Customer Care for Housekeepers

UNIT 2: CUSTOMER CARE

Essential Skills: Oral Communication, Reading, Document Use

Time
Outcomes Kind of Activity Description of Activity Vocabulary Materials

Matching task Review of supplies more supplies and linens Flipchart, pens
Listening Short role plays: I need … clean, dirty Examples of supplies and
Lesson 1

° Respond to a guest Role play Requests for items from the linens from the housekeeper’s

60 min
request for more housekeeper’s cart cart, word cards,
supplies or linen Listening What did the guest ask for? Worksheet:
Optional: Reading/ What supplies do I need? • Linens and Supplies
Numeracy task
Speaking Bathroom vocabulary review more bathroom contents Word cards, bathroom pictures
Role play Where is …? description of problems: or picture dictionary, slide and
° Help guests locate

60-75 min
It should be on the __________ eg broken, cracked, projector, flipchart, pens
Lesson 2

items in a hotel
Group discussion Problems in the room stained, dirty, missing, Worksheet:
bathroom
Role play The toilet is overflowing smells bad, • Bathroom Problems
° Identify problems in
Pronunciation Consonant blends housekeeper, room
the bathroom
attendant, chamber maid,
guest
Group discussion Review: Problems in a room negatives (no, don’t, isn’t Pictures, slide and projector,
Game Is it a problem? any, haven’t) word cards, samples of hair

60-90 min
Role play My room isn’t clean hair, crumbs, dust, dirt, and dirt, Maintenance Request
Lesson 3

° Respond to complaint
Role play Report problems to supervisor soap scum forms, pencils
° Report problems in
Game/Document Use Maintenance Request bingo full, empty Worksheets:
the room
(Listening What is the problem?) • Complaints
Optional: Game Reporting Problems Relay Game • Complaints 2 (with answer
sheet)

Unit 2: Summary Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association

 Customer Care for Housekeepers

Outcomes Kind of Activity Description of Activity Vocabulary Materials

Time
Speaking Appropriate topics for small talk lobby, foyer, room service Facilities pictures, signs, slide
Reading What is this sign? Where do you see it? conference rooms and projector

60-90 min
Lesson 4

Pronunciation Ordinal numbers, th as in bath toilets, rest rooms, ladies, Worksheets:

° Small talk with guests
Listening/Reading Maple Leaf Hotel men’s, gentlemen’s, WC, • Maple Leaf Hotel
° Know hotel facilities
Role play Is there a coffee shop? washrooms, disabled • Hotel Facilities
Matching Task Match need and hotel facility toilet
Optional: Game Guest note relay
Reading Signs/Hours of operation Facilities pictures, signs,
Speaking Directions projector,
Role play I need to go to the boardroom Overhead of floor plan

60-120 min
° Suggest hotel services
Lesson 5

Speaking Suggest services and facilities Projector, floor plans, pencils,

° Give directions to
Optional: Document Use Reading a floor plan flipchart and pens
hotel facilities
Optional: Game Floor plan treasure hunt Worksheets:
° Read a floor plan
• Floor Plan
• Giving Directions 2
• Hotel Signs (revision)
Role Play See Unit 3, Check Learning See Unit 3, Check Learning

60-90 min
Learning

Review
Check

° Check and celebrate Practice/Assessment

learning Course Evaluation

For each lesson, there is a list of supplementary materials. Worksheets can be found at the end of the unit.
Flashcards for new vocabulary and key phrases are included in Appendix 2.

Unit 2: Summary Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association

 Customer Care for Housekeepers

CUSTOMER CARE
LESSON 1
Outcome: Respond to a guest request for more supplies or linen
Overall Time: 60 minutes

Requests for items from the housekeeper’s cart

Type of Activity Matching, role play and listening

Time 60 minutes
Objective Review supplies and linen vocabulary. Practice listening to and
confirming guest requests

Materials Housekeeping cart (or use pictures), examples of supplies and linens,
word cards Supplies and linens on the housekeeper’s cart (see
Supplementary Material below), Linens and Supplies worksheet (see
Unit 1 Lesson 1), flipchart or notice board, Workplace Plus 2 book

Preparation Stick key word cards and sentence cards to the flipchart or notice board

Instructions:
1. Explain to the students why we are here and the theme of the classes
2. Start picking a few items off the cart, and ask students: What is this?
Have students help you find the matching word card. Count how many
of each of these is on the cart. Display each item and its word card
together on a table so all can see as you move onto the next item. Do as
many as you think the students can handle from all sides of the cart.
3. Divide the class into groups. Mix up items and word cards and give a
few to each group. Have them practice asking each other: What is this?
4. Do a quick listening check: say a word and have students repeat it and
show the appropriate item and word card. Repeat with a range of
words.
5. Role play: Do a role play where the teacher is a guest and a
housekeeping supervisor acts as a housekeeper.

Housekeeper: Good morning. Do you need anything for the room?

Guest: Yes, I need more towels.
Housekeeper: Towels? Here you are.
Guest: Thank you.

