Category: Associate Recognition (Page 2 of 2)

International Housekeeping Week 2018

Every year, a week is set aside to honor our hardworking Housekeeping associates. This year, International Housekeeping Week is September 9-15. Housekeeping, often referred to as heart of house services, is one of the toughest and most important jobs for every property to ensure guest satisfaction and prevent illnesses. At The Service Companies, International Housekeeping Week is a big week-long event. Each housekeeping department leader holds events and arranges games, gifts, and a few surprises for their team members to ensure they know how important they are.BP3

International Housekeeping Week started back in the early 80’s as a directive from the Uniting Facility Managers Worldwide President. The week was used to recognize the “doers” in the housekeeping profession. The first official theme was “Our Profession Is Clean.” Since then, different themes and slogans have been featured each year. Today, themes are not used as much as they once were, but the week is still a special opportunity to acknowledge the outstanding efforts of every member in your housekeeping team. Thank your housekeepers for a job well done, reward their dedication, inspire their continued efforts, and boost their morale through meaningful gestures and thoughtfully planned activities.

During this year’s Housekeeping Week, make sure to give an extra special “Thank You” to all of your housekeeping team members. Perhaps jump in and help out by cleaning a room, making a bed or scrubbing a toilet – you never know what you might learn!

Here are some ways to make International Housekeeping Week special for your team!

 

Play Games

Who doesn’t love a little competition? Surprise your housekeepers with fun games and activities that will give them a positive start to the day.

Bed-Making Contest

Put your team’s skills to good use as they compete in a bed-making contest! Choose the winner based on the fastest time and the bed that looks the neatest.

Bingo

Put a twist on a classic game! Hand out custom-made cards and swap out numbers with terms that relate to your property.

Toilet Paper Bozo Buckets

Grab a bucket and a roll of toilet paper and see who has the best three-point-shot on property. Extra points for trick shots!

Musical Chairs

A classic game that is simple and always enjoyable. Play the game to your housekeepers’ favorite songs.

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Give Prizes 

What is better than surprising your team with fun games? Awarding your winning team member with a prize! Here are some prize options won’t break the bank.

Gift Cards

Spoil your housekeeping associate with a $25 gift card of their choosing!

Offer to Pay a Bill

Say thank you to your winning housekeepers by paying one of their personal bills for the month! Whether it’s for their cell phone, water, or cable, feel free to cap it off around $50.

Giveaways

Draw a name out of a hat with a gift of your choosing. This easy, yet special, surprise will make one of your team members’ day.

Movie Tickets

Movie tickets are a great way to give your winning team member a relaxing night out!

Raffle Tickets

Pick a few different prizes and display them in your property office; make sure each prize has a corresponding bucket. Each day, give a raffle ticket to the employees who show up to work on time and volunteer to play the games. Have them drop their raffle ticket into one of the buckets of their choosing after each shift. At the end of the week, randomly draw a raffle ticket from each bucket!

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Remember the Managers

Your managers work hard to keep your property running smoothly. Make sure to extend a special “thank you” for all that they do! Have a personal card written for your day-to-day managers. Include a kind note or some photos. If you are feeling extra generous, feel free to include a monetary gift.

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Emerging Leaders: Shelly Sauseda

Our Emerging Leaders Program was developed to give individuals within our team the opportunity for growth by providing comprehensive management and leadership training. The Service Companies is dedicated to fostering and investing in our associates’ careers, and as a result, we have a number of tenured associates who have risen through the ranks from Kitchen Cleaners or EVS Attendants to Vice Presidents. Today, we highlight Shelly Sauseda, who recently reached her one year anniversary with us as an EVS Attendant at a casino in Bossier City. During Shelly’s first year, her manager noticed great potential and an eagerness to learn more, and urged Shelly to apply to our Emerging Leaders Program. Currently two months into the six month management training program, which includes learning about the housekeeping and stewarding functions and departments, , including rooms cleaning, office dispatch, room inspections, floor care, kitchens, human resources and project management. We interviewed Shelly about her experience so far.

Shelly Rooms TrainingWhen did you join The Service Companies?

I started at The Service Companies in March 2017 as a Restroom Attendant at a casino property in Bossier City, Louisiana.

How did you learn about our Emerging Leaders Program and what do you hope to take away from it?

I found out about the Program from Dekindra Thomas, the Project Manager at the property where I first started. I want to develop better leadership skills and to be an example so other employees can follow in my steps.

