduction and Background to the IClean Programme

The purpose of the Programme is to ensure that each guest room is cleaned consistently using the same sequence, methods, tools and chemicals to enable us to achieve maximum guest satisfaction and to return our guestrooms to the inventory as quickly as possible. This is important to our guests because it will reduce the time that they have to wait for a room if they wish to check in early, or on busy departure days. It also means that the Reception team can offer our guests a greater choice of ready rooms at check in. The core components of the programme are:

! Our ‘One and Only Way’ System, with specified sequence, methods, tools and chemicals for cleaning guestrooms.

! The Audit / retraining process with Room Audit Toolkit to assist in Auditing the rooms and producing detailed reports on the quality of room cleanliness and application of our ‘One and Only Way’ System.

Our very own personality - Dusty Springclean, will appear throughout each step of the ‘One and Only Way’, to guide you and your team along the way.

You will become more familiar with her in the comprehensive ‘One and Only Way’ training materials.

“…One of the aspects I

value most as a guest is

feeling that the room is totally

clean”.

Page 4: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 3

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

Aims of the programme

The broad aim is to increase our service levels and guest satisfaction in the area of guest room cleanliness, and through to:

! Define optimum inputs (sequence of cleaning, methods, chemicals & tools) in to the guestroom cleaning process.

! Produce consistently high levels of guestroom cleanliness.

! Audit cleaned guest rooms on a random basis to ensure the process is being followed correctly & guest rooms are of a high standard of cleanliness.

! Provide a factual basis for effective training & retraining of Room Attendants (RAs).

There are clearly many benefits of the programme to your guests and your hotel as outlined above. It is important to also consider the benefits to you and your team…

Benefits of the programme

! An efficient sequence to clean a guestroom, i.e. minimise walking time & maximise cleaning time, which is COSHH compliant.

! The right methods established for cleaning each part of the guestroom and the effective use of the most appropriate chemicals with the right tools.

! The removal of inspections as the means to release guestrooms, thus freeing up Housekeeping time.

! Precise data on guestroom cleanliness through the Audit / retraining process.

“…I’m off tomorrow –

can you put an I Clean Room Attendant on my section?

Page 5: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 4

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

! Ability to pinpoint and address areas that require further development, so that retraining based on personalised data from a central system is simple and straightforward to plan, implement and follow up.

! A comprehensive training pack for each hotel providing the tools necessary to Audit and train in all aspects of the process.

! Sustainable, high quality cleanliness of guestrooms both during the stay and on departure.

! Significant improvement in guest satisfaction resulting in higher GSTS scores on areas regarding the cleanliness of the guestroom.

Page 6: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 5

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

Your role and responsibilities as an Auditor

This Auditors’ Handbook has been designed to help you understand your important role as an Auditor. It contains information on the background to the project and its main aims and targets. It is designed to provide you with a strategic overview of the programme.

Once you have read it and have a general understanding, then the Room Audit Toolkit will help you with the specific information and steps that you will need to succesfully implement this progamme and gain job satisfaction from your responsibilities as an Auditor.

Your role as an Auditor is a very important one, and your commitment and enthusiasm are key factors in the success of this programme for your hotel. Becoming an Auditor will mean learning some new skills and adopting new habits, to enable you to train and retrain your Room Attendants and answer any questions about the Room Cleaning and Audit process.

There is plenty of support material to help you, and you have been selected because your Head Housekeeper knows that you will continue to do a great job.

By reading this far, you may be forming an idea about how your role will develop, what will remain the same and how it will be slightly different. The main change for you is that instead of performing room inspections every day, you will be required to Audit rooms using a specific process.

Because Auditing is a thorough process, it takes a little longer than a normal room inspection. Also, because you will act on the information you obtained during the audits, it is important that you have enough to give a representative sample, so you will be asked to conduct a minimum number of Audits each month for each Room Attendant.

These Audits will replace the need to do room inspections.

“The approach outlined above

has already been trialled in other parts of

the organisation leading to significant

improvements in the GSTS

score for ‘cleanliness of guest room’.