Check with students: What did the housekeeper say? What did the
guest ask for?

Unit 2: Lesson 1 1
 Customer Care for Housekeepers

6. You could divide the class in two and assign a role (housekeeper or
guest) to each half, to practice the role play as a class, using sentence
cards or phrases on the flipchart as prompts.
7. Have students find a partner. Ask them to practice a role play where a
guest asks for something from the cart, the other student is the
housekeeper.
8. Ask students: If you are not sure what a guest is asking for, what do you
say? (repeat what you thought you heard, ask the guest to repeat, ask
the guest: Did you say ________ ?) Have students add clarification to
the role play.
9. Review the 3 steps to good customer service; read them and write
them on the board:

3 Steps to Good Customer Service

• Greet the guest
• Listen and understand the request
• Respond

10. Have students identify the three steps in the short skit they practiced.
11. Another short listening activity: Ask students to listen to you as you
(and other volunteers) ask for something from the cart, using different
words. As you say the following, fill in the blanks with words you have
been working on.

• Could I have new _________?

• More ________, please
• Excuse me. Would you mind getting me another
______________?
• Do you have more __________?
• I don’t have any __________ in my room. When you have a
minute, can you get me some?
• Our towels are all wet after swimming. Can we have clean
ones?
• We have no __________.

Add room number to this, if there’s time.

12. Optional reading and numeracy activity: Ask students to find a partner.
Hand out Workplace Plus 2 books and ask students to turn to page 74.
Have them go through the Wilton Towers Supply Checklist and review
together what the supplies are for. Take up with the class.
13. Students need to look at the cart picture and decide: Do they have
enough supplies on the cart for 10 rooms? If not, what supplies do they

Unit 2: Lesson 1 2
 Customer Care for Housekeepers

need to get from the storage room? Demonstrate with shampoo as

shown.
14. Homework: For those who are interested, give them the linen and
supplies worksheet for this lesson so that they can copy the words used
in the lesson, if they would like and practice the role play, perhaps with
the help of people at home.
15. Their main homework is to practice using English for the rest of the day,
and to try practicing with guests: Good afternoon. Do you need
anything for the room?

Supplementary Material

Word cards Unit 1 Lesson 1: Supplies and linens on the housekeeper’s cart, see appendix 1

The Bathroom, The New Oxford Picture Dictionary (blue Monolingual English Edition) by EC
Parnwell, Oxford University Press, 1988, p. 34.

Workplace Plus 2: Living and Working in English, by Joan Saslow, Addison Wesley Longman Inc.,
2005.

Unit 2: Lesson 1 3
 Customer Care for Housekeepers

CUSTOMER CARE
LESSON 2
Outcome: Help guests locate items in a hotel bathroom. Identify problems.
Overall Time: 60-75 minutes

The guest bathroom

Type of Activity Vocabulary, role play

Time 30-35 minutes
Objective Students practice naming the fittings and supplies in a guest bathroom
and describing their location

Materials word cards Bathroom and Prepositions (see Supplementary Material

below), bathroom picture in a picture dictionary, poster or slide, a
flipchart and pens, sentence cards

Instructions:
1. Explain to the students that today the class will be naming and labeling
everything in a hotel bathroom. Start by showing some bathroom word
cards, to see what students can read and know already. Include a few
bedroom word cards to review bedroom vocabulary.
2. Show the bathroom picture (on poster, slide or in a picture dictionary).
3. Ask: Where is the ______________? Write this question on the board
or show the sentence card. Have students answer using prepositions.
4. Get students into groups. Hand each person a bathroom word card.
Students take it in turns to ask their group: Where is the
_____________? And students answer: It should be _________?
5. Role play: Do a role play with you acting as a guest, a housekeeping
supervisor as the housekeeper. Explain that the guest meets the
housekeeper in the hall.

Housekeeper: Good afternoon. Do you need anything for the

room?
Guest: Yes, I need a hair dryer.
Housekeeper: It should be on the wall in the bathroom. Can check
for you?
Guest: It’s OK. I’ll go and check it and tell you if it is missing.
Housekeeper: OK. Let me know if it is not there.

Ask students: What was the guest asking for? What did the
housekeeper say? (It should be _____) Explain that she uses this
because she is not sure. Copy this on the board, or show the sentence
card. What did the housekeeper say afterwards?

Unit 2: Lesson 2 4
 Customer Care for Housekeepers

6. You could divide the class in two and assign a role (housekeeper or
guest) to each half, to practice the role play as a class.
7. Help each student to find a partner. Have students practice the role
play with a partner.

Problems in the bathroom

Type of Activity Role play and pronunciation

Time 30-40 minutes
Objective Students practice describing problems in the bathroom

Materials Bathroom Problems slide (see Supplementary Material below) and

projector (or copies of picture), a flipchart, word cards Problems (see
Supplementary Material below), sentence cards (see Supplementary
Material below), Bathroom Problems worksheet

Instructions:
1. Put partners into small groups. Display the slide (or give groups copies)
showing problems in a bathroom. Ask the groups to discuss the
overhead and see how many problems they can see. After a few
minutes, ask each group to tell the class about a problem. Write the
problem vocabulary on the flipchart.
2. Role play: Do a role play with you acting as a guest, a housekeeping
supervisor as the housekeeper. Explain that the guest meets the
housekeeper in the hall.