The Emerging Leaders Program involves six months of training. How is your training schedule broken down and where are you currently in your training?

I spend time at different properties learning the ins and outs of each department. I completed my final week  at a casino property in Bossier City, where I learned how to run an efficient and successful housekeeping department. Next I’ll move on to learn about floor care and kitchen cleaning at another casino in the area.

Shelly Dispatch

Can you describe what your typical day-to-day looked like during the housekeeping training portion of the program?

At first, I was cleaning rooms while learning room procedures and how to make beds. After I mastered those tasks, I was placed on dispatch for two weeks to learn about that housekeeping function. Next, I spent one to two weeks learning how to inspect rooms. I was also trained on the responsibilities of a house attendant.

What has been the biggest lesson or thing you’ve learned through the Program?

How to run dispatch was the biggest task I mastered. It requires strong multitasking skills. A Dispatcher has to take phone calls and radio messages while simultaneously managing the computer.  

What has been the most rewarding accomplishment for you since you started the Program?

Being given the opportunity to move forward in my career already feels like an accomplishment. I also feel like I’ve learned a lot about each department’s job functions, including how to be a Dispatcher and the room cleaning inspection process. 

Shelly-Marble Training-1

As you transition to the next stage of your training, what are you looking forward to learning or doing?

I’m really excited to learn how to detail kitchens and polish and wax the floors. My training at the next property will include kitchen deep cleaning, floor care, marble care and stewarding.

What advice would you give to someone who is interested in the Emerging Leaders Program?

Be strong. Never give up. Push yourself to accomplish the new tasks that come with your position. It’s not always easy, but the outcome will be worth it.

To learn more about our associate programs and career opportunities, visit http://www.theservicecompanies.com/careers/why/.

Leaders in Service: Stephanie Leger

Our next Leaders in Service series feature is Stephanie Leger, Corporate Compliance Auditor and support for our hotel, casino and resort properties across the country.  Prior to joining our team, Stephanie Leger held a number of roles with The Ritz-Carlton brand, including Hotel Housekeeping Manager, Front Desk Supervisor, and Group Sales Coordinator, and was a Service Evaluator for Forbes Travel Guide, during which time she was trained and certified in over 550 hotel standards and identified service strengths and opportunities for improvement. We have interviewed Stephanie Leger about her time at The Service Companies, her unique background in hotel housekeeping inspections and auditing, and what it takes to succeed and grow within our company. Currently, she is providing operational support and expertise to one of The Service Companies’ luxury hotels in South Beach, Miami.

StephanieLeger_1794What roles have you held while with The Service Companies? How long have you been with us? I’ve been with The Service Companies for two years, during which I’ve lead the team in account openings, helped with the expansion of accounts and evaluated how our accounts align with our company and brand standards. At the property I’m with right now in Miami, we’re running about 45 room attendants each day, and I’ve been training new hotel housekeeping associates every day.

What has kept you on our team, and what do you like most about this company? It’s exciting to be part of a growing company that isn’t just growing in one location, but across the country – over 30 states and counting! We’re also expanding into different calibers of hotels, and I like assisting in creating our company standards as we grow.

What does your job entail? I have a variety of job duties. I travel to our new accounts and assist in setting up the hotel housekeeping department and training newly hired team members. Or, I visit existing accounts and audit the housekeeping department by testing associates’ knowledge and spot checking cleanliness in their rooms.

What do you think makes an Executive Housekeeper successful? Having skills in time management, teamwork and flexibility are important for success.

What do you think is the most important part of your role? Checking in on our current accounts and making sure they performing up to our standards, and if they’re not, assisting them to get them where they need to be.

What would you recommend to someone looking to become an Executive Housekeeper? Learn all the duties of each position of your team. Then as a leader, you’ll be able to understand how each position relies on each other to meet the needs of the guest.

What do you love most about your position? I love visiting our various properties and working with the team to take them to the next level.

How do you stay motivated, and how do you motivate your hotel housekeeping teams? To keep myself motivated, I stay positive. My nickname is giggles; I’m always laughing and in a good mood. Housekeeping can be very challenging, but I use my positive outlook to motivate the team. Also, I work side by side with the team to get the task at hand done.  

Outside of work, how do you spend your time? What are you passionate about and what do you enjoy doing? I enjoy traveling to destinations I’ve never been before and touring the area. When not on the road for work I like to travel to tropical locations and enjoy the outdoors, hiking and fishing.

