Boost Your Quality Assurance Program with Preventive Maintenance

With proactive hotel maintenance, there’s no need to stress about the QA process. Stone & metal restoration, commercial grout cleaning, wood refinishing & other preventive services get you ready to impress when the quality assurance inspector arrives.

Quality assurance inspections are often a stressful time for hospitality managers.

But they’re also a valuable opportunity to identify strengths and weaknesses, correct issues in need of attention and improve the overall guest experience.

And with electronic guest satisfaction surveys yielding fresh data on a daily basis, some aspects of the QA process now take place on a year-round basis.

Adopting a preventive maintenance strategy helps to avoid the dreaded last-minute panic that often sets in, so you’ll be ready to ace the test by the time the inspector shows up at the front desk.

#1: Invest in Preventive Maintenance

Along with regular self-inspections, preventive maintenance addresses QA requirements and saves precious resources by correcting problems when they are quicker, easier and less expensive to fix.

  • Regular stone floor polishing reduces the risk of slip and fall accidents and gives the floors extra shine. Stone refinishing is ideal for marble, granite and terrazzo surfaces.
  • Grout cleaning is essential for sprucing up those all-important guest rooms, along with kitchens and back-of-the-house areas.
  • Metal refinishing removes scratches from elevator doors and can even update the look of the doors for a cost-effective alternative to replacing them. Doors, handrails and other metal accents can also be kept in superior condition with regular cleaning and polishing.
  • Wood touch-ups hide unsightly scratches, extending the life of doors, paneling and other wooden assets.

#2: Go for Consistency

All it takes is one customer posting one “filthy room” video online to potentially tarnish an entire hospitality brand.

Even if every other property is spotless, just that one slip-up in a single location creates problems for the organization as a whole.

QA inspections help to reduce the risk of brand failure and ensure consistent quality across the board. Uniform standards for cleanliness, promptness of service, facility condition and other important criteria give property managers a road map for achieving and maintaining compliance.  

#3: Stay Up-to-Date

Management needs to make sure the property is following the most recent brand requirements.

Each new version must be carefully reviewed for changes to incorporate into day-to-day operations.

An internal self evaluation is useful for identifying areas that need to be brought into compliance. Consult with other managers and Franchise Area Directors for guidance on adhering to new policies.

#4: Set Priorities

With so many criteria across different departments, it helps to identify the areas of greatest need.

Managers should review the property’s most recent inspection report with employees. Pay close attention to areas where the property failed to meet brand standards, and develop a strategy to bring the location into compliance.

Focus on maintaining performance in areas where the property meets or exceeds minimum requirements.

#5: Self Inspect

Regular internal inspections get everyone into the habit of addressing problems in real time, before the inspector shows up and it’s “the real thing.”

  • Everyone has a role in the QA process, from the management office to the front desk to the maintenance team. For each department, designate an individual to oversee internal inspections. To further motivate everyone to get involved, offer incentives for departments that achieve the best inspection results.
  • Make sure everyone follows best practices when it comes to service. That includes clean uniforms, legible name tags and prompt answers to questions and complaints. It also means always having an ample supply of “Forgot Me” items such as toothpaste, shampoo and soap.
  • No detail is too small when evaluating guest rooms. Pay close attention to areas in, around, under and behind beds and other furniture. Bedbugs and other pests must be eliminated immediately. Remove left-behind no-nos including food, dust, hair and money. Check the batteries in smoke detectors, remote controls and other electronics, and replace burned out light bulbs. Make sure all linens and towels are clean and completely stain-free.

Are you seeking resources to help your next QA inspection go smoothly? Contact Mid America Specialty Services to learn more!

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