Hotel managers generally have their hands full throughout the course of each workday. Managing a hotel is not as easy as it looks; the managers have to be available at all times to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Some customers might have particular demands that they want fulfilled, while there are plenty of back-end problems that managers must tackle as well. Hotel managers have to look for cost-efficient methods that can help minimise operating expenditures and allow the hotel to reinvest their profits. This cost-cutting mentality is geared towards improving their core services.
One of the many problems that hotel managers face is regarding the linen products used in the business. Linen is a popular fabric that is used for a variety of different purposes. It is used for making bed sheets, pillowcases, curtains, tablecloths, serviettes, napkins, and a lot more. Linen is quite durable, and there’s also a lot of flexibility when it comes to printing different patterns and colours on linen as well.
If you have been to a hotel and have dined at several restaurants, you will know that the preferred colour in most of these establishments is white. While it looks very good, managing white linen products is a real pain. Even the slightest stain can ruin the whole cloth. Your guests will expect the bed sheets and pillow covers to be changed on a daily basis.
Now, hotel managers are faced with two options. They can either buy lots of bed sheets, pillow covers, and other linen products for use in the hotel, or they can decide to rent the linen. Some hotels prefer to maintain their own inventory of linen products, whereas a large number of hotels and restaurants are now phasing out their own linen departments and instead renting them from third-party suppliers.
What’s the Harm in Maintaining Your Own Inventory?
There are several reasons why so many businesses are no longer keeping their own linen inventory. First of all, white linen products begin to develop a yellowish tinge after regular washing. The harsh cleaning agents found in most detergents will make the white colour look duller after every wash. Soon, the bed sheets and tablecloths will start looking yellowish and downtrodden.
Basically, this means that you will have to get the linen products replaced after every few months. It goes without saying that this will significantly increase your operating expenditures over the course of the year. Apart from that, managing linen within the hotel is not easy at all.
You will need to set up a separate laundry division within the hotel, or hire a private dry cleaning company to wash all of your linen products on a regular basis. Again, this just increases your operating costs. Because linen products play such an important role in the hospitality industry, it’s vitally important that you use clean, properly washed bed sheets and tablecloths at all times. The last thing that a customer would want to see when they sit down to eat at an expensive restaurant, or when they walk into their hotel’s bedroom, is a tablecloth or bed sheet that’s full of stains. Soiled linens will immediately have a negative effect on your guests.
So, How Does Linen Hire Work?
There are a number of different suppliers in the UK that have now started offering linen hire services. For instance, Stalbridge Linen hire in Dundee is one of the most reputable linen hire companies within the city. The company also offers its linen hire services in other parts of the UK.
You can check out their website to get a better idea of the types of linen products that they deal with. When you contact a linen hire company, they will ask you a few details about your business. You can disclose your daily linen requirements to the company, and they will then inform you of the proposed rental cost.
You will need to pay a specific amount for the security deposit and then sign a contract. Once the formalities are completed, the company will start delivering the linen at a specific time during the day. In most cases, the linen will be delivered early in the morning, or during the late hours of the night.
The company will collect all the dirty linen items and deliver fresh linen every day, so that you always have enough to meet the needs of your clientele. The linen hire industry has actually grown by leaps and bounds during the past few years, as many smaller hotels don’t have enough capital to purchase and manage their own linen.
Rather than using their capital to buy linen products, they can use the money more wisely by investing it in another aspect of their business. Renting linen helps any business significantly reduce costs. You don’t need to worry about washing the linen or even allocating additional storage space in your hotel.
The linen hire company will charge a basic fee for renting linen. They also have a separate customer support centre through which you can file complaints. If you are not satisfied with the quality of the linen products that you have received, just pick up the phone and place the complaint. The company will immediately replace the linen products and deliver fresh items straight to your place of business.
For small hotels and newly opened restaurants, renting linen is a fantastic option. You can reinvest your core profits into improving your business, rather than having to worry about buying tablecloths and serviettes. Many linen hire suppliers also offer a range of different options. Apart from standard white linen, you can choose from multi-coloured or patterned linen items as well.
If you are a regular customer who tends to order in bulk, you can also ask the company to put your hotel or restaurant’s logo on the linen as well. This will allow you to market your business with little to no effort involved. It’s a fantastic opportunity for business owners and it allows them to quickly establish their business without having to contribute a ton of capital. You can request quotes from two or three different suppliers and then choose the cheapest option.
