CU-Bsc TTM-Loss & Prevention in Hospitality Management-Completed SLM (1)

 Do not bring and accumulate cylinders in kitchen (Hostel and canteen) concerned authorities please instruct to respective mess and canteen contractor/worker. In Case of a Leakage:  Do not panic and calm your mind.  Do not turn on or turn off any electrical appliances in the kitchen if you think that there is a leak.  Put out all flames, lights, incense sticks etc.  Shut down the appliance and turn off the LPG regulator.  Immediately put on the Safety Cap on the cylinder after the regulator is switched off.  Keep all the windows and doors open to ensure ventilation. But do not switch on electric fans or exhaust fans for this purpose.  Get in touch with your dealer at the earliest. Gas Bottle & Cylinder Fire Sound the alarm and call the firefighting services. Evacuate all personnel, except those necessary to deal with the emergency, from the danger area (particularly if in path of any cloud). In case of a leak with fire  A small fire from a bottle may be smothered with a wet cloth or dry powder extinguisher, ONLY if it is possible to stop the leak.  Cool with water any adjacent cylinder, which cannot be moved to a safe place.  Always approach any fire or leak from upwind and using all protection available. It is best to control gas fires and not to extinguish them until the sources are cut off. Due regard should be taken of the possibility of exploding bottles and jets of flame from relief valves. Responding To Fire Heat and toxic smoke from fire build up with surprising speed, quickly blocking escape paths. Few people are burned to death in fires; most die from smoke inhalation. Taking fire alarms seriously and exiting buildings quickly are essential to your survival. SAFETY TIP: The first priority in responding to a fire is preservation of life. No one is obliged to fight a fire. Fire Extinguisher Operation  Remove the fire extinguisher from its supporting bracket carefully; extinguishers are surprisingly heavy. The lower handle on the valve will support the extinguisher when carried.  Remove the pin from the handle by pulling the ring, breaking the plastic tamper-evident seal. 51

 Aim the nozzle at the base of the flames, squeeze the handles together, and sweep the nozzle slowly from side to side, across the width of the flames until the fire is extinguished or the extinguisher is empty. You may repeatedly start and stop the flow of the extinguisher by squeezing and releasing the top handle.  If a fire is not successfully controlled with one extinguisher, you should leave immediately. Inform to the Campus security and Safety wing, even if you successfully extinguish the fire. Compatibility of Extinguishers and Fires Dry chemical Powder (DCP) extinguishers are safe and effective against all ordinary types of fires). Pressurized water extinguishers are effective only against ordinary combustibles, such as paper, wood, fabric, trash, etc. They must never be used on flammable liquid/oil fires or fires involving live electrical circuits. Carbon dioxide extinguishers shaped black nozzle, no pressure gauge work only against flammable liquid fires and are safe to use around live electrical circuits. They will not extinguish fires involving ordinary combustibles and must be discharged within about 3 feet of flames to be effective. Helping a Person with Clothing or Hair on Fire \"Stop, Drop and Roll\":  You must immediately get the person flat on the ground. Do not allow her or him to run.  Extinguish the flames by rolling the person on the ground. A jacket or blanket may be used to help smother the flames if immediately available.  Seconds count. Do not waste time looking for an extinguisher or water source.  Douse the person with water as soon thereafter as possible. Do not attempt to remove burned clothing.  Call Campus security and fire Safety wing. 3.3.3 Death of an In-House Guest in the Hotel: Whenever information comes regarding the death of an in-house guest the Front Office Manager should be reported directly who informs the General Manager and the Security Manager. Later on, the police authority is even told, and the hotel doctor is summoned to confirm the death of the guest. The residential address of the guests is also identified, and the relatives are informed. Once the doctor has confirmed the death and the police has given the permission the dead body is removed by the help of a stretcher. In the meanwhile, if the deceased guest was under some other doctor consultation, then that doctor is also enquired. 52

