It is a plus for hotels and guest houses to have laundry and housekeeping services, but laundry is often left at the bottom of the priority list.
Have you thought of outsourcing your laundry and maid services?
We have to focus more on more significant tasks. Laundering linens and other garments for your hotel or guesthouse is a time-consuming and repetitive task. It is undoubtedly the most tedious task in hotel management. We cannot deny how the workforce and time are gold in business. Thus, giving them this task when they have other tasks that pull them in different directions could exhaust them.
Most hotel owners or managers are concerned with the cost and quality of the outsource laundry. Let’s talk about the pros and cons of laundry outsourcing.
Why Consider Laundry Outsourcing?
First and foremost, linen is a critical component in a room of a hotel or guesthouse. A survey among guests shows that good quality bed linens and towels is an essential factor. Most of the guests admit that they are particular with the cleanliness and quality of the linens. The guests honestly answered that they would not return to the hotel or guesthouse due to stains or poor quality of clothing. Thus, it is given that the laundry should not be taken lightly.
Analysts carried out a report that outsourcing the correct services would give you an effective cost-saving strategy. Most hotel or guesthouse owners ort to outsourcing some of their services to maintain and improve most of the services they offer to their guests.
Although laundry in-house is the perfect option for some business, it is not practical for some.
Laundry is one of the services that is mostly outsourced because it takes up more time, and it requires intensive labor. Outsourcing laundry only requires you to nudle the dirty linens and garments and appoint them to a laundry service to pick up the laundry and have delivered after.
Advantages of Outsourcing Laundry
Although each facility has its problems, most of them weigh options of whether they should outsource their laundry or purchase their expensive machines. Here are some of the advantages of outsourcing laundry:
No Training Required to Staff
Hotels who offer in-house laundry services need more human resources and send their staff to specialized training and accreditation. That’s an additional cost for business owners. The struggle with sending staff to training is– how long will they work for the company? If they will only invest a couple of months or a year, then that would be a lost cause for the owner.
But, if they outsource the laundry to a trusted laundromat, then they do not have to send their staff to training.
Laundry services have staff that went to industry training and accreditation. Their staff has skills and experience on how to wash and dry clean clothes or linens properly. Whereas you will buy your machine and train your staff, that would become more costly.
All Equipment Needs Are Met
If you depend on the workforce, a person can only do so much. They may be capable of folding or up to 100 lines an hour. However, if a machine can do that, it can handle up to 800 an hour.
Thus, if the laundry is full, you can call the laundry services. You do not have to purchase equipment that could cost you more.
Allows to Focus on the Core Tasks
Whether you are the owner, manager, or staff of a hotel or guesthouse, you will feel overwhelmed and exhausted with several tasks. Outsourcing laundry will help you and your team focus more on the needs of the customers, which you can immediately provide.
Moreover, it is challenging for hotel managers to motivate and retain in-house laundry staff as it is a monotonous task. Thus, it is best to outsource the laundry. Laundry services have professionally trained staff, and they are focused on providing high-quality services.
No On-Site or In-House Laundry
It would be a catch to have more revenue-generating areas. Today, most owners and developers give value to spaces. Without on-site laundry, there will be more rooms and spaces for pools and other guest amenities.
But, if you outsource the laundry of the facilities, then it would be better to convert the valuable space to an inventory storage or maintenance office.
Reduce Major Costs
Hotels and guesthouse owners take outsourcing services as the best alternative to cut out labor and utilities. There’s a big difference between using automated equipment and hiring several people to do such tasks.
Buying commercial-sized washing and drying machines is a massive cost. You have to keep up with the consumed energy and water as the machines work in continuous hours. This constant operation throughout the day can take a toll on the machine, which means you must maintain and fix the machines regularly. Outsourcing laundry can eliminate these expensive purchases and risks.
But, if you do not have the budget to upgrade to automated equipment and cannot afford to expand your human resources. Then, outsourcing to laundry services could be the wisest decision. You do not need your staff to carry your laundry to the laundromat. Laundry shops offer laundry pickup and delivery.
Moreover, reducing some of the costs can ease the financial pressures you have. In-house services significantly consume water and energy. Thus, it is better to outsource laundry services.
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Cons of Outsourcing Laundry
Outsourcing laundry is a disadvantage for some hotel owners. It is an expensive service for small hotels or guesthouses. For those who are located in remote locations, they prefer more with in-house laundry. Moreover, some hotels want to have their equipment rather than having contractual agreements with the outsourced laundry shops.
Slow, Prone to Delays
When you outsource laundry, you have to expect that you are not the only laundry shop customer. Usually, laundry services will have the linens washed, dry cleaned, processed, and delivered back to the hotel or the guest house within 24 hours. It will be a problem if you need the garments back right away.
If you have on-site laundry, the staff or housekeepers can wash the soiled linens instantly. It is convenient and an advantage to wash stained linens right away before it sets in. Moreover, some hotels set up coin-operated laundry machines for their guests. It is an excellent convenience for the guests, and it provides them a sense of opportunity and responsibility to do their laundry. Thus, you will give your staff time to complete the needed tasks.
Needs Additional Backup Linen
Since there could be a delay in outsourcing laundry, you have to compensate for the missing towels, cloth napkins, tablecloths, and linens. It must have these backup linens, or else you will be in big trouble if you lack these essentials.
Although some hotels and guesthouse owners argue that having additional backup linen is a cost-effective move as you could save money by outsourcing laundry. But, not all hotels or businesses have the luxury to have extra linen.
Relying on Partnerships
An expert in hospitality management pointed out that outsourcing laundry operations are only as effective if you have an efficient partner. A mismanaged linen can put the partnered laundromat and hotel or guesthouse to a disadvantage. Thus, if you decide to outsource laundry, it is best to look for the best laundromat in your area.
Which Laundry Method Best Fits Your Facility?
Deciding the best fit laundry method for your facility is the most challenging thing to do as it weighs several factors that could significantly affect the business. Thus, hotel owners and managers should conduct a cost analysis. It would help them come up with a final decision. They would know whether an outsourcing laundry would cost more or less than doing an in-house laundry.
If you decide to have an in-house laundry service, it is best to invest and purchase high-efficiency and commercial-sized laundry equipment and eco-friendly detergent. But, if you feel like you are not yet ready to buy expensive machines and at the same time have more responsibility. Then, you have to appoint and sign a contract with the trusted laundromat in your area.
Final Thoughts
From observation, if your business is large and located in a crowded place, you would benefit more from outsourcing laundry. But, if you are managing a smaller and geographically remote place, then it would be best to handle in-house laundry. Also, in-house laundry is a great decision for businesses that has specific laundry needs that has to keep high industry standards.
Thus, if you are a large hotel in the center of the city, outsourcing may be the best for you. If you are a resource business that needs to wash specific linens and uniforms, in-house laundry is a wise decision. Remember, this is a critical decision to make that could make or break your services. Do a cost analysis before you decide on which laundry method you will use.
Anika Sharma