【Introduction】

       The Housekeeping Department is very important to the operation of the hotel.The staff should make the guests stay comfortable and pleasing.

【New lessons】                     

                                                     The Manager′s Remarks

The Housekeeping Department is the backbone of a hotel. In a sense, it is possible to say that a clean and attractive guest room is one of the products that the hotel sells.

房务部是饭店的脊梁。在某种意义上可以说，清洁宜人的客房是饭店出售的产品之一。

The main duty of the Housekeeping Department staff is to see to the cleanliness and good order of all rooms and public areas in the hotel. Thelaundry and valet service and many personal services are also parts of their jobs. And they must coordinate the work closely with the Front Office.

房务部员工的职责是负责保持饭店所有的客房和公共场所干净整洁、井井有条。洗烫服务和许多个人服务也是他们工作的一部分。房务部员工在工作中必须与前台紧密配合。

This department as a whole is required to make the guest ’s stay comfortable and pleasing. Any reasonable and feasible request must be fulfilled. But good service means more than fulfilling requests. Whenever and wherever possible, the staff should offer to do extra things for the guests. What is more, whenever there is an opportunity to “sell”, the staff should take it and suggest that guests use the hotel services as much as possible. They should make sure that they are selling what the guest really wants to buy.

总的来说，房务部要做到使客人住得舒适、愉快。任何合理而可行的要求都必须得到满足。但是，良好的服务不仅仅意味着满足客人的要求，随时随地，只要可能，就应当向客人们主动提供额外服务。还有，每当出现推销的良机，员工就应当抓住它，并向客人建议尽量使用饭店的服务设施。必须明确逆向客人推销的也正是客人们所需要的。

It should be noted that the most important characteristic in the Housekeeping staff is the willingness to serve and please the guests. The  Housekeeping staff, such as chamber maids, housemen, linen-room attendants, room center clerks, supervisors and housekeepers, can do a great deal to assure a high business repeat rate and a high occupancy rate, not only through the efficiency in their jobs but also through their heart-felt warmth in serving the guests.

应当指出，房务部员工最重要的任务是竭诚为客人服务并使客人满意。房务部的员工，诸如男女客房服务员、布件间服务员、房务中心员工、管理员和经理，不仅可通过自身的工作效率，而且通过为宾客服务的由衷热忱，为确保高回客率和出租率作为很大的贡献。

【Discussion】

1. What are the main products that a hotel produces?

2. Do you agree that the Housekeeping Department and the Front Office coordinate with each other?

3. Say something about the duties of the Housekeeping staff.

4. How do the Housekeeping Department and the Front Office coordinate with each other?

5. What does the phrase ‘satisfying the guest’mean?

6. Do you think ‘selling’ is important when you are serving?

7. How does a staff person sell a service, a product or a room better?

8. What can assure a high occupancy rate?

9. As a room attendant, what should you ‘sell’?

10. Could you  say something about how you do your duties as a room attendant?

      【Conclusion】

 Housekeeping Department is a very important section of a hotel. After the guests check in at the Front Office, they will come to our Housekeeping Department. Then the staff should do service for the guests.