house keeping nchmct sem-2 question solved year-2013/14

Q.1. “A clean lobby is the first moment of truth that guest experiences in the hotel and this leaves lasting impression on him”. Explain the importance of keeping the lobby clean. Explain methods employed to keep lobby clean.    (10)

ANS: “A clean lobby is the first moment of truth that guest experiences in the hotel and this leaves lasting impression on him” because when the guest check in/ enter the hotel it is the first place where guest enters and as we know first impression is the last impression . lobby area reflects the hotel overview to the visitor and check in guests. While check out also it is the last area visited by the guest and leaves the impact on him.

The importance of keeping the lobby clean are:-

• 1.    It is one of the busy area of the hotel and 24 hrs operated so dust, soil, particles may accumulate in this area.
• 2.      It is the first reflection of the hotel and should be keep clean.
• 3.      Maintain hygiene and reduce the risk of contamination.
• 4.      Reduce wear and tear of equipment.
• 5     create proper working environment for workers.
•        The methods employed to keep lobby clean are:-
• 1.      Clear all ashtrays into the trash ensuring no cigarettes are burned.
• 2.      Clear the dustbins.
• 3.      Replace the soil linens.
• 4.      Dust and wipe all the equipment used.
• 5.      Remove spider webs from ceiling.
• 6.      Remove the dust deposited on the walls, windows, doors and furniture.
• 7.      Remove stain from carpets and furniture.
• 8.      Sweep and mop the floor of the lobby.
• 9.      Spray the clean spray with signature aroma.
• 10.  Play a very light and smooth music.

 

Q.2. What is the importance of guest room inspection and how it should it be conducted? Support your answer with relevant format.                    (10)

ANS: The importance of guest room inspection are:-

• 1.      To check on the standards of cleanliness.
• 2.      To check that all appropriate supplies are pun in their respective places.
• 3.      To check there is no maintenance fault in the room.
• 4.      Check on any problem that may have been overlooked during the cleaning.
• 5.      Identify special cleaning tasks and organizing the work.

It should be conducted by following ways:-

• 1.      Rooms are allotted for inspection or done daily by supervisory level staff.
• 2.      The inspection is carried on in an anti clockwise or clockwise direction, moving from higher to low level.
• 3.      Room inspection report/ checklist is prepared by checking the room and updating it. It reports the condition of furniture and furnishing, appearance of ceiling, walls and floor. In the list all surfaces and articles are mentioned which is checked by the supervisor accordingly and mention the problem if any.
•  4    white ragging test is conducted to check the cleanliness of the room by wiping it with white rag across to see the degree of soil
• 5.      Neglected areas by the GRA is checked.

Format-

4.

 

Or

Explain in detail the types of mattresses used in hotel guest rooms.

ANS: The types of mattresses used in hotel guest rooms are:-

1.  Spring Mattress

These mattresses have an inner layer of springs between layers of insulation and padding.The springs may be tied together with wire or helical hooks. Usually, they are well padded with layers of cotton, coiled hair, rubber, or plastic foam, and the whole unit is then tightly covered with a strong fabric called ticking. They vary in depth from 12-22 cm approximately. Their quality and price depend upon the number and gauge of the springs, the type of padding, and the quality of the ticking. Gauge determines firmness & support. The lower the number the thicker the spring.

 

2.   Air Mattress

An air inflated mattress well-known brand is Aero bed. In this type of bed the air is filled between two layers and inflated. Cushion of air  can be adjusted according to the comfort of body. Some airbeds have independent chambers & trizone system. They are very light and easily moved. Air in the mattress is filled with the help of electrical pump.

 

 3.   Foam Mattress

These mattresses are made from synthetic rubber/plastic that is whipped into foam with a chemical setting agent while in a semi-liquid state and poured into heated moulds. In the moulds, the foam gets shaped, set, and vulcanized without losing any of its tiny air cells. A good foam mattress may be about 10 cm deep (minimum) and have layers of foam, with the firmest layer at the bottom and the softest at the top. They normally have a right and a wrong side.

These mattresses are extremely resilient—they regain their original shape rapidly after being laid on and therefore require no turning. They are not prone to attack by moths and other pests, either.  The latex ones are more durable than the synthetic foam mattresses.

