HOTELIER AWARDS 2012: Laundry manager finalists

These five finalists will compete for the Laundry Manager of the Year 2012 title in the Hotelier Middle East Awards to be held on October 31 at The Ritz-Carlton DIFC.

Below you will find extracts and testimonials from the shortlisted nominations for each of the five candidates...

Gideon Mayabi, Laundry Manager, Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates

About Gideon
Gideon started his career with Kempinski in 2006 when he joined Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates as a Drycleaner. He was promoted to Laundry Supervisor in 2008 and was transferred to Tanzania in 2009 to be part of the pre-opening team for the Bilila Lodge Kempinski in the position of Laundry Manager. He came back to Dubai and to Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates in 2010 to take up his current role as Laundry Manager for the hotel where he is responsible for all operations of the Laundry department.

Above and beyond the call of duty…
Through carefully designed training and development led by Gideon, the majority of the employees in the Laundry division are now able to work across all the various roles and functions in the department, whether that is guest laundry, pressing or dry cleaning. This is not just hugely motivational for the team as the work they do is much more varied, but it has also resulted in increased productivity and efficiency through, as an example, optimized scheduling of resources and materials. From a customer service perspective, Gideon has consistently improved efficiency in service delivery to the hotel’s guests, and ensures that all items received are processed and delivered on the same day, which is up to a day less than his set targets for the turnaround time of laundry items. Gideon’s continuous focus on quality, customer service and efficiency has resulted in a perfect 100% score in the most recent Leading Quality Assurance audit for the hotel. Not only is the laundry department the one of the only division in the hotel to achieve this score, it’s the second consecutive time Gideon and his team received this highest possible audit result.Gideon is a prime example of a manager that leads by example. Not only does he go above and beyond his call of duty in serving his internal and external customers in the laundry department, he also assists other Kempinski hotels and the local community in Dubai in a number of different ways. Here are a few examples. In October 2011, whilst employed at Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates, he was asked to join the taskforce for the opening of the Kempinski Seychelles Resort and he served as part of the resort’s Pre-Opening team. During this time Gideon had the responsibility of helping to set up the Laundry function and managed the training of the laundry staff. In 2011 Gideon took the initiative to look for an alternative way to discard linen items that could no longer be used for the hotel guest rooms and partnered with UAE-based Gulf Recycling Company who now take the hotel’s discarded linen items on a monthly basis and give them to charity. Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates has provided a beneficial learning environment to children from the Dubai Centre for Special Needs for many years. Students of the Centre come to the hotel every Thursday to work in the Laundry department as part of their development program. Gideon manages these visits and is personally involved with the students when they come the hotel every week. Lastly, Gideon was elected in 2008 to serve on the hotel’s ‘Staff Consultative Committee’ where he represents the Housekeeping and Laundry departments, and he still serves on this committee today.
 

Testimonials for Gideon
"On behalf of Gulf States recycling I would like to thank you Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates for generous donation of their unwanted linen for the past one year. Your commitment to helping the needy is sincerely appreciated. Many people in developing countries are benefiting through our initiative and contributing a big role in keeping our environment green by saving the clothes from going to landfills, until to date we divert thousand tones of clothes. The goal of the organization is to continue to make a difference in how we recycle and help the needy people. With the help of donations from supporters such as you we will continue to see improvements in clothes recycling.” Birhane, collection manager.

“I joined Kempinski Mall of the Emirates on 1st march 2011 as a tailor. I found Kempinski MOE is a best place to work with. When I joined, I was just a tailor but I have had a passion to improve my career, learning new things and sharing ideas to each other with my team. Mr. Gideon provided me with all of necessary ideas and trainings in friendly and open mind as of my passion to develop my career. He has a better knowledge to create a peaceful environment to work in all kind of business situation. His helpful and friendly behavior, and outstanding managing knowledge helps us to deliver our quality standard to our guest. Mr. Gideon is always interested to train all of us in each section of laundry that's why we all are able to work what is necessary all around our laundry. No matter who is laundry attendant or who is laundry valet or dry-cleaner or press man; we all are helpful to each other on laundry operation. In my laundry team all of my colleagues, my superiors and specially my manager Mr. Gideon help me to grow up my career and knowledge in my work place. Today I am holding a position of 'Uniform and linen room supervisor'. I am pleased to write my opinion for his helpful and friendly behavior for all our laundry team.” Manohar Pariyar, uniform and linen room supervisor.

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About Muhammad
Asif comes from a background of Laundry, Housekeeping and uniform services. He has a great understanding of the Middle East hospitality Industry, which makes him very effective with working with a team from 83 different nationalities in Atlantis. Asif joined Atlantis in 2010 and has been a loyal and exemplary addition to the Atlantis team.

