Cheaper or Better?

Many independent owners must be struggling with the cost and quality of hotel maintenance. Quality employees who can really get the work done are rarer each year. At the same time, using outside labor is seen as expensive. In reality, outside labor is likely better, at a higher perceived cost, but cheaper overall.

When maintaining PTACs, it’s easy to see the job as simple labor. In reality, it takes a lot of good training to handle them correctly, without damage. Many PTACs are damaged during the cleaning process. In some cases, the units aren’t broken, the maintenance employee just does not know how to make it run with a simple fix. To a maintenance employee the replacement cost of 1 unit could seem cheap in comparison to cleaning a bunch of units, so respect for keeping it working may be low.

Ultimately, Better is Cheaper. When a hired crew handles the job, and they know what they are doing, you are likely to save on the overall cost of replacing broken units.

We have interviewed many General Managers and found that on average, about 6 machines can be put out of order or destroyed during cleaning by less trained and experienced workers. Replacement of 6 units is approximately $3,600. Add to that the lost availability of rooms and better is cheaper.