emerit Director of Housekeeping / TCM flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Room status VC

Vacant clean: room is unoccupied, cleaned, inspected, and ready for sale. Front desk can assign it immediately to an arriving guest.

Room credit

One room cleaned by one attendant during a shift. Used to measure productivity; typical full-service standard is 12-16 credits per shift.

RPA formula

Rooms per attendant equals total rooms to clean divided by attendants scheduled. Helps set daily workload targets and balance assignments.

Labor minutes per room

LMR equals total attendant shift minutes divided by rooms cleaned. Benchmark for full-service hotels is roughly 25-35 minutes per occupied room.

Cost per occupied room

CPOR equals total housekeeping cost divided by occupied rooms. Supplies CPOR is typically 3-5% of room revenue and is tracked monthly.

PAR level

Par equals average daily usage times lead time in days plus safety stock. Reorder when on-hand inventory reaches the par level.

Dilution formula

C1 times V1 equals C2 times V2. Example: for one gallon of 1:64 dilution, use 2 ounces concentrate plus 126 ounces water.

Dwell time

The wet contact time a disinfectant needs to kill pathogens, typically 3-10 minutes per label. Do not wipe dry before dwell time ends.

SDS sections

Safety Data Sheet has 16 sections covering identification, hazards, composition, first aid, firefighting, handling, exposure controls, properties, stability, toxicology, ecology, disposal, transport, and regulatory information.

Bloodborne pathogen rule

Use universal precautions, PPE, and a tuberculocidal disinfectant for any blood or body fluid cleanup. Report exposure incidents immediately per policy.

SBI feedback

Situation, Behavior, Impact. Describe the specific situation, the observed behavior, and its effect. Deliver within 24-48 hours of the event.

Kirkpatrick levels

Four training evaluation levels: reaction, learning, behavior, and results. Used to measure whether training changed on-the-job performance.

Service recovery steps

Listen, apologize, resolve, follow up, and document. Empower staff with a dollar limit for immediate resolution to prevent escalation.

Recovery paradox

Guests whose complaints are resolved well can become more loyal than guests who never complained. Track post-recovery satisfaction scores.

Linen par

Par equals rooms times occupancy times pieces per room, plus 25% safety stock and in-transit linen. Typically 3-4 par in circulation.

Linen loss rate

Monthly loss rate equals pieces lost divided by pieces in circulation times 100. Target under 5% annually; investigate spikes by department.

Work order priority

Emergency safety issues within 1 hour, urgent guest-impact issues within 4 hours, routine within 24-72 hours, cosmetic within 7 days.

Water use per guest night

Total gallons used divided by guest nights. Track monthly; low-flow fixtures and linen reuse programs reduce this metric.

PMS room status

Housekeeping module updates room status in real time so front desk sees clean or dirty instantly. Prevents assigning dirty rooms to arriving guests.

RFID linen tracking

Tags on each linen piece read at laundry and storage. Improves par accuracy, reduces loss, and speeds inventory counts.

Deep clean rotation

Each room receives deep cleaning such as carpet shampoo, mattress rotation, vent dusting, and grout scrub at least quarterly, logged in room history.

Stayover service

Daily service for occupied rooms: make bed, replace towels per policy, empty trash, spot clean bathroom, restock amenities. Full linen change every 3 days or per eco-program.

Span of control

Number of direct reports per supervisor. Housekeeping standard is one supervisor per 12-18 room attendants and one manager per 3-4 supervisors.

Inventory turnover

Cost of goods used divided by average inventory value. Target 12-24 turns per year for consumables; low turns signal excess stock.

Color-coded microfiber

Red for toilets, yellow for bathroom surfaces, blue for general areas, green for food areas. Never cross-use to prevent cross-contamination.

PASS fire extinguisher

Pull the pin, Aim at the base of the fire, Squeeze the handle, Sweep side to side. Keep 18 inches clearance below sprinkler heads.

Progressive discipline

Sequence of verbal warning, written warning, final warning, then termination. Document each step with dates, signatures, and specific behavior examples.

QA inspection score

Brand standard audit scored 0-100; target 90 or higher. Critical items such as fire safety and cleanliness must be 100%.

Wash temperature standard

Bed linen and terry washed at 140-160°F (60-71°C). Disinfectant cycle per local health code; verify with thermometer log.

Preventive maintenance schedule

Carpet deep clean quarterly, mattress rotate quarterly, HVAC filter monthly, grout seal annually. Log completion in maintenance system.

Forecast accuracy

Compare forecast versus actual occupancy weekly. Target error under 3%; larger errors require staffing and supply adjustments.

Chemical compatibility rule

Never mix chlorine bleach with ammonia or acids, which produces toxic gas. Never mix bleach with hydrogen peroxide. Store chemicals separately.