Save the Date!
Hospitality Loss Prevention Seminar
Orlando, FL
April 4, 2008
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“Negligence and Reasonable Care” - What is your responsibility to employees and guests?
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“Credit Card Theft & Fraud” - Do you know how your credit card company can help?
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“Workplace hazards” - Are your employees trained to identify workplace hazards, including needles, bed bugs, viruses and pathogens?
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“Improve property safety” – What are the latest crime trends?
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“Environmental issues” – What do you and your employees need to be aware of to ensure customer satisfaction?
The Conference will be held at:
Rosen College of Hospitality Management
9907 Universal Blvd.
Orlando, Florida 32819
407.903.8000
Register here
Conference Schedule
Have a suggestion for the Conference?
Post it here! |
DHS Powerpoint Available For Your Information
Fire FAQs
Our thanks to Ed Comeau, writer-tech.com of Belchertown, MA, for the Frequently Asked Questions compilation now available through the support of Richard Taylor. He has pulled together “FAQs” from both U.S. Fire Administration
(USFA) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) sources. It is a Google document which means you can either link to it or have the option of embedding it into your website. Please see the embed code at the end of the newsletter.
Since it is an online document, it can be changed and updated easily. If embedded, changes will be automatically reflected on the website. Either format provides a significant source for the development or fire protection information for the property, the staff and as an off-the-job safety support. |
Another Crib Recall
On February 28th, the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Munire Furniture, Inc. of Piscataway, N.J./Sussex Cribs and Captiva Cribs recalled approximately 24,000.
Majestic Curved Top (Model #9600) and Majestic Flat Top Cribs (Model #9000), Essex Cribs (#7100), Brighton/Sussex Cribs (Model #9100) and Captiva Cribs (Model # 5100). The cribs fail to meet the standards for cribs. The four support brackets on the mattress support spring are too long. The brackets prevent the spring from lowering to the full 26 inch minimum height in its lowest position, allowing the children inside to crawl over the railing, posing a falling hazard.
The cribs were manufactured in Indonesia between November 1, 2006 and November 1, 2007. In order to save space you are requested to call 1 (866)
586-9639 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on week days or go to www.munirefurniture.com for detailed information should you have purchased any of the above named cribs.
A reminder to maintain a full preventative maintenance program on all cribs. Be sure the mattress fits tightly and all parts are secured and finials or other possible dangerous structural features are eliminated. Inter-space on all upright structural members should not exceed four inches.
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Stephen Barth, Founder of HospitalityLawyer.com, Challenges the Industry to Go Non-Smoking
To see a humorous, unique perspective on smoking,
watch this video.
Also read Stephen Barth's Blog and his
Challenge to the Hospitality Industry to Be Non-Smoking
Finally, please vote in our
Poll Question
Do you support a nation-wide ban on smoking in restaurants and hotels?
Vote Now
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This poll is not scientific and reflects the opinions of only those Internet users who have chosen to participate. The results cannot be assumed to represent the opinions of Internet users in general, nor the public as a whole. |
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Media Again Focuses on the Lodging Industry
by Ray Ellis, Jr.
Director, LPMI
Over the years, the media has presented incidents via hidden cameras where we have failed to properly serve our guests. We have recently urged you to carefully review the sanitation practices as they relate to cups, glasses and mugs in the guest room. Cleaning of the toilet and other surfaces in the bathroom were also matters for correction. Fox News showed hidden camera coverage of housekeeping performance which was in violation of training and standard operating procedures for the lodging industry. Unfortunately, this “sting” pointed out a breakdown in training, re-training and supervision.
Fox News has “dusted off” another “sting” which has haunted the industry for years. With hidden cameras an unregistered individual, posing as a guest, will approach the front desk or an employee in the vicinity of the guest room and claim to have left the key-card in the room. All too often the individual is permitted entry to a room where access should be denied.
This was a “sting” used in the past by ABC, CBS and NBC when the industry was still using the metal keys. Key-cards have been issued without proper identification at the front desk. Other scenarios involve bell staff, room attendants and even security officers and, in one instance, a general manager who was “just trying to be helpful.”
Prioritize re-training on the issuance of key-cards with ALL employees having access to guest rooms. In addition to those mentioned, there are engineers, room service and a variety of other associates who may have assignments necessitating access to guest rooms. Be sure all are covered in the re-training and make it a critical part of training for new staff members. Supervisors should provide reminders from time to time and recognize staff members who have properly directed the guest claiming loss of a key-card or a key-card left in the guest room to the front desk. There, the front desk staff must obtain positive identification of the guest and provide access to the proper guest room. When a guest claims the only identification is in the room, have a security officer accompany the individual to the room and permit access to confirm the proper identification. When provided, the key-card may be given to the guest.
Special consideration must be given to the communication problems between room attendants and guests. For years your author has urged the room be serviced with the door closed. One major lodging organization has a magnetic back sign which is placed on the door while the room attendant is in the room. It advises the guest to use the key-card for access to the room. This confirms the fact of a “key-card carrying guest.” The possibility of the person having illegal access to the card is not a problem to be resolved by a room attendant. It also avoids the “sting” which has been used in the past where the guest knocks on the door and indicates an urgent need to use the bathroom or to obtain an item from the room. While an obvious solution would be for the room attendant to close the door to protect the guest and guest’s possessions and have the guest use the key-card to permit legitimate entry. The above referenced communication challenges would make this an unlikely resolution.
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"Product Showcase"
Brent Johnson
Chief Auditor
Traction Auditing, LLC.
(817) 230-4004
PO Box 92462
Southlake, TX 76092
Traction Auditing, LLC is an independent, third party walkway testing company which provides on-site slip resistance testing of hard surface floors. Founded in 2006 by a leading Orthopedic Surgeon, the mission of Traction Auditing is to provide clients a scientific approach to analyzing the slip resistance of walkways and determine if they are in compliance with all national, state and local standards. Traction Auditing is uniquely qualified to provide both third-party independent evaluation as well as providing real-world solutions to specific walkway safety hazards.
All of Traction Auditing’s personnel have a comprehensive level of training and have been certified by the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI). Traction Auditing employs the use of state-of-the art robotic testing equipment which has the highest level of accuracy and reproducibility as defined by the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM). |
"What's New at HospitalityLawyer.com"
Partnership Creates On-Line Loss Prevention Tools for the Hospitality Industry
Industry-wide data share and case management system delivers proactive solutions for companies of all sizes
Houston, TX and Plainview, NY (Feb. 08, 2008)—HospitalityLawyer.com (HL.com) and Enabl-u Technologies Corporation (Enabl-u) announced today a partnership to develop two on-line tools enabling the hospitality industry to communicate incident and investigation data and utilize a robust case management solution.
Hospitality LP DataShare (HLP!-DS) is an on-line data sharing platform enabling hospitality companies to communicate important data relating to serious property incidents involving theft and criminal activity. HLP!-DS provides hospitality companies an opportunity to analyze and compare risk activity and incident details between locations and across geographic areas, allowing them to better protect their customers, employees, assets and brands.
Read more about Hospitality LP Data Share
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