Such improvements

have been around 30

points, even ranging up to 80 points…”

Page 7: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 6

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

The Audit process is thoroughly explained later in this Handbook, so just for now it is enough to gain a general idea…

Overall the Audits will take up less of your time than your previous room inspections, so you will find that you will have MORE time to spend on more productive and satisfying tasks – such as doing more training and retraining, taking action on the Audit results, and helping with other Housekeeping duties. Of course, these will vary according to the size and nature of your hotel, but some general descriptions are included on the next page.

You can use the table to highlight what will be different and what will remain the same for your role, and to make a note of any questions that you might have at this stage.

You will find the answers within this material, or by asking your Head Housekeeper / Housekeeping Manager.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES SAME / DIFFERENT and QUESTIONS

The Auditor ensures that all rooms are Audited to the correct sequence, method, tools and chemicals, according to the manual, checked for maintenance, presented to the Company brand standard and given back to Reception promptly.

"

To record on a Rooms Audit Form all Room Audits and ensure that the data is entered into the Room Audit Toolkit on the same day as the Audit is carried out.

"

Retrain all Room Attendants as and when required, and particularly when any individual falls below their set *Trigger Value (*this will be explained later in your Room Audit Toolkit training).

"

To ensure all public and staff service areas are cleaned and stocked to the Company standard.

"

Page 8: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 7

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES SAME / DIFFERENT and QUESTIONS

To ensure that any issues with data input are reported and corrective action taken.

"

To ensure all Maintenance requests are reported to the Maintenance Department promptly and, where necessary followed up.

"

Auditors are responsible for ensuring new team members are fully trained in the sequence, methods, tools and chemicals prior to cleaning any guestrooms, with all training recorded in the documents provided.

"

To assist the Head Housekeeper or Housekeeping Manager with any cleaning schedules and record keeping, including Mattress Turning and Holicare.

"

To assist the Head Housekeeper or Housekeeping Manager to control costs, ensuring that the department hits its budget targets.

"

Attend / contribute to all relevant meetings. "

To display and fulfil the Company service philosophy.

"

To have a thorough knowledge of and adherence to the law with regard to the following Company regulations: Fire regulations and procedures, Health and Safety regulations, First Aid procedures, Disability Discrimination Act, Key Security, Lost Property and COSHH.

"

Page 9: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 8

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES SAME / DIFFERENT and QUESTIONS

To provide a good example of the Company dress code and appearance standards – ensuring that your team fully comply with these.

"

To undertake special duties or work outside the normal daily / weekly routine but within the overall scope of the position at the request of your Line Manager / General Manager.

"

Our ‘One and Only Way’ System for guestroom cleaning

The ‘One and Only Way’ System has been very carefully constructed and timed specifically for InterContinental Hotels Group.

Based on many months of research and trials, it prescribes the exact sequence, methods, tools and chemicals for cleaning every guest room.

It is a fundamental requirement for the success of the programme and must not be altered or deviated from in any way.

A key part of your responsibilities as an Auditor will be the initial training and subsequent retraining of the ‘One and Only Way’ system. Therefore, you will need to get to know it very well indeed.

There is a lot of training and support material available to help you that you will be introduced to shortly. Whenever you are training the ‘One and Only Way’, or talking to your team about it, you must continually stress the point that this must not be changed in any way.

It will seriously affect the results of your Audit, as well as the results in your guestrooms, if the ‘One and Only Way’ sequence, methods, tools and chemicals are not adhered to.

Page 10: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 9

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

Our ‘One and Only Way’ – the 20 Step Sequence

Our ‘One and Only Way’ includes a 20-step sequence. This means that once it is trained, the sequence of cleaning the room must always be the same. This is because the sequence has been tested to eliminate unnecessary actions and walking, and provides the most effective sequence for cleaning.

