International Housekeepers

Excellent Catch

2011-06-01T07:09:00.002-07:00

Make it a point to let your housekeeping staff know you notice their hard work and dedication. During International Housekeepers Week, observe your employees fulfilling their daily duties. When you see a housekeeper doing more than expected, give him or her a “You’ve Been Caught Doing Good” Scratch-Off Ticket. Recipients scratch off the foil on the ticket and win the prize that appears three times. It’s a sure way to delight your deserving housekeepers!

Here, There, And Everywhere

2011-06-01T07:09:00.001-07:00

Show housekeepers that your gratitude doesn’t stay within the walls of your facility; it follows them wherever they go! This International Housekeepers Week, offer them presents they can use outside of work. The last day of the week, hand out “Housekeeping: At The Heart Of Hospitality” Cell Phone Pouch/Wallets or “Gracias Por Todo Lo Que Haces” Cell Phone Pouch/Wallets for Spanish-speaking employees.

Winning Attitudes

2011-06-01T07:06:00.000-07:00

Tell housekeeping staff you think they’re number one! Kick off the week with a “pep rally.” Hang our banner and have housekeeping employees sign it the week before. Begin the pep rally by playing Gary Glitter’s “Rock And Roll (Parts 1 & 2),” also known as the “Hey!” song that is commonly heard at sporting events. Now that they are enthused, distribute “Property of Housekeeping Services Department” or “Housekeeping: Together We Make the Ordinary Extraordinary” T-Shirts. Encourage staff to wear their T-Shirts to show their housekeeping pride!

Spell It Out

2011-06-01T07:04:00.000-07:00

Offer your thanks to your great housekeeping staff with “Housekeeping Word of the Day.” Come up with a positive word to go along with each letter of “KEEPING”—one letter and word for each day of the week. On the first day, “K” could stand for “Kind” and the second day “E” could represent “Extraordinary.” To align with that theme, distribute prizes that start with the letters, such as “Housekeeping Rocks!” Pull-Apart Key Tags for the “K” and “Housekeeping: At The Heart Of Hospitality” Emery Boards for the “E.” Each morning, announce the special word and randomly select several housekeepers to receive a gift. Make sure all housekeepers get a token of your appreciation.

Food For Thought

2011-06-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

Promote the “Fruits” food group and honor your housekeepers with a fruit-themed breakfast each morning of the week. Pick one fruit per day to highlight and come up with a fun slogan to go with it, such as “Housekeepers have great a-‘peel’ ” for bananas. That day, serve up banana nut muffins and banana pancakes. Each morning, pass out a food-related gift to housekeeping staff, such as “Housekeeping: At The Heart Of Hospitality” Deluxe Lunch Bags And Sandwich Containers or “Housekeeping: At The Heart Of Hospitality” 3-Section Plates With Lids.

Go Green

2011-06-01T07:02:00.000-07:00

Focus your attention on Mother Nature this International Housekeepers Week. Brainstorm with your housekeeping staff ideas to be more environmentally friendly, such as using natural cleaning products, carpooling, reusing, and recycling. Then help them put those ideas into action. Create a sign-up sheet for carpooling, set up a recycling program at your facility if one doesn’t already exist, and provide housekeepers with “Housekeeping: At The Heart of Hospitality” Eco-To-Go Travel Cups and “Housekeeping: At The Heart of Hospitality” Eco-Friendly Shopper Tote Bags.

Appreciation Is Always In Season

2011-06-01T07:01:00.000-07:00

Celebrate the smells and sights of fall this International Housekeepers Week. Decorate an area the housekeepers use with cutouts of fall leaves, and make a sign that says, “Thanks For ‘Leaf’-ing Our Facility So Clean!” Since apples and pumpkins are usually harvested in the fall, surprise your housekeepers with pumpkin and apple pie and apple cider. Then hand out items that will keep them warm in the fall and winter months, such as “Housekeeping: At The Heart of Hospitality” Embroidered Roll-Up Blankets and “Housekeeping: At The Heart Of Hospitality” Sip N’ Go Tumblers With Coffee And Tea.

