The importance of consistency

Back-of-house processes still have a large impact on guest satisfaction levels.

In the past I have written that process is the most important variable influencing quality in on-premises laundries at hotel properties. Perhaps I was only half right. Process means nothing if your staff is not trained properly or just choose not to follow prescribed procedures. Front-of-house quality is the result of a well-designed, proven process and a commitment from staff to following procedures consistently, without alteration.

At the root of consistent, high-quality results in the laundry is employee training. Often, managers believe all this entails are the basics of processing laundry and starting equipment. While this course may move loads through the laundry effectively, I believe true quality begins by empowering staff with more than just basic knowledge. It includes educating them on how shortcuts and poor attention to detail relate to finished products.

Consider rapid advance. It seems innocent enough, but there are quality implications. Remove one rinse, for instance, and your linens are likely to emerge from the washer-extractor with chemical residue left in them. Running these pieces through a flatwork finisher will only compound the problem by baking chemicals into the linens. This damage may not be visible, but the simple action of rapid advancing has likely shortened the life of the linens and given them a more coarse feel. A towel will lose its absorbing qualities, in addition to developing a rougher feel. Residue also can be left on finisher rollers and belts, increasing maintenance costs.

While it seems a very basic component of the laundry, sorting is often overlooked in its relation to quality. Duvets have their own wash programmeme, different from towels. Washing the two together means duvets are getting mishandled and will suffer in quality and lifespan. Likewise, managers need to ensure sorting according to soil procedures are being followed. Towels and items with heavy soil or lipstick, make-up and other staining require a different wash formula than light soil items. Subjecting light soil items to a more aggressive cycle will also shorten the life of the linens, plus it wastes resources.

Drying is another area that requires a good balance and attention to correct procedures. The first rule of drying is: don't leave loads in the tumbler overnight (this rule also applies to washer-extractors). Besides the obvious quality issues with wrinkling, there's also a risk of spontaneous combustion.

Overdrying definitely impacts quality by setting wrinkles in linens. But often overlooked is the impact of inadequate cool-down time. Look at your linens like a piece of metal. When heated, the fibres expand, and when cooled they contract. In the laundry, we strive to make this transition as gradual as possible. Operators arbitrarily reducing cool-down times will jolt the linens and damage fibres by the fast contraction. Doing this occasionally may have little noticeable impact, but over time, linens will wear out faster than those handled correctly. Likewise, the same holds true for wash formulas.

Transitions of water temperatures in steps should be gradual. This is another area where rapid advancing will impact linen quality and life.

Managers should stress to operators that wash formulas have been created for full loads or no less than 90% of the machine's capacity. Underloading can lead to chemical residue being left in items and can be damaging to the machine over time. Laundry managers may see value in having a lower capacity machine for small loads or re-wash loads.

While most laundries are utilising automated chemical-injection systems, a few may still be adding chemicals manually. Consistent quality will include employing accurate scoops or measuring tools. Formulas should be posted and staff trained to not veer from them.

Managers looking to limit the variables impacting finished results in the laundry can do so by adding equipment with programmable controls and automated chemical-injection systems. Programmes should be fine-tuned with linen suppliers and chemical company representatives working together. In addition to allowing for the specific care of linens, staff can easily be trained on the operation of these controls.

Some manufacturers are even marketing controls with advanced connectivity that monitor machine operation and log a variety of activities with an electronic date and time stamp. In the quest to give guests the highest quality linens, knowing how often staff have rapid advanced the machine or what wash programmes are being followed can be invaluable.

General managers invest significant time, energy and financial resources to reach the pinnacle of customer satisfaction. The front-of-house staff has been the focus of those efforts through training in how their actions and jobs affect satisfaction ratings. But while they may be far less direct, decisions laundry workers make can have just as big an impact on guests' view of quality.

It's up to laundry managers to ensure their staff has an understanding of its role in customer satisfaction. Managers must educate operators on how simple laundry process alterations can have a big impact on guests.

Ghassan Majdalani serves the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia as regional sales director for Alliance Laundry Systems.

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