For many years, Hotel chains and their operators have been looking for new ways to manage the assets of their property. Maintenance problems is not just a burden for the “midsized” or “mom and pop” hotels operators . . ., large–5 star–hotels operators have equally the same burden in relationship to size. In fact, I recently read a Trip Advisor review on Trump International Hotel and Towers detailing several maintenance issues, one where the guest stated that the “floor to ceiling” window locking mechanism was broken in-which her 18 month old baby could have easily fallen out of.
Although each hotel brand may have a specific plan to manage their preventive maintenance process, the real question is . . . are things getting done? Every property manager feels–to the larger extent–that a maintenance plan should be followed, the frustrating thing however, is that they typically fall short if a need arises that changes the course of their daily operation. An undeveloped plan will signify that your preventive maintenance program will fail and eventually cause you problems. However, a well-developed plan will ensure business success–guaranteeing that the maintenance work is being carried out in a specific period of time.
The bottom line is this. Operators must remain focused on what their guest perception of quality and value is, remembering that it’s determined by a number of factors relating to service, with maintenance being a huge contributor to their perception of the quality they expect while staying at your property. Exceeding your guest expectations on maintenance is key. I always say that as hoteliers, we don’t sell tangible goods . . ., what our guest buy from us, they can’t take home. So it is always important to ensure that we are providing the complete service package which is satisfying and exceeding the expectations of our guest. A well maintained property will draw them in while your customer service will keep them coming back.
At LodgingControls, Inc. we have created Cleaning Management Systems (CMS) to help you manage your preventive maintenance program–all while protecting your company’s assets. The only thing you’ll have left to do is concentrate on customer service and building relationships.
