If you had to stay in a hotel room with an unpleasant smell, poor air circulation or loud noises from the air-conditioning unit, you would likely want to change rooms. You might even vow to avoid the hotel or add negative feedback to a review site to warn other travelers. Today, it’s easier than ever for hotel guests to share details of their unpleasant experiences on the Internet using social media. Negative reviews can be extremely damaging to a hotel’s reputation and the bottom line.
A successful hotel operation will ensure that service and customer satisfaction are at the forefront to keep negative experiences from ever occurring. One way to keep guests happy is through proper maintenance of air-conditioning (A/C) units, which can cause unpleasant odors, bothersome noise or unbalanced temperatures. Organizations should understand the basics of A/C unit maintenance and select a qualified provider so that units do not lead to lost revenue.
The Benefits of A/C Maintenance
There are many reasons to conduct regular A/C maintenance. In fact, proper care can help increase efficiency and reduce energy consumption. Being more sustainable positively impacts the bottom line and guest satisfaction. According to J.D. Power and Associates’ 2014 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study, “hotel brands perceived as environmentally careless receive the highest number of negative comments.” Supporting the environment and promoting results to customers is a growing priority for hoteliers.
When A/C units are regularly cleaned, units can transfer hot or cold air more efficiently and at a higher speed. As a result, hotels can expect reduced energy consumption and noticeable cost savings. Energy savings achieved through A/C maintenance can be promoted in annual corporate social responsibility reports to make customers aware of sustainable initiatives.
So how much money can a hotel save through coil cleaning by a professional provider? A study conducted by Eric Ryan Corp. compared the energy performance of vertical fan-coil units after in-house cleaning versus cleaning by an outsourced service provider. The study found that fan-coil units cleaned with the vendor’s system increased heat delivery to rooms by 25.8 percent. The estimated annual savings in natural gas for the property’s 284 guestrooms was $15,052 and the annual savings for the fan-coil blower motor located throughout each guestroom was $1,964, resulting in an annual energy savings of $17,016. This greatly exceeded the total annual energy savings of the hotel’s method, which was found to be $4,072.
Regular A/C maintenance can also extend the life of the unit. Well-maintained A/C units can last seven to 10 years, but not if they’re neglected. Postponing preventative maintenance has a negative effect on the life of any asset, including A/C units. Reasonably-priced new A/C units can range from $500 to $900, so it makes better business sense to invest in regular maintenance to cut down on replacement costs. Replacing A/C units can also be more disruptive for guests than simple cleaning processes, so extending the life of the unit is essential for keeping guests happy.
Regular A/C maintenance can also enhance guest satisfaction. Clean A/C units result in better airflow, improved heat exchange and reduced noise, meaning guests will be more comfortable with the temperature of the room and will complain of loud A/C units less often. Because the A/C cleaning process kills bacteria, mold and mildew and removes debris, it also results in better indoor air quality, which is especially important for guests with allergies and sensitive respiratory systems. Removing these materials also reduces odors. Eliminating smells is extremely important because a bad odor is an immediate sign that a room is unclean. The J.D. Power and Associates report also found that, “among all problems experienced by guests, rooms that are not clean has the greatest negative impact on satisfaction.” Hotels need to remember that housekeeping isn’t solely responsible for maintaining cleanliness. Regular maintenance such as A/C coil cleaning also helps to keep rooms in good condition and clean in the minds of guests.
A Helping Hand
Housekeepers and engineers are typically limited in how well they can clean A/C units. This means that the surface of A/C units may be cleaned but the interior parts that aren’t visible to guests don’t get the attention they deserve. Interior coils may be surrounded by dust and debris and base pans full of mold, mildew and other bacteria.
A professional coil cleaning service allows hotels to properly clean A/C units and filters, save money and give guests a better overall experience. It’s important to select a professional service provider to clean your A/C units that is:
• Knowledgeable. The service provider should understand how often coil cleaning should be performed. Although factors such as climate and property type will have an effect on the performance of units, a general rule of thumb is to deep clean A/C units at least once per year.
• Efficient. Professionals should be able to clean units quickly without compromising results, disturbing guests or keeping rooms occupied for too long. In-house staff can typically clean eight to 10 units per day while some professional services can clean around 35 in the same timeframe.
• Sustainable. Some organizations offer processes that are certified green with the Energy Star logo and by the Green Clean Institute, as well as products registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to support sustainability goals. Hotels should also look for cleaning services that neutralize chemicals and properly dispose of them after they are extracted from A/C units.
• Thorough. The provider should conduct a walkthrough of the property to determine which units are on site, their location and the type of energy supply. Making observations ahead of the scheduled maintenance appointment makes for a smooth process because it ensures consistent service and maximizes safety.
With regular coil cleaning, hotel properties not only avoid skyrocketing electric bills, they ensure guest satisfaction by providing a quieter and more responsive unit and better air quality. With a better night’s sleep and a cleaner-feeling room, hotel properties have a better chance of repeat business, five-star reviews on travel sites and positive word-of-mouth to friends and family members.
Tim Sontag is Operations Manager for Coil Cleaning with Cintas Corp., which offers HVAC cleaning services. For more information, click here.