A death certificate is also prepared, and a report is prepared to mention the time, room number and other details related to the deceased guest. The guest room is locked and sealed and after the permission and clearance of police the room is opened, and spring cleaned and can be resold again after the approval of the local authority. SOP for Handling Death and Medical Emergency In Hotels.  The hotel emergency team members should consist of the Duty Manager, Security Manager or Supervisor, Front Office Manager, Manager on Duty and the General Manager.  A health emergency is defined as any situation when guests or staff’s life is at risk e.g.: Cardiac Arrest, Respiratory Arrest, Unconscious Individual or any Conscious Person in Acute Distress.  As the first point of contact, the Telephone operator / Guest service agent should check with the guest what problem he is facing.  If the guest service team is being the first who received the call, inform the operator to contact Security and rush to the scene.  Take down the caller’s name, room number or location of the scene, type of sickness or injury and inform the Front Office Manager or Duty manager immediately.  If the guest requires hospitalization then an ambulance is to be called, or alternatively, a hotel vehicle may be offered depending upon the situation/condition of the guest.  The hotel staffs should Stay with the guest or injured person till the arrival of the Emergency Unit.  In case guest request to call a doctor (doctor on call) then the standard procedure should be followed.  In case of a serious medical emergency, the Manager on Duty should act as the leader of the medical emergency team.  The Security Manager must be immediately notified and should be present to access the situation.  The First aid trained staff should attempt to stabilize the victim with the assistance of the Security Team / Manager while the ambulance is being called.  A wheelchair should be placed on standby if required, and the Security Supervisor / Manager will arrange for an elevator to carry out the evacuation. 53

 As per the hotel policy, the ambulance will be directed to arrive either via the Employee Entrance or to the hotels emergency exit.  All medical emergencies must be logged onto the Hotel log, Security Log and Front office daily log. 3.3.4 Accident Emergency Situation: Accidents can take place in the hotels at any point of time due to faulty stairs, ramps, and balconies and even due to the parking places. The hotels should ensure that handrails, the non- slip surface should be used while framing the architecture plan for the hotels. 3.3.5 Lost and found: This is a term used in hotel parlance to refer to any item which is left by the guest or temporarily misplaced by the guest but traced later by the hotel staff. Such articles to be handed over to the housekeeping department which maintained a special locker for this purpose. If the item belongs to the guest who has already checked out, then a letter has to be sent to the forwarding address left by the guest while checkout or which is there in the registration card. If no reply is received by the hotel within a certain time limit, that may be auctioned to the hotel employees or take a decision as per the hotel policies and rules.  An item left behind by guest either in the room or in public area identified by any staff and brought under the notice of Housekeeping is termed as “Lost and Found” item.  There should be one dedicated location to receive lost and found items whether it is found in guestrooms, meeting rooms, public area or restaurants.  The lost items must be secured in a locked closet or area that has highly restricted access.  Employees are instructed to bring items to lost and found area, with valuables receiving immediate attention.  All items received to be recorded in a lost and found register.  All items regardless whether it is valuable, non-valuable items and perishable items must be recorded on the Lost and found register.  Items should be put in a plastic bag noting the serial number from the register, place found, date, name of the person found the item etc. 54

 Valuable items like Jewelry, mobile, wallets, laptops, iPad etc. must be stored in a locker.  If the Property management system has Auto trace functionality, then put a trace on the guest profile stating the there is a lost item held with the housekeeping department.  Send Email to the guest to notify the guest about the lost item (as per the hotel policy)  When guest calls up the hotel to ask about the lost item, only the person who maintains the lost and found register should revert to the call.  Once the item is sent to the guest / collected by the guest authorized person an appropriate entry to be made on the system. Sample lost and found register: Fig.3.1 Lost and Found Report The lost and found items are classified as follows: Valuable items. Non valuable items. 55

Perishable items. Valuable items: One separate Register is maintained for Valuable lost and found items and the items are kept in a safe Deposit Locker. Valuable items are kept for a period of six months ( as per the hotel policy), If there is no response from the guest, auction is to be conducted. Non valuable items: These category items are kept for three months in safe custody after making necessary entries. If there is no response from the looser till the time, these items are to be disposed off. Eg: To be distributed to the finder. Perishable items: Perishable nature lost and found items are kept for three days. In case of any quarry and need to keep further is to be done accordingly. 3.3.6 Theft Emergency Situation: The front desk is having cash with them so there is also the possibility of theft. Also, there are belongings of in-house guest. To discourage theft, the front office should inform the guest to deposit their valuables in the safety deposit locker. 3.3.7 Illness and Epidemics Emergency Situation: In case of death of a person on the premises, the lobby manager and security should immediately be informed, usually by the housekeeping. • The FOM or Resident Manager and the GM must be informed. The hotel doctor would be required to confirm the death. • The room’s air conditioning or central heating would be switched off and the room sealed to prevent entry of unauthorized personnel. • The hotel will locate the residential address of the guest and inform his relatives, etc. a death certificate should be taken from the doctor. • In all circumstances, especially doubtful circumstances, the police will need to be called for further investigations. 56