Task Activity

1 Check trolley/equipment

2 Enter room & open curtains & windows

3 Flush toilet & apply toilet cleaner evenly under rim & around bowl

4 Collect all rubbish, check for lost property/debris

5 Maintenance check & report, visual check on standards

6 Collect china/glass, soak in sanitizer

7 Strip bed and remove all soiled linen from room

8 Make bed(s)

9 Clean china/glass/ashtrays/bins/appliances, replace in location

10 Clean basin, vanity areas, tiles, walls & doors

11 Clean tiles, shower, bath, fixtures & mirror

12 Clean toilet

13 Replace bathroom linen and supplies

14 Clean bathroom floor

15 Clean furnishings - damp dusting – high/low & inside/outside

16 Clean mirrors, & artwork

17 Clean windows

18 Replenish guest room supplies

19 Vacuum bed/bathroom floors

20 Report room as ‘ready’ using your normal hotel procedure, switch off lights & close door

You will notice that Step 5 involves reporting on Maintenance issues. This now becomes the responsibility of the Room Attendant as part of the ‘One and Only Way’, and you will be checking that it has been done as part of your Audit process.

Page 11: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 10

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

Our ‘One and Only Way’ - methods, tools and chemicals

As well as the 20-step sequence, our ‘One and Only Way’ system specifies the methods, tools and chemicals for each step of the sequence. It is vital that our ‘One and Only Way’ system is used consistently by every Room Attendant in every guestroom in the future. There is no other way! You should ensure that you are using the specific training materials for the cleaning products used in your hotel (Johnson-Diversey or Ecolab). The detailed information and instructions for the methods, tools and chemicals required to complete each step in the ‘One and Only Way’ system are clearly explained in “THE MANUAL” - Section 2 on your CD-ROM. You must ensure that you thoroughly read and understand The Manual before commencing your implementation, and keep it with you when conducting your training and audits.

Training the ‘One and Only Way’ System

As an Auditor, you have a significant responsibility for training your Room Attendants in the ‘One and Only Way’ to ensure that the programme is successful in your hotel.

A series of training materials has been produced to assist in the implementation of the programme and ‘One and Only Way’ for your hotel.

The materials are flexible and capable of being used in a variety of situations to suit you and your team.

Page 12: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 11

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

You will find these in “TRAINING MATERIALS” (Section 5) on your CD-ROM, together with some guidelines for their use.

There is also a video showing details of the ‘One and Only Way’. The notes for training are carefully matched to the film sequences and the steps of the ‘One and Only Way’ system to make them easy to use.

It is important that you are clear about your training responsibilities and have thoroughly planned for your implementation period. Every Room Attendant must be trained in the ‘One and Only Way’, and you must include in your plans ALL members of the Room Attendant team – including Agency employees and part time employees.

To help you plan your training, a sample Training Plan is included in the “TRAINING MATERIALS” section of your CD-ROM (Section 5). There is also a detailed description of the training materials, what they cover, and how to use them within that section.

You must include a mixture of classroom and on-job training and the notes have been designed to enable you to do both effectively.

Your support materials

In addition to the training materials above, your CD-ROM also contains some support materials for this programme in the form of:

! A poster showing Dusty Springclean and the 20-step ‘One and Only Way’ system. A3 size for display on the wall.

! An ‘aide memoir’ (memory reminder) pictorially showing Dusty Springclean performing all 20 steps of the ‘One and Only Way’. This is A5 in size and intended to be used to attach to each trolley, or given to your Room Attendants as an aide-memoir to help them remember the steps at all times whilst they go about their work.

! The artwork for both these items is included on your CD-ROM in Section 6: “SUPPORT MATERIALS”, so that you are able to print sufficient copies for your hotel locally.

Page 13: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 12

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

How to use your CD-ROM and Training Material

As you can see, there is plenty of suport material to enable you to develop yourself in your Auditor role, train and brief your colleagues and answer any questions that you might have.

By working through the information provided on your CD-ROM, you will be able to:

! Draw up a specific plan of action with your Housekeeping colleagues and identify the responsibilities and accountabilities for successful implementation & operation of the programme.