Housekeeper: Good afternoon. Do you need anything for the

room?
Guest: There is a problem with my toilet. It is overflowing.
Housekeeper: The toilet is overflowing? What is your room
number?
Guest: 743.
Housekeeper: Did you say 743? I will report it and get someone to
help you.

Ask students: What was the guest asking for? What did the
housekeeper say? Copy this on the board, or show the sentence cards.
Stress the importance of checking understanding of what the guest is
saying.
3. Ask students to think of a problem in a room, (or give them problem
word cards as prompts) then have them practice the role play above
with their partner. They can choose the room number.
4. Pronunciation: consonant blends
Look at the following word pairs with students:

Unit 2: Lesson 2 5
 Customer Care for Housekeepers

tuck/stuck
lock/block
lean/clean
rip/drip

Ask students to repeat them after you, as a group and individually. If

students have an issue with letter L, ask them to try placing their tongue
behind their teeth as they say “lamp”.

Read words and have students identify which word you said.
Repeat lock/block. Ask: Who finds the second word in each pair more
difficult to pronounce? How could you make this easier? (say the two
initial consonants separately, then put them together, repeat faster and
faster). Try this with the whole class, with a number of word pairs.

If there is time practice pronouncing the word “problem”.

5. Game: If there is time, as a closing activity, play the telephone game.

Divide students into groups, and have them stand or sit in line. Tell
students you will quietly say something to the first person in each line.
This person has to be like a telephone and repeat what you said quietly
to the next person and so on down the line. If the person does not
understand, they can say: Repeat slowly, please. Demonstrate by
whispering in the first student’s ear one of the phrases below:

• The sink is blocked.

• The tap is dripping.
• The closet is stuck.
• The drawer is broken.
• I have a problem. No kleenex.
• I need a blanket.

Have students repeat this down the line. After the students finish
whispering, ask the last person to report back what they heard.

6. Give out worksheets for those who wish them. Suggest students copy
words next to the pictures and practice saying the words at the bottom
of the page, with help from people at home, if necessary.
7. Their main homework is to practice using English for the rest of the day,
and to try practicing with guests: Good afternoon. Do you need
anything for the room?

Unit 2: Lesson 2 6
 Customer Care for Housekeepers

Supplementary Material

Word list Unit 1 Lesson 2, Bedroom and Prepositions, see appendix 1

Word list Unit 1 Lesson 3, Bathroom, see appendix 1

Sentence cards Unit 2 Lesson 2, see appendix 1

The Bathroom, The New Oxford Picture Dictionary (blue Monolingual English Edition) by EC
Parnwell, Oxford University Press, 1988, p. 34.

Household Problems, The Basic Oxford Picture Dictionary Workbook, by J Adelson-Goldstein, N

Shapiro and F Armstrong, Oxford University Press 1994, p. 33.

Professional English for Hotel and Catering by Alison Pohl, Penguin English Guides, 2002.

Unit 2: Lesson 2 7
 Customer Care for Housekeepers

CUSTOMER CARE
LESSON 3
Outcome: Respond to complaints by guests. Report problems in the room.
Overall Time: 60-90 minutes

Respond to Complaints

Type of Activity Group work, game, role plays

Time 30-60 minutes
Objective Practice listening to comments and complaints using positive and
negative language and responding appropriately.

Materials Complaints slide or picture (see Supplementary Material below),

projector, word cards Problems (see Supplementary Material below), a
flipchart and pens, samples of hair and dirt, own maintenance request
form or Maintenance Request Form provided (see Supplementary
Material below)

Instructions:
1. Explain to the students that today the class will be dealing with
complaints from guests. Start by showing some problem flashcards, to
see what students remember or know already.
2. Group work: Divide the class into small groups. Display the Complaints
slide or transparency on the overhead projector (or give out copies).
Ask the groups to discuss what the problems are in the overhead. After
a few minutes, ask each group to tell the class about one of the
problems.
3. Hand out the Problems cards and ask students to read them and think
of the opposite (for example: dirty/clean, empty/full, broken/working,
missing/here, no hot water/hot water, no electricity/electricity, smells
bad/smells good, too cold/too hot, stained/unstained, noisy/quiet)
4. Ask for examples of problems using these words. Show how, in English,
problems can be explained using is or is not or isn’t any, for example:

• The sink is dirty/The sink is not clean/The sink isn’t clean

• The light is broken/The light isn’t working/The light does not
work
• There is no hot water/ There isn’t any hot water
• The TV remote is missing/There is no remote/The remote isn’t
here

Unit 2: Lesson 3 8
 Customer Care for Housekeepers

5. Game: Play the “Is it a problem?” game. Ask students to listen to a

sentence and decide whether this sentence describes a problem or if
everything is OK. Choose an action for students to do to show problem
is OK. Sample sentences:

• The TV is not working.

