Stay with any hotel that’s part of a major flag since the beginning of the pandemic and one change that has stayed constant is the end of the daily housekeeping service. No fresh towels and no room cleaning each day, unless requested.
The impetus for this change, of course, was the concern early in the pandemic of COVID spreading over surfaces. The less people in your room touching this and that, the safer.
Travelers have not appeared to mind as close to 9 out of 10 said they don’t miss the once ubiquitous service. Even pre-pandemic, many folks were already expressing concern about the impact on the environment of washing all those towels and sheets and were opting out of daily housekeeping.
And now, the hotels have figured out that permanently ending this service is also a huge cost savings. It’s pretty clear that daily housekeeping is unlikely to return at most all hotels.
For decades, this service was perceived as a critical part of the luxurious experience of staying away from home. But over time, daily housekeeping has become little more than busy work for hotel staff. Travelers haven’t missed it and the savings connected to eliminating it have been substantial.
So, what event, activity, communication, etc., are you continuing to do today that is keeping you and your team busy but has lost value with your donor base?
Advancement leaders are fantastic at adding new ideas to the calendar of work. Far less willing to eliminate anything. But when we assess all we do – every strategy, every activity, every event, every communication – through the value lens of results vs. effort, we are reminded that being busy is never the goal.
Being productive is the goal.
