Provide Additional Housekeeping

Introduction

Turn down service is usually provided by 4 and 5-star hotels. It is a service done between 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. to prepare the room for the guest to sleep comfortably.

It is done because during the day, the room might have become dirty and needs a bit of cleaning and tidying up or replenishment of some amenities.

Living in a hotel is different from living in a house. Usually a house has several rooms which means clutter can spread in those rooms. In the case of most accommodations, there is just a single room where all the clutter is concentrated.

Turn down service is usually provided late afternoon or early evening and is done at a time when the guest is not expected to be in the room, however, if the guest is around, ask if he would like any tidying service of the room or not.

Turn Down Steps

Preparation

First step is to prepare the items needed for the turn down service:

• Linen – sheets, towels, pillows

• Amenities – shampoo, conditioner, soap, lotions sanitary items, toilet paper, tissues

• Giveaways – newspapers, chocolates, fruits, messages, flowers and breakfast menu.

Enter the room

There will be instances when the guest is in the room and may instruct you to:

• Not provide any service

• Just supply more replacement items and not enter the room

• Provide turn down service as normal

Regardless of what the guest decides to do, you must do the service with minimal disruption to the guest as possible. Time is crucial in providing turn down service so plan your work before entering as going back and forth to your trolley disturbs the guest.

Complete Turn down service

Normally, turn - down service includes:

• Closing of curtains

• Turning on lights to a soothing level

• Playing appropriate music through the radio or television

• Preparing the bed by removing or folding back display quilts and blankets making access to bed easier

• Placing items on the bed including fruit, messages, flowers or chocolates

• Replace dirty towels

• Clean basic and bathroom surfaces

• Clean used crockery and cutlery

• Clean bins

• Conduct a general clean and tidy.

• Close windows

• Dim the light

• Spray deodorizer

• Take a last look to ensure you have not left behind anything

After completing turn down service:

• Ask the guest for anything else they might need

• Excuse yourself from the guest

Dealing with "Do Not Disturb" Rooms

Sometimes, rooms will have a “Do not Disturb” signs on their doors. You should never knock and enter the room whenever these signs are posted. What you should do is:

• Record the time you saw the sign

• Go back to the room after finishing all room assignments

• If the DND sign is still posted on the door, slip an appropriate card under the door requesting the guest to call housekeeping if they require turn down service at a certain time.

If done right, the average time to finish a turn down service per room is around 10 minutes