• The floor is wet.
• The floor is clean.
• The tap isn’t dripping.
• The toilet works.
• The drawer is stuck.
• The carpet isn’t stained.
• There isn’t any garbage.
• The recycling is full.
• There is no toilet paper.
• The hairdryer is broken.
• The bathmat is missing.
• The alarm clock doesn’t work.
• There is no electricity.
• We haven’t got any glasses.
• I can’t get the internet in here.
• We have some mugs.
• We don’t have an ice bucket.
• I couldn’t find a mending kit.
• The bathroom has a bad odor.
• The room is not smoky.
• The room stinks.
• The room is stuffy.
Ask: What are common cleaning problems? (Hair, bad odors, room not
yet cleaned) Show examples of cleaning related problems: Crumbs,
hair, dirt, dust, soap scum

6. Role play 1: Do a role play with you acting as a guest, a housekeeping

supervisor as the housekeeper. Explain that the guest meets the
housekeeper in the hall.

Housekeeper: Good afternoon. Do you need anything for the

room?
Guest: (angry) My room isn’t clean. There are crumbs on the
sofa and hairs in the sink.
Housekeeper: I’m sorry, it hasn’t been cleaned yet. What is your
room number?
Guest: 743.

Unit 2: Lesson 3 9
 Customer Care for Housekeepers

Housekeeper: Did you say 743? I will report it and get someone to
help you.
Guest: Thank you.

Ask students: What was the guest complaining about? What did the
housekeeper say? (I’m sorry….What is your room number?) Explain that
she says this because this is not her room to clean. Copy the
housekeeper’s words on the board. What did the housekeeper say
afterwards? (I will report it and get someone to clean it….)
7. You could divide the class in two and assign a role (housekeeper or
guest) to each half, to practice the role play as a class.
8. Help each student to find a partner. Have students practice the role
play with a partner.
9. Role play 2: Ask students look at the Maintenance Request Form. This
time students need to listen to the following role play for 3 people and
then try to show the problem on the request form.

Guest: There is a problem in my bathroom. The shower

doesn’t work. Also you need to replace the light bulb
in the lamp next to the bed.
Housekeeper: The shower and the lamp don’t work? What is your
room number?
Guest: 415.
Housekeeper: Did you say 415? (Writing on paper) I will report it
and get someone to help you.
Guest: Thank you.
Housekeeper: Have a nice day.

Housekeeper: (talking to supervisor) Hi, Jen. There is a problem in

room 415.
Supervisor: Room 415? What is the problem?
Housekeeper: The guest said the shower doesn’t work. And the
lamp next to the bed needs a new light bulb.
Supervisor: The shower? Did he say exactly what the problem
was?
Housekeeper: No.
Supervisor: That’s OK. And a light bulb for the lamp next to the
bed. I will fill in a Maintenance Report form so that
Maintenance will look at it. Thanks for reporting it.

Ask students: What was the guest complaining about? What room was
he in? Did you hear the room number or do you want us to repeat the
skit? Did the housekeeper follow the 3 steps to good customer care?
What is the supervisor going to do about this problem?

Unit 2: Lesson 3 10
 Customer Care for Housekeepers

Maintenance Request Bingo

Type of Activity Game and Document Use

Time 30-45 minutes
Objective To practice using a Maintenance Request form

Materials Maintenance Request forms (enlarged section on one side, complete

form on the other), Maintenance Request forms blank, Maintenance
Request slides (see Supplementary Material below), overhead projector

Instructions:
1. Game/Document Use: Give out Maintenance Request Forms (enlarged
side) and pencils. Ask what this form is for (used by supervisors to tell
Maintenance Department about problems in the rooms). Ask students
to identify the pictures in the boxes.
2. You can first use it for a game. Explain that you will be a guest, they
need to listen to the problem, and need to check the box, to show
where the problem is. Then you will report another problem. Once all
the checks complete one line across or down, they shout “Bingo”.
3. Demonstrate using one or two of the phrases below and ensure
students get the idea. Use phrases which practice the vocabulary from
Customer Care lesson 2 example:
• The hairdryer doesn’t work
• There is a problem with the lamp next to the bed.
• My toilet is overflowing.
• There is no hot water.
• My room is too cold.
• We have a stain on the carpet in our room.
• The tap is dripping.
• The shower curtain is ripped.
• The sink is partly blocked and doesn’t drain properly.

Show the form on overhead, if possible and mark the boxes for your
example using an overhead marker. Continue giving phrases with
problems. Students continue to mark their request form until someone
shouts “Bingo”.

4. Ask students to turn their sheets over and look at the complete form.
Ask them to listen again so they can fill in the form for the problems in
the role play. Repeat the role play in 9 above. Go around the room and
help them to complete the form (room number, name, location etc.).

