In the hotel industry, balancing profitability means walking the tightrope between enhancing revenues and efficient cost-cutting. During the sunny days of business growth, it’s all about that sweet revenue increase. But when the clouds of economic downturn gather, penny-pinching comes to the forefront.
One significant cost lurking in the background? Maintenance. With U.S hotel maintenance technicians bagging an average of $42,000 yearly, or around $15-$20 hourly, there’s a financial aspect that demands attention.
However, before you think of cutting back on maintenance, let’s dive into why preventative maintenance isn’t just an option – it’s a necessity.
What is Preventive Maintenance?
In simple terms, preventive maintenance is a proactive approach to scheduling maintenance before anything goes wrong with the facility, building, or equipment. So rather than waiting for problems to happen before you start fixing them, by taking a proactive approach, you perform scheduled maintenance jobs to ensure nothing goes wrong in the first place.
The approach to hotel maintenance has become more popular in recent years, mainly due to the fact that it can help save a lot of money. According to Hong Kong researchers, corrective maintenance costs nearly 50% more than preventive maintenance. Of course, preventive maintenance also requires some investment. How much should you actually spend?
The magic lies in striking a balance: weigh the financial and reputation perks of timely fixes against the cost and damage of post-issue repairs. The ultimate goal? Avoid downtime by proactively scheduling and ensuring equipment longevity. In the same way, preventive healthcare might spare you a hefty medical bill. Preventive maintenance can save your hotel from unexpected downtime costs – think of a busted air conditioner during peak summer.
Why is Regular Maintenance so Important?
But reactive maintenance won’t just save money on investments. It can also help you save on bills, as well. A well-planned preventive maintenance system can lead to savings of up to 18%.
How? Picture the expenses avoided when unplanned breakdowns are curtailed, thus evading emergency costs. Missing production targets due to downtime can be a financial blow. But by scheduling regular inspections like:
- Checking lights
- Regular HVAC tune-ups
- Consistent pool readings
- Monitoring electrical systems
- Routine plumbing checks
You essentially shift from a reactive to a proactive approach, ensuring smoother operations.
Prime Benefits of Preventive Maintenance
While it might seem daunting to establish, preventive maintenance offers invaluable benefits:
- Maintenance Staff Efficiency: Modern tools allow staff to manage tasks on the go, enhancing productivity. Believe it or not, around 40% of workers admit automation streamlines tasks.
- Less Idle Time: Sick of high levels of idle time among your workforce? Minimize non-productive intervals, ensuring optimized workflows and clear operating procedures.
- Cost Efficiency: Predictive maintenance can yield 40% more savings than the reactive counterpart.
- Better Guest Satisfaction: Over 70% of hotel guest issues are related to room engineering. High satisfaction levels correlate with repeat visits.
Essential Elements of Hotel Preventive Maintenance
If you want to start performing regular maintenance, you have to start planning. You can’t just introduce the concept and expect the maintenance team to do the rest.
Here are the seven must-have components of a preventive maintenance program.
- Asset Inventory: Track and update records of assets regularly during maintenance.
- Asset Prioritization: Determine assets’ significance based on factors like production impact, costs, and safety.
- PM Schedule: Set maintenance schedules based on either time frames or metrics like operating hours.
- CMMS Software: Implement a Computerized Maintenance Management System for an optimized process. Cloud-based hotel maintenance software promises simplicity.
- Team Communication: Seamless communication minimizes errors and enhances collaboration.
- PM Plan Goals and KPIs: Outline SMART goals and track KPIs for gauging preventive maintenance plan efficiency.
- Upper-Management Support: Get the top brass onboard by aligning with organizational objectives.
Your Hotel’s Preventive Maintenance Checklist
For the smooth operation of your hotel’s maintenance department, devising a comprehensive checklist is paramount. We’ve curated a preventive maintenance list to simplify tasks and ensure your hotel remains in top-notch condition.
Effective preventive maintenance rests on four primary pillars:
- Inspection: Begin with a comprehensive assessment of the hotel’s systems, equipment, and guest rooms. Identify potential issues to keep all areas up to the mark.
- Detection: Leveraging state-of-the-art monitoring tools ensures early spotting of problems, be it irregular pool pump operations, fluctuations in water pressure, or discrepancies in boiler readings.
- Correction: Address any identified concerns, from minor wear and tear to significant issues, guaranteeing a flawless guest experience.
- Protection: This encompasses measures like software updates, equipment cleansing, and staff education to forestall potential challenges.
For operational excellence, categorize tasks under clear systems:
Building System Maintenance
- HVAC Units: Clean filters and perform routine checkups to provide an ideal ambiance.
- Elevators: Regular assessments ensure optimal functionality and guest safety.
- Fire Alarms: Consistent testing guarantees the safety of occupants.
- Electrical Connections: Ensure no wear and tear and verify the efficacy of backup systems.
Facility Maintenance
- Rooms: Regular inspections of lighting, plumbing, and general tidiness uphold high standards.
- Water Management:
- Water Leaks: Examine bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms.
- Water Pressure: Ensure consistent flow and pressure.
- Flush Water Distribution System: Maintain water quality by periodically flushing the system.
- Hot Water Heaters & Boilers: Check the boiler and heater readings regularly.
- Cold Water Basin: Inspect for any signs of damage or needed repair.
- Tray of Water: Monitor for potential overflow or leaks.
- Discharge Water: Ensure efficient disposal systems.
- Hallways & Lobbies: Oversee lighting, cleanliness of carpets, and overall aesthetics.
- Entertainment Facilities: Regularly inspect AV equipment, seating, and ambiance.
Equipment & Pool Maintenance
- Machinery Checks: Monitor parameters such as oil levels and air filters.
- Pool Grounds: Regular maintenance ensures safety and cleanliness.
- Pool Readings: Check levels in pools to ensure balanced chemical compositions.
- Pool Pump: Regular inspections for efficient water circulation.
- Laundry Machines & Laundry Boilers: Regularly clean lint filters, assess detergent levels, and inspect the overall health of machines, including monitoring boiler readings.
Planning Ahead for Optimal Returns
Preventive maintenance is more than just a strategy – it’s a holistic approach to ensuring guest comfort, safety, and operational efficiency. Remember, consistency in maintenance saves money and guarantees compliance with industry standards and regulations.
When managing a hotel, the success of preventive maintenance largely hinges on effective communication between staff members. That is where HelloShift plays a pivotal role.
Once an issue is reported, hotel management can assign the task to the appropriate team or individual using HelloShift. Progress can be tracked, feedback can be provided, and supervisors can ensure that tasks are completed efficiently and to the required standard.
Hotel guests receive automated, routine messages, consult hotel digital guidebook, and pre-checkin via their mobile device. Hotel teams use HelloShift to work together across buildings, floors, shifts, and departments with up-to-date visibility into room status via the Housekeeping app.
Go digital with Guest Messaging, Contactless Checkin, Website Chat, Staff Collaboration, Housekeeping Management and more.