! Plan how to utilise the training materials and ensure that regular training and re-training sessions with all Room Attendants are conducted, both in a classroom and on the job situation to ensure that they understand the ‘One and Only Way’ that they will use in the future.

! Understand how to use the Room Audit Toolkit to enter the results of your Audit and take action on the outcomes.

The CD-ROM provides a comprehensive pack of information to support you in training, monitoring and re-training your Room Attendants (RA’s) and in using the Room Audit Toolkit for the variety of purposes that you will need to fulfill your role as an Auditor.

The information contained on your CD-ROM is organised in the following way:

Page 14: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 13

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

1. HEAD HOUSEKEEPER’S MATERIALS ! Head Housekeeper’s Briefing Pack – including Implementation Plan ! Preparing for your Presentation – some hints and tips ! Presentation Session Notes ! Presentation Session Slideshow ! ‘Benefits’ Exercise ! Q & A Game / Frequently Asked Questions ! Implementation Schedule

2. THE MANUAL* (*see following page)

! Detailed information on the ‘One and Only Way’ – sequence, methods, tools and chemicals

3. AUDITORS MATERIALS

! Auditor’s Handbook – (this document) an Auditor’s introduction to the I Clean programme

! The Audit Form ! Recruiting new Auditors – Job Description ! Recruiting new Auditors – Employee Specification

4. ROOM AUDIT TOOLKIT

! The Room Audit Toolkit – software for copying onto your PC ! The Room Audit Toolkit Training Document – a step-by-step user

guide 5. TRAINING MATERIALS

! Introduction to the Training Materials ! Instructor’s Guide PowerPoint Show ! The ‘One and Only Way’ Board Game & Quiz Questions ! The ‘One and Only Way’ Training Plan ! The ‘One and Only Way’ Training Records

6. SUPPORT MATERIALS

! Poster – illustrating the 20 steps of the ‘One and Only Way’ system

! ‘Aide Memoir’ – double sided ‘memory jogger’ illustrating the 20 steps of the ‘One and Only Way’

Page 15: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 14

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

! *The Manual – gives detailed information on the ‘One and Only Way’ System. Please see ”THE MANUAL” section (Section 2) of your CD-ROM. You should ensure that each Auditor has their own copy and uses it regularly for reference.

! As an Auditor, you must ensure that you read and understand the manual in full before commencing your training or implementation.

! There is also a video showing how to clean a guestroom using our ‘One and Only Way’ System. You should watch it at least once as part of your training preparation.

Now that you have a general idea of your role and responsibilities as an Auditor, you are ready to find out the specific information that you will need to support the implementation of the programme for your hotel.

Before continuing to read this Handbook please take the time to familiarise yourself with the resources on the CD-ROM so that you know what is available where all the information is when you need it.

You will notice Section 4: “ROOM AUDIT TOOLKIT” as you go... Our advice to you is to have quick peek, but don’t get too involved with the software or Room Audit Toolkit Training at this stage – there is plenty of time for that later.

Return to this page when you have done so and are ready to begin your Auditor Training and Implementation Plan…

Page 16: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 15

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

Welcome back to your handbook… by now you will have achieved the following:

! Gained an overview of the programme & your role within it.

! Defined the ‘One and Only Way’ system for guestroom cleaning in your hotel.

! Gained an idea of the training and support materials available.

! Gained some understanding of the Room Audit Toolkit.

! Begun to consider the Implementation Planning for your hotel.

As an Auditor, a significant part of your responsibility will be in conducting the Audits, entering the scores and acting on the results.

The Audit Process

Conducting Audits, using the Audit Form, instead of checking rooms is probably the biggest change to your working habits – and it may prove to be a challenge in the early days. Before you begin your Auditing duties, it is very important to understand that Auditing completely REPLACES room inspections.

Therefore, from the time you implement the programme in your hotel, you will cease to carry out room inspections completely.

It is worth bearing in mind that your Implementation Plan may well roll out in a section of rooms at a time, preferably after the rooms have been spring-cleaned, or you may decide to convert all in one go.

