Industry Analysis - Coursework Example

Industry Analysis - Hotel The hospitality industry is an industry in the service sector and hence it has to abide to certain rules and regulations set up to control the players in the sector. This includes the “duty of care” accorded to the guests. This duty is not necessarily an insurance policy to the guest but rather it does secure his safety, if an operator acts negligently he could be found liable. Thus an operator should “act prudently and use reasonable care” (BARTH, STEVEN, 2009 P261).

With this in mind I would like to tackle two key issues that affect the hotel industry and offer reasonable solutions in tackling them. Sanitation Sanitation is a very sensitive issue in the hospitality industry; it also deals with a very sensitive area of life. Hotels have been shut down due to various sanitation related issues for example high bacteria counts and lack of proper sanitary facilities and disposal units. “The most important factor is selling a clean room. If not you won’t have repeat guests.

Any hotel with a quality service knows that” (BAUMANN, 1997) A close study in hotels reveals the following places as the most susceptible to contamination, 1. Bed comforters 2. Bathroom and toilet faucets 3. Television remote controls This areas have a high bacteria count and this is regardless of whether the hotel is an up market establishment or a low budget motel. The dangers of contamination are heightened in hotels. Though bacteria are quite common in homes, those in the hotels pose a greater danger since they are from various sources (strangers etc) and one has no notion of history in a hotel due to the high level of interaction between guests and workers.

The problem is heightened further since not only do we expose our bodies to the germs but also do so for long and sustained hours. Intimate exposure to germs in the bed comforter or the toilet seat could lead to a myriad of diseases including urinary tract and sexually transmitted diseases. Factors which can be considered when implementing a Sanitation Regime:One has to give enough time to outline proper cleaning procedures and parameters to be followed. Detailed procedures should always be followed when dealing with all food-contact surfaces (utensils and other equipment) and also the other non food-product surfaces (Refrigerators, cookers, ceilings etc).

Essentially any surface that has an impact on food safety. The key reason for cleaning food contact surfaces is in order to remove any left over food which is a breeding ground for bacteria, moulds and other germs. So to curb bacteria growth, surfaces have to be left clean and dry, one also has to follow religiously the procedures that are prescribed by different laws and regulations by health agencies. Some of these procedures are: 1. Swab tests 2. Inspection of equipments 3. Visual observation of hotel personnel Water is another major component dealing with sanitation in hotels, it forms the key ingredient in sanitation and cleaning solutions forming up to 95% of the total.

Water operates on two fronts: 1. Carrying the detergent to the surface to be cleaned 2. Eliminating the filth from the surface and leaving it clean. The effectiveness of water in cleaning is determined by how pure the water is, impurities include mineral deposits and chemical residues Recommendations As stated above, in order to improve on sanitation: 1. Follow procedures laid in the various legislations or procedures proscribed by sanitation agencies. e.g. The Utah Administrative Code R392.

Health, Disease Control and Prevention, Environmental Services. Rule R392-502. Hotel, Motel and Resort Sanitation. It has all the guidelines needed for proper sanitation levels to be reached 2. Collect and store water in a professional manner 3. Keep hotel personnel clean and tidy to reduce infections 4. Improve the morale of the housekeepers with better pay or allowances 5. Increase workers in order to reduce the workload 6. Alternatively one can opt to outsource cleaners and equipments from a company dedicated to the work of sanitation.

Bedbug Reports have been made about bedbug infestation in hotels over the years. They prove to show that the infestation has been on a rise over the years even if the problem had been eradicated in the 50s through management of pests, using vacuum cleaners and machines for washing clothes. They have been capable to regulate the spread of the bugs in a tremendous way. However, travelling internationally and lacking public awareness are the main reasons to the increase in bedbug spread. Most people nowadays do not even know what a bedbug looks like, though they should.

Travelers need to take part in the eradication. Bedbugs may have been known not to carry any diseases, but they do cause a tremendous amount of discomfort during sleeping time. They bite their hosts and the fact that they are tiny creatures unable to be easily located by the naked eye makes them a complete nuisance. In the hotel industry, prevention and control of bedbug infestation is important for the growth of the hotel. As hotel industries are service industries, customer satisfaction is mandatory.

Therefore, a customer who had a bedbug encounter in a hotel is likely to damage the reputation of the hotel if they were to talk to the public. However, if there was an invasion of bedbugs in a hotel, the hotel managers may have already taken good care of the problem by the time the customer reaches the media. Taking care of the problem in a hotel is easy and needs to be fast to prevent having other customers complain and pull out of their rooms. As much as hotels need to find ways of preventing the spread of bedbugs, travelers must help in the struggle as well.

They need to take precautions before, during and after their stay at a hotel. Some of these precautions include check mattress seams for spots or stains, perform a thorough inspection of the hotel room and placing their luggage inside plastic bags. If changing rooms cannot be avoided, switch to one that is not adjacent or opposite the infested room. Bedbugs are known to love hitching rides on their hosts, hence, when a traveler arrives in their home, they should take a hot shower, wash all their clothes with hot water and inspect their luggage to see if there were any bedbugs hitching rides.

Conclusion Good hotel sanitation is always recommended for hotels, and everywhere in general. Customers are happy to stay in clean hotels, therefore, maintaining good sanitation leads to the financial growth of the hotel. Bedbugs may not be considered unsanitary, but a nuisance. However, they travel from one host to another and multiply over short periods of time. They can cause a whole amount of discomfort when sleeping causing the affected person not to sleep all night. Therefore, sanitation and bedbugs should be kept under control.

Work Cited Baumann , M. A. 19697. “Taskforce studies Lodging Sanitation Policies” Hotel and Motel Management 212 (September 15): 45 Cranford, Cynthia. 1998” Gender and Citizenship in restructuring of Janitorial Work in Los Angeles,” Gender Issues 16(4): 25 – 51 Lattin, Thomas. 1993. “factory Outlet Hotel Wakes Owner to Basic Needs.” Hotel and Motel Management 208(April 26) : 28 Santa Cruz, F., Lopez-Guzman, T., Canizares, S. (2014). “Analysis of Job Satisfaction in the Hotel Industry: A Study of Hotels in Spain.

” Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism. 13, 63-80.