No dishwasher tablets on day one
A family arrives at one of your cottages for a week. The welcome pack is there, but there are no dishwasher tablets, one toilet roll and no bin bags. They message on the first evening. Someone has to drive out, or the family goes to a shop and mentions it in their review.
Back at the store, you are unsure how much stock is in the cleaners' cars, how much each property holds and whether you are about to run out of the welcome pack biscuits before the bank holiday.
Why consumables run out
Nobody records what is in each property after a clean. Cleaners top up from whatever they have, which depends on what they collected, which depends on a guess. Longer stays and larger groups use more than the standard allowance, but restocking does not take the next booking into account.
The store orders when it looks low, rather than from what is needed for upcoming changeovers, so shortages cluster around busy weekends.
What running out costs
Guest complaints about missing basics are small individually, but they affect reviews and create extra trips. Cleaners waste time returning to the store. Consumable costs are hard to allocate fairly to owners, so they are averaged, which some owners question. And bulk buying opportunities are missed because nobody knows usage.
The stock tracking we build
We build stock tracking that rides on the changeover the cleaner is already doing, and uses bookings to predict need.
- Par levels: each property has a target level for each item, set by your team based on its size.
- Changeover check: at each clean, the cleaner confirms what they topped up with quick taps, or records items left, whichever you prefer.
- Booking adjustment: upcoming bookings adjust what the next changeover needs, for example a larger group or a two-week stay.
- Restock lists: the store gets a packing list per cleaner for each changeover day, and cleaners see what to take to each property.
- Store ordering: the store sees usage across all properties and upcoming needs, so orders are based on demand rather than a glance at the shelf.
- Owner allocation: consumable use per property is recorded and fed into owner statements at the rate you set.
| Item | Tracked by | Restocked from |
|---|---|---|
| Toilet rolls, bin bags | Changeover check | Cleaner's packing list |
| Dishwasher tablets, washing up liquid | Changeover check and stay length | Cleaner's packing list |
| Toiletries | Guest count per booking | Store packing list |
| Welcome pack | One per booking | Store packing list |
After the change
Guests arrive to properties stocked for their stay. Cleaners take what they need, not more. The store orders ahead of busy periods. Owners see consumable charges that reflect their bookings. And your team stops getting calls about toilet rolls.
Welcome packs become easier to manage too. If owners fund their own welcome items, or some properties offer a hamper as an extra, the booking tells the store which pack each arrival should get, and the cost lands on the right statement.
Over a season, you also learn which properties use far more than expected, which can point to a missing item, a leaky dishwasher dispenser or simply larger groups than the property is priced for.
Recognise this?
- Guests message about missing basics on their first evening.
- Cleaners restock from whatever is in their car.
- The store runs short before busy weekends.
- Consumable charges to owners are averaged or estimated.
- Nobody knows how much stock is held at each property.