Shining Examples

2011-06-01T07:00:00.002-07:00

Say “Thank You!” to your housekeepers for making your facility sparkle all year, and shower them with gifts so they can sparkle too! Each day during the week, distribute beauty-related products, such as Housekeeping Compact Mirrors and “Housekeepers: At The Heart Of Hospitality” Cosmetic Bag Gift Sets. At the end of the week, give housekeepers lavender sachets and chamomile tea so they can unwind and get their “beauty sleep” over the weekend.

Save The Day

2011-06-01T07:00:00.001-07:00

Plan a picnic-themed meal to thank your staff for “Making People Feel At Home.” Decorate with our green and yellow Hospitality Balloons and bouquets of daisies. Serve pineapple for dessert. Have table settings out before your housekeepers arrive, and place a “We Make People Feel At Home” Spinning Pineapple Key Tag on each plate. Also put a “We Make People Feel At Home” Verve Vertical Lunch Bag in each seat.

It Never Stops!

2011-06-01T06:59:00.001-07:00

Continue the fun and surprise your housekeepers with a gift in the days after International Housekeepers Week. On Friday, September 16, mail a “Housekeeping: At The Heart Of Hospitality” Drawstring Backpack and a “Housekeeping: At The Heart Of Hospitality” Greeting Card to every housekeeper’s home. Be sure to write, “We forgot to ‘pack’ this into last week’s activities!” on the card.

Read All About It

2011-06-01T06:57:00.000-07:00

Ask a local newspaper to assist in the recognition of housekeepers. Invite a photographer to come to your facility and take a group shot of your housekeeping staff to be published in the paper. Let housekeepers know in advance the date and time of the photo shoot so they can all be present. Have them pose next to Balloons and the Banner from the “Housekeeping: At The Heart Of Hospitality” Decoration Pack for the photo. After the picture, thank your workers and present them with “Housekeeping: At The Heart Of Hospitality” Stainless Steel Water Bottles With Flip Top Lid. Be sure to give one to the photographer, too!

Sweet Idea!

2011-06-01T06:56:00.001-07:00

Spend a day reminding all staff members, not just housekeepers, of the importance of hospitality with its symbol—the pineapple. Decorate a common area of your facility with cutouts of pineapples, and write an employee’s name on each one. Purchase several pineapples at a local grocery store and place those on table and counter tops. Then, hold a Hawaiian luau one day during the week and serve kabobs with chicken and pineapple, pineapple upside-down cake, and other dishes featuring pineapple as an ingredient. Put a “We Make People Feel At Home” Mini Tote With Hershey’s® Kisses® at each luau place setting. Distribute “We Make People Feel At Home” Tote Bags.

Who Is It?

2011-06-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

Create a fun activity to help your housekeeping staff get to know each other better. Several days in advance, ask them to tell you (in private, of course) their nicknames. Make reusable name tags with the nicknames on them. Then bring housekeepers together, and ask that each person attempt to attach the name tags to the appropriate people.

When finished, announce the correct housekeeper/nickname pairings. Thank people for participating with a “Housekeeping Rocks” Clear Zippered Tote Bag, and put their names in a hat. Draw a winner, and reward him or her with a “Housekeeping Rocks” Stainless Steel Tumbler.

Joke’s On Us

2011-06-01T06:53:00.000-07:00

Begin each day of International Housekeepers Week with a little humor. Research housekeeping jokes on the Internet, and read one to your housekeepers every morning. Encourage staff to share their own tasteful jokes and funny work-related stories. Offer a small gift to those who do, such as a “Housekeeping: At The Heart Of Hospitality” Photo/Mirror Key Tag or a “Housekeeping: At The Heart Of Hospitality” Fresh Linen-Scented Candle with gift box.

“Hearts” To You!