At The Service Companies, we understand that our people are what makes our company great and enables us to provide our customers Service. Above All.

No matter what level, property or department, you will find exceptional associates who live and breathe our brand and have helped create a strong corporate culture. In the spirit of honoring the people and leaders within our company, we feature and interview our outstanding associates in our series, Leaders in Service.

Leaders in Service: Barbara Johnson

Our next feature of the Leaders in Service series is Barbara Johnson, Stewarding Supervisor at one of our casino properties in Shreveport, Louisiana. Barbara has been with the Service Companies for over 10 years, and has shown endless dedication and remarkable leadership.

Barbara Johnson_revised image

How long have you been with The Service Companies?

I’ve been with the company for 11 years, working at two properties in the Shreveport area since I was first hired.

What role(s) have you had here and what is your current position?

I started as an EVS Attendant and was promoted to Supervisor. My background includes working on EVS and Stewarding teams and I work closely with The Service Companies’ customer’s Food & Beverage team here in Shreveport.  

What does your job entail?

My job entails making sure my team is able to do their job, from roll call and pre-shift meetings at the beginning of the shift to making sure my team members are where they need to be and has what they need. I provide my team with everything they need to succeed each day.

How do you stay motivated or how do you motivate your team members/coworkers?

I make sure my team knows that the most important part of their job is about respect for themselves, their team and their guests, and I respect them. I motivate them by making sure they have what they need to do well, and also recognize associates with giveaways and announcements to let them know they are appreciated. This past holiday season, we all pitched in for a Christmas celebration, and I made sure everyone felt included and ate well.

What do you like most about your current role?

I love my team and being around people. I enjoy communicating with them about their jobs and training, making sure they have everything they need to succeed.

You have been with The Service Companies for over 10 years. What has kept you on our team and what do you like most about the company?

I love doing my job and I like my bosses. I enjoy the environment of The Service Companies and being a part of the stewarding team.

We are thrilled to have such a tenured member on our team. Through the years, we imagine you have experienced and learned a great deal. Is there any advice you’d give to a team member who has joined The Service Companies?

I would tell them to have a positive attitude, by happy and cheerful, and get comfortable with their job.

Outside of work, what are you passionate about? What do you do when you are not working?

I like spending time with my friends and family, and being there for them when I’m needed.

At The Service Companies, we understand that our people are what makes our company great and enables us to provide our customers Service. Above All.

No matter what level, property or department, you will find exceptional associates who live and breathe our brand and have helped create a strong corporate culture. In the spirit of honoring the people and leaders within our company, we feature and interview our outstanding associates in our series, Leaders in Service.

What to consider when hiring newly displaced workers from Puerto Rico

As a result of Hurricane Maria, the United States, particularly Florida, has seen a large influx of Puerto Rican refugees looking for work. This could be great news for the hospitality industry which, with the unemployment rate reported at 4.1% in October and November and the difficulty securing workers through the H2B visa program, has struggled to find labor to fill housekeeping, public area cleaning and stewarding positions. What should the executive teams of hotels and casinos with understaffed departments be taking into consideration as they look to hire workers from this group of over 200,000 individuals?

First, hiring from this pool of workers is costly. Hotels and casinos must be aware that they will be incurring costs from the recruitment and onboarding processes as well as ongoing fees associated with insurance. Recruitment costs will include background checks, drug tests and e-verification in addition to travel costs to attend job fairs, and relocation and lodging fees for the new hires.

Once hired, these new associates go through the onboarding and training process. While this varies from property to property, at The Service Companies, each of our associates completes a 30-day training program for any of our fully managed services including housekeeping, EVS and Stewarding. The costs that result from training can be high. In 2016, in conjunction with Navigate Corporation, a premier management consulting firm in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, The Service Companies took a deep dive to understand the drivers of associate retention and engagement. During this study, we saw that onboarding a new associate could cost thousands of dollars. Depending on how short staffed a hotel or casino is, just the onboarding costs could quickly and easily surpass $10,000 with only a few new hires. On top of this, add the costs for medical and dental benefits, general liability and workers compensation insurance, which will continue throughout the associate’s tenure at the property.

It takes a well-capitalized company or property to be able to successfully hire workers that are newly displaced. Located across the country, The Service Companies, the one-stop-shop for managed, staffing and specialty services to the hospitality and gaming industry, is one of the few with the capital and experience (over 30 years) to take on this responsibility. With our turn-key housekeeping, public area/EVS cleaning and stewarding model, we assume full accountability of a hotel or casino’s most challenging departments, handling recruiting, background, drug and e-verification checks, training and insurance. No other company has the same resources, experience or nationwide presence. To learn more, visit www.theservicecompanies.com.

