The 10-Minute Uniform Walk Every Hotel Should Run Before Peak Season

By Conor Smart, Managing Director, Arklavo

Color can fade gradually; badges can go missing for a couple of weeks and no one notices; staff can wear jackets they’ve borrowed for special events day after day. Guests will see this in the lobby when they check in, in restaurants during meal service, in elevators and hallways on their way to their rooms.

Uniforms play a big role in the guest experience. One study published in the Journal of Business Research back in 2004 by Chris Shao, Julie Baker and Judy Wagner showed that customers expected better service and were more likely to make a purchase when the employees they interacted with were wearing appropriate attire. While that particular study focused on the banking industry, the concept arguably applies to hotels, too, especially at the front desk.

Do a uniform walk-through

A walk-through is a quick way to assess whether uniforms need to be altered or replaced. Before the busiest periods of the year, think weddings and holiday season, dedicate around ten minutes to walk through different areas of the hotel and evaluate the condition of staff uniforms. Bring good lighting (if possible do this during the day or use a brightly lit area with neutral lighting as yellow light can hide faded colors), a set of unworn uniforms from your stock to compare against, and a notepad to jot down notes. Have another department’s manager join you, as they may pick up on details you no longer notice. Try to time this during a change of shifts to see as many employees as possible.

What to look for

In each department, consider:

Front desk and concierge: Do tailored pieces such as blazers fit properly at the shoulders and when buttoned up? Has anyone changed sizes recently? How do the colors of cuffs, collars and shoulders compare to the unworn uniform? Are employee name badges attached in the same place on everyone’s uniform? Are they legible from the guest side of the front desk? Are they spelled correctly? If you recently changed your logo or branding, are all employees wearing the updated badges? Are scarves, stoles or ties the same color and material? Are shoes worn down? (Don’t forget that footwear is often part of the uniform, too!)

Banquets and F&B: Before meal service, have employees line up shoulder-to-shoulder and check for mismatched cuts or colors. Are spare jackets available for events when extra staff may be needed? Are employees aware of where these jackets are stored? (Instead of grabbing one hanging from a hook in the back, which may be poorly laundered, the wrong color or not their size, designate a place to keep extras, preferably sorted by size.) The Codex Alimentarius General Principles of Food Hygiene recommend that employees working with food maintain a high degree of personal cleanliness and wear suitable protective clothing when appropriate. Go a step further and have employees start shifts in freshly laundered aprons or jackets and keep a spare set of clothes on hand in case of spills.

Housekeeping and engineering: Pay attention to parts of the uniform that housekeeping and engineering put under extra strain, such as pockets, cuffs and knees. Are there stains from chemicals (on darker colors, these will appear lighter than the rest of the garment)? Are shoes worn down?

After the walk-through

Categorize items that need to be ordered as soon as possible, altered or monitored for your next walk-through. Jot down specific comments (for example, “Ravi, front desk jacket, frayed cuffs, replace” instead of “front desk jackets look tired”). Place orders well in advance so new items don’t arrive during the busiest weeks of the year. And if certain pieces consistently need replacing, consider implementing a schedule to switch them out.

Keep in mind that a walk-through is simply a visual check of employees’ attire and shouldn’t take the place of following your hotel’s food safety, health and safety and brand standards when it comes to dress code (if these call for stricter guidelines, follow them!). After peak periods, do another walk-through to check for new wear and tear. Assign this task to one employee and make it a regular part of their duties to ensure nothing slips through the cracks.

Conor Smart is Managing Director of Arklavo, a US-based provider of custom branded apparel and uniforms.

Images: courtesy of Arklavo