Just Back...BC Mousekeeping Disappointing

[hedberg1661]

I just got back from the BC and I have to say mousekeeping let me down. Multiple days in a row we had to call and request towels, washcloths, and soaps for our room. Our beds were made, trash cleared (sometimes) and otherwise it was fine. The other disappointing factor was that only one staff person on our floor all week spoke English enough to communicate back and forth. It was pretty sad to hear one of the younger CMs come and say oh sorry she doesn't speak English very well...

Has anyone else had troubles like this of late?

 

[jaminmd]

The language barrier doesn't bother me but I do hate having to call after them for supplies that should be left in my room daily.

There are many times that we just skip housekeeping and get supplies delivered to us (or we ask a housekeeper in the hallway). I prefer to do it all myself.

 

[loves to dive]

You may have been having an off week/day. We don't get mousekeeping but around the middle of the week since I tend to pick up after us anyway and there are normally enough towels in the room to last for a few days. I bring my own shampoo, etc. When we put the do not disturb sign out, 8 out 10 times, they tend to hang a bag on the door with toiletries and if we need towels, just about any time of the day, there is a cart out in the hallways so we just ask.

 

[Minnesota!]

Language barrier - not a big deal.

Not getting "fully stocked" would bug me. I love feeling "pampered" by having housekeeping. Anything less than 100% negates that feeling.

 

[hedberg1661]

Yep totally agree. The language barrier wasn't a big deal but somewhat annoying when I had to constantly track someone down in the halls.

Language barrier - not a big deal.

Not getting "fully stocked" would bug me. I love feeling "pampered" by having housekeeping. Anything less than 100% negates that feeling.

 

[maxiesmom]

I'm not sure what is sad about someone not speaking English very well, but I would be bummed by having to call down for towels every day.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I'm guessing the sad part is that a guest has to find numerous staff members to be able to communicate that they need clean towels. Clean towels should be a pretty straightforward and easy request.

 

[zebrastreyepz]

If my room wasn't being properly stocked and the cast member in the hallway ... the only cast member in the hallway .... didn't speak English, I'd be irritated.

Now, if I were in France and the housekeeper didn't speak English, I'd get it.

 

[Shanti]

I just got back from the BC and I have to say mousekeeping let me down. Multiple days in a row we had to call and request towels, washcloths, and soaps for our room. Our beds were made, trash cleared (sometimes) and otherwise it was fine. The other disappointing factor was that only one staff person on our floor all week spoke English enough to communicate back and forth. It was pretty sad to hear one of the younger CMs come and say oh sorry she doesn't speak English very well...

Has anyone else had troubles like this of late?

Housekeepers are there to clean rooms rather than to chat with guests, so the language barrier isn't significant. Speak directly to the front desk to get any housekepoing issues quickly resolved. Don't call from your resort phone, as that goes to a call center that doesn't relay messages to housekeeping very effectively. But speaking to a CM at the front desk in person will get the matter taken care of.

 

[zebrastreyepz]

Housekeepers are there to clean rooms rather than to chat with guests, so the language barrier isn't significant. Speak directly to the front desk to get any housekepoing issues quickly resolved. Don't call from your resort phone, as that goes to a call center that doesn't relay messages to housekeeping very effectively. But speaking to a CM at the front desk in person will get the matter taken care of.

And the DIS habit of dismissing what matters to someone continues.

It mattered to the OP. End of story.

It would matter to me, too.

Don't lecture me on what the housekeepers job is. Seriously. This board sometimes. The arrogance is out of control.

 

[Westcoastwild]

And the DIS habit of dismissing what matters to someone continues.

It mattered to the OP. End of story.

It would matter to me, too.

Don't lecture me on what the housekeepers job is. Seriously. This board sometimes. The arrogance is out of control.

Well...it's a valid point though. OP, did you speak directly to the front desk about this?

It sounds like a fairly typical hotel experience to me. Even if the maid doesn't speak English, I've never had trouble getting them to understand o want more towels.

 

[Shanti]

And the DIS habit of dismissing what matters to someone continues.