Unit 2: Lesson 3 11
 Customer Care for Housekeepers

5. Optional Reporting Problems Relay Game: Divide the class into small
groups. Tell them you will ask for a volunteer from each group to come
forward. Tell students you will be a guest and you will tell the
volunteers about a problem in your room. The volunteer needs to tell
the message to their group and the group can discuss what the
housekeeper should do.
6. Demonstrate this with one volunteer listening to your problem, asking
to repeat as necessary, checking room number and taking the message
back to their group. Then ask the volunteer to stay silent while you ask
the group what they heard.
7. Call for a volunteer from each group (reminding them that everyone will
have a turn to be a volunteer). Give the volunteers another problem
from the list below (or make up your own). Repeat it as necessary and
let them ask you for room number. Then ask them to go back and
repeat it to their group.
• The shower isn’t working. I’m in room 504.
• The bed has crumbs on it.
• The room is stuffy
• There’s a stain on the carpet.
• The curtain is falling off.
• The sink overflowed, and the floor is wet.
• Please sort the problem with the TV remote.

After a message has been discussed by all groups, ask the groups (not
the volunteer) to report to the class what the message was, and what
the housekeeper should do. Read the message back to them. Did all
groups get the same message?

Ask for another volunteer from each group to come up to listen and tell
their group a message.

8. Give out worksheets for those who wish them.

9. Their main homework is to practice using English for the rest of the day,
and to try practicing with guests: Good afternoon. Do you need
anything for the room?

Supplementary Material

Word cards Unit 2 Lesson 3, Problems, see appendix 1

Slides/Overhead Transparencies, Unit 2 Lesson 3, Complaints, see appendix 1

Slides/Overhead Transparencies, Unit 2 Lesson 3, Maintenance Request Form, see appendix 1

Unit 2: Lesson 3 12
 Customer Care for Housekeepers

The Bathroom, The New Oxford Picture Dictionary (blue Monolingual English Edition) by EC
Parnwell, Oxford University Press, 1988, p. 34.

Professional English for Hotel and Catering by Alison Pohl, Penguin English Guides, 2002.
Highly Recommended: English for the Hotel and Catering Industry (CD: Are we service minded
enough? Also student book, p. 30-31) by Trish Stott, Oxford University Press, 2004

Unit 2: Lesson 3 13
 Customer Care for Housekeepers

CUSTOMER CARE
LESSON 4
Outcome: Make small talk with guests. Know hotel facilities.
Overall Time: 60-90 minutes

Hotel facilities

Type of Activity Speaking, reading, pronunciation, role play and group task
Time 60-90 minutes
Objective Practice small talk with guests, reading signs and naming parts of the
hotel

Materials Flipchart and pens, Hotel Signs and Facilities flashcards/slides (see
Supplementary Material below), Maple Leaf Hotel slide (see
Supplementary Material below) or picture, projector, Maple Leaf Hotel
worksheets, Guest Notes slide and cards (see Supplementary Material
below)

Instructions:
1. Explain this lesson is about small talk and signs and facilities at a hotel.
2. Ask students: What do you say when you see a guest? If someone says:
“How are you?”, what do you reply?
3. What are good subjects to talk about, say while waiting for the
elevator? (weather, sports, current events) Tell students that you are
going to write some subjects on the flipchart and they need to decide
which are good subjects, which are not. Write the following list:

Driving conditions Marital status

Politics Money
Clothes Where you are from
Holidays What is happening in town

Take this up and give examples.

4. Ask students: What are facilities?

5. Show pictures and signs (either large prints or using power point). Ask:
What is this? Where is this in the hotel? Where do you see it?
6. As students give answers, write the places and the floor (and other
location information students give) on the flipchart. Highlight 1st, 2nd,
3rd, 4th, 5th.
7. Review ordinal numbers
8. Pronunciation: s/th

Unit 2: Lesson 4 14
 Customer Care for Housekeepers

Compare ten/tenth, four/fourth, six/sixth, bass/bath

Highlight the placement of the tongue for the “th” sound.
9. Reading/contrasting: Show the student the power point slide with the
Maple Leaf Hotel picture. Tell students you are going to read out
information about this different hotel and its facilities. They need to
listen so they can answer questions. Read it through once and ask a few
simple questions: Is this a large hotel? What are some facilities at this
hotel?
10. Split students into small groups, with one person who is a confident
reader in each group. Hand out copies of the description of Maple Leaf
Hotel. Ask groups to discuss which of the sentences is true of Maple
Leaf Hotel and which is false. Take up the answers with the class.
11. Ask the groups to compare the Maple Leaf Hotel with their hotel. What
is the same? What is different? Take up the answers.
12. Role play: Do a role play with you acting as a guest, a housekeeping
supervisor as the housekeeper. Explain that they are in the hall.

Housekeeper: How are you doing today?

Guest: I’m fine. How are you?
Housekeeper: Fine, thank you. May I help you with anything?
Guest: Yes, please. Is there a coffee shop in the hotel?
Housekeeper: Yes. It’s on the ground floor, near the front desk.
Guest: Do they sell food or just coffee?
Housekeeper: They usually have a few sandwiches and snacks.
Guest: Also, I need a razor. Should I try the gift shop?
Housekeeper: Did you say you need a razor?
Guest: Yes, I did.
Housekeeper: Front desk can probably help you. They usually have
supplies like that.
Guest: Thanks a lot.
Housekeeper: You’re welcome. Have a nice day.

