You are in every room daily, so you often spot faults first. Anything broken, leaking or unsafe is reported to maintenance (engineering) through a work order. A room that cannot be sold until repaired is marked out of order (OOO).
Why it matters
A drip reported today is a quick fix; ignored, it can ruin a ceiling. Some faults can also injure guests or staff.
Key ideas
Work order
A written or digital repair request stating the room, the exact fault and its urgency, so it is tracked until fixed.
Out of order (OOO)
An OOO room cannot be sold, for example because it has no hot water. Only a supervisor or manager changes this status.
Urgent or routine
Hazards such as exposed wires, leaks or burning smells are reported at once by radio; minor faults go on a work order.
Step by step
- 1
Test lights, taps, flush, TV, air conditioning and door lock as you clean.
- 2
Note exactly what is wrong and where.
- 3
Report urgent hazards immediately by phone or radio.
- 4
Make the area safe if you can, for example with a wet-floor sign.
- 5
Raise work orders for routine faults before your shift ends.
Do
- Be precise: 'left bedside lamp won't switch on', not 'lamp broken'.
- Report guest damage quickly, before the guest leaves.
- Follow up on faults that keep coming back.
Common mistakes
- Don't attempt electrical or plumbing repairs yourself.
- Don't assume someone else has reported it.
- Don't release a room that has an unsafe fault.
The situation
In a stayover bathroom, water is dripping from the ceiling vent and a damp patch is spreading.
What a professional does
You radio maintenance and your supervisor, put down a wet-floor sign and towels, and keep clear of electrical fittings. Reception can then move the guest if needed.
Useful phrases
“Maintenance, housekeeping here. Water is coming through the ceiling in 216.”
“The lamp in 509 isn't working. I've raised a work order.”
Pro tip
Note faults the moment you see them; they are easy to forget later.
Quick check
What does OOO mean?
Think about it, then show the answer
Out of order: the room cannot be sold until a problem is fixed.