Above and beyond the call of duty…
Muhammad Asif brings to life the words of Johann Kaspar “The prudent see only the difficulties, the bold only the advantages, of a great enterprise; the hero sees both; diminishes the former and makes the latter preponderate, and so conquers”. Atlantis, The Palm prides itself with having 1539 guest rooms to offer, with 2 outdoor swimming pools, an enormous waterpark, Aquaventure for both resort guests and day visitors,, Dolphin Bay, a dolphin interaction experience , a spa, over 20 restaurants and bars Events which can welcome as many as 15,000 guests Sandance. - The amount of linen moved on a daily basis is unbelievable! When we say “ton”, we immediately imagine volumes and loads of linen! To be exact, Atlantis’ linen turnover daily is approximately 25 tons and 5000 pieces of uniforms! A daunting task for the Laundry Manager, however Muhammad Asif sees to his responsibilities seemingly with great ease, efficiency and always delivers on time. Managing linen does not wholly paint the picture of the arduous task of ensuring timely deliveries throughout the resort all day long. Rotating linen through the different restaurants (a 24 hour job) for breakfast, lunch and dinner service requires great focus, attention to detail and Asif is the key ingredient to achieve success. Asif and his team work tirelessly, regardless of the season to make timely deliveries for the waterpark that thousands can enjoy at any one time, Dolphin Bay, guests at the pools, and not counting the 1539 guest rooms that require daily service and linen turnover. The laundry service offered to guests rakes in AED 3,000,000 in revenue, with guests paying top dollar for these services. Attention to detail is key for all the fabric that passes through the Laundry. Asif constantly trains his team and oversees special needs like starching, cold wash, warm press and stays ahead to deliver consistent quality service. Uniforms are another very large part of the resort operation, a crucial element to the Atlantis experience. Quality service is truly needed to ensure that all Team Members are at their best appearance! This includes Team Members personal laundry, a large task in itself. The Laundry service does not only manage and deliver linen on time but is solely depended upon for linen evaluation. Wash test, shrinkage, faded durability while maintaining a quality product . Ensuring quality is a task Asif and his team sees to on a daily basis. Asif as a leader has shone with excellence, providing health tips for his team and constantly motivated to meet the daily demands of the Laundry operation. Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes. The results Asif has delivered thus far are 6.4 million kilos of linen turnover annually and 1.8 million uniform pieces annually. It calls for you to judge who is the daily hero in the hotel industry. Asif regularly organizes cricket matches for his team and ensures that there is proper team building and measurable results- this is why his employee engagement scores are very high.

Testimonials for Muhammad
"As a colleague and a laundry manager, I have worked with Asif since pre-opening. He is a hard-working, meticulous and a sincere professional with high initiative He is always cheerful and willing to assist with any task. In addition, Asif has always gone the extra mile whenever I need any help of support with providing me services from the Laundry. He always treats my colleagues with great respect and always provides them immediate help when it comes to getting the face towels for guest etc. Whenever there is a guest issue he personally comes up and handles the situation and makes sure that the guest leaves the resort satisfied. In addition he is very well organized, Reliable and always follows through on requests. I strongly believe Asif is an asset to the Housekeeping department and I highly recommend Asif for the Hotelier of the year award.”Joaquim D'Silva, manager guest services, at Atlantis the Palm.

“Muhammad is very cooperative and working very hard to maintain high standard to spa linen at all times .He shares his excellent Laundry experience with his team to accommodate all spa line requests especially in busy time. He is leading his team by setting example and checking the spa linen visually and does a spot check on regular basis. Whenever we call and ask Muhammed for assistance he is always there to help with big smile. I am very proud that I am working with Muhammad and he is part of Atlantis team.” Ghassan Amer, manager spa services at Atlantis the Palm.

“I like to express my thankful to Asif, who was very helpful and sportive when we need his help, especially with the store room Linens. When we have a laundry problem with a guest, he always takes the lead of helping and solves the problem. He is a role module of a manager who is willing to help in any time.” Suleiman Nassif , manager, guest services centre at Atlantis, The Palm.