• When allowed by the doctor or police, the body will be removed. -To avoid needless unpleasantness from spreading amongst the guests the body is removed through the service elevator and back-of-the- house. Operations and Management Safety and security: Importance and methods of protecting people and assets • Staff should be instructed not to gossip needlessly with other employees or guests. • An incident report should be prepared covering the details of the occurrence of death- time, room number, steps taken, etc. • In case there is luggage and other belongings of the guest, these should be collected, a list prepared and the items placed in the luggage room with a note and the signature of the person performing this activity must be recorded as well. The incident report should be submitted to the management. Remember: • Do not enter the room alone-always take the lobby manager and security officer with you. • In case you know that the deceased guest was under the treatment of a specific doctor, that doctor should be called and not the hotel doctor. • Do not disturb or touch anything before the arrival of the police • it may be a murder or a suicide. GAS LEAKAGE The street maintenance crew outside your building got a little carried away with the backhoe and ruptured a natural gas pipe. The nature of most gases is that they are just a bit heavier than air, so they travel along at ground level with the wind. That means the gas comes through open doors and windows, through air intake vents, and any nooks and crannies in the building. Other gases in your neighbourhood, or traveling through your neighbourhood, will act very similarly and require an evacuation. Here are the procedures to follow: 1. Notify the fire department. They should respond to your fire command area unless it is in the danger area. 2. Do not allow anyone to smoke in the immediate area. 3. Evacuate guests and employees to a place that is upwind or even on a higher floor, depending on the gas direction of travel. 57

4. You may have to set up a triage area to treat persons with difficulty breathing or other signs of exposure until local emergency medical personnel get organized. You should have oxygen with your AED (automatic external defibrillator) equipment. Bring it and use it generously. 3.3.8 Vandalism: The front office staff must call the hotel security and order the main door to be locked. If the situation gets out of the hand, then the security manager should call the police immediately. 3.3.9 Damage to property by the resident guest: The front office cashier is instructed to raise a charge for the value of the damages to property, a responsible guest will never argue but if he does the subject to be referred to the general manager. 3.3.10 Handling Drunken Guest: A drunken guest may disturb another guest. In order to avoid this, the drunken guest should be escorted to an isolated area like a back office. Hotel staff should calmly handle the situation by following the SOP for Handling drunken guests SOP for Handling drunken guests • Do your best to deal with each situation without putting yourself at risk. • Act politely. • Always stay calm. • Don’t argue with the intoxicated guest. • Don’t embarrass the guest, especially in front of other people. • Deal with the situation in a calm, friendly way. • Speak to the person directly, and firmly explain that what they are doing is unacceptable. • Listen and empathize with your guest. • Acknowledge your guest’s anger or frustration, but also remind them that you are responsible for their safety and don’t want to see them get hurt. • Invite the problem guest to an area away from other guests, where you can talk. • Talk softly and lead him away from the public area. 58

• Point out that if they were sober, they would agree that what they are doing is a bad idea. • If the drunk guest is behaving rudely then the last option should be to call the security officer but try and handle the situation very calmly. • The duty manager or the immediate supervisor should take the drunken guest away from the reception/front desk area. • Make the guest realize that this is not the right way to talk and then acting very calmly and talking very politely with him the supervisor can escort him to his room • The manager can also indulge the guest in some other thoughts and just keep the guest calm and as soon as possible send him back to his room. • If the guest has come to a restaurant or bar and if you decide to ask this person to leave, remember that you are still responsible for their safety (call a cab, get someone to drive them home, or if the situation gets out of control – call the security officer or police). 3.4 SUMMARY  One of the important features of any hotel is the safety and security provided to the guests.  Any hotel losing reputation because of security breach takes years to attract guests back to the property.  To have secure environment, the hotel has a full-fledged department of safety and security.  Safety and security of any hotel revolves around guest, employees and the assets of the property.  To control over the same, the security department takes care of all aspects related to safety and security of hotel.  The hotel has to ready for any natural calamity or crime, theft, fire, emergency, etc due to human involvement or faults.  In case an accident happens in spite of taking all precautions, the employees should know the procedure to be followed and the first aid to be administered. 59

