to the hotel and especially to the guests. Those in the housekeeping
department often have the opportunity to perform a variety of service
activities, such as: responding to the requests for additional room amenities,
services, and directions. A member of the housekeeping staff may be
the first hotel employee the guest sees in the morning. The manner in
which these personnel are able to greet and assist the guest often creates a
lasting impression on the guest.
As it is the executive housekeeper who sets the immediate tone for the
department, and acts as a role model for the remainder of the department,
it is important to understand how this individual views the effectiveness
of the service delivery in housekeeping. The perceptions of the executive
housekeeper regarding the service delivery system and its effectiveness
will have a profound affect on the housekeeping staff. The purpose of this
paper is to present the findings of a study of those managing the housekeeping
function in relation to the delivery of quality service as provided
by the housekeeping staff. In essence, how does the executive housekeeper
perceive and encourage the delivery of quality service within the
housekeeping department. The study is exploratory in that it seeks to
identify major concerns and issues in the administration of the department.
These identified issues would be then available for additional study.
The Housekeeping Department
The housekeeping department is generally thought to be a part of the
rooms division of the hotel. In smaller properties the person in charge,
housekeeping supervisor or lead housekeeper, most often reports to the general
manager while in the larger more diversified properties the executive
R. Thomas George and Murat Hancer 367
housekeeper or housekeeping manager reports to the rooms division manager.
Size and type of establishment often dictate the organizational structure
with the larger establishments being more complex. Within the
housekeeping department are often several other service areas such as:
laundry, uniform room, and public area cleaning.
According to Gray and Liquori (2003) the housekeeping department
may make up 75 percent of the hotel permanent staff. Vallen and Vallen
(2005, p. 87) state the responsibility for the hotel’s basic product, a clean
room, rests “unconditionally” with the housekeeping department. Hayes
and Ninemeier (2004) when discus