2011-06-01T06:52:00.000-07:00

Express your gratitude to your housekeepers, and show guests and other employees that housekeepers are the “heart of hospitality.” The day before International Housekeepers Week, decorate your lobby with heart cutouts, red crepe paper, and other Valentine’s Day-looking decorations. Hang the “Housekeepers: At The Heart Of Hospitality” Banner in the middle of the lobby wall. At some point during the week, gather all housekeepers in the decorated area and present each one with a Housekeeping Gift Bag Of Appreciation.

Blooming Thanks

2011-06-01T06:50:00.000-07:00

Beautify the outdoors of your business with the assistance of those who keep the indoors beautiful. Have your landscaping crew prepare an area on the lawn for planting or build a flower bed. Then, purchase a number of flower bulbs that can be planted in the fall, such as daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths. Let your housekeepers plant them one day, and, when they finish, hand them a “Housekeeping Rocks!” Pull-Apart Key Tag and a “Housekeeping At The Heart Of Hospitality” T-Shirt. Then you can celebrate with your housekeepers again when the flowers bloom in the spring!

Hidden Meaning

2011-06-01T06:40:00.000-07:00

Offer your housekeepers a little time to relax and enjoy a fun activity during International Housekeeping Week. Schedule an extra 15-minute break for your staff members, and have them meet you in a conference room in the building. Hand each person a copy of the Housekeeping Word Search provided here and a “Housekeepers: At The Heart Of Hospitality” Comfort Grip Pen With Pillowbox. Ask housekeepers to complete the activity with their new pens. When they finish, thank each person with a handshake or hug and present a “Housekeeping Rocks!” Verve Vertical Lunch Bag & 3-Section Plate Combo.

Gentle Reminder

2008-07-02T10:21:00.000-07:00

Give your housekeepers a gift that gets them thinking about how much their work matters. Distribute “Making A Difference Every Day” Lapel Pin Badge Holders to everyone. Then establish weekly prize drawings for the entire year until the next International Housekeepers Week. On a randomly chosen day each week, fill a bowl with the names of people who are wearing their badge holders. Draw a name and award a prize, such as a Housekeeper’s Gift Set.

Eating Champion

2008-07-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

In 2008, add excitement to your week by holding the reverse of a cooking contest: an eating contest. Across America, pie eating contests are popular, as well as watermelon eating contests. Internationally, hot dog (with the bun) eating contests are a favorite. For your contest, pick a food and establish whether you will have a reward for the largest amount eaten and/or for the quickest time to eat a certain amount. Give “Great Staff, Great Team” Deluxe Lunch Bags to all the daring individuals who compete, and present a “Great Staff, Great Team” Deluxe Duffel Bag to the winner(s).

Workers That Rock

2008-07-02T10:11:00.000-07:00

Express to your housekeepers how well they’re doing by holding a rockin’ International Housekeepers Week. Divide the staff into teams. Ask each team to pick a rock band name. Start the festivities by passing out “Housekeepers Rock” Guitar-Shaped Stress Relievers to all team members. Throughout the week, have the teams compete in games, such as charades, Pictionary and hangman. Award points to each game’s winning team. At the end of the week, tally the points and present “Housekeepers Rock” Vivid Pocket Tote Bags to the members of the team with the best overall score.

Autumn Activities

2008-07-02T10:08:00.000-07:00

Regardless of whether there’s a traditional fall season in your part of the country, treat your housekeeping employees to a fall festival. Begin by decorating with fall leaves and colors. Arrange for attendees to roast hotdogs and marshmallows, either by making a real fire outside or having an electric appliance indoors. Serve spiced tea and hot chocolate in Satin Touch Travel Tumblers . Add even more warmth by holding drawings for “Warm Appreciation To Go” Gift Packs . And provide “fireside” entertainment to complete the effect.

Touch of Tinseltown

2008-07-02T10:05:00.001-07:00

Temporarily transport your housekeeping staff to Hollywood. Recreate the Walk of Fame by taping large paper stars featuring the names of celebrities on the floor. Use scrap cardboard and white paper to make a Hollywood sign. Ask other department managers to dress up as movie stars. Have them welcome your employees at the start of their shifts. Give out “Housekeeping: Sparkling Touch That Means So Much” Greeting Cards, after placing one or two movie passes in each so your team of talented workers can go watch the real actors and actresses.

