by Brianna Crandall — November 24, 2014—The International Executive Housekeepers Association (IEHA) and Kimberly-Clark Professional recently announced the launch of the Heart of Hospitality Program to provide executive housekeepers with tools and resources to educate, empower and recognize housekeeping staff. As the cornerstone of the program, an annual Heart of Hospitality Award will be given to recognize exceptional housekeepers who enhance the hotel guest experience.
IEHA underlines the importance of the guest experience by citing studies that have shown that 66 percent of Americans are willing to spend an average of 13 percent more with businesses that provide excellent customer service. On the other hand, 82 percent of consumers have stopped doing business with a company because of a negative experience.
“Housekeepers are the heart of a hotel, but they don’t always receive the recognition they deserve,” said Mary Remson, IEHA executive director. “With the Heart of Hospitality Award, we are looking to change that by putting a program in place to honor the critical role of housekeepers in ensuring guest satisfaction.”
2015 Heart of Hospitality Award
The inaugural Heart of Hospitality Award launches in 2015. Housekeeping executives will be able to nominate exceptional housekeepers for the award. Nominations will open in January 2015 and remain open through July 2015, with winners recognized at the IEHA 49th Annual Conference and Convention in October 2015. All nominations will be reviewed by the IEHA recognition committee, who will then select the winners.
Heart of Hospitality Program components
In support of the Heart of Hospitality Award, the Heart of Hospitality Program also will include a variety of educational resources and recognition tools, such as a housekeeping guide, inspirational posters and recognition cards, to empower housekeeping executives and their staffs to own the guest experience.
IEHA is a 3,500-plus professional member organization, based in Ohio, for persons employed in facilities housekeeping at the management level. IEHA defines “executive housekeepers” as managers who direct housekeeping programs in commercial, industrial or institutional facilities; they supervise staffs ranging from a few to several hundred people and handle budgets from a few thousand dollars to millions. IEHA provides members with an array of channels through which they can achieve personal and professional growth.
Kimberly-Clark Professional partners with businesses to create “exceptional workplaces,” helping to make them healthier, safer, and more productive. Key brands in this segment include: Kleenex, Scott, WypAll, Kimtech, and Jackson Safety. Kimberly-Clark Professional, located in Roswell, Georgia, is one of global personal care products provider Kimberly-Clark Corporation’s four business sectors.
