ALEXANDRIA, VA—Alexandria-based hotel management company PM Hospitality Strategies has found a brand-new way to put more "heart" into the limited-service hotel industry. PMHS' new Zero Defects program centers around increasing the unity between the housekeeping and maintenance departments—the "Heart of the House."

PMHS' Chief Operating Officer Greg Miller is the architect behind PMHS' Zero Defects program. As a veteran of the hospitality industry, Miller is aware that a successful hotel stay depends on the details.

"Prior to opening a hotel, a successful manager's mantra is location, location, location. But after a hotel opens, the mantra should become maintenance, maintenance, maintenance. In the limited-service industry, we aim to give the guest what he or she truly needs at a reduced price. Unfortunately, many limited-service hotels are not able to offer that low price without skimping on maintenance."

The reduced maintenance budget leads to a great deal of problems. Housekeepers, aware that no one is paying attention to work orders they put in, may stop placing them altogether. Maintenance technicians with a great deal of other work often become frustrated with housekeepers for placing menial work orders.

So how does a limited-service hotel turn out "zero defect" rooms without the large staff of a full-service hotel?

At PMHS hotels, managers empower their housekeepers. In addition to cleaning supplies and fresh linen, housekeepers also carry a small yellow "Zero Defects" kit containing fresh lightbulbs and batteries for remote controls, and a small screwdriver to fix a loose toilet seat. Although housekeepers never do major repair work, all are equipped with the necessary training that allows them to discern what repairs they are able to do, and what repairs need a work order.

Jim Lowe, Director of Facilities for PMHS, explains the logic behind Zero Defects. "During the half hour that a housekeeper spends cleaning a room, he or she uses all of the appliances—remote control, air conditioner or heater, and the faucet. Housekeepers are in a better position than anyone to evaluate whether or not a room is functional. And if there are any small repairs that need to be made, such as a new battery in a remote or a new filter for an air conditioner, the housekeeper is in the prime position to make them."

If there are any problems that a housekeeper is not able to fix, he or she fills out a three-part International Work Order. A maintenance technician will take it from there, treating the work order as if it was a guest complaint. The Zero Defects program, Miller explains, anticipates and eliminates guest complaints.

To reward their housekeepers for taking more of a proactive role, PMHS offers housekeepers a bonus for every room that is inspected and found to have "zero defects." The housekeeping department also receives a team bonus for every problem-free room. For every work order completed in a timely manner, maintenance technicians receive the same bonus.

One result of the Zero Defects program has been greater unity between the housekeeping and maintenance departments. "Instead of only communicating with each other by paperwork, our employees are free to consult one another and work together to make their jobs easier," explains Miller. "These departments are indeed the "Heart of the House," and the Zero Defects program really makes that clear.

In addition to bonuses and other incentives, the Zero Defects program also includes a yearly event, the "Heart of the House Olympics," in which staff from every hotel, as well as the corporate office, gets together for games, prizes, food, and fun. These programs make sure that keeping properties free of any and all defects is profitable for both employees and employers.

About PM Hospitality Strategies

An approved franchisee of Marriott, Hilton, and Choice Hotels, PM Hospitality Strategies manages a variety of hotels on the East Coast. Its hands-on founders oversee all aspects of day-to-day operations, and emphasize marketing, employee development, and cost effective operations for each hotel. With strong financial backing, PMHS ranks among the fastest growing hospitality management organizations in the United States. During the first three years, they saw their profits increase ten-fold. PMHS is breaking ground on four new hotels in 2001. For more information, please refer to www.pmhs.com.

Greg Miller
Chief Operating Officer
PM Hospitality Strategies