Attention To Attitude

2008-07-02T09:58:00.000-07:00

Each day of International Housekeepers Week, focus on a different success-oriented characteristic. For example, on Monday seek out dedication to quality; on Tuesday be on the lookout for cooperation; on Wednesday pay attention to cheerful service and so forth. Don’t announce ahead of time what you’ve chosen. Use the gifts from the Housekeeper’s Tote Bag Of Appreciation to reward an employee at the end of each day for showing the daily characteristic.

Essential Ingredients

2008-07-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

Teamwork is crucial for the success of your facility. Your housekeeping staff members probably have some thoughts on what a team needs. Request that they submit “Recipes For An Outstanding Team.” For example, a recipe might include a cup of reliability, a tablespoon of excellence and a pinch of humor. Another recipe might mention three cups of energy, two teaspoons of honesty and a dash of thoughtfulness. Thank each of your employees for ccontributing to the team with a “Great Staff, Great Team” Baseball Cap or a “Great Staff, Great Team” Deluxe Lunch Bag.

“Cent”-sational Program

2008-07-02T09:47:00.000-07:00

Emphasize the importance of giving your guests top-notch service by adopting a memorable slogan and a matching activity. Fill jars with coins; have a penny jar, a nickel jar and a dime jar. Label the jars “Excellent service makes ‘cents’.” Let employees guess how many coins are in each jar. Reward the closest guessers with the coins and gift certificates. Later, hand out “Shining Star” Lapel Pins to remind everyone that your department’s goal is to maintain high quality.

Survive And Thrive!

2008-07-02T09:43:00.000-07:00

Make the last day of your appreciation week memorable by giving out thoughtful and useful emergency preparedness packs that you design. For each pack, begin with a “Heart Of The Hotel” Double Pocket Tote. Inside, place bottled water, snacks, wet wipes, adhesive bandages, paper, a pen, tissues and a prepaid phone card. Also include a Housekeeper’s 6-In-1 Multi Tool. Gather your staff members and express how much they mean to you. Then pass out the emergency preparedness packs. If you plan to make the packs again next year, ask your staff now what they would like the backpacks to contain.

Pat On The Back

2008-07-02T09:36:00.000-07:00

Since you can’t be everywhere all at once, sometimes your employees
witness good deeds when you’re not right there. During International Housekeepers Week, set out baskets of “We Treasure Our Housekeepers” and “Polished To Perfection” Lapel Pins. Encourage your housekeepers to use the pins to reward co-workers for exceptional service. Tell them to remember to include the laundry and maintenance staff members.

Creative License

2008-07-02T09:22:00.000-07:00

See how well your housekeepers know each other. Ask them to submit the phrase they would want if they had customized license plates. On a blank sheet of paper, draw the shape of a license plate. Write your state’s name at the top and the state slogan at the bottom, then photocopy. Type up the wording from your housekeepers. Put the license plate paper in your printer and print out one phrase on each sheet. (This way there will be no handwriting to recognize.) Challenge your housekeepers to guess which license plate goes with which person. Award a “Heart Of The Hotel” Travel Mug for the most right answers. Surprise everyone with “Great Staff, Great Team” Spinning Key Tag.

Savoring The Selection

2008-07-01T10:10:00.001-07:00

To allow your housekeepers plenty of choices at your International Housekeepers Week luncheon, organize a build-your-own taco bar. Have flour tortillas, whole-wheat tortillas and crunchy taco shells available. For protein, offer lean ground beef, shredded chicken and black beans. Provide a variety of vegetables and a few different kinds of shredded cheese. Also see to it that there is mild, medium and hot salsa. Serve drinks in Housekeeping Rocks Stainless Tumbler, and make sure your guests take their mugs home with them. In addition, pass out Housekeeping “The Sparkling Touch That Means So Much” Lunch Bag, which are perfect for leftovers.

