Change in the Management of Securities throughout Accommodation Property Post, 9/11, 2011
The essay aims at putting forward a discussion on Rooms Divisions Management in the context of security in hotel business. Until recently, guests made reservations in hotels without concerning much about its security. However, the recent spurt of terrorist activities in the hotels along with their media coverage has changed the attitude of the guest as well as the staffs towards the security measures undertaken. The hotel authorities now play a proactive role in determining the safety of both the guests and the employees. The essay puts forward a discussion on the role of Security Head on describing the change in the security management in the accommodation properties post the 9/11, 2001. The essay also discusses how the change led to the improvement of the safety and the employees, guests and the hotel facilities. The essay not only identifies but also describes four vital security issues confronting the industry. There are also recommendations put forward on the key security requirements for ensuring security measures. The essay ends with an explanation on how the security department will help in meeting the requirements.
Discussion:
Change in the Management of Securities throughout Accommodation Property Post, 9/11, 2011
The tragic incidents of 9/11 have become the turning point in determining the change in security management throughout the hospitality industry. Security has always been a key issue but post the 9/11 it has become one of the top most priority in the hospitality sector for ensuring the safety of not only the employees but also the staffs. Post 9/11 the hospitality industry considered the standards of security made of two key elements that include the physical safety attributes and the organizational plans and systems for ensuring safer operation (Chan & Lam, (2013). The physical safety attributes included installation of the specialized equipments along with the provision of the information and materials that outlined the security and the safety procedures (Laws & Prideaux, 2013). The organizational procedures and plans on the other hand included the employment and training of the security and safety professional in establishing procedures and plans relating to the security and the safety issues (Paraskevas, 2013).
The accommodation property post the tragic attack included higher quality personnel, good procedures and technology. In other words, hotels ensured security through installation of innumerable closed circuit camera, x-ray scanners and checkpoints. Most hotels have invested in technology at the sensitive spots of the guest room, safes that included complicated door locks and the doors between the rooms (Tarlow, 2014). The other sensitive areas of the hotel included the outdoor and the operational areas. The accommodation property therefore tried to incorporate an accurate concept that incorporated procedures, technology and personnel for producing the optimal security with minimum budget with sole aim of ensuring preventive security. However, some of the physical security measures included visible security that involved placing the personnel and camera in obvious areas. Such security measures included building landscape barriers thereby preventing the proximity of the vehicles from the building. As a security measure, the hotel industry also makes use of bulletproof glass that prevents them from shattering under an explosion. The hotels also make use of automatic locks for preventing the assailants from instantly making a move (Amblee, 2015).
Physical Safety Attributes and Organizational Plans for Ensuring Safer operation
As organizational procedures, the hotel industry trained the hotel staffs in dealing with the intelligence gatherers (Köseoglu & Okumus, 2016). Early detection of such operations would help in preventing the execution of the plan of terror attack on the hotel property. The hotel industry now provides a solution in terms of the execution and planning to deter any such attack. The hotel industry further trains their staffs in keeping their eyes and ears open and henceforth report any suspicious activity to security team. Any suspicious activities that calls for immediate action includes acting nervously and being too concerned with privacy, denial of entry of hotel staffs during extended stay and insistence on the cash payment. It also includes attempting to gain access to the private or the restricted areas, conducts surveillance of property including taking videos, picture and notes and walking around the vicinity of the hotel with the aim of observing various entrance and security technologies.
Ways in Which Security Changes Improved Safety for Guest, Employees and Hotel Facilities
The changes in the security system have improved the safety of the guests by ensuring investment in the information security that helps in securing the data of the hotel. Guests also ensured security by installing an access control system thereby allowing only the authorized individuals in accessing the amenities and rooms thereby not only keeping a tab on every entry and keeping the suspicious entries away(Rittichainuwat, 2013). Nowadays, hotels also protect customer data by complying with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI) that secures their confidential and network documents. Hotels also protect their guests through improved surveillance powered by biometric technologies, artificial intelligence and analytic algorithms (Kim, Farrish & Schrier, 2013).
The changes improved employee safety by providing staffs with the uniforms and providing them with the nametags. This helps in distinguishing between employees of the hotel from the other members (Chou, 2014). Staff security is ensured by properly training them in greeting guests and turning away someone suspicious. Safety is ensured by regularly evaluating and making changes. The security director should therefore ensure that the hallways and the stairwells are safe and well lit.
The changes in the security system improved the safety of the hotel facilities by installing closed circuit cameras in the strategic locations. Safety is ensured by hiring additional security staffs (Wu & Ko, 2013). Replacing and updating the locking system will ensure safety by allowing the hotel authorities in keeping a track of the entry and the exit.
Advantages of In house Versus Contract Security
The advantages of in house security over contract security lies in establishing procedures, policies and the appropriate training of the security staffs that helps them in tying with the objectives of the venue(Dupont, 2014). Another advantage of in-house security lies in the value addition opportunity for multi-skilling the security staff. This implies integration of operational, administrative, physical and electronic security skills that help in keeping staffs creative and motivated thereby eliminating the complacency and the performance issues.
