Delivering Quality
Keeping our entire property ready-to-go
JORGE PALOMAR SANCHEZ, LAUNDRY DISTRUBTION SUPERVISOR
The laundry facility has the great task of keeping our guests - and our staff - looking and feeling their best. Jorge Palomar Sanchez talks about how he keeps our entire property ready-to-go, every day, all with an unbreakable mentality and infectious smile!
What is your role?
I am the Distribution Supervisor for Laundry. My main task is to correctly deliver all the required linen to the Main Hotel, and all the necessary table linen to the Banquets or Conference Services Teams. I am in charge of coordinating all the distribution logistics with the entire Laundry Team and other departments.
What is your day to day?
As a team, we get organized at the beginning of the day; we carry out inventory inside the closets of various areas in the hotel and review linen orders received via email. I pick up all the sheet linen and table linen that requires washing from the Main Hotel and Banquets. We have dirty linen all the time! After picking it all up, we send it to the laundry to wash, and then we separate it all. We have four different areas within laundry: our sorting area, the washing area with our machines, our small item area (where we separate the clean towels by type, as well as pillowcases, shams, etc), and the big item area (for sheets, big table cloths etc). When everything is done, I then send everything back to their corresponding departments again. My responsibility is ensuring all of that is accomplished.
And what are your hours?
Normally my schedule begins at 7:30 am, but it depends on occupancy and hotel activity.
Have you done this job previously or is it your first time?
This is my first time in America and my first time doing this type of job, and I love it. This is also my first time working in this industry.
So how did you end up coming here to The Broadmoor?
I came here thanks to a childhood friend, who suggested that I work at The Broadmoor, and I will always be immensely grateful to him. He described it as big hotel, one of the best in the world, with many opportunities. I have a Masters Degree in Finance and Economics, and decided it would be a great way to practice and improve my English. So, I came and met Anthony Cruz, an excellent person who is now my manager in Laundry. He gave me the opportunity to work as a supervisor. I like it here… I love the mountains. I love the natural beauty. I just miss the food. For great Mexican food you really need to go to Merida, it is beautiful and the people cook very well!
What is your favorite part of your job?
I enjoy leading my team of ten people and interacting with them. And when everything goes well, it’s a good day! It is a great feeling when we complete all the tasks of the day as a team. So even if exhausted, we all go home with a smile.
Can you describe some of the challenges you encounter in your role?
Daily we find different challenges. To mention an example, on July 4 we faced a great demand for pool towels to be washed, since we had a large number of guests. During the day, we were constantly collecting towels, washing them, and sending back clean ones, on top of our normal daily activities. It was a long day, but we made the work more enjoyable by singing or dancing while folding towels. We have a great team inside Laundry, all whom I appreciate and respect immensely. A challenge in the summer is that the tunnel between the main Hotel and Laundry can get hot. The main Hotel is an older building, so we don’t have space to deliver items via trucks. Instead we have to use the tunnel to push or pull the big deliveries, which is great to have! I love all the buildings and architecture. The Broadmoor has a long history, which I love! When I attended orientation, I thought what an amazing history. A challenge in the winter is that it gets slippery. This past winter was my first time ever living with and working in snow. It’s different, and not really bad! When in the delivery trucks, it is important to drive more slowly. I love the feeling of snow on my face. And it’s pretty!
Can you describe a surprising or unusual moment or situation that has occurred while here (can be good, bad, funny, etc.)?
Everyone on the team enjoyed the birth of three deer in the patio of our laundry building. We cannot feed them, but we really enjoyed watching them grow.
How does the communication between departments work? So if pool has tons of towels and they need assistance and request fresh ones, is it an internal system via computer or do they call you? How do they reach out?
Communications vary by department. We are in constant communication with the Housekeeping Department, and we communicate through cell phone or radio with the building managers or supervisors. The Banquets Team often sends emails, unless they need a special order or something urgent, then I speak with them by phone. (We did notice you have three phones!) Yes, I have three phones, it’s crazy for me! I also often speak by phone with the managers of Main Hotel areas, should they need to request more towels, sheets, or pillowcases. Last Sunday, we had 648 check outs and 698 check ins; it was a big turnover, so imagine all the linen that needed to get switched! We prepared a good strategy, and here you can read the email from our Housekeeping Team’s Director, Frank Grant:
"Thank you for executing such a beautiful plan yesterday. Housekeeping was set up for success due to your advanced planning and execution. The smoothest 600 in and out turnout that I can recall and was largely because of the support the Laundry Team provided by making sure that we had well stocked closets from the start of the day to the finish.”
That is such a great letter. Can you describe the plan or what your strategy was?
It’s a secret! (While we couldn’t get it out of him, we learned that advanced planning and being organized is the secret!) It is my job to implement change if an area needs improvement, and I have a good, good team.
Do you also do all the laundry distribution for our Wilderness Properties? Or just here?
No, at the end of the day The Wilderness Properties deliver their laundry to us, we clean it, and then they come to the Laundry Department to pick it up. So we launder for them, but do not distribute. Besides the Main Hotel and restaurants, we supply only Bijou West with linen, our employment housing complex. And also Cheyenne Lodge or Mountain Clubhouse when we have banquets there.
You support all the restaurants with napkins and linens correct?
Yes, we support all restaurants all the time with napkins and table cloths. And another area is Room Service. Approximately three times a week we send over 1,000 white napkins. That’s a big order, three times a week!
With over 20 restaurants, cafes, lounges, and many private events, how many napkins were distributed across property last week?
During the past week about 16,000 napkins were distributed!
When there is a delivery of napkins or linens, is there a certain way that you deliver them? Are they already prefolded for the table, for example? Or is that something that the restaurant staff does?
We bundle napkins in laundry; one bundle consists of ten white napkins. So, if you need two hundred, then we grab 20 bundles. We iron and steam them before bundling. And it is our responsibility to check on supplies one or two times per day. I always double check the shelves inside the restaurants to see if they have a middle cart full or quarter cart full. It’s better for me to check and monitor supplies, and much better for us.
Do you feel you are treated well at The Broadmoor?
Oh yes! It is all about the people I work with and I feel good being on this team. I think members of other Departments also try to treat me well.
If you were looking to hire another member of your team, what characteristics would you look for?
I think the most important thing is a positive attitude. You can learn a task, but you need a positive attitude. My job is hard work, but I try to have a smile and a positive mindset all the time. That’s it!
Jorge Palomar Sanchez is always taking care of business at laundry services, sending out linen and style! He can be reached at jpsanchez@broadmoor.com.