3.5 KEYWORD  Hazards- a material, substance, or action that increases the likelihood of an accidental fire occurring \"the large number of dead trees poses a fire hazard\"  BCF extinguishers-Bromochlorodifluoromethane (BCF), also referred to by the code numbers Halon 1211 and Freon 12B1, is a haloalkane with the chemical formula CF2ClBr. It is used for fire suppression, especially for expensive equipment or items that could be damaged by the residue from other types of extinguishers  Vandalism- action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property \"an act of mindless vandalism\"  OHSMS- Occupational Safety and Health Management System  Firefighting- he action or process of extinguishing fires, as a person's job. The practice of dealing with problems as they arise rather than planning strategically to avoid them. 3.6 LEARNING ACTIVITY 3. Define lost and found. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 4. Write down the classes of fire? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 3.7 UNIT END QUESTIONS A. Descriptive Questions Short Questions: 1. Differentiate between safety and security. 2. Name some firefighting equipment’s. 3. Classify the types of fire. 4. What is first aid? Write a short note on first aid box? 5. What is the Holger Nielson method? 60

Long Questions: 1. What is the procedure to be followed in case a guest meets with an accident in the hotel? 2. What are the steps to be taken by an employee in a fire emergency? 3. What crucial steps should the housekeeping department take to prevent a terrorist attack on the hotel premises? 4. What steps need to be taken to reduce employee and guest theft? 5. How would you deal with sickness and death in a hotel? B. Multiple Choice Questions 1. Dry Chemical such as BC or ABC extinguishers should not be used on fires involving: a. Inflammable Gas b. Inflammable Liquid c. Combustible Solid d. Combustible Metal 2. The _______ is the number of square feet of floor area required per occupant: a. Exit capacity b. Exit Discharge c. Occupant Load d. Travel distance 3. Industrial safety management is that branch of management which is concerned with _______ hazards from the industries: a. Reducing b. Controlling c. Eliminating d. All of the above 4. Flammable liquids having flash point 23°C and above but below 65°C is _______ liquid: a. Class A b. Class B c. Class C d. None of the above 61

5. All static water tanks for firefighting shall normally be located within _______ of the risk to be protected: a. 60 meter b. 100 meter c. 120 meter d. 150 meter Answers 1-c, 2-c, 3-d. 4-b, 5-b 3.8 REFERENCES References book  Hotel housekeeping third edition ,G.Ragubalan.  Hospitality Security: Managing Security in Today’s Hotel, Lodging ...By Darrell Clifton. Textbook references  Hotel housekeeping third edition ,G.Ragubalan. Website  https://www.slideshare.net/KalamKhadka/hotel-security-38680372  https://images.app.goo.gl/egccxqzWd432uQtF9  https://bngkolkata.com/safety-security/  https://lodgingmagazine.com/lock-it-down-hotel-security-trends/ 62

UNIT –4.GENERAL HOTEL SECURITY-I STRUCTURE 4.0 Learning Objectives 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Time office duties 4.3 Key and key control 4.4 Accident 4.5 In room safe box 4.6 Summary 4.7 Keywords 4.8 Learning Activity 4.9 Unit End Questions 4.10 References 4.0LEARNING OBJECTIVES After reading this unit the students will be able to:  Understand Safety, Security and its types and significance  Know the best practices of accident prevention  Understand about keys and key control  To know about time office duties and responsibilities  Understand the term accident and types of accidents in hotel 4.1 INTRODUCTION Safety and security is the major concern among all the living creature of this universe. The safety and security does not confined to life only but it also emphasizes on job, health and 63