Check for understanding: What did the guest need? What floor was it
on? What did the housekeeper say when the guest thanked her?

13. Ask about different things a guest might need and have students match
it with a place in the hotel (e.g. haircut/hair salon). Ask: What are the
things guests ask housekeepers about most often?
14. Have students find a partner. Have one practice being the guest and
saying what they need or need to do. The other can be the
housekeeper and say where to go in the hotel. They can start with
saying How are you? or talking about the weather, if they like.

Unit 2: Lesson 4 15
 Customer Care for Housekeepers

15. Optional Game: Show a simple guest note to the class, using the
overhead (or give out copies). Ask students: What is the guest asking
for?
16. Divide the class into several groups and ask for a volunteer from each
group to come forward. Tell students you will give the volunteers a
simple note from a guest about cleaning the room. Volunteers need to
tell the group what they see.
17. Put a guest request note up on the wall for volunteers to read. There
are samples at the end of the lesson, and other ideas below. Ask the
volunteers to read it and then go back and tell their group the message.
Help the volunteers to read the message, as necessary. The group can
discuss with the volunteer what the housekeeper needs to do.
• Replace any missing bottles in the bathroom.
• The toilet isn’t flushing properly.
• Don’t move anything in the room when you clean it.
• Can we have more coffee and coffee mugs?
• There’s a stain on the carpet.

After a message has been discussed by all groups, ask the groups (not
the volunteer) to report to the class what the message was, and what
the housekeeper should do. Read the note back to them. Did all groups
get the same message?

Post another note, and ask for another volunteer from each group to
come up and read and give their group the message. Switch to reading
signs if you have time.
18. Give out worksheets for those who wish them.
19. Their main homework is to practice using English for the rest of the day
with supervisors, guests and other housekeepers.

Supplementary Material

Word cards Unit 2 Lesson 4, Guest Notes, see appendix 1

Slides/Overhead Transparencies, Unit 1 Lesson 6, Guest Notes, see appendix 1

Slides/Overhead Transparencies, Unit 2 Lesson 4, Maple Leaf Hotel, see appendix 1

Flashcards, Unit 2, Lesson 4, Hotel Signs and Facilities, see appendix 1

Professional English for Hotel and Catering by Alison Pohl, Penguin English Guides, 2002.

Unit 2: Lesson 4 16
 Customer Care for Housekeepers

Highly Recommended: English for the Hotel and Catering Industry by Trish Stott, Oxford
University Press, 2004, Workbook, p.6.

Cleaning for Business from Reading at Work: Workplace Reader by Lynda Fownes, Vanya Wong
and Corinne Volpatti, SkillPlan—BC Construction Industry Skills Improvement Council, 2005.
(signs and symbols), see also Facilitator’s Guide.

Unit 2: Lesson 4 17
 Customer Care for Housekeepers

CUSTOMER CARE
LESSON 5
Outcome: Give directions to hotel facilities and suggest hotel services. Read a floor
plan.
Overall Time: 60-120 minutes

Give directions to hotel facilities

Type of Activity Reading, speaking and role play

Time 40-60 minutes
Objective Practice reading signs and giving directions to hotel facilities. Suggest
hotel facilities.

Materials Hotel Signs and Facilities flashcards (see Supplementary Material

below), hotel facilities summaries (use hotel’s own), flipchart and pens,
Giving Directions and Hotel Signs (revision) worksheets

Instructions:
1. Practice small talk with students as they come in. Review good topics
(e.g. weather, current events, sports) and bad topics (e.g. marital status,
diet, election, money) for small talk.
2. Explain this lesson is about signs giving directions to facilities at a hotel.
3. Show pictures and signs (either large prints or using power point). Ask:
What is this? Is it open now? How do I get there?
4. Reading: As students give answers, write the facilities and directions on
the flipchart.
5. Ask students to raise their right hands. Then their left. If there are
students who are having trouble with left and right, explain that they
can see a letter L with the forefinger and thumb of their left hand.
6. Draw diagrams to illustrate the key phrases used in directions:
• across the hall
• turn left/right
• around the corner
• on the left/right
• go past the ________
• take the elevator
• take the stairs
• go down the hall
7. Ask about a few specific meeting rooms or facilities in your building.
How do I get there from here?
8. Role play: Do a role play with you acting as a guest, a housekeeping
supervisor as the housekeeper. Explain that they are in the hall.

Unit 2: Lesson 5 18
 Customer Care for Housekeepers

Housekeeper: Good afternoon. How are you doing?

