As a hotel owner, you want to create the ideal customer experience. After all, if your guests rave about their stay, all their friends will want to stay at your hotel. Your online reviews will soar, and you will attract more customers than ever before. To that end, you update your bedding, add amenities, and lower your rates. However, you shouldn't stop there if you want guests to have a good experience. You should also update your security.
When guests stay with you, their room becomes their temporary home. They store their belongings there, including expensive items like laptops and tablets. They may even store sensitive documents like passports or driver's licenses in their rooms. If an intruder invaded that room, he or she would make off with your guests' belongings. That will make your hotel's ratings and reputation drop exponentially.
You don't want this to happen at your hotel, so you need to take a good look at your current security. Use the information below to find any possible holes, then use our tips to make your hotel safer than ever.
Common Risks to Hotel Security
1. Indifferent Staff
Believe it or not, quality customer service actually contributes to a hotel's safety. If your staff members do not care about what they do, their indifference could lead to a flurry of problems:
They don't pay attention to guests or new arrivals, so they could allow suspicious characters into the hotel.
They don't ask for ID when guests ask for belongings, vehicles, or new keys. This means that any person could walk away with someone else's belongings-and the thief wouldn't leave any record of his or presence.
They might not respond to calls for help as quickly as they should.
Make sure you hire a dedicated staff so you can avoid these problems.
2. Lacking Security Personnel
Even if your hotel has fantastic customer service, a thief could still walk past the front desk or slip in a back door, especially if that thief looks trustworthy and professional. Thieves could also sneak in at night too, but they will have more difficulty getting away with anything if you have security personnel at every entrance and exit. A security guard can alert you to suspicious activity that a computer wouldn't catch, like a person walking out with four laptops.
Ways to Improve Hotel Security
Now that you have looked at your current security system, you have probably found an opportunity for improvement. If you want to take your hotel's security a step farther, use the tips below.
1. Add Deadbolts
Deadbolts won't keep guests' belongings safe when they leave the room, but they will keep guests safe while they shower or sleep. This additional hotel security lock will help your guests feel more secure.
2. Update Surveillance Systems
Hotel video surveillance helps your staff keep your guests safe. Install cameras to monitor hallways, stairwells, elevators, entrances, etc. You should also install video surveillance around the parking lot to deter car thieves. Make sure someone watches the security footage 24 hours a day.
Consider installing software that monitors key card access. This software should monitor when guests use key cards and where, recording the time and location so staff members can cross-check with video surveillance.
3. Install Vaults and Safes
If you give guests a place to hide valuables, like laptops and documents, they will feel even safer. Put a safe or vault in each hotel room, and give each safe a different combination. Make sure you purchase sophisticated safes that resist hacking.
As long as you follow the tips above, your hotel and your guests will stay safe. You will gain a reputation for safety that will keep customers coming for years to come. Check out the rest of our blogs for more safety tips and contact BABB SECURITY SYSTEMS in Newfoundland for additional questions regarding hotel security and locks.