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The Three Musketeers: meet the Housekeeping Managers responsible for the impeccable image of Creta Maris

The Three Musketeers: meet the Housekeeping Managers responsible for the impeccable image of Creta Maris

Our People, Sustainability

Keeping a luxury resort the size of Creta Maris perfectly clean and spotless is a hard task requiring team work, organization skills and attention to detail. Mrs. Rena Katsaboxaki, Mrs. Klio Markaki and Mrs. Eleni Metaxaki, the three managers of the housekeeping department of Creta Maris, talk about the complexity of their work and share their most intense memories from their work in the resort.

How many people work at Creta Maris housekeeping department? In how many groups are they divided?

The housekeeping department of the resort is divided into three groups, which corresponds to the three main areas of the resort: the Maris building, the Terra building and the Bungalow area. In order to provide comprehensive cleaning services, each area is controlled by a manager. The three managers are Mrs. Rena Katsaboxaki (R.K.), Mrs. Klio Markaki (K.M.) and Mrs. Eleni Metaxaki (E.M.), who along with 53 Maids, 23 Cleaners, 9 Linen/Valet staff, 1 Linen & Common Areas supervisor and 1 Manager Assistant are the 90 employees of the resort’s housekeeping department.

How do you supervise so many people? And how do you ensure that everything is done correctly and on time so that the resort could maintain its perfect image?

R. K., Κ. Μ., Ε. Μ.: We believe that the successful operation of the Housekeeping department is the result of the proper organization and management of time, the proper division of tasks, and the many years of our experience. The perfect image and the satisfaction of the visitor are what we look for at the end of day.

What kind of detergents do you use? Are they environmentally friendly?

R. K., Κ. Μ., Ε. Μ.: One of the tasks we have as housekeeping managers is to ensure that every cleaning detergent we use is completely safe for us, the guests, and the environment. Creta Maris prefers to use a series of professional environmentally friendly cleaning detergents by the certified company Ecolab. It is worth noting that not many hotels stand by their staff and the environment as Creta Maris Resort does. After many years of working at Creta Maris, we can confirm that apart from the use of environmentally friendly cleaning detergents, the resort undertakes many important actions towards its sustainable operation.

Is multitasking an important characteristic in your profession?

R. K., Κ. Μ., Ε. Μ.: Multitasking is one of the most important and necessary characteristics for an employee working in the housekeeping department. During a usual working day, we receive so much information that we need to be constantly alert to avoid mistakes. The ability of each employee in housekeeping to be able to prioritize their workload, and at the same time to respond to any unexpected task that may arise, is what distinguishes us.

3 reasons why Creta Maris guests should feel completely safe in relation to the cleanliness of rooms and other areas of the resort.

R. K., Κ. Μ., Ε. Μ.: Our goal is to make Creta Maris’ guests feel at home from the first moment of their arrival. In our opinion, cleanliness and the provision of high-quality services are the most important elements so to succeed that. The reasons why we think visitors should feel safe about cleanliness are:
1. Very well-trained cleaning staff
2. The use of excellent equipment, materials and products
3. As well as the very good reviews on the internet with reference to the cleanliness of the resort

Is there any incident that has impressed you and that you will never forget?

R. Κ.: One of the most important things in any person’s professional life is to be effective and to be able to contribute to the team. For us in Creta Maris’ housekeeping department, teamwork is the only way we can meet the challenges of our job. Personally, the moment that I will never forget is the resort’s first International Quality Certification process of ISO 9001 that coincided with my first year at work. With a lot of stress and lack of knowledge by my side, my team helped me to meet the requirements and together we managed to get the certification with excellent comments. Our joy was so great that I still remember us hugging and dancing like little kids! I have known since then that no goal is impossible if we all work as a team.

Κ. Μ.: Our department is the one in charge to collect any items the guests may have forgotten in their room. These items may be a simple eyeglass case or even phones and credit cards. I remember that some years ago in one of the rooms I found a car key. After many unsuccessful attempts to find the guest who have forgotten it, I kept them in my office. The next year the guest visited us again and I was more than happy to return him the lost key. What I remember the most from this incident is the joy of the guest and the huge surprise he had as he didn’t think we would have found them and would have kept them for such a long time.

Ε. Μ.: The communication with the guests is one of the most important parts of our job. Every day, we enter into his personal space with complete discretion and respect. Five years ago, I remember an incident with a very angry guest who was at the front office and was demanding to leave the resort as he was not satisfied by his room. I was the one who took over to show him all the rooms we had available so we could find the one that would have met his expectations. We spent enough time together searching for a room that he would have liked, until we found the perfect one. From that year until today, he visits us every year, stays in that particular room and praises the high level of service that we offer.