However you and your Housekeeping Management Team plan your Implementation period, it is important to begin your Audit responsibilities as soon as possible after returning from your launch workshop.

Page 17: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 16

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

We recommend that you try and complete at least 5 – 10 Audits per Room Attendant before you carry out your training with them. This is relevant for three reasons:

1. It gives you the practice of Auditing guestrooms from the very beginning and so will make it more straightforward for Implementation.

2. It helps your Room Attendants to become used to the Auditing process from the beginning.

3. It means that you can collect data from before Implementation – and then track your improvements and increasing scores as you move through the training and Implementation Plan.

Audit Guidelines

Before you conduct your first Audit, there are a few guidelines to consider.

1) Number of Audits: The average number of Audits for each Room Attendant is 30 per month.The number of Audits will be pro-rated for part time team members – your Room Audit Toolkit shows you how to do this. As a rough guide though, if your Room Attendant works 3 or more days per week, then they should remain at 30 Audits per month. If they work 2 or less days per week, then they should be Audited on 16 rooms per month.

You are going to be reviewing the results of the audits very closely and acting on them, therefore you need to ensure that the results you are looking at are representative of how that Room Attendant is performing. If you have less than 30 for a full-time Room Attendant, then you are not going to be looking at representative data.

2) Selecting the Room Attendants: Your Room Audit Toolkit will automatically select the Room Attendants to be Audited each day. You will learn about this during your Room Audit Toolkit training.

Page 18: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 17

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

3) Using the Audit Forms: You must use a separate Audit Form for each Audit you conduct. Therefore a clipboard and pen will be essential items.

It is important to keep your Audit Forms separate before and after training.

4) When to Audit: Each morning your Room Audit Toolkit will give you the list of rooms to be Audited for the day. You will need to wait until the room is complete and has been returned to the inventory to Audit it, and therefore, you may not be doing Audits from the beginning of the morning shift.

5) What to look for: The Audit Form is very clearly laid out, and essentially you are looking for two factors – the cleanliness results in the room according to the headings on the form and importantly, Auditing that it was cleaned according to the ‘One and Only Way’ sequence, methods, tools and chemicals.

6) Maintenance reporting: With the ‘One and Only Way’ system, the reporting of maintenance becomes the responsibility of the Room Attendant – possibly for the first time in your hotel. This may take a while to work perfectly, so for the first few weeks, when conducting your Audits, it is a good idea to take a *Maintenance Checklist into the room as well – just to make sure that any issues have been reported (*you will find an example of a Maintenance Checklist in The Manual).

7) Who to Audit: Your Audit must include ALL Room Attendants – whether employed directly by the hotel or an agency. You will need to contact your Agency to explain the changes and ask for their support in this process. If Agency Room Attendants fall consistently below an optimum score, then you must bring this to the attention of the Agency concerned.

Page 19: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 18

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

Using the Audit Form

The Audit Form is straightforward and you will receive plenty of training at your launch day. It is important at this point to explain a few key principles about the Audit process.

At the bottom of the Audit Form you will see Q35, which states ‘Sequence / Tools / Chemical / Methods (if failed in sequence room)’. This question should only be introduced once a Room Attendant has been trained. Therefore when carrying out the pre-training audits, Auditors should ignore this question.

However, as soon as a Room Attendant has completed the initial training, then the audits on his or her guestrooms must include Q35.

The purpose of Q35 is to check that the Room Attendant is complying with the One and Only Way system of guestroom cleaning. This means that s/he must be using the right sequence, otherwise although the room might be clean, it has not necessarily being cleaned in the most efficient way, i.e. with the minimum walking time and maximum cleaning time. Q35 is also used to check that the Room Attendant is using the right tools with the right chemicals and the right methods, otherwise the room won’t be as clean as it could be.

When an Auditor goes to audit a room that has already been cleaned and returned to inventory, it is usually impossible to tell whether the right sequence was adopted and whether or not the right methods, tools and chemicals were used. Therefore the Auditor needs to go to the room that the Room Attendant is currently cleaning to check on the sequence, methods, tools and chemicals.

