Ways hotels can commence work after COVID-19
We know commencing work after COVID 19 lockdown is lifted is a troublesome task.
But it’s not impossible. We need proper steps to resume the hotel business, to ensure the safety of the employees and customers.
When this phase will over, hotels commence work, travelers are going to visit hotels but still, some fear will be there.
Regaining the trust of employees and visitors is crucial, so you must take proper care to again start work after COVID-19.
It is essential to take out the tension and fear among both of them.
As customers are eager to travel. But at the same time fearful of the virus.
It’s essential to make them feel safe in your hotel after the hazard is over.
In this article, I have mentioned a few points which hoteliers must consider before commencing their work after COVID-19 lockdown is lifted-:
Taking care of employees require work after COVID-19
Employees who are not satisfied with there job don’t stick for long.
Happy employees are more productive and also leads to higher retention.
Employers must put effort into employee healthcare to increase the satisfaction of employees.
Employers are obliged to protect their employees from threats like COVID-19.
To stop the spread of COVID-19, employers must ask their sick employees to stay home till their recovery.
Besides, they must remind their employees of any rights they can use when they are sick or taking care of an ill family member.
If an employee with symptoms of COVID-19 arrives at the workplace, then separate that employee from others and send him or her home.
Because of the sensitivity of the issue, make sure to maintain the confidentiality of the employees.
Technology friendly work after COVID-19
No physical touch must be practice to avoid the spread of the virus.
One of the busiest spots in the hotel is its front desk. Maintaining social distance is a must to reduce the spreading of the virus.
At the front desk, guests enter and stand in queues before check-in.
Thus, there are chances of transmission of viruses from one person to another.
Allowing guests to check-in online eliminate the chances of coming in contact with an infected person.
Try to make your hotels technology-friendly, if your hotel commences its work after COVID-19.
Hence, keep the check-in and check-out process remain contactless.
Online presence is essential to operate after the re-opening of hotels.
Hoteliers can use the Property Management System software as it facilitates the hotel’s front desk operations and administrative tasks.
It control’s both the internal and external operations of the hotel.
As in this point of time, social distancing is the need for the hour.
Thus, switching to mobile PMS turn out to deliver great guest’s experience while maintaining social distancing.
Maintaining hygiene in your work after COVID 19
The well-being of staff and guests must be the top priority of hoteliers.
In the situation of the COVID-19 outbreak, hoteliers must take extra effort to maintain the hygiene of their hotel.
Proactively sanitize the property to prevent the spread of the virus. Prepare a checklist to make sure nothing is left out.
Use antiviral cleaning agents on hard surfaces. If possible, use UV light for deep cleaning.
Consider installing hand sanitizer dispensers indoors and outdoors and close to high-touch areas such as elevators.
Keep wipes inside the rooms so that customers can wipe down hard touch surfaces themselves.
Give updates on your website or hotel app about the use of disinfectors, when the room is clean, etc.
Modify dine-in services
Table spacing is essential in the dining room of the hotel.
Staff must avoid frequent visits to the table for supplementary sauces, condiments, and service checks.
A buffet is more attractive than a frequent visit table service.
When guests are hungry, they can opt to visit the buffet and enjoy meals.
Guests can have the option to consume meals in their utensils if they want.
An alternative view is that in post-COVID-19 buffets will be discouraged, and that table service will be the customer’s favorite mode of operation.
Reusable objects such as menus pose a risk of virus transference.
So it is better to display the menu in customer’s mobile phones or tablets.
Room service
Some of the guest’s main questions will be about the place they are staying in.
And as a hotelier, it’s your responsibility to ensure your’s guest’s safety.
You must block the room for the next 24 hours if guests check-out from that respective room.
At that time make sure to sanitize that room for innumerable times.
Only after that, you can allow your next guests to check-in into that room.
You can take the help of the Property Management System to keep track of your rooms.
Whether for housekeeping purposes or inventory management purposes.
You can keep track of rooms with the housekeeping module about several times they are sanitized, and whether they are available for sale again.
A channel manager is a useful tool to update your room inventory in real-time on OTA’s and other channels when you block a room for 24 hours.
Other guidelines
Some other points hoteliers must keep in mind before commencing work after COVID-19 outbreak-:
- Minimize all possible touchpoints between hotel staff and guests.
- Give a special recommendation to the hotel’s staff to use the “Aarogya Setu” app for the surveillance of the hotel’s guests.
- Ensure all hotel’s staff use masks, hand gloves, and sanitizers at the time of performing their duties.
- Maintain a distance of at least 6 feet between the hotel’s staff and guests.
- Compulsory mobile check-ins and check-outs, cashless payments, paperless menu, less banqueting, and far away seating arrangements in the restaurant.
- Offer medical assistance to guests who are coughing and sneezing.
- The staff should keep a close watch over sick guests, and if illness persists, the guest room should be locked and the entire floor, reception, and common areas should be lock until thorough cleaning is done.
Conclusion
We can conclude that after some time this pandemic is going to end.
Thus, hoteliers have to find out ways in which they can commence work after COVID-19 lockdown is lifted.
First and foremost they must take proper steps to take care of the health of their employees.
As this virus spread through physical contact. Hence, optimize the use of technology to avoid the transmission of viruses from one person to another.
Also, maintain distance between guests and staff, and proper sanitization of the room is a must.
Please share views in the comment box.
If you want to learn about the functionality of QloApps then you can visit this link: QLO Reservation System – Free Open-Source Hotel Booking & Reservation System
In case of any query, issue or requirement please feel free to raise it on QloApps Forum