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Manage Increasing COVID-19 Cleaning Costs in Hospitality

How mobile applications can support change management and control costs.

Recent research suggests that COVID-inspired cleaning and safety standards will add roughly $9 billion in incremental expense to the hotel industry. Leaders are adapting to the new safety expectations with a combination of technology, training, equipment, and materials purchases. A successful return to business will require the implementation of intensive new cleaning and safety programs for the protection of guests and employees while balancing the cost to your business.

So what can we do to mitigate these increased costs?

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Manage the materials cost

With the cleaning time increased per room, housekeepers will be using more cleaning products, driving up supply costs 30%. As with any extreme situation that creates unprecedented demand, bad actors rise up and price gouging begins. Now that the supply chain is starting to catch up and the demand has leveled out, it’s a good time to take a look at your vendor contracts to ensure that you are receiving fair pricing. It’s a great opportunity to negotiate based on larger volumes.

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Contain the labor cost

Many hotel brands are offering optional housekeeping services, based on the idea that guest preference will be to not have personnel enter their room after check-in. Regardless of the potential time and costs savings there, new standards will lead to the average housekeeper taking an additional 507 minutes each week to clean guest rooms and 50% more time to clean public spaces. Your labor needs and budget will be a moving target for a while. As you bring this critical role off of furlough and train them on a host of new procedures, it might be time to consider a mobile workforce management application that can simplify scheduling and communications for both managers and employees alike.

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Keep everyone on the same page

Whether you are implementing a corporate cleaning program or taking advantage of industry programs like the AHLA, your team needs to understand their part and have that reinforced on a daily basis. Mobile task lists help to ensure teams understand your expectations while ensuring accountability. Daily logs are also key for management as they track the performance and success of new programs.

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Change management through mobile apps

As major hotel brands market their new cleaning programs to draw in nervous travelers, it’s critical that your staff are able to deliver on that promise. While guest counts are low, this just might be the perfect time to invest in mobile applications that can streamline operations before travel gets back to pre-COVID levels.

To find out how we can help you managed increased materials cost, check out our Inventory Management solution for Hotels.