The disadvantages of In house security versus contract security lay in additional cost that includes employee taxes, benefits and overtime, holiday pay, annual raises along with the supportive cost of recruitment, training, background checks, uniforms and equipment (Sennewald & Baillie, 2015). On the other hand, the contract security provides everything at steady cost. Another disadvantage of In house security is that the liability of company’s protection depends on the actions or inactions of the security officers during the emergencies. In contract security, however the liability of the company’s protection depends on the third party.
Implementation of Security Measures in Accommodation Property
The four major security issues facing the industry include information technology, terrorism, presence of the skimmers and the insurance and the liability fraud. Information Technology in hotel industry most represents the cloud and the mobile technology. In most cases, the mobile devices used remain unprotected and lacks a password (Jones, Hillier & Comfort, 2016). In fact, the usage of innumerable numbers of smart phones and laptops acts as gate away to the hackers and the other criminals. Terrorism is another issue for the hotel industry. Lack of security in the hospitality sector has led to various terrorist activities in the recent past. Hoteliers should therefore keep the travelers and the staffs alert alerted about any possible threats without scaring them (Jayawardena et al., 2013). Presence of skimmers are a new threat to the hotel industry since it is device that can catch the credit card numbers while the consumers use it for payment(Kim & Bernhard, 2014). The industry also faces security issues related to insurance and liability fraud. The insurance fraud happens to be costlier for the hotel industry. Insurance claims might include claims ranging from guests looking for free room to stub his /her toe in shower to the extreme cases that involved entanglements with the worker’s compensation. Liability refers to the acts where the hoteliers remain liable for acts that are criminal and carried out by third parties (Ronoh, 2017).
Recommendations for Basic Security Requirements for Monitoring Security Issues
It is recommended that the basic security requirements for monitoring the security issues should involve controlling the access. The hotel authorities should ensure authorized distribution of key and allowing access to only the registered guest. For ensuring the basic security requirements it is recommended to have a positioning of the security personnel at various intervals of the day. For example, positioning of security personnel at key access points during the off hours will not only ensure greeting people but also monitoring them closely thereby deterring the unauthorized personnel and the miscreants. It is also recommended that the management should also educate the guests about the security aspects without having a negative impacting their experience in the hotel. For example, the clerks of the front desk can inform guests about the security and safety regulations that might protect them from the potential threats of terrorism and other activities of threats. It is also recommended that to ensure advance notices that contain the basic tips concerning the usage of the smart phones, laptop safety and being alert in the public areas and are some of the examples for satisfying the security and safety of the customers. However the display of the safety and the security policies or rules at the appropriate places not only helps the management in creating awareness amongst guests but also enables the staffs in consulting it whenever necessary.
Role of the Security Department in Ensuring the Requirements
The security department ensures meeting the requirements by preventing criminals from causing any damage to the property through creating a subtly uncomfortable environment for them (AlBattat & Mat Som, 2013). They however do so by building entrances that involves brightly lighting up all the key entrances and allow side entrances at might only through the use of the card readers to enable the guests in passing main security check. The department also ensures that the hotel lobbies should remain visually open for employees sitting at the front desk. The security department also ensures that the keys to the guestrooms are changed automatically with the checking in of each new guest. The security department also ensures the addition of in house phoning facility thereby facilitating the guests to immediately make call if they feel intimidated by the presence of someone. The department also ensures adding enough lighting to the entrances and walkways and also direct traffic for indentifying any deterrent. Besides, they also restrict the entry to hotel grounds. However, landscaping like the shrubbery and the hedges are created aesthetically for pleasing the barriers and promoting the desired flow of the pedestrian and the traffic. To meet the security requirements there should be limited entry to parking facilities with marked routes for travel. Garages have a open structure that encourages clear visibility. They also make sure that the elevators and the stairwells connecting the garage and the hotel ends at lobby and a different set of elevators and stairs leads to the floors of the guestroom. They also make sure that the garages include enough closed circuit cameras and installed call boxes for dealing with emergency.
Ways in Which Security Changes Improved Safety for Guest, Employees and Hotel Facilities
Conclusions:
On a concluding note, it can be said that, hotels soft target as their business model depends on the continuous flow of the people for generating revenue. These people include the conference attendees, guests, and the patrons at the bars and the bars and the restaurant. The essay thus portrays that hotels must ensure enough security measures to deal with the threats it experiences. It is however important for the authorities to determine the kind of threats a hotel industry can experience and determine measures accordingly. The essay portrays how the accommodation sector has improved its security measures for ensuring the safety of its guests, staff and the hotel facilities. The essay has also made it clear that the key to deal with a threat is not to act blindly but to face it with a proper security plan. This will help in effectively dealing with any security threat that the industry experiences.
References:
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