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Mohamed Saidul Belal, laundry manager, InterContinental Riyadh

About Mohamed
Saidul has been employed by InterContinental Riyadh since April 2006 as Asst. Laundry Manager. Since he joined I was extremely delighted with his all initiatives and overall work habits those encouraged me to promote him for full Laundry Manager position just after 20 months of his service period. I have always found Saidul very matured, personable and conscientious on his work. His job performance has been exceptional to our external and internal guests and we received positive feedbacks mentioning that they met with him one on one and commented specifically on his ability to address their needs in a professional and empathetic manner. Saidul is highly regarded by his co-workers for his strong teamwork and leadership skills. He has strong interpersonal communication skills which made him a very successful leader among our Managements. In his job and assignments, Saidul is very much enthusiastic, competent, and confident. We often co-facilitated and I could always count on him to be well prepared. I personally find him always satisfy even the most challenging situation and he always strives to meet commitment despite difficulties, obstacles and shows tenacity. He is the epitome of great attitude. He inspires everyone around him with is dedication and caring. He is a tremendous asset for our property. He was short listed for Best Laundry Manager ME Hotelier Award in 2010 and after his another successful year he was highly commended for best Laundry Manager of the Year for 2011 ME Hotelier Awards and now he has my highest recommendation for the first place of Best Laundry Manager of the Year for ME Hotelier Award 2012.

Above and beyond the call of duty…
Saidul demonstrates dedication and focus, sets high personal standards aligned to our achievement during 2011 financial year. His ‘can-do’ attitude and dedicated efforts over the year encountered remarkable highest Laundry revenue during the year of 2011. The final calculation has been made on his departmental P&L that, 12.62% revenue was above than the last year which is total actual 2.77 million Saudi Riyal from the In-house and Outside guest laundry but without any compensation or any specific complaint and the same time he also has managed to control and reduced of total supplies and cleaning cost by keeping the same standard of quality of washing and laundering process. Saidul has created an environment where best practices are sharing and creatively flourishing within the department. He always encourages others for their ideas or agendas for mutual benefit for the hotel. He rewards them whenever there is opportunity raise. He took entire team out for a special dinner or for shopping to purchase winter jackets or nice gift or to visit a special place for their remembrance and gain local knowledge. Saidul has demonstrated a willingness to work with the transition teams and provided an excellent example of how cooperation can yield results which drags his departmental Employee Survey score 100 percent at all time which also support to raise our hotel overall engagement score for exceeding our expectations among all the properties in the Saudi Arabia. Saidul has introduced couple of initiatives those were highly recommended by the Management and it’s benefits also goes to all the departments. His recent activity ‘’BUDDY SYSTEM’’ for newly hired employee was highly appreciated by the Organization and Development Manager. Saidul observed that, all new hired employees feel uncomfortable, scar, and nervous when they first time arrive in Airport from their country which does not make them really a Great Start.

Testimonials for Mohamed
“ I would like to take this opportunity to complement Saidul, our Laundry Manager on how he making an outstanding revenue and excellent cost control against the Laundry budget. His departmental P&L status is in excellent stage which was calculated as 12.62% cost controlled and 8.2% increased additional revenue than the budget and the same time he has also managed to keep the same standard of service to our valuable customers which is extremely conscientious with the work being done quietly, neatly, on time, and with almost no disruption to our normal daily activity, it was a "Job Well Done." Therefore, I strongly recommend Saidul’s name for the ME Hotelier Award 2012 and I wish him a very good luck.” Nizar Sadakath, area chief accountant, InterContinental Hotel Riyadh.

“Saidul is a great asset of Intercontinental Hotel Riyadh. He has been able to exceed the expectation of our customer by delivering of his excellent service which is pride to have him with our team. I brought an expensive suit but I was totally disappointed when I found its collar is completely misshaped and I couldn’t ware it at all. I consult with Saidul for any solution. He was given me some hope and taken the suit with him in his Laundry. Next day when I got back the suit I was shocked. It was amazingly fixed on me rather than my any other suit. Saidul has done some hidden stitches inside the collar by himself which was not visible at all and it was in very professional way. Therefore, I must say Saidul is a master on the garment field. His continues contribution in our customer service is remarkable skills and I am highly recommending Saidul’s name for ME Hotelier Award 2012.” Ahmed Mahfouz, area director of revenue management, Riyadh-KSA, IHG | InterContinental Riyadh.

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Rajesh Menon, laundry manager, Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi

About Rajesh
Rajesh joined as Laundry Manager at Shangri-La Hotel, Abu Dhabi on September 2009. He has a total of 16 years experiences in laundry department. His work experience includes the following hotel companies such as Hilton Waldroff-Astoria, P&O Cruises, Taj Hotels and Oberoi Group of Hotels.

