Housekeeping: Problem or no?

[tjkraz]

On an average, do your stays demonstrate problems with housekeeping / maintenance at the DVC resorts?

If so, do you believe that member dues should be increased to provide additional services (additional cleanings to help stave-off problems, more frequent replacement of furniture / fixtures, more staff, etc.), or do you believe that it's the resort's problem to address?

 

[CarolA]

I have never had a housekeeping problem and the few times I have had a maintenance problem (lightbulbs) they have responsed quickly. Last time I stayed at OKW maintenance showed up to fix things I didn't know were broke. (The little piece of metal on the door to the balcony was loose, I hadn't noticed but he said housekeeping had reported it)

 

[jarestel]

I'm sure housekeeping / maintenance has a list of things to clean, restock, or check each time they do a room. But since I don't know what is on the list, it's hard to say whether or not they're doing it. For instance, I've had rooms where the safe key was missing, the sliding door to the balcony wouldn't lock, and utensils were either broken or missing. If housekeeping was supposed to be checking these things but they're not, I wouldn't want to pay extra dues in order to solve the problem. If they aren't expected to check for these items, then changing their checklist to watch for more things would obviously result in fewer rooms being serviced per housekeeper per day and that might be a dues issue.

Usually though, rooms are in good working condition when we check in.

 

[snappy]

We had no issues. Even just staying in a studio here was so much better than the standard hotel room. I was glad to see the toaster, glass mugs and drinking glasses, cork screw and bottle opened. I did have trouble regulating the temperature but I solved it by using a cotten blanket we used in the car driving up.

Loved the very short walk to the bus stop and to the quiet pool.

 

[DBBN]

OKW is our home resort and we stay there often. We've stayed only once at each of the other DVC resorts and one stay doesn't really show you the real picture.

In respect to OKW - overall I'm very pleased with housekeeping / maintnance. For that matter I consider myself very demanding when it comes to cleanliness and the upkeep / condition of the villa. We typically inspect the villa and report any deficiencies shortly after entering the villa. In every case housekeeping / maintenance has performed admirably. I find performance of the housekeepers at OKW to equal the quality of our housekeeper - not always perfect but certainly very good and ALWAYS willing to correct deficiencies.

I would not object to a dues increase if additional housekeepers / maintenance employees were needed for whatever reason.

 

[Alexander]

We've not encountered any housekeeping problems at the DVC resorts.

Now at Port Orleans, I could tell the story of the cheez-it that lived just under the bed for a week (and it wasn't ours)! And how the rooms were never cleaned until after 4:00 everyday.

 

[Granny]

If so, do you believe that member dues should be increased to provide additional services (additional cleanings to help stave-off problems, more frequent replacement of furniture / fixtures, more staff, etc.), or do you believe that it's the resort's problem to address?

Any expenses incurred to maintain, repair or clean DVC villas is 100% borne by members. It's as simple as that. There is no option for "it's the resort's problem to address".

Unless we feel that there is adequate staff and the work or supervision is lacking...that would be Disney's responsibility to address.

We haven't had any maintenance/cleaning problems yet, but I'm sure we will in the future. As long as it's the rare exception compared to the norm (as polls here have indicated in the past), I'd be for keeping the status quo and addressing performance issues as they arise.

That's a long way of saying, no I wouldn't want to pay more in dues.

 

[tjkraz]

Unless we feel that there is adequate staff and the work or supervision is lacking...that would be Disney's responsibility to address.

That was the point of the option.

I probably should have just made the poll a Yes / No. Despite the fact that people occasionlly say "housekeeping should be better, even if we have to pay for it", I didn't think many would actually pick the higher dues option. After all, it's much easier to simply classify such lapses as poor mangement ("Disney's problem, not mine!")

 

[spiceycat]

if there is anything wrong - call maintence/engineering/housekeeping immediately.

they do whatever is necessary to fix the problem.

I think you are expecting more of the maids than WDW is.

these ladies generally only speak spanish - they are there to clean the rooms - not check if the everything is working properly - that (in my opinion) is your job. these aren't hotel rooms - they are your home and should be treated accordingly. Who do you expect to see a problem fixed when it is your home? You right....same thing at DVC.

but DVC makes it much easier - they will find away to fix it. AT home - well sometimes the service people tell me it is just impossible.....so I have to go get a second opinion -

act like the DVC resort is your second home. Except you don't have to do the cleaning, maintence, etc - just try to make sure it is done by CM so the next DVC member won't have the same problems.

OKW generally has the older members and they have already learned this - so they get the less complaints.

things break if at DVC or at home - and they have to be fixed. this is a rule of life and it isn't going to change. Nothing lasts forever.

 

[Granny]

That was the point of the option.

I probably should have just made the poll a Yes / No. Despite the fact that people occasionlly say "housekeeping should be better, even if we have to pay for it", I didn't think many would actually pick the higher dues option. After all, it's much easier to simply classify such lapses as poor mangement ("Disney's problem, not mine!")

Thanks for the clarification. And you're right, it's really hard to tell what is poor management and what is understaffing.

Since WDW is running at high occupancy rates the past year or so, I'm hoping that they are not understaffed!

Like I said, we haven't had any problems with our five DVC trips, or our cash resort trips before that.

 

[Chuck S]

I haven't had any housekeeping issues at OKW in the 30+ visits we've made there. The maintenance issues we've had were minor, and could have happened at ANY resort. For instance, one of the new electronic thermostats failed in the middle of the night and was heating instead of cooling in June. Electronics fail, and really it wasn't a "lack of maintenance" issue. I turned off the unit and called the next morning. It was fixed while we were in the parks. On another trip, the South Point buildings had just opened, and the bath drain in the room above us had not been sealed properly by the contractor, resulting in water coming through the ceiling into our bathroom. It was fixed immediately, and this could have happened anywhere there was new construction.

 

[lllovell]

I am too new to vote, but I am glad to see people responding!

thanks TJKRAZ

 

[jarestel]

I think you are expecting more of the maids than WDW is.

these ladies generally only speak spanish - they are there to clean the rooms - not check if the everything is working properly - that (in my opinion) is your job.

That was my point. I don't really know what WDW expects of housekeeping. And I wouldn't think speaking spanish or english or martian has anything at all to do with doing a good job. If you know exactly what is on the housekeepers "to do" list when they service a room, I'd be interested in seeing this list so I can base my opinions accordingly. Of course, if all you've posted is your opinion about what WDW expects of housekeeping, then I can respect that, but it doesn't help me to know what the housekeepers' responsibilities are.

 

[spiceycat]

when they switched over to spanish speaking from english speaking I had some problems - that I really thought the maids should have reported (this was long ago) - I got told by housekeeping - they are there to clean the rooms period.

"any problems YOU need to report them."

Call housekeeping yourself on your next trip and ask them - what a maid is surpose to do - if they tell you something besides clean - please post it.

this is just not at the DVC resorts by the way - once at the BC the fan was broken big time - sounded like a plane taking off - the maid had simply turned it off.....

 

[jarestel]

Thanks for the info, spiceycat.