 

4.   Water Mattress

These resemble interior-sprung mattresses in appearance. Well~ designed ones have water-filled cells in the centre of the mattress. These cells are covered with vinyl—covered urethane foam and the perimeter of the mattress has a row of innerspring coils that are meant to provide support to a person sitting on the edge of the bed. The cover fabric can be removed—there is a zipper along the top of the mattress. so that the cells can be serviced as necessary.

Water filled mattress distributes your weight & avoids pressure spots.. Special waterbed conditioner is used to condition the mattress & prevent bacteria. Sometimes have an in-built heater. Two concerns about waterbeds are:

One can feel seasick.

Mattress may burst.

 

5.      5.  Solid-stuffed mattresses

These mattresses are made by filling a fabric with padding. The padding may be in the form of animal hair, cotton, kapok, wool, or coir. All stuffed mattresses are prone to attack by moths and other pests. They are also absorbent and require frequent turning when in use. They may also require frequent re-making as they tend to sag easily. For these reasons, hotels offering quality service do not opt for these mattresses.

 

Q.3. What is the order of cleaning a checkout room that a room attendant should follow?                                                                              (10)

ANS: The order of cleaning a checkout room that a room attendant should follow are:-

• 1.    Switch off the a/c or heater of the room. Remove all the curtains and open the windows for airing the room.
• 2.      Remove soiled linens from bed and bathroom. Shake out the linens to ensure that guest articles are lost in the folds of the linens.
• 3.      Check for the maintenance required and inform the control desk and enter in the room check list.
• 4.      Contact room service to remove extra trays and glasses.
• 5.      Clean the carpets with vacuum cleaner or carpet brush.
• 6.      Clean the dustbins and empty all the ashtrays.
• 7.      Clean the bathroom and replenish all the required supplies in the guest room and bathroom.
• 8.      Clean and dust the area, vacuum it and spray disinfect in the room and equipment.
• 9.      Clean mirrors with dry cloth first and then with dump newspaper, to make it sparkling.
• 10.  Close all the windows and Change the bed linens and place linens in required places.
• 11.  Arrange the furniture and have a final look at the room and inform the control desk the room is ready.

 

OR

 Explain the difference in cleaning of an occupied room and a vacant room.

ANS: The difference in cleaning of an occupied room and a vacant room are:-

Occupied room	Vacant room
1.      While entering the room Guest permission is required.	1        No guest permission is required.
2.      All  occupied rooms are serviced/cleaned twice daily and as when requested.	2    It is done only one time.
3.      Before doing anything, permission is required from the guest.	3   GRA can clean accordingly without any permission.
4.      Guest is in the room.	4    There is no guest in the room.
5.      Guest belongings should not be touched and if necessary ask guest.	5   There is no Guest belongings.
6.      Full cleaning is not done.	6   Room is fully cleaned without any
7.      There are different Room status and should be checked. Ex- DND.	7    There is only one status which is vacant.
8.      40 minutes is allotted to clean the occupied room.		8 .  50 minutes is allotted to clean the vacant room.
9.      Inspection check list is not prepared.		9 .  inspection check list is prepared.
10.  After cleaning the status remain as it is.		10 . after cleaning room status is changed to vacant and ready and ready to sale.

 

Q.4. Categorize VIPs. What are the amenities and giveaways provided to the VIPs?                                                                                                             (10)

ANS: The different categories of VIP ‘S are:-

VVIP: President of India or another country president.

 

VIP 1: Would be head of state, ministers and celebrities.

 

VIP 2: Presidents & CEO’s of large companies, the top people in a hotel’s own company, well known personalities, ambassadors and other high ranking officials.

 

VIP 3: For regular guest, business man, owners of brand.

 

VIP 4: Handle with Care guests and certain groups of people known to hotel managers.

 

AMENITIES PROVIDED TO THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF VIP’S:

 

OR

Name different types of pests found in hotel atmosphere. Explain how pest control is carried out in hotels.(10)

ANS: The different types of pests found in hotel atmosphere are insects, Arthopods (eight legs), Microbial organism, cockroach, termites, beetles & fleas, spider, bacteria, bed bugs, sligs & ship worms.