Super Spelling

2008-07-01T10:02:00.000-07:00

To create a sense of unity, plan an activity in which your housekeepers have to cooperate to accomplish a goal. One possibility is creating a handmade Scrabble game. Write letters on slips of paper, forming three sets of the alphabet. It might be a good idea to make extras of the most common letters (L, N, R, S, T and E). Put the slips in bag. Have participants each grab a pile of letters. Give them the task of working together to form words about housekeeping. After a while, present each housekeeper with a Housekeeping Rocks FM Scan Radio and a bouquet of Housekeeper’s Celebration Balloons.

Personalized Poetry

2008-07-01T09:58:00.000-07:00

Test your own creativity. Attempt to write a rhyming poem about each of your housekeepers. In the rhyme, mention good characteristics of the person. Every day of International Housekeepers Week, read one or more poems out loud (depending on size of staff). Present the subject of the poem with a Housekeeper’s Motivational Message Tumbler or a Great Staff, Great Team Portfolio With Lined Pad & Pen .

Shining Suggestions

2008-07-01T09:52:00.000-07:00

Employees who feel they are involved in how their workplace is run are more dedicated to its success. Ask your housekeepers for suggestions on how to improve your facility. Create forms that suggestions can be written on, and set up a suggestions box to put them in. Make sure suggestion contributors write their names on the forms so you can reward them. Give a Housekeeper’s Contour Grip Flashlight to each person who submits a serious suggestion. Present a “Housekeepers Are Shining Stars” Key Tag to everyone whose idea gets implemented.

Silly Softball

2008-07-01T09:48:00.000-07:00

During International Housekeepers Week, hold a lighthearted softball game. Divide your employees into teams by some seemingly random criteria, such as hair color or type of vehicle driven. This is to get more evenly mixed teams and cause interaction between people who don’t usually spend time together. Give players from one team “Housekeeping: The Sparkling Touch That Means So Much” T-Shirts and players from the other team “Housekeeping: Cleaning With Style And A Smile” T-Shirts to wear for the game. Then make up goofy rules; for example, members of the light-haired team have to run the bases while balancing books on their heads, and members of the dark-haired team have to carry eggs on spoons. After the game, thank everyone for being a good sport.

Fun Fondue

2008-07-01T09:40:00.000-07:00

Ride the wave of popularity surrounding fondue by organizing a lively “We’re fond of you” fondue buffet luncheon. Serve a variety of foods in each course, from appetizers to dessert, that can be dipped into pots of sauces. Don’t forget the fondue forks in addition to regular forks. Invite your guests by enclosing event information in “The Sparkling Touch That Means So Much” Greeting Cards. Express your gratitude even further by putting a Housekeeper’s Satin Touch Tumblers at each setting.

Memory Challenge

2008-07-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

Games involving memory are a great way to keep the mind active. Ask your housekeepers to bring in photos from home of pets, vacations, weddings, etc. At the beginning of International Housekeepers Week, create an attractive bulletin board display using the photos. Call everyone’s attention to the display, then leave it up all week. At the end of the week, gather your housekeepers and quiz them on the photos, for example, “Who is pictured in a pink bridesmaid dress?” or “What breed of dog is wearing a plaid sweater?” Give a Housekeeping Rocks Portfolio & Pen to all who take the quiz. Award a Tri-Fold Frame Clock & Caddy to the person with the most correct answers.

“Tote”al Appreciation

2008-07-01T09:27:00.000-07:00

Word puzzles can enhance your recognition programs. Photocopy the housekeeping-themed puzzle and distribute to all of your staff members near the end of International Housekeepers Week. Exchange a “The Sparkling Touch That Means So Much” Lanyard for a correctly completed puzzle. Then for a month afterwards, hold weekly drawings for “Housekeeping Rocks” Vivid Pocket Tote Bag. Open the drawings to housekeepers who were seen that week wearing lapel pin badge holders.