Hotel Loss Prevention

This department which is very vital in a hotel is headed by the Director of Loss Prevention. As mentioned, its main priority is safety and security of all guest and employees, including hotel assets. The team members patrol the hotel premises especially the common areas and guest room hallways.

This department takes care that the security and safety systems cover the following areas:

? Guests – refers to protection from crimes such as murder, abduction and health hazards from outsider, hotel staffs, pests, food poisoning, etc.

? Staff – providing staff lockers, insurances, health schemes, provident funds and others.

Including protective clothing, shoes, firefighting drill, supply of clean drinking water, use of aqua guards, and sanitized wash rooms.

? Guest Luggage – securing luggage store rooms. Provisions of proper equipment such as luggage trolley and bell hop trolley should not be overlooked.

? Hotel Equipment – these are lifts, broilers, kitchen equipment, furniture fitting, building and other hotel assets that must be protected. It should cover up fire safety equipment, bomb threat system, earthquake, security system, safe vault security system and the likes.

? Protection of raw materials, goods, provisions, and groceries etc. - security system should cover proper storage and pest control systems, a part from the application of total material management system.

? The Director of Loss Prevention

Big hotels may call the head of this department as Director of Loss Prevention. Some smaller hotel may call them Loss Prevention Manager or Safety and Security Manager. This person knows exactly the essence of his job., or responsibilities, the safety and security all of the guests, employees, and hotel assets.

Responsibilities of this person:

? Manage team.

? Ensure that all accident is handled thoroughly.

? Ensure that all guest complaints are handled professionally.

? Provide safety awareness program to hotel employees

TYPES OF HOTEL SECURITY

? PHYSICAL ASPECT:

A. Internal

? Against theft

? Fire safety

? Proper lighting

? Safeguarding assets

? Tracking unwanted guest

B. External

? Fixing of closed circuit TV cameras

? Fencing of pool area to avoid accidents in the night

? Proper lighting outside the building

? Proper fencing of the building

? Manning of service gates to restrict entry.

? SECURITY OF PERSONS

A. Employees/staff

? ID

? Recruitment and selection

? Key control

? Training

? Locker inspection

B. Guests

? Checking of scanty baggage

? Guest room security

? Provide wide angle door viewer, deadbolt locks, night torch, chains door

? Confidentially of guest information

? Key control

? SECURITY OF SYSTEMS

? Recording of all losses and missing items immediately

? Proper implementation of inventory control

? Regular auditing

? Implementation of proper system for cash disbursements

HOTEL SECURITY ISSUES:

A. On Employees Security – it is common in all establishment that management stipulates that is not responsible for valuables and employee’s personal belongings such as their handbags, items kept in the personal locker and others. The responsibility of the management is to take all possible measure to prevent theft among employees and employee belongings. These measure can help also the security of the hotel guests through hiring practices and through the implementation of effective management, human resources and operational policies.

The ff. best describe of this measure:

? Background checking of selected applicants.

? Implementation of policies related to employee’s entry to and exit from the workplace.

? Spot checking of lockers and lockers room.

? Ensuring an effective supervision and control during the work cycle.

? Implementation of policies related to the discovery of criminal records and wrongdoing among and by employees.

? Controlling people entering and exiting the workplace.

B. On Guests Safety and Security – guests are very important in every accommodation establishment. Without them, the accommodation sector will never survive, thus care for them is very vital. They should feel whenever they go within the area of the hotel they were safe.

Management should able to do the ff.

? Inform the guests that the hotel is not responsible for valuables left in room.

? Advise them to secure their valuables in safety deposit boxes provided the hotel.

? Provision of safety deposit boxes and areas to keep valuables.

? Implementation of policies and practices that ensures the security of the boxes and areas.

? Monitoring and supervision of management on operational policies regarding the security of the guest rooms.

? Managing the operational policies regarding public areas.

? Implementation of security policies and practices for the back of the house area.

? Employing and training security personnel.

? Implementation of policies and practices that will minimize the “presence” and “patronage” of “shady characters” and criminals.

? Verification of registration and check in personal data and documentation submitted.