Guest: I’m OK, but the weather here is so cold, and the
driving is awful!
Housekeeper: Yes, it is. The weatherman tells us it will be warmer
tomorrow.
Guest: I hope he’s right. Now, I need to go to the Board
Room. How do I get there?
Housekeeper: Take the elevator to the 7th floor. Turn right. Go
along the hall. It’s on the right, room 737.
Guest: I don’t know if they will have refreshments in the
meeting. Where can I get something to drink?
Housekeeper: There is a vending machine for Coke and soft drinks
on all guest floors near the elevator. We also have a
coffee shop on the main floor after you go past the
front desk.
Guest: Thanks a lot.
Housekeeper: You’re welcome. Have a nice day.

Check for understanding: What did the guest need? What were the
directions to go there?

9. Ask about different things a guest might need and have students match
it with a place in the hotel (e.g. haircut, a ride to the airport, Canadian
money, a photocopy, a band aid, a toothbrush, a washroom, help
carrying her bags)
10. Explain that sometimes housekeepers can help guests with suggestions,
because they know the hotel facilities and when they are open. If you
have a simple summary sheet of hours of hotel facilities, show it and go
through it with students. In groups, have students discuss what
suggestions can they give to a guest who says:
• I’m very hot after my visit to the Stampede (time: 4:00 pm)
• My children are hungry (12.00 noon)
• I would like to try some Alberta beef. Where should I go? (6:30
pm)
• My children are driving me crazy in this wet weather (10:30 am)
• I have to find my way to Banff this afternoon (2 pm)
• Look at this Coke stain on my shirt! I’ll have to change. (8:30
am)
Take this up with the whole group.
11. Have students find a partner. Ask one to practice being the guest and
saying what they need or need to do (if you like, hand out pictures or
word cards to act as prompts). The other can be the housekeeper and
suggest a hotel facility and give directions to it. They can start with
social conversation about the weather, if they wish.

Unit 2: Lesson 5 19
 Customer Care for Housekeepers

Give directions to hotel facilities

Type of Activity Document Use

Time 40-60 minutes
Objective Practice reading a floor plan and following directions.

Materials Floor plans (use own familiar floor plan or the Floor Plan
transparency/slide (see Supplementary Material below), overhead
projector, Giving Directions 2 worksheet

Instructions:
1. Ask: What is a floor plan? Hand out a floor plan to students and put a
copy of the plan up on the overhead. Ask a few questions, for example:
Where are we on the map? (You are here; point it out on the overhead).
Where are the fire exits? Where is the elevator? Where is room number
___? Encourage students to use prepositions to describe locations.
2. If this is your floor plan, have students bring their floor plans as you all
walk around the floor together. Practice directions vocabulary, for
example, Walk down the hall and turn left. What is on the right? What
is on the left? See if students can follow your directions on the plan,
turning the map to reorient themselves as you go, and answer the
questions.
3. Optional: Treasure Hunt Listening Game: When you have returned to
the class, ask students to find the floor plan and hand out pencils. Tell
students you will give them some directions to help them find
something on the floor plan. They will need to listen and use their
pencils to draw the way to go. First have them put their pencils on “You
are here”.
4. Then give the directions slowly, for them to draw on their floor plans.
Take this up by drawing on the transparency of the floor plan.
5. Give out worksheets for those who wish them.
6. Their main homework is to practice using English for the rest of the day
with supervisors and other housekeepers.
7. For further work with directions and floor plans, see Unit 4: Lesson 6.

Supplementary Material

Flashcards, Unit 2 Lesson 4, Hotel Signs and Facilities, see appendix 1

Slides/Overhead Transparencies, Unit 2 Lesson 5, Floor Plan, see appendix 1

Professional English for Hotel and Catering by Alison Pohl, Penguin English Guides, 2002.

Unit 2: Lesson 5 20
 Customer Care for Housekeepers

Highly Recommended: English for the Hotel and Catering Industry by Trish Stott, Oxford
University Press, 2004, units 6 and 20.

Workplace Plus 1 by Joan Saslow and Tim Collins, Addison Wesley Longman (a division of
Pearson Education), 2005, p. 26 .

Workplace Plus 3 by Joan Saslow, Pearson Education, 2005, pp. 16-17.

Unit 2: Lesson 5 21
 Customer Care for Housekeepers

Write the missing words

1. The ___________________ is cracked.

2. The ___________________ is missing.

3. The ___________________ is ________________.

4. The ___________________ is ripped.

5. The ___________________ is ________________.

6. The ___________________ is broken.

7. The ___________________ is wet.

floor shower handle tap

leaking light bulb overflowing

shower curtain toilet mirror

Unit 2: Lesson 2 Bathroom Problems

 Customer Care for Housekeepers

Customer Care Speaking Practice

There is a
problem...

Housekeeper: Good afternoon. Do you need anything for the room?

Guest: There is a problem with my toilet. It is overflowing.

Housekeeper: The toilet is overflowing? What is your room number?

Guest: 743.

Housekeeper: Did you say 743? I will report it and get someone to help you.

Guest: Thank you.

Housekeeper: No problem. Have a good day.

Unit 2: Lesson 2 Bathroom Problems

 Customer Care for Housekeepers

Match the problem with the picture

The room is stuffy.