It mattered to the OP. End of story.

It would matter to me, too.

Don't lecture me on what the housekeepers job is. Seriously. This board sometimes. The arrogance is out of control.

If it mattered to the OP what color the housekeeper's skirt was, it still wouldn't affect her ability to do her job of cleaning rooms, and it still wouldn't affect my right to point that out to an OP who went on a public message board to complain about it.

"Arrogance" is you thinking that you have the right to speak your mind on a topic, but I don't. Welcome to the free marketplace of ideas. You're not always going to hear things you like or agree with.

 

[Elizabeth Smith]

It's a pet peeve of mine to have to request new towels/soap/shampoo at a hotel. The language barrier is frustrating for all parties involved, I'm sure, but you shouldn't even have to ask for those essentials in the first place! The towels should be there, ready to go. I feel for you, OP.

 

[Nancyg56]

And the DIS habit of dismissing what matters to someone continues.

It mattered to the OP. End of story.

It would matter to me, too.

Don't lecture me on what the housekeepers job is. Seriously. This board sometimes. The arrogance is out of control.

I do not think it should be the end of the story. I think that everyone has a right to a clean room, replenished supplies, and access to someone who can correct the problem if these things do not happen. If a staff member does not speak English, does that mean you cannot show that person what you need? No. It means that you are irritated that you have commication difficulties.

I have been to many hotels and resorts and very few of them are filled with English Speaking house keepers. Actuallly, I cannot rememebr the last time when there were a majority of people who spoke English doing jobs such as landscape maintenance and housekeeping. There are a multitude of reasons for this, but this is nto the place to get into them. The reality is that when someone forst complains about supplies not being restocked, and included a language barrier, it make sense to ask why foreign born workers are an irritant. I will only add that if you want to be sure that you have all english speaking housekeepers, kitchen help and landscape maintenance workers, be prepared to see your hotel bills soar.

I am an employer and constantly am trying to entice "english speaking" people to take a job, but unfortunately it is very hard to get anyone to do these jobs ar any hourly rate.

 

[Beer Me]

Language has nothing to do with this. Seriously any Spanish speaker would understand "more towels please". But yeah, it's not good when there are multiple lapses in housekeeping. I would be irritated too.

 

[Farro]

And the DIS habit of dismissing what matters to someone continues.

It mattered to the OP. End of story.

It would matter to me, too.

Don't lecture me on what the housekeepers job is. Seriously. This board sometimes. The arrogance is out of control.

If my room wasn't being properly stocked and the cast member in the hallway ... the only cast member in the hallway .... didn't speak English, I'd be irritated.

Now, if I were in France and the housekeeper didn't speak English, I'd get it.

Arrogance? Ignorance?

Getting irritated because a housekeeper working for minimum wage doesn't speak English....ah, nope.

But I do agree that people shouldn't dismiss the OP's concerns just because it wouldn't be a concern of their own.

 

[bumbershoot]

The reality is that when someone forst complains about supplies not being restocked, and included a language barrier, it make sense to ask why foreign born workers are an irritant.

If there's a barrier to the room being restocked, then the language differences are a problem

Seriously any Spanish speaker would understand "more towels please".

But that obviously wasn't the case for the op. And if a housekeeper doesn't know the words of his/her employment it's a problem. Towels, soap, sheet...all words s/he should know.

 

[Pilotdog]

Well if the house keeper spoke English there might not have been a problem at all. At work the non English speakers tend to just nod yes when asked if they understand what you want them to do. Than when they try to do the task it become apperent that they did not understand. They are not bad people and they really want to do their jobs, but I think they are afraid or embarrassed that they can't under stand.

 

[Snap Crackle Pop]

I can see how you would be frustrated that you needed to call to get towels everyday.
Them not speaking English well enough isn't a sad situation.

 

[ols386]

And the DIS habit of dismissing what matters to someone continues.

It mattered to the OP. End of story.

It would matter to me, too.

Don't lecture me on what the housekeepers job is. Seriously. This board sometimes. The arrogance is out of control.

Totally agree.