environment. When we think for safety and security especially in hotels, automatically it comes on the part of tourists. As we know tourism is a recreational activity in which a tourist leaves his/her home to a distant place and safety and security is a major challenge for him/her. At this (new and unfamiliar) place he/she has to stay somewhere so that he/she can feel safe. Thus, some short of means of shelter is required to keep himself/herself safe from unforeseen circumstances. The moto of hospitality industry emphasizes that Guest is God and the God should be provided safety and security. The guests coming to the hotel must be given safe and secure environment so that their stay must be comfortable and enjoyable and over all the hotels are gaining monetary benefit from those guests. It is the moral and ethical responsibility of the hotels to protect guests from any mishap leading to their death and loss of baggage. The hotels are also aware that if they fail in providing safety and security to guests, the bad reputation tag will be tagged and it will affect their business in many folds. It has also been seen that hotel keeps on hiding the information of some eminent person/ VVIP/ celebrities movement in their premises because it will create chaos and hamper the smooth functioning of the hotel. It is a good practice to not disclose the identity of such persons and hotels are doing just to provide such guests an environment where such persons can feel safe and secure. 4.2 TIME OFFICE \"TIME OFFICE\" is a place in the Premises of a hotel where every workman is required to appear for Marking his Attendance before and after his duty each day in the manner Prescribed from time to time by the Management. In most Time Office (TO) is kept & maintained for keeping Attendance Register, In & Out register., Movement Register etc., to enable the employees to sign in Attendance register etc., on arrival, while departing etc., Some Cos. keep Time Office near to the main gate or entry place; so that the employees will sign in the Register before going to allotted works spots. Some Cos. Keep T.O. & Security Office in the same place for better coordination with Security. In continuous process for hotel which work for 24 hrs in 3 shift, HR Staff will supervise the General shift while the Security will supervise B & C Shifts to reduce man power. HR Staff & Security together will monitor employees movement. Even where Punching system, Bio-metric is installed for recording In & Out Times of employees, it is kept at the T.O. cum S.O. for better supervision while entering & leaving the hotel premises. Most hotel exhibits Important Acts like hotel Act, S.O.Act, etc., Working Hours, Notices, Office Orders Circulars, Holiday List etc., on the Notice Boards kept in the Time Office so that the employees get important information attending T.O.,and comply with them. 64

4.3 KEY & KEYCONTROL Key control in hotel is essential to the security of a lodging property. Guestroom Security locks can be a critical aspect of guest protection. Control of guest room keys is one of the cornerstones of what hotels must do in order to provide safety to their guests. The guestroom doors and windows must be fortified to prevent forced entry. Innkeepers, have an obligation to take reasonable care of their guests so that they will be safe in their rooms from intrusions by people who may have room keys. Installation of burglar proof door locking system and effective Key and key control procedure is to be followed by the hotel to ensure guestroom safety against theft. All keys whether metal or electronic should be adequately controlled. There are many types of Locks currently available but even if the hotel buys the most secured or expensive one and they do not follow proper key controlling procedures then this will easily get into the hands of criminals. Fig 4.1 Keys Following are some types of Locks used in hotels: 1. Locks with the key channel in the knob. 2. Standard mortise locks, which generally include a face plate with the knob, a separate key channel on the corridor side of the door, and a dead bolt unit on the guestroom side of the door. 3. Mortise locks with programmable cylinders for easy changed key combinations. 4. Mortise locks with removable cores. 65

5. Electronic locks with random selection of new key combinations for each guest. 6. Electronic Number combination Locks. 7. Biometrics Locks. (Finger Print, Retina Scanner etc.) A number of systems have been introduced to add to the re-key and core change capabilities of guestroom lock sets. As a security reason hotels are now having locks which are integrated to the dead bolt, so that turning the knob will automatically release the dead bolt as well as the basic latch. Electronic Key card locks provides an effective method for \"locking out\" cards previously issued and allowing admission to only the current guest. Electronic card systems may also employ a touch-pad system in which a special code is established for each guest during his or her stay. This usually requires a guest to enter a sequence of numbers known only to the guest in order to enter the guestroom. And when the guest check’s out control sequence of the prior guest is cancelled automatically and the lock set receives the communication to accept the new combination. A variety of electronic systems is available; most include one or more of the following elements: A mortise lock integrated with an electronic card reader. A card key which either communicates with the front desk computer or permits Entry or which is compatible with the permission-level within the microchip in the lock set unit in the guestroom door. This establishes entrance capability either at the time the card key is being produced or upon introduction to the door lock. A computer terminal at the front desk or adjacent area which produces the card. Key and selects the code which will permit entry by a new card key and will reject all prior units issued for that room. A computer capable of providing millions of combinations for entrance to a guestroom. A battery source and/or hard-wired system for energizing the lock system. Touch-pad system The capability of \"timing\" the card so it no longer functions as of a set time, such as upon check-out. Different types of Keys 66

To open guest room doors hotels use two types of keys, which are: 1. Old Conventional keys or Hard/Metallic keys 2. Electronic card Keys Old Conventional keys or Hard/Metallic keys: These are the keys which are in use since ages. These keys are found only in small hotels. In this system the key fits into a keyhole in a lock; preset tumblers inside the lock are turned by designated keys. The key is issued to the guest when room is assigned to him by the receptionist. Key is handed over to the guest by keeping the key in the key card or Key jacket. Key card/jacket is a kind of envelope to place key. It contains information like guest name, his room number, date of arrival, date of departure and about facilities of the hotel and the guest is requested to sign the card. Whenever a guest wishes to go out of the hotel, he deposits the room key at the information desk. And, when he comes back to collect his room key, he is requested to produce his key card so that the key is handed over to the authorized person after verifying his signature. At the time of departure, the guest has to return the room key at the information counter and required to obtain a clearance. This system is less expensive at the time of initial purchase but regular maintenance and rekeying of lock tumblers demand high budget as these are important and necessary part of preventive maintenance plan. 67

