Housekeeping Credit System

Balance cleaner workloads fairly using HelloShift's credit system. Credits represent the time and effort required to clean each room, allowing auto-assign to distribute work proportionally based on each cleaner's capacity.

Overview

The credit system works by:

1. Assigning credits to room types - Suites take more time than standard rooms

2. Assigning credits to task types - Checkout cleans take more time than stayovers

3. Setting cleaner capacity - Each cleaner has daily credit capacity by day of week

4. Auto-assigning proportionally - Rooms distributed to match cleaner capacity

Understanding Credits

What Credits Represent

Credits are relative values representing cleaning effort. Most hotels use credits as the amount of time (in minutes) it takes to clean a specific room type based on the task performed.

Tip: The actual number doesn't matter—what matters is the ratio between different room/task combinations.

Credit Calculation

Each room's credit = Room Type Credit × Task Type multiplier

For example, if:

• Standard room base = 1

• Suite base = 1.5

• Checkout multiplier = 2

Then:

• Standard Stayover = 1 × 1 = 1 credit

• Standard Checkout = 1 × 2 = 2 credits

• Suite Checkout = 1.5 × 2 = 3 credits

Configuring Credits

Access credit settings at Admin > Settings > Cleaning > Credits

Note: The process below is a one-time setup. Once configured, the credit system runs automatically during auto-assign.

Step 1: Define Cleaner Capacity

The first table shows Room Credits by Cleaners:

• Enter daily credit capacity for each cleaner

• Leave blank or 0 for days off

• Numbers represent total credits that cleaner can handle per day

Tip: If your team's days off are fixed, leave those days empty. If days off are random/rotating, set credits for all days and manage availability through scheduling.

Step 2: Define Room Credits by Task

The second table shows Room Credits by Cleaning Task:

• Rows are cleaning task types (defined in Custom Fields)

• Columns are room types (from your room configuration)

• Values represent effort required for that room × task combination

Setting Up Cleaning Tasks

Before configuring credits, define your cleaning task types:

1. Go to Admin > Settings > Cleaning > Custom Fields

2. Add task types that match your operations:

How Auto-Assign Uses Credits

When you click Auto-Assign:

1. Calculate daily capacity - Sum each cleaner's credits for that day of week

2. Calculate room credits - Each room's credit based on type and task

3. Distribute proportionally - Rooms assigned to fill each cleaner's capacity

4. Balance workload - No cleaner goes over capacity; all get fair share

Example Distribution

Setup:

• Maria: 40 credits available

• John: 35 credits available

• Total capacity: 75 credits

Rooms to assign:

• 5 Standard Stayovers (20 credits each) = 100 credits total

Result:

• Maria gets 2 rooms (40 credits) - at capacity

• John gets 1.5 rooms... but rooms can't be split

• System assigns whole rooms, balancing as close as possible

Viewing Credit Usage

On the Assignment Page

After running auto-assign or making manual assignments:

• Each cleaner column shows assigned credits

• Compare to their daily capacity

• Red indicator if over capacity

• Green if at or under capacity

In Reports

The Housekeeping Report tracks:

• Credits Assigned - Total credits allocated

• Credits Used - Credits for completed rooms only

Excel export includes both columns for analysis.

Adjusting Credits Over Time

Calibrating Initial Values

1. Start with estimated values

2. Run for 1-2 weeks

3. Compare credit estimates to actual cleaning times

4. Adjust credits to match real performance

Using Time Tracking Data

1. Export housekeeping report to Excel

2. Compare duration (actual) to credits (estimated)

3. If a room type consistently takes longer, increase its credits

4. If consistently faster, decrease credits

Handling Edge Cases

Credit System Best Practices

Setting Cleaner Capacity

• Base on realistic daily output, not maximum

• Account for breaks, supply runs, interruptions

• New cleaners should have lower capacity initially

• Part-time cleaners get proportionally lower capacity

Setting Room Credits

• Use actual time data when available

• Start with rough estimates and refine

• Factor in complexity, not just room size

• Consider task requirements (e.g., linen change vs. no change)

Balancing Considerations

• Credits ensure quantity balance, not difficulty

• Consider pairing new cleaners with experienced ones

• Adjust for room locations (zone credits help with this)

• Review assignments before saving - auto-assign is a starting point

Combining Credits with Zones

Credits and zones work together:

1. Credits balance quantity of work

2. Zones minimize travel distance

When auto-assigning:

• System first considers zone constraints

• Then fills capacity with rooms from allowed zones

• Result: Balanced workloads within geographic clusters

See Room Assignment System for zone configuration.

Troubleshooting

Auto-assign not distributing evenly

• Check cleaner credits are set for the correct day of week

• Verify all cleaners are in the Housekeeping department

• Review room credit values for accuracy

Cleaners consistently over/under capacity

• Compare time tracking data to credit values

• Adjust credits to match actual performance

• Consider if capacity values are realistic

Some rooms never get assigned

• Check room condition is Dirty

• Verify room has a room type set

• Ensure room type has credits configured

Credits showing as zero

• Verify room type is set on the room

• Check task type is assigned to the room

• Confirm credits table has values for that combination

Related Articles

• Room Assignment System - Assignment methods including auto-assign

• Housekeeping Time Tracking - Track actual cleaning times

• All About Housekeeping - Complete housekeeping overview