This second room is called the ‘sequencing room’ and this room number should be recorded in the appropriate space on the top right hand corner of the Audit Form.

Page 20: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 19

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

If, when checking the sequencing room, the Auditor finds that the sequence hasn’t been followed correctly (which means the room is not being cleaned as efficiently as possible) then the Room Attendant automatically loses 50 points.

So, for example, if the Auditor walked in to the room and saw that the Room Attendant was vacuuming the bathroom floor but the bed was still unmade, then the Room Attendant would lose 50 points.

The Auditor must also be checking that the Room Attendant is using the right tools with the right chemicals in the right way. Therefore if the Auditor saw the Room Attendant using the bathroom cleaner to damp dust in the bedroom then the Room Attendant would lose 50 points.

As explained above, Q35 is only introduced after the Room Attendant has been trained. Therefore it is quite usual for the scores for a Room Attendant to drop significantly after s/he has been trained due to the loss of 50 points on Q35. However, provided the correct re-training is given, the Room Attendant’s scores should increase over time to be much improved on the pre-training audit scores.

It is important to remember that the purpose of is to ensure that the guestrooms are cleaned as efficiently and effectively as possible, so this should be taken into account when deducting the 50 points. Q35 should not be used, for example, to deduct points from the Room Attendant for not wearing the correct uniform.

This is a key item that the Head Housekeeper should be checking, i.e. to ensure that Q35 is being applied consistently and correctly by the Auditor.

Page 21: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 20

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

Managing Audit Scores

Once you have completed your Audit, it is very important to remember to enter the results into the Room Audit Toolkit the same day. You will receive training in the Room Audit Toolkit as part of the area launch event and Implementation Plan for your hotel.

Part of your role as an Auditor will rely on you communicating the results of your Audits to your Room Attendants and providing feedback on their performance. Clearly, this needs to be communicated in a motivating and helpful manner.

As part of your Implementation Plan you will be considering a communication plan and reward and recognition process.

A useful calculation that the Room Audit Toolkit will do is called a “trigger value”...

A trigger value for each Room Attendant is calculated based on the average performance of that Room Attendant over a period of time (you can specify the time period in the Room Audit Toolkit).

The Room Audit Toolkit calculates the trigger value for each Room Attendant. It is possible to manually change the trigger value, but you are advised to use the one that the Toolkit calculates for you, certainly when you are still getting used to the programme.

The purpose of having a trigger value for each Room Attendant is so that the Head Housekeeper and Auditor can review an individual’s performance.

The aim of the programme is to improve the cleanliness of all guest rooms, which means that all Room Attendants need to have a very high level of performance. Undoubtedly there will be a mixed range of ability across all Room Attendants. Some will be performing extremely well, some averagely, and some performing below expectations.

Page 22: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 21

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

What we need to do is raise the bar for all Room Attendants. By having a trigger value for each one the Head Housekeeper will easily be able to spot which individuals are falling below their usual standard of performance, i.e. when a Room Attendant’s average performance falls below their trigger value. From this information it is then possible to retrain those Room Attendants either on the whole One and Only Way system or on specific sections.

By considering the performance of all the Room Attendants over a specified period of time the Room Audit Toolkit calculates a trigger value for the whole hotel.

If the average performance of all the Room Attendants falls below the trigger value for the hotel then again the Head Housekeeper needs to act. This could either mean retraining for all Room Attendants, or retraining for specific Room Attendants, or potentially even performance discussions with Agency management.

Your Head Housekeeper will need to compare all Auditor data on a monthly basis to ensure that the Audit process is being applied consistently and in a fair manner by all the Auditors.

You must also discuss with your Head Housekeeper, how the Audit results wil be included in the Hotel Management reporting process.

Page 23: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 22

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

Acting on your Audit Results

When you complete your Room Audit Toolkit training, you will learn about all the different styles of reports that will be generated as a significant part of the programme.

The key to improving Guest Satisfaction through this programme on a long-term basis will come through your ability to be able to read the Audit data and act on it.

