The housekeeping

When guests stay at the hotel they expect somebody to clean their rooms. The housekeeping department does it.

At the head of the housekeeping service is the housekeeper. He supervises the chambermaids.

Chambermaids prepare the rooms before the guests check in.

The housekeeper tells the maids to general clean the rooms or to make up the rooms. He may ask the maids to scrub down the bath­rooms or just change the bed linen and the towels. Generally the maids air the rooms, make the beds, dust the furniture, vacuum clean the floor, wash the bathroom, empty the waste baskets.

Chambermaids use carts to carry supplies of toiletries: shampoos, soaps, tissues, shower caps as well as bed and bath linens. There are containers for dirty linen and rubbish on those carts.

Chambermaids use master keys to provide security for the hotel rooms.

If the guests need extra bedding or rollaways, the housekeeping service will do it. The housekeeping service provides hair-dryers and irons if the guests need them.

When guests check out, the housekeeper inspects the rooms. The housekeeper informs the front desk if everything is in order. He also informs which rooms are occupied and which rooms are vacant

Comprehension questions

1. What do hotel guests expect the housekeeping service to do when they stay at the hotel?

2. Who is at the head of the housekeeping service? What does he or she do?

3. How do chambermaids clean the rooms?

4. What do chambermaids use carts for?

5. How do maids provide security for hotel rooms?

6. What other services does the housekeeping department provide?

7. What does the housekeeper do when guests check out?

8. What does the housekeeper inform the front desk about?

The telephone department

When guests stay at the hotel, they often use phones. There is usually the regular pay phone and the house phone.

The house phone is the system of phones throughout the hotel.

There is usually an operator who operates the switchboard. With the switchboard the operator can control all in-coming and out-going calls.

If the guest wants someone to wake him up, to page him, to pro­vide room service for him, or to send a telegram, he will call the operator. The operator can connect the guest with any hotel ser­vice: the front office, the housekeeping, the bell service, the room service, or the concierge.

The operator has to handle outside calls too. They may be local, long-distance and international.

If someone calls from outside to find some hotel guest, the tele­phone operator will connect him. If the guest is not in at the moment, the operator can take a message for the absent guest.

If guests want to make a long-distance or an international call, they may ask the operator to connect them. But they may also dial direct.

Comprehension questions

1. What kind of phones are there in a hotel?

2. What is the house phone?

3. What does the operator do?

4. When will the guest call the operator?

5. What departments can the operator connect the guest with?

6. What kind of calls does the operator have to handle?

7. How can the operator help outside callers?

8. How can guests make long-distance or international calls?