Pest control is carried out in hotel by the following ways:-

• 1.      If any staff finds pests such as cockroach, flies, beetles, bugs, spider e.t.c in any area of hotel it is immediately informed to house keeping.
• 2.      Pest control log book is maintained with the details of the pest.
• 3.       Housekeeping manager is to review the pest control log book weekly to ensure the proper treatment.
• 4.      Pest control contractor is appointed for the work and pest control is carried out.
• 5.      Different type of treatments are used to control the pests
• ·         Rodenticide treatment (eg- laying of rat bait)
• ·         Insecticide treatment (eg- spraying of insecticide)
• ·         Flying insects control (eg- fumigation)
• 6.      Treatment is done in different areas including guest rooms, lobby, floor pantries, stairs, kitchen etc
• 7.      Different types of chemicals are used on different frequency according to the nature of pests and place.
• 8.      Spray plus laying and rat bait are checked and restored.

 

Q.5. How would you organize storage for lost and found articles? Design a format for lost and found slip to be attached to the article. (10)

ANS:

●        When item is found by any staff of housekeeping department or other department it is immediately brought to the lost and found department.

·               *    All items received to be recorded in a lost and found register.

●        All items regardless whether it is valuable, non-valuable items and perishable items must be recorded on the Lost and found register.

●        Items should be put in a plastic bag noting the serial number from the register, place found, date, name of the person found the item etc.

●        Valuable items like Jewellery, mobile, wallets, laptops, ipads etc. must be stored in a locker.

●        If the Property management system has Auto trace functionality then put a trace on the guest profile stating the there is a lost item held with the housekeeping department

●        Send Email to the guest to notify the guest about the lost item ( as per the hotel policy )

●        When guest calls up the hotel to ask about the lost item, only the person who maintains the lost and found register should revert to the call.

Once the item is sent to the guest / collected by the guest authorized person an appropriate entry to be made on the system.

FORMAT of lost and found slip is:-

 

Explain the importance of maintaining “KEY CONTROL” to ensure safety of guest.

ANS: The importance of maintaining “key control” to ensure safety of guest are:-

• 1.      It ensures complete security as on room number is printed on card.
• 2.      An alarm is set on when a wrong key is used thereby alerting security.
• 3.      It reduces the chances of theft and other security related problems, because of continuous tracking of the key use.
• 4.      It is possible to trace the issue of key and details.
• 5.      No duplicate keys can be used.
• 6.      During lost or misplace of key , it can be easily decoded and prevent from misused.
• 7.      Guest details are secured and reduce the risk piracy.
• 8.      Only double keys are issued if room has double occupancy. This prevents the misuse of the key.
• 9.      It is easy to code because of computerized chip which helps guest to save time and hotel to save expenses.
• 10.  It helps guest to take loan items from other departments without any hassle.

 

Q.6. Differentiate between (any five):                                 (5*2=10)

I HAVE PROVIDED ALL 6 YOU CAN SELECT AMONG THIS .

(a) Bath sheet and Bath towel.

Bath sheet	Bath towal
·        Bath sheet is big in size with 35’’ wide and 70’’ long.	·        Bath towel is bit smaller then bath sheet with size of 26’’ wide and 54’’ long.
·        It is an alternative of bath towel with more area.	·        It is not an alternative.

 

(b) Guest essentials and Guest expendables

Guest essentials	Guest expendables
·        It includes all those items which are not used up or expected to be taken away by guest.	·        It includes all those items which are expected to be used or taken away by the guests.
·        Examples- lamp, hangers, extra blankets e.t.c.	·        Examples- soap bars, tissues, match box.

 

(c) Shower curtain and Sheer curtain

Shower curtain	Sheer curtain
·        It is quite opaque in nature with no or little amount of light to be passed.	·        It allows most light to be passed through the fabric.
·        It is single and can be seen in shower or washroom area.	·         It is usually paired with opaque curtains and found in room windows.

 

 

(d) Studio bed and Murphy bed

Studio bed	Murphy bed
·        It is a couch cum bed. A couch can be converted into bed.	·        It is also known as wall bed and can be fold vertically against the wall.
·        Can be seen in studio room / apartments.	·        Can be found in living room area.