My key-card isn’t
working.

There is a stain on the

carpet.

The air-conditioning is
not working

The room hasn’t been

cleaned.

The window is stuck.

Unit 2: Lesson 3 Complaints

 Customer Care for Housekeepers

Maintenance Request Form (blank form)

Unit 2: Lesson 3 Maintenance Request Form (blank)

 Customer Care for Housekeepers

Maintenance Request Form

Unit 2: Lesson 3 Maintenance Request Form

 Customer Care for Housekeepers

Maintenance Request Form (complete)

Unit 2: Lesson 3 Maintenance Request Form

 Customer Care for Housekeepers

What is this? Where is this?

This is the __________________. This is the __________________.

It is on the ______ floor. It is on the ______ floor.

This is the __________________. This is the __________________.

It is on the ______ floor. It is on the ______ floor.

Unit 2: Lesson 4 Hotel Facilities

 Customer Care for Housekeepers

Match the sign to the picture

COFFEE HAIR
Lobby
SHOP SALON

STAIRS POOL

Unit 2: Lesson 4 Hotel Facilities

 Customer Care for Housekeepers

Read the information and circle the right answer

MAPLE LEAF HOTEL

The Maple Leaf Hotel is a full service hotel

conveniently located near the airport, with a
stunning view of the Rocky Mountains. It
has 40 bedrooms, all with ensuite
bathrooms, air-conditioning, wi-fi access and
satellite TV. Pam’s Restaurant offers steaks
and international cuisine and features an
outside patio for summer dining. The hotel
has meeting and function rooms to suit
business and family events. Facilities
include shops, foreign exchange and an
outdoor swimming pool. Our main floor
features rooms for disabled guests.

There is frequent limousine service from the

hotel to the airport, which is 10 minutes
away. Underground parking is available.

1. There are 100 guest rooms on five floors. True False

2. There is air-conditioning in the hotel. True False

3. There is internet access in the bedrooms. True False

4. The rooms have mini-bars. True False

5. There’s a fitness centre. True False

6. The restaurant serves steak. True False

7. There aren’t any shops at the hotel. True False

8. There is a shuttle to take guests to the airport . True False

9. There isn’t a swimming pool. True False

10. There is a spa. True False

Unit 2: Lesson 4 Maple Leaf Hotel

 Customer Care for Housekeepers

Business Hair Bar

Centre Salon
Re
stairs s ta
ur
an
t

Elevators
Conference
room
Front
Desk
Fire
exit

ATM
Gift shop

Lobby

Coffee
Shop
YOU ARE HERE

Main
Entrance

Unit 2: Lesson 5 Floor Plan

 Customer Care for Housekeepers

Fill in the blanks:

blanks

Business Hair Bar

Centre Salon Re
stairs s ta
ur
an
t

Elevators
Conference
room Front
Fire Desk
exit

ATM
Gift shop
Lobby

Coffee
YOU ARE HERE Shop

Main
Entrance

1. The hair salon is ______________________ the business centre and the bar.

2. The conference room is _____________________ from the business centre.

3. The rest rooms are _____________________ from the gift shop.

4. The elevators are ____________________ the restaurant.

next to between
across the hall around the
corner

Unit 2: Lesson 5 Giving Directions 2

 Customer Care for Housekeepers

Customer Speaking Care Practice

Housekeeper: Good afternoon. May I help you?

Guest: Yes. I need to go to the Board Room. How do I get there?

Housekeeper: Take the elevator to the 7th floor. Turn right. It’s on the right, room
737.
Guest: I don’t know if they will have refreshments in the meeting. Where can I
get something to drink?

Housekeeper: There is a vending machine for Coke and soft drinks on all guest floors
near the elevator. We also have a coffee shop on the main floor after
you go past the front desk.

Guest: Thanks a lot.

Housekeeper: You’re welcome. Have a nice day.

Unit 2: Lesson 5 Giving Directions 2

 Customer Care for Housekeepers

Where is
Giving directions
it?

Unit 2: Lesson 5 Giving Directions

 Customer Care for Housekeepers

Where is it?

between around the corner

across the hall next to

Unit 2: Lesson 5 Giving Directions

 Customer Care for Housekeepers

Answer the questions

questions:

POOL & FITNESS AREA Ella’s Hair Salon

Hours of Operation Services available
5 am—11 pm by appointment
Your Room Key will from 9 am to 5 pm
allow you access 403‐291‐0333

Is the pool open at 10 pm? What time does the hair salon open?

What do I need to get to the pool? Can I have my hair cut now?

Sky Harbour
Dining Lounge
Arthur’s Bar and Lounge Mon–Fri
12 noon—11pm 3 pm-Midnight
No Minors Sat., Sun. and Holidays
3pm-10pm
Minors Permitted

What is this sign for? Is the lounge open at 1 pm on Monday?

What time does the lounge close on

Is it open at 10 am? Sundays?

Can children go in? Can I take my kids with me?

Unit 2: Lesson 5 Hotel Signs (revision)