In the next section of your Handbook, you will begin to think about what to do when things are going well and Audit scores are high. In this section, it is worth spending a little time considering how you will be able to use the results of your Audit to help your Room Attendants develop and be the best that they can be.

As the programme becomes more settled in your hotel, you will find tha the Audit information will become increasingly useful as you get better and better at reading it and interpreting the results.

For the implementation period, it might be worth considering the following scenarios…

Page 24: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 23

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

Try your skills out in providing solutions for each scenario:

Result Solution

A batch of Audit results show that bathroom floor cleaning is not up to standard in more than one section…

A batch of Audit results show an increase in hairs on bath linen across several sections…

A batch of Audit results show an increase in hairs on bed linen for one particular Room Attendant…

One Agency Room Attendant shows consistently low scores because s/he is not keeping to the 20-step sequence…

Despite retraining in the system, a member of your full time team is stil not using the right tools and chemicals…

Despite using the methods tools and chemicals, a member of your team is not adhering to the sequence…

Two Room Attendants do not speak very good English, and so are not communicating their maintenance requests…

You find that despite knowing about the Audit process, you just can’t break the habit of inspecting rooms…

A member of your Management Team still insists on conducting room inspections…

Page 25: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 24

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

Whatever the situation, and there will be some that will challenge you, the key things to consider are:

! Training – one to one or in groups, using the materials provided.

! Retraining – one to one or in groups, using the materials provided.

! Communication – meetings, noticeboards, coaching, feedback, etc.

! Performance Management tools – formal conversations and verbal warnings.

Celebrating Success

As an Auditor, an important part of your role will involve celebrating success. As part of your implementation plan, it is worth spending some time thinking about how you will do this in your hotel. Recognition and celebration will help to make your implementation enjoyable and rewarding.

Remember that the more you celebrate success, the more people in your team will aspire to achieve it, and the more you recognise the behaviour and results that you want to see, then the more often you will see them.

For example, how will you recognise and celebrate the following:

An exceptional Audit score by a Room Attendant

"

A new member of the team who achieves a personal best score

"

A successful GSTS result "

A successful first month of Implementation "

Page 26: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 25

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

The most improved score "

A Room Attendant achieving their first 30 Audits

"

A Room Attendant completing the ‘One and Only Way’ system in the guideline times for the first time

"

Any other ideas that you might have "

Ideas from Other Hotels

Achievements you might want to celebrate:

! The Room Attendant with the highest monthly average score

! The Room Attendant with the most improved trigger value

! The best Auditors

! The top performing hotel

Ways that you might like to celebrate:

! Take the money previously earned by rewarding key maids and use the budget to reward the top performers

! Have an badge that can be worn above the name pin, presented by the GM at an “In Touch” meeting, or some other all-staff meeting

! Nominate for the Room Attendant of the Year award / Can-Do (for Holiday Inn Hotels) Award

! Top Room Attendant stays in another hotel overnight and completes a Room Audit Form

Page 27: I Clean - Auditor's Handbook

THE ONE AND ONLY WAY AUDITORS’ HANDBOOK

© InterContinental Hotels Group 2004 26

We Know What It Takes To Make It Clean

! Letter from the GM / DOO / COO – maybe quarterly or annually – depending on the seniority of the signatory

! Certificate from GM each month and each quarter to 5 top Room Attendants

! Craft Trainer for the top Auditor of the quarter or year

! Champagne and nibbles for a particularly good month (improved trigger values or Hotel Cleanliness Report)

! Team night out

Getting Started

Congratulations on reaching the end of your Auditors Handbook.

You are now ready to attend the Launch Workshop in your area and begin the next level of your Implementation Plan.

The implementation period will differ depending on the size of your hotel and operating requirements. For further details, please discuss with your Housekeeping Manager or Head Housekeeper.

☺ Good luck with your implementation!

We look forward to working with you at your area launch event. You might like to use the space below to note when and where your area launch event is

being held……

Please bring this document with you when you attend.