Leaders in Service: Kim Eichelberger

OKim Eichelberger, Project Director, one of many hospitality jobsur next feature in our Leaders in Service feature is Kim Eichelberger, Project Director for a luxury casino property in Lake Charles, Louisiana. She has been with The Service Companies, having served in a variety of hospitality jobs for over 10 years. We’ve asked her to answer some questions about working for The Service Companies.

 

 

Congratulations on having just celebrated your 10 year anniversary at The Service Companies! What are some of your most memorable moments from your time at the company?

Working for The Service Companies has been memorable in a lot of ways, and I’ve experienced and learned a great amount since I first started. In the last 10 years, I’ve had the opportunity to travel from account to account, running different customers’ housekeeping departments across the country. I’ve met and worked with a number of people, and had the opportunity to work at vacation ownership properties (where you complete unannounced QAs twice a year) and casino properties, where running occupancy is in the high 90s.

What does your role as Project Director entail? What are some of your responsibilities?

As Project Director for our casino customer in Lakes Charles, I am responsible for running the day-to day operations with 99% occupancy almost daily, motivating my employees daily and engaging with them as much as possible with standup meetings. I manage our proprietary portals and productivity trackers, ensuring our cleaning standards are met by the property expectations. I also build relationships with the property managers and participate in weekly and daily meetings with property management since we are one team.

Out of all of the properties you have worked at for The Service Companies, what were the highlights of each?

I have had several hospitality jobs at TSC and worked at several of our properties around the country, but there are a few that were memorable and highlights for me. I worked at one of our hotel accounts in Puerto Rico. It was a challenging project, but the views were amazing. In Key West, another time when I was surrounded by amazing views, we managed three properties from one end of the island to the other, which brought its obstacles to problem solve. Also, I will never forget the roosters in the tress in Key West. Yes, roosters.

I have also worked in Virginia, Myrtle Beach, New Orleans, Iowa, Connecticut, Arizona, Laughlin and now Lake Charles. Each property has had its own demands, and it’s been a great experience. I have loved the traveling, being challenged, and walking away with a sense of accomplishment.

What has kept you excited and passionate about working for The Service Companies for the last 10 years?

I’ve worked for The Service Companies for the past 10 years because I truly enjoy my job and the challenges I’m working to solve. There have been moments in my career that have been quite challenging; however, I try to look at the positive side of any and every event.

How do you motivate your team?

I motivate my team in many ways. We hold celebrations and recognize our associates, but, most of all, I interact with each associate on a personal level.

That’s amazing that you have interacted on a personal level with all 250+ of your associates. How do you keep your casino property running so smoothly while overseeing 1000+ rooms and 250+ associates?

How do I keep the property running so smoothly? It’s one of the toughest hospitality jobs, I must say. Building the relationship with our customer is the key as is a sense of urgency. I’ve been successful by learning this property and being proactive instead of reactive.

What do you enjoy most about being a Project Director?

The daily demands and building relationships with staff and customers.

When you are not working, what do you like to do?

Enjoying the outdoors and fishing.

At The Service Companies, we understand that our people make our company great and enable us to provide our customers Service. Above All. No matter what level, property or department you look, you will find exceptional associates who live and breathe our brand and have helped create a strong corporate culture. In the spirit of honoring the people and leaders within our company, we will feature and interview our outstanding associates in our series, Leaders in Service.

Read Other Posts in Our Leaders In Service Series:

Leaders in Service: Jurond Brazile

male hotel houseman, housekeeper, cleaner, public area attendantAt The Service Companies, we understand that our people make our company great and enable us to provide our customers Service. Above All. No matter what level, property or department you look, you will find exceptional associates who live and breathe our brand and have helped create a strong corporate culture. In the spirit of honoring the people and leaders within our company, we will feature and interview our outstanding associates in our series, Leaders in Service.

Our third feature of this series is Jurond Brazile, a Laundry Attendant/Public Area Attendant/Houseman at a hotel in Key West. We’ve asked him to answer some questions about working for The Service Companies:

How long have you been with The Service Companies?

I have been working for The Service Companies for six years.

What role(s) have you had here and what is your current position?

