How Hotel Safety and Security Positively Boosts Your Bottom Line

Trackforce

February 11, 2020 · 6 min read

Hospitality industry BLOG 2 February 2020

Most of us have seen security guards on a hotel property at some point during our travels. Some of us might have even had a reason (good or bad) to interact with them. But, have you ever stopped to think about just how important hotel safety and security teams really are to the hospitality industry? As it turns out, the day-to-day security operations of a hotel are what makes the hotel function at its prime.

A CNN study showed that travelers rank safety and security as their number 1 concern when it comes to choosing travel destinations. That finding alone makes it clear why hotel safety and security is a vital component to a hotel’s operation. But let’s dive a little deeper and look at the top 3 reasons why safety and security are essential for the hospitality industry.

Key takeaways

Safety is a booking factor, not an afterthought.
Travellers rank safety and security as their first concern when choosing a destination, which puts it upstream of rate, amenities and loyalty programmes.
Visible patrols do two jobs at once.
Presence deters opportunistic threats, and active patrolling catches small issues before they escalate into dangerous ones.
Staff safety sits in the same equation as guest safety.
Hospitality turnover runs around 73 percent annually, and staff who do not feel protected are part of why.
Owners and investors carry the same risk.
Documented security is part of protecting the asset, not just the guest experience, which is why it belongs in owner reporting.
The return shows up as repeat business.
Guests who feel safe return and recommend, which is the most direct line between security spend and revenue a hotel has.

Guest Safety Determines Return and Recommendation Rate

We’ve already mentioned that safety and security are the number 1 concern for guests when booking a vacation. Guests feel safe before booking a stay at a property.

Security personnel accomplish this in several ways. By actively patrolling a property’s grounds, parking lots, restaurants, and lobby areas, potential threats can be identified quickly and dealt with accordingly. Guests will also appreciate the mere presence of guards around the property and the sense of security it provides.

Quickly identifying and handling potential threats is a vital part of hospitality security because it can prevent minor issues from escalating into more dangerous situations. As for the guests being aware of the security presence, the benefit is substantial. If they feel safe, they’re more likely to return to the property, as well as recommend it to fellow travelers.

A Safe Staff Upholds Holistic Security Measures

When it comes to hotel safety and security, it’s not just the guests that are a concern. A hotel property also employs a good deal of staff members. Those employees also need to feel safe and secure.

Guards provide that safety and security to staff members in many of the same ways as the guests. Their presence alone is often enough to deter any potential security threats. Guards may also escort staff members to their vehicles at night or remove unruly guests from hotel property.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the hospitality industry has an annual turnover rate of 73% – one of the highest in any industry. In a job where there’s a chance staff members may leave, the last thing you want is for them to feel unsafe while at work. A holistic safety and security program can help minimize that risk.

Investors and Shareholders Can Have Peace Of Mind

It’s not just the guests and staff members who are concerned with safety and security at a hotel property. There’s also a long list of investors and shareholders who are relying on those tourist dollars. If a property is viewed as unsafe, the word will get around and those dollars aren’t likely to come.

Hotel safety and security are two of the most important factors guests consider when booking a stay at a property. The presence of security personnel and the daily duties guards perform during their rounds will keep most of those safety concerns at bay. A holistic security solution will allow supervisors to pull detailed reports on guard activity to show shareholders exactly what they’re getting for their money. Smart security officer training will ensure that shareholders can rest easy knowing that every guard on the payroll is meeting the high standards necessary to protect the business.

Frequently Asked Questions

It does, mostly through return and recommendation rates. Travellers rank safety and security as their number one concern when choosing where to stay, so a guest who feels secure is measurably more likely to come back and to recommend the property. Security also reduces the incident costs and liability that quietly erode margin.

They patrol grounds, parking areas, restaurants and lobbies, identify potential threats early, and handle issues before they escalate. Much of the value is preventative and therefore invisible, which is the reason properties struggle to evidence it without a system recording the activity.

The hospitality industry runs an annual turnover rate of roughly 73 percent, among the highest of any industry. Staff who feel exposed at work leave sooner, and every departure carries recruitment and training cost, so protecting employees is a retention measure as much as a safety one.

By capturing the work rather than describing it. Trackforce records patrols, checkpoint coverage and incidents with timestamps and location, then turns that into reporting owners and insurers can review. That converts a preventative programme into evidence rather than an assurance.

Verifiable activity above all. Ask how patrols are logged, how incidents are documented, and what reporting the owner receives without having to request it. Providers running on Trackforce can answer all three with records rather than assurances, which is the practical difference at renewal.