COVID-19 Guidelines and considerations
Reception & Concierge
Since 1982, our main priority at FCS is to improve the operations of hotels around the world. With the world currently in a state of flux, anticipating the changes as a result of COVID-19 is critical to be ahead of the curve.
Hotels have already started implementing housekeeping regimens and protocols; with the safety of their guests and staff at the forefront of their efforts.
Reorganizing operations, however, can be a completely overwhelming task. FCS would like to ease the burden, by reaching out a helping hand to our hospitality industry colleagues and friends, using official guidelines to ensure full compliance.
Read further to find a summary of the World Health Organization guidelines and considerations for Reception & Concierge.
Click here for the guidelines and considerations for The Management Team.
The reception is the face of the hotel, therefore it is very important to be an area of up to date information to fully ensure guests safety and peace of mind.
Necessary medical equipment & kit
- Germicidal disinfectant/wipes for surface cleaning tissues.
- Face/eye masks (separate or combined, face shield, goggles). Note that disposable face masks can only be used once
- Gloves (disposable)
- Protective apron (disposable)
- Full-length long-sleeved gown
- Biohazard disposable waste bag
Social Distancing, hand cleaning & respiratory hygiene
Social distancing, together with frequent hand washing and respiratory etiquette are the main measures that can prevent transmission of COVID-19. Gentle reminders may be in place as a form of hospitality.
Social distancing includes refraining from hugging, kissing, or shaking hands with guests, as well as among staff. It involves maintaining a distance of at least 1 m (3 ft) and avoiding anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
Hand hygiene means regularly and thoroughly cleaning hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or washing them with soap and water. Also avoid touching of the eyes, nose, and mouth. Hand disinfection methods should be applied immediately after the exchange of objects (money, credit cards) with guests.
Respiratory etiquette means covering the mouth and nose with a bent elbow or tissue when coughing or sneezing. The used tissue should be disposed of immediately in a bin with a lid.
Monitoring of potentially ill guests
Whilst maintaining the integrity of personal data protection, it is advisable to monitor those who may be ill. Take note of any relevant incidents which guests have requested doctors’ attention, in order to aid guests in obtaining the correct advice and facilitating early detection where possible.
Treating all information with discretion is advised. Management and health authorities should evaluate the situation and take the necessary steps.
Additional steps of action
Luggage handling details should be tracked: specifically, who handled it, where it was stored, who it belonged to, and when it was handled. With less staff on rotation, all staff have to be easily contactable while they are in the hotel. Automate communication with the teams. Keep logs of business opening hours and updated operational hours.
Minimum interaction with the guest: something as simple as sharing a pen might lead to cross-contamination. Keep it on the screen.
Be ready for guest arrivals with FCS
FCS’ suite of solutions are not just about improving operational efficiency during non-pandemic times, but we are also able to help hoteliers adapt to the challenges of maintaining high service standards during these turbulent times. Our solutions support the increased demand for physical distancing among guests and staff without compromising service quality.
With FCS Housekeeping, cleaning of heavily trafficked public areas, such as the hotel lobby, can be easily assigned and automated. Increased frequency of cleanings can be arranged via the room matrix module on the web application. The attendant assigned with the task will receive a notification directly on their mobile app; not only reducing any physical interactions, but the automated process also increases efficiency.
By tagging luggage with a QR code that can be tracked using the FCS Concierge’s mobile app, the team can handle guest’s luggage from the moment the guest drops it off until the moment the guest leaves the hotel.
With the added functionality of digital signatures & QR codes in both FCS Connect & FCS Engineering, staff can effortlessly create and monitor mandates such as pre-operations COVID-19 opening checklists to make sure that the hotel is ready for guests without physically interacting with other members of the team.
To minimize physical interactions at the reception and cashiering kiosks, team members can use the FCS Connect dashboard for paperless communication with staff about guest needs.
In addition, to ensure that the WHO guided necessary medical kit items are always available, a task can be created containing a pre-assigned digital checklist in FCS Engineering to help monitor these new requirements closely.
Maintaining physical distances while ensuring high standards of service is truly possible with FCS suite of solutions. Contact our team for more details and/or we’ll be happy to provide a demo of our solutions.
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