Let’s start by setting the scene….. It’s Sunday afternoon after a busy week, high occupancy, 6am breakfast cooking each morning, reception open 13 hours each day, striping rooms and making beds before your housekeepers arrive, lawns to mow and gardens to weed, maintenance issues, accounts to complete, guest complaints and questions to answer, laundry needs folding etc. etc. etc. Multiply this by seven days per week and this is the lifestyle of a property owner and accommodation manager. As property owners and managers, you don’t have days off, you literally have hours off each week to catch up with sleep, shopping or a social activity to refresh your mind, body and soul. Then you start it all again for another week.

I would like to introduce Australian Relief Management as the home of Australia’s professional industry trained relief accommodation managers. The relief managers in our network have tourism and hospitality backgrounds which gives us the advantage of having the work ethics and business acumen to oversee any accommodation property.

Through this article, I look forward to assisting and updating you on everything to do with relief managers, challenges faced in seeking the right people and why it is best to have “industry trained” manages taking care of your valuable investment. I have formally been a property owner of a successful, multi award winning retreat so I am fortunate of having first-hand knowledge in seeing both sides of the fence on the issues faced. I have lived the lifestyle and undertaken the monetary and personal investment that is required to operate any style of accommodation including B&B’s, resorts, motels, tourist parks and hotels.

I mentioned Investment, which isn’t just the monetary value and budgets but most importantly it’s the physical and mental investment that takes its toll through burnout, due to not taking regular breaks. This brings me to the vital and important element…finding a trustworthy relief management team. I would like to initially cover in this article the important questions and decisions property owners and managers need to ask.

The most important question is…. How much do YOU value your property?

It is important to understand that no one will have the understanding of your property like you do. Whoever you place as your relief manager isn’t paying your bills directly. However, you must consider the old saying “you pay peanuts…you get monkeys”. Therefor it is important that you seek the qualities in your relief managers that share your values of the tourism and hospitality industry. Base your nightly tariff on what you believe you would like to receive for doing your job.

Every property owner and manager seeks to get a relief manager for the lowest price possible and in many cases they get their family to look after the property or people conducting themselves as relief managers, which are commonly known in the industry as “seat warmers”. These are the people that won’t go and strip rooms, don’t cook breakfasts, don’t do laundry, fail to reconcile your daily banking and cashiering and then wants cash in hand for payment.

BEWARE….this isn’t often the best option. I hear about family disputes arising from poor management of the property, theft and a general lack of understanding of your values. I hear property owners’ saying that they are fixing errors from their relief manager’s weeks after they return from holidays. Why risk your hard work building your business by taking short term quick fixes and saving a small amount of dollars.

Again I ask… How much do you value your property?

Australian Relief Management is setting the benchmark in quality, honesty and reliability for the expert relief teams or individual managers. Our relief management teams are trained in the highest of industry standards in all facets of accommodation, food & beverage, housekeeping, laundry and maintenance and know how important it is to be “hands on” and follow all the policy and procedures of the properties we have placements in.

Australian Relief Management conduct workshops for people that wish to have knowledge of accommodation management, whether you are entering the industry as a property owner or you are following your dream of travelling Australia as a relief manager, we have professional industry trainers that will give you the confidence to start your new venture in style. Visit www.rubyreliefmanagers.com for more information.

Until the next article, I wish you all wealth and health and remember keep your mind fresh and take your breaks.