Las checklists constitute lists that include all the elements or tasks that intervene in the provision of a service in order to verify, before the provision occurs, that all of them are present and work perfectly or, after the provision, that they have been fulfilled all the required steps.
In practice, they represent the “practical memory” of employees used by companies in order to leave nothing to the “good will” of staff.
See below for an example of the tangible or physical aspects that must be verified in a hotel room before the guest enters it.
10. Bathroom, shower: are they working properly, hot and cold water, water pressure? 11. Soap: in the bathroom, in the hand, in the bathtub, in the sink, enough? 12. Towels: bath, hand, two clean in each case, two spare of each? 13. Shower curtain: clean, slides smoothly? 14. Bed: is it properly dressed? 15. Extra bedding: available? 16. Extra blankets: available in the room? 17. The closet: is it clean, does it have 10 hooks to hang clothes, does it smell good? 18. The room keys: do they work properly? 19. Wake-up service: is it connected, is it working correctly? 20. Carpets: clean, without stains or tears? 21. Pictures: correctly hung? 22. Mini-bar: complete, works well: light, cold, ice? |
Note that this is just an example; that list will vary depending on the type of hotel, number of stars, location, etc. Similar lists are used by airlines, car rental companies, restaurants, and so on.
The example above refers only to the tangible aspects, but checklists apply to tasks as well. For example, the technician who has just made a repair at the facilities of a client company must check, before leaving, that he has carried out a series of tasks:
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Checklists are very practical and useful and can and should be used in any type of service company or companies that sell tangibles but use the service to increase the perceived value of their offerings.
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