Since I joined, I have held Houseman, Public Area, Laundry, Carpet Cleaning and Housekeeping positions. Currently, I am a Laundry Attendant/Public Area Attendant/Houseman for a vacation ownership resort in Key West, Florida.

What does your job entail?

I do any job that is asked of me. Since my role with The Service Companies includes Hotel Houseman, Laundry and Public Area duties, I help out wherever I am needed within the hotel housekeeping department. I enjoy it.

That is a great attitude to have, and one that we value at The Service Companies. Our last question for you is what do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?

When I’m not working, I like to read books and play sports, particularly soccer and basketball.

Read Other Blog Posts From Our Leaders in Service Series:

Leaders in Service: Griffin Long

Griffin Long, Manager, food and beverage services and staffingAt The Service Companies, we understand that our people are what makes our company great and enables us to provide our customers Service. Above All. No matter what level, property or department you look, you will find exceptional associates who live and breathe our brand and have helped create a strong corporate culture. In the spirit of honoring the people and leaders within our company, we will feature and interview our outstanding associates in our series, Leaders in Service.

Our second feature of this series is Griffin Long, an Operations Manager for our Food and Beverage and Hospitality Staffing division, Acrobat Outsourcing. We’ve asked him to answer some questions about working for The Service Companies and the food and beverage services / staffing industry:

Tell us how long have you been with The Service Companies?

I have worked with Acrobat Outsourcing, which provides food and beverage services and hospitality staff, a little over two years.

What role(s) have you had here and what is your current position?

My first role with Acrobat was as a temporary worker doing catering for Sodexo. I then became a Staffing Assistant and began working out of Acrobat Outsourcing’s Houston office and became Operations Assistant Manager not long after. I was recently promoted to Operations Manager for Austin, a role I will be assuming this week.

Congratulations on your promotion! What does your new job entail?

What doesn’t my job entail is the real question. I do everything from staffing, recruiting, administrative tasks, check-in, client meetings, and more. That’s how I was trained, to cover everything. It’s always good to be well versed in what your entire team does.

So, how do you motivate your team?

I motivate my team by always asking if they need help. No matter how busy I am, I always find time to see what areas I can help them in. This builds teamwork and everyone knows their role, but at the end of the day they can wear all the hats in the office.

I know you were just promoted, but what was the best thing about being the Operations Assistant Manager in Austin?

The best thing about being Operations Assistant Manager was that I got to help upper management while also being able to focus on the team effort. Whether it’s speaking to clients or helping with admin work I did a little bit of everything for the greater good.

Tell us one thing about yourself that is not related to work or what you do for fun when you’re not working.

I enjoy fishing, camping, cooking, and hanging out with my family! I am a very family-oriented person. They will always come first in my life.

Leaders in Service: Ana Rodriguez

At The Service Companies, we understand that our people is Ana Rodriguez, Director EVS Cleaning and Housekeeping Operationswhat makes our company great and enables us to provide our customers Service. Above All. No matter at what level, property or department you look, you will find exceptional associates who live and breathe our brand and have helped create a strong corporate culture. In the spirit of honoring the people and leaders within our company, we will feature and interview our outstanding associates in our series, Leaders in Service.

Our first feature of this series is Ana Rodriguez, Director of EVS Cleaning and Housekeeping Operations. We’ve asked her to answer some questions about working for The Service Companies:

How long have you been with The Service Companies?
All together 2 years.

What role have you had here and what is your current position?
I was a Property Manager for The Service Companies in the Housekeeping department at a casino in Bossier City, Louisiana in 2009. I’m currently Director of Operations for EVS Cleaning and Housekeeping at a casino resort on the Las Vegas Strip.

What does your job entail?
My team and I are responsible for the housekeeping operations of a 2200+ room casino hotel, the upkeep of a 20,000 square foot casino and 400+ associates. All this while integrating The Service Companies’ standard practices with our client’s culture and priorities.

How do you motivate your team?
By showing them the power to make a difference that they each have within themselves. We talk about what inspires us, about the amazing leadership that drives our company and why we do what we do. And in times of need, we are there for each other.

What do you like most about being the Director of EVS Cleaning & Housekeeping Operations?
The synergy we have created on this team and having the platform to lead so many people eager for growth. We have a achieved such a synergy that any time one of us is not at their best, the rest of the team reminds each other why we all love what we do.

We are always looking for dedicated and talented employees to join our team. If you’d like to join The Service Companies, apply here.

Read Other Blog Posts in Our Leaders in Service Series

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