Above and beyond the call of duty…
As the Laundry Manger, he had contributed in the laundry revenue increase. The combined laundry for the whole complex saw a year end increase of 08%. The Department closed the year 2011 at 87% profitability. Ms. Sabah one of our resident guests bought couple of expensive Abaya from a very reputed Shop in Abu Dhabi. When she gave for dry-cleaning we noticed that one of them was not hemmed on the sleeve. We were informed that this is the design. On behalf of the guest I contacted the Shop, went personally to the shop spoke to the Branch Manager and convinced him that it was a manufacturing error. The Manager agreed and changed the whole sleeve free of charge. The guest was happy about the outcome. Rajesh has implemented the High Efficiency Low Temperature Program also known as HELP, there was a substantial amount of saving both in terms of water as well as electricity. The figures of electricity cost only went up by 02% where as the amount of linen washed had gone up by 18%. Guest complaint response is well managed through collation of guest complaints. It helped in analyses of the problem which in turn would lead to finding the root cause thus minimizing the issues. Rajesh is an excellent leader who drives his team towards achieving their goals and brings the best out of them.

Testimonials for Rajesh
“I have worked with Rajesh and he has supported the SLAD housekeeping team during tough times and helped to foster the team spirit between both the departments.” Lucia He, eExecutive housekeeper Shangri-La Abu Dhabi.

“Rajesh is our Laundry Manager who drives the central laundry plant for the entire complex of 682 units plus the Souk. He has a pleasing personality and strong positive vibe to the way he conducts himself. He is very much results driven which is visible in his financial results which increased by 08% over previous year 2010, customer satisfaction results increased by 10% over previous year 2010. Laundry showed an increase of 68% in the audit score conducted in 2011. In 2012 even with lower revenues he has been able to achieve 90% profitability for his department. He has been instrumental in revenue generating ideas like "fill as much as you can" promotions which yielded 10,000 Aed in 3 months. Staff turnover was reduced by more than 08.1% over previous year 2010. He was able to promote 01 supervisor and 03 valets in 2011 from laundry attendant positions, whilst his Assistant Laundry Manager was groomed to take up the position of laundry Manager of Dubai Shangri-la.” Viri Kaur, executive assistant manager rooms division, Shangri-la Abu Dhabi and Traders Hotel Abu Dhabi.

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Venkat Addagatla, laundry manager, Grand Hyatt Dubai

About Venkat
Prior to working in five star hotel Laundries, Venkat obtained an academic back ground in the textile industry. He worked for the Taj Group of hotels from 1990 and joined Grand Hyatt Dubai in 2005 as a Laundry Manager. His inquisitiveness to learn made him acquire an in depth knowledge of all aspects of the laundry operations.

Above and beyond the call of duty…
Venkat has driven the revenues in the guest laundry section to be exceeded by 14% in 2011 and at the same time reduced his expenses by 35%. The reduction was achieved through savings in water and electricity consumptions as well as the careful spending on paper and guest supplies. In 2012 he already exceeds the revenue by 7%. He is an active member in the Green Team (Grand Hyatt Dubai Green Team was recognized by the DTCM for its efforts earlier this year) and has contributed in the major saving of water and electricity. To optimise the business level, Venkat put together the logistics and assistance needed for our sister hotel to use our laundry facilities during the summer month in 2011. This has also allowed our sister property to save on energy consumption during this time. Venkat synchronises daily the processing and delivery of linens for 14 F&B outlets, Banquets (up to 2000 Pax) 672 guest rooms and 184 Apartments, 1000 Employee uniforms and guest laundry of about 120 rooms on average a day. He does this in such a manner which is perfectly planned as there is no one who will have to wait for delivery. During his years here at the Grand Hyatt Dubai, Venkat has trained and developed many of his young staff to higher positions. He can be proud of the achievement that he has produced 5 Laundry Managers who now work in our sister properties. Due to his expertise and in depth knowledge, Venkat has assisted the Grand Hyatt in Berlin to open their in–house laundry and to streamline their operation, implement our standards and train their staff. Venkat has scored 100% in the employee engagement survey in 2011. This is the highest accolade one can hope for to show that he runs an efficient department.

Testimonials for Venkat
“Venkat’s contribution to the hotel is remarkable, financial as well as operational. He is the only laundry manager I know who is also in charge of the entire uniforms for all hotel and contract employees. This is a huge additional responsibility compared to what other laundry manager have to manage.” Tatjana Ahmed, housekeeping manager, Grand Hyatt Dubai.

“Most of our tenants sent their laundry and dry cleaning to the hotel. Ever since I manage the Apartments, I have had not a single complaint about something not laundered properly or not returned on time. On the contrary, our tenants entrust him with their rather expensive clothing which he manages to handle perfectly.” Sigrid Zenglein, Grand Hyatt apartment manager.

“Venkat managed to create a very positive work environment; his staffs are highly motivated. Whenever I pass by the laundry, I’m impressed by the cleanliness of the areas and the happy people who work there. He also knows how to manage the business and is able to increase his revenues.” Maria Anell, front office manager, Grand Hyatt Dubai.