How did your career path lead you to hotel maintenance?
My father worked in construction, and from an early age, I started to develop an interest in DIY projects, and I think I even had a knack for it. I liked to venture into doing basic things around the house that are very useful to know, for example, painting, changing taps, locks, and fixing light switches. I started working when I wasn't even 15, at a graphic arts company. After 32 years, the company closed, and I went to work for a hardware company.
At that time, many customers would ask if I knew anyone who did DIY work to assemble or install the material they bought at the store, and I always offered to do it myself, outside of working hours. Eventually, the possibility of going to the hotel came up, and it was an opportunity I couldn't refuse.
What is the day-to-day life of a manager responsible for the maintenance of a Hotel Unit like?
Every day is a mystery. Different challenges, different situations, and different people. Many times, I have to solve the problem with the customers themselves inside the room if it's an urgent and relatively quick situation. We have to know how to adapt and try to do the work as efficiently as possible. In recent years, I ended up being surprised by myself and my ability to solve some problems and situations that arise in my day-to-day work. Usually, you need courses for this and that, and I never did any of that. My courses were taken in my adolescence with my father and now on YouTube, with trial and error, where I ended up learning much of what I know today. Before doing anything, whenever I had to fix something and had doubts or it was the first time I was doing it, I would pick up my mobile phone and take a photo. Then I would take another step, remove another screw, and take another photo. And so on, so as not to lose track of what I was doing.
How would you describe the relationship of the remaining departments with Maintenance in the activity dynamics of the Hotel Unit?
I work in two hotels in the same chain, and each of them has WhatsApp groups. Usually, situations that need resolution are always posted in that group, whether by the Manager or the heads of each department: reception, housekeeping, etc. That's why I always have my phone near me. However, there are times when I am doing more meticulous work and, for some reason, I am not paying attention to my phone and the group notifications. In these cases, they usually call me to let me know about the situation.
If I am not on duty, they communicate with the Manager or the Head of housekeeping, and then they call me, and when the situation is urgent, I have to go to the hotel almost instantly to try to minimize the inconvenience.
To what extent do hygiene and cleaning impact maintenance work?
It is imperative to have a close relationship with the people responsible for housekeeping. They are important before and after doing any repair or assembly work. I always try to make as little mess as possible so that my colleagues don't have as much work, but usually, a subsequent cleaning is always necessary. There are some procedures and actions by housekeeping that, when done correctly and regularly, prevent breakdowns, clogs, and other situations. Then there are also recurring disinfection and sanitization procedures, in order to prevent the accumulation and spread of viruses and bacteria.
Do you consider maintenance a fundamental pillar for the proper functioning of a Hotel Unit?
Without a doubt. No hotel can function with clogged sinks, blown light bulbs, loose toilet seats, air conditioning making noise or dripping, or a broken key card mechanism. If we don't have the rooms in good condition, we can't rent the room to the customer, and consequently, we don't bill. And the same is true for when the rooms are already occupied. The maintenance response must be fast and efficient so as not to compromise the customer's stay. Nobody wants problems to exist, but unforeseen events happen, and if it is necessary to repair something in an occupied room, the maintenance response must be immediate so as not to compromise the customer's opinion regarding their stay and the proper functioning of the Hotel Unit.
