Best Practices and up to the minute news on Customer Experience Management and Service Excellence
Best Practices and up to the minute news on Customer Experience Management and Service Excellence
Theft, burglaries, and car break-ins – these are the three most common forms of crime that occur in hotels.
Researchers from the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Ball State University; the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Florida International University; and the Department of Sociology at the University of Iowa teamed up in 2017 to get a better understanding of crime in the hospitality industry.
“Undoubtedly, hotel guests operating in a foreign environment presents ample opportunity for criminal endeavor and tourist victimization,” they wrote. “The nature of hotel crimes can be generally regarded as opportunistic and convenient.”
The study focused primarily on the Miami area. During the research period, there were 997 hotel-related incidents reported to the police. They found that, while crimes occur at all hours of the day, 36 percent happened between evening hours and midnight. The majority of crimes (59 percent) occurred in hotel parking lots. About 26 percent of crimes occurred somewhere inside the hotel.
Travelers are extremely trusting of the hotels they book, but statistically, every area of a hotel can be a point of risk if proper precautions aren’t taken. You can maintain their trust and their security by taking these safety measures.
Good lighting in hotels is an essential basic safety measure for several reasons. Adequate lighting improves visibility, reducing the risk of accidents and promoting a sense of security among guests and staff. Well-lit corridors, staircases, and common areas minimize tripping hazards and enable occupants to navigate safely. Potential thieves are also less likely to break into cars if the area is well-lit. Make sure to check lightbulbs regularly to ensure they’re functioning properly. In addition to bright lighting, you can help protect cars and the parking lot by keeping bushes trimmed and ensuring nothing is blocking vision from building entrances or security cameras.
It’s important to keep a detailed inventory of every lock in your building. Make sure each access card is programmed for a specific room and that they expire after check-out, reducing the risk of unauthorized entry. You should also routinely change any access codes and update your key card software to prevent someone from duplicating the information. Train your staff to be vigilant about unauthorized access attempts and encourage them to report any suspicious activity.
Install in-room safes that are securely anchored and regularly inspected to prevent tampering or theft. Guest awareness is crucial, and sometimes they don’t even realize the risks themselves. So, you should inform guests about the availability of safes and encourage them to use them for valuables like passports, cash, and jewelry, and provide clear instructions on safe operation. Electronic safes with unique access codes or PINs are ideal as they add an extra layer of security, allowing guests to set and modify their codes while resetting safes to default settings after each guest’s stay.
When visible, security cameras discourage theft, vandalism, and unauthorized access. If anything were to happen, they provide important evidence – giving your guests peace of mind before and after any incidents. Check local laws as well. They might require you to have sufficient storage capacity for your footage. Lost or damaged footage can stall sensitive investigations.
Be strategic about where you install cameras. Cover all entry and exit points, lobby areas, parking lots, and hallways to ensure full coverage. Install cameras even in locations with low traffic like stairwells, emergency exits, and back-of-house areas.
Copyright © 2024 The Gem - All Rights Reserved.