? Curtailing free movement of unknown on the premises.

? Implementation of direct, free flowing communication with local, national, and international security authorities.

? Training of staff in the guest and valuable security.

? Implementation of others means on effective supervision and control procedures.

C. On Security measure taken by Hotels – other than what were enumerated above the following are some security measures that are taken by hotels.

? Key cards locks – this become a standard so quick, though the some do not have yet.

These include punch and magnetic keycard which have locks with flash memory and other productivity function. This system can be directly linked with PMS.

? Security cameras – Hotels have security cameras to ensure that everything will captured within 24 hours’ operation.

? Fire alarms – hotels now have a smoke detector and fire alarms. This is monitored by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week that pinpoints the exacts point of alarm, which then allows their security staff to respond immediately to the area of any alarm conditions.

? Emergency powers – in case of electrical outage, few hotels have provision for emergency power while a few hotels provide limited stand by power to provide elevator service and some lighting. This is important to avoid inconvenience to the guests.

? Emergency manual – this a manual maintained by hotels by detailing operations in the event of a variety of emergencies.

? In room manual –some hotels provided in-room guests safe. This is capable of holding a laptop computer that uses the guests own credit card as the key. This service addition to the safety deposit boxes offer by most hotels at front desk.

? Guest elevator locking system – some hotels have that locking system in their elevators.

It may be interfaced with a room electronic locking system, where swiping the room card key takes the guests to the floor on which he is staying. This avoid allowing someone who is not a registered guest to go somewhere within the area since room card key is needed.

D. On Bomb Threat Security – hotels also have bomb threat security measures. The following are some of these:

For bomb threat received via telephone, the person who received the call should note carefully what exactly is said, the time on the call received, the accent of the caller, and even the background noise if any.

Chamber maids or room attendants as well as housekeeping supervisors are trained to conduct security checks in the guests rooms.

? Security nets and body searchers for guests not known to the staff.

? Security check on banqueting suites and other non-public.

? Check of goods received and bags and keeping it tidy.

? Well defined duties and responsibilities of staff during an emergency.

? Working closely with the police to keep them updated.

HOTEL SAFETY ISSUES:

This refers to the management duty of ensuring “safety” in several areas. These areas may include but is not limited to the following:

? The hotel’s structure

? The installations and fixtures

? The public and work areas.

HANDLING EMERGENCY ISSUES:

? ON Handling Accident Cases – the following area ways to handle accident cases:

Knowledge of first aid would come very handy in such situations. In general, the ff. point should

be taken care of.

? The person who has met with accident should be removed from the site of accident as

early as possible and take him to a more comfortable area.

? Use a stretcher in case the need be.

? Do not forget to call the doctor and if possible, give him the details of the accident as you may need help.

? It would also be better to take someone along with you to site of the accident as you may need help.

? You need to be alert because you must serve the victim immediately by providing first aid.

? Be able to protect your establishment from any false allegations.

? Do not forget to prepare a full report of the whole accident giving details of the date and time who reported the incident, site of the accident and everything that would help you reporting.

? Make your comments as to the reason of the accident and how could it been prevented.

? Suggest possible actions to be taken to avoid the same in the future.

? On Handling Situation of Theft – the following are ways to handle accident cases:

? Theft by employees of the hotel

? Damage of hotel property by the guest

? Theft of hotel property by the guest

? Theft by outside visitors

? On Handling Situation of Illness and Epidemics – the following are some control measures in handling situations of illness and epidemics.

? During sickness of a guests, the receptionist may be called for assistance.

? Patient is advised to consult the hotel physicians, however in case of the guest has his own physician, the same should called.

? It is important that housekeeping is notified about the sickness and instruction if any.

? The guests should be moved to a nursing home in case of serious sickness.

? All precautionary measure especially in food and beverage service area should be followed during epidemics.

? On Handling a Drunken Guest – some drunken guest may attempt to incoming or staying guest in hotel. To avoid this, the following help handle them.

? As early as possible, the guest should be removed from the lobby making it sure not irritate/offend him.

? The guests are preferably taken to the back office or to his room.

? If he still not behaving, the hotel security must be called.