 

(e) Junior suite and Parlour

Junior suite	parlour
·        Is a type of room with separate living and sitting area attached to the room.	·        It is a sitting room having sofa, tables, entertainment system to receive the guest.
·        It is suite with different areas.	·        It is a part of room.

 

(f) Stay over room and Out of order room

Stay over room	Out of order rooms
·        The guest is staying in the room and is not expected to checkout today.	·        The room which cannot be put on sale because of some repairment.
·        Income is generated by the room.	·        Income from this room is not generated.

 

Q.7. Define briefly (any ten):                                                    (10)

 (a) Front of the house-  it is the area where guest interaction is more. Example – restaurant, lobby, reception, front office etc.

(b) Log book -  is a record of important events in the management, operation and navigation of  the shift.

(c) Foyer- an entrance hall or other open area in a building used by the public. And generally found in hotels. Example- lobby.

(d) Dutch wife- it is the another name of sewing kit provided as the guest amenity.

(e) Lanai- A lanai  is a type of roofed, open-sided veranda, patio, or porch room mainly situated besides garden or swimming pool.

(f) Service elevator- is a elevator located in an employee only area of a building used to be used by employees only.

(g) Valet bag- it is a plastic bag with a zip attached to it used to keep laundry.

(h) Coverlet- it is the another name of bed spread and used to cover the bed white dusting.

(i) Solarium- a room fitted with extensive areas of glass to admit maximum sunlight in the room.

(j) Breakfast knob card- card hung by the guests on the knobs of the guest room doors to preorder breakfast at night.

 (k) Crinkle sheet-it is also known as third sheet and used to cover and protect the blanket.

(l) Foot fold- it is a type of fold use in bed making to protect matress.

Q.8. Write short notes on any two:         (10)

 (a) Turndown service-

it refers to the practice of staff entering a guest room and “turning down” the bed linen of the bed, preparing the bed for night. By 10:00pm turn down services should be done. GRA takes the status report of the floor from the desk and prepare the room accordingly. In this service a touch up is given to the guest room and bathroom and amenities and breakfast knob card is placed in the bed.

(b) Computerized key card-

it is a flat plastic card use to open the computerized lock of the door and operates the electricity in the room. The card contains computerized chip in it which can be coded accordingly to the room number, guest details, information by the front office assistant. It is the replacement of keys in the hotel. It is secured, time saving and cost efficient.

(c) Guest loan item-

guest loan items are the items which are provided to the guest on the request and are chargeable in hourly basis. Examples- crib bed, iron, iron bed, extension cord etc. The cost of the goods/items used by the guest are calculated and added in the bill of the guest.

 

Q.9. Give reason why:                                               (10)

(a) The maids cart is placed in front of the open door facing into the room while cleaning a guest room?

ANS: Because it will be easy for GRA to clean the room and can move freely in the room. It is also easy for guest to know the room is being cleaned.

(b) The room occupancy chart is prepared?

ANS: To determine the number of rooms sold against number of rooms in the hotel and it is prepared by housekeeping supervisor.

 (c) Before taking a guest room under repair, front office approval is required?

ANS: Yes, before taking a guest room under repair, front office approval is required.

 (d) Turkish is preferred for towels?

ANS: Because Turkish are soft, light weighted, absorbent and long lasting perfect for towels.

(e) Bed board is used under the mattress?

ANS: It makes the mattress firm and prevent from sagging. It also protects the mattress from damage.

 

Q.10. A Expand the following: (5)

(a) SB –Scanty Baggage

(b) DNCO –DID NOT CHECK OUT

(c) HWC –Handle With Care

(d) D/L –Double Lock

(e) UR- Unreserved.

 

B Fill in the blanks:     (5)

(a) Jacuzzi are whirlpools in which alternative jets of warm water bring about therapeutic effects.

 (b) Publicity cards placed in the guest rooms are called tent cards.

(c) Sani-bin are small metal or plastic container with lid kept in toilets to collect soiled sanitary towels.

(d) Luggage rack is the furniture items provided in the guest room for placing the guest luggage on it.

(e)  White ant/wood ant is the other name for termites.