Fig 4.2 Key rack Hotels are using old conventional keys system should consider following policies to provide safety and security to their guests 1. Room keys must not have any form of tag which identifies the hotel or key blank which is particularly unique among the surrounding area's hotels. No key tag at all is preferred. 2. Keys must not have the room number on them. Keys must be identified by a numeric or alpha code. Explain to the guest that the coding system is for their protection. That code cannot, in any way, directly correspond to the building or room numbers. 3. When keys are given to guests at registration the guest's room number must not be said aloud if there are others in hearing range. 4. Guests should be asked for their room keys at checkout by the Guest Service Agents (GSAs). Hotel employees, particularly Housekeeping and Bell staff, who see guests who are obviously in the process of leaving the hotel for the final time (taking their 68

luggage out), should ask guests if they have returned their room key. This is also a good time to thank them for staying with you and make other pleasantries. 5. Room attendants and others who find keys in guest rooms or elsewhere should place them in their pockets or in the locked key boxes provided, not on their carts where they are accessible to others, and handover them to their supervisor to be returned to the Front Desk. 6. All section masters, room masters, grand masters and emergency masters, (normally kept in a safety box) should be signed out each time they are taken and their return noted. All of the keys should be stamped \"DO NOT DUPLICATE.\" Employees who carry these keys should be spot checked to insure they have them on their person. The inspection is logged in the front office log. 7. A record must be kept of how many keys are made for each room and when they are made. This record must be reviewed on a weekly basis by the General Manager. The General Manager must initial and date the key making log each time s/he reviews it. 8. If indicated something wrong as a result of this review, the General Manager must instruct the maintenance staff either to rekey the lock or to exchange room locks around within a housekeeping section in order to save the expense of rekeying the locks. Numbers on keys must be adjusted accordingly and overstamped until the old number is illegible and the new number stamped nearby if locks are swapped in a section. As a standard practice it is recommended that some locks in a section be moved quarterly. 9. A log must be kept of all lock swaps and rekeyings. 10.If a section master is lost under circumstances which may result in hotel guests being at risk, the entire section should be rekeyed. While rekeying a section consider also rekeying to a new grand master and emergency master so that you are in effect beginning a phased rekeying of the entire hotel. 11. If a master key or emergency key is lost under any circumstances it must be immediately reported to the Head of the Department followed by Security Manager or General Manager. After the circumstances are discussed, they can decide whether the entire hotel should be rekeyed. 69

12. As an additional step, the General Manager or somebody s/he delegates the responsibility to must cross index all incidents of theft, missing property, damage, etc. as follows: Room Number or Location. (Watch out for locks that have been moved.) Names of potentially implicated employees (usually more than one). You may discover that room thefts never occur when so and so is off or regardless of the room number so and so was working in maintenance or housekeeping. Remember, Hotel staff must do their best to protect guests by anticipating their potential problems and protect their business by taking \"reasonable and prudent care\" and documenting their actions over problems. Electronic Key cards: \"Key cards are considered one of the things that can help an establishment get a higher rating”. Electronic key cards are similar to ATM cards they have an attached magnetic strip that is coded by the check-in computer and read by the lock on the hotel room door. The card key is fed with the details of the guest such as guest name, room number, date of arrival and departure. Locks, in this system are equipped with the card reader and open only when the right card key code is matched. A whole new key, with a different code, is created for each room with every change of guest. The codes from the previous use are wiped out by the computer and replaced with a new pattern that is also sent electronically to the room lock. In this type of locking system guest need to deposit his key at the information desk while going out or during checkout from the hotel. The traditional mechanical locking hardware also provides a high level of security but it’s not as cost effective or efficient as Electronic Key cards. If a guest fails to remember to deposit his room key at the time of check-out at information desk, lock has to be re-keyed, and new key must be distributed and it costs high amount. Where as in case of electronic key cards if the card is lost or misplaced by the guest a new card is issued to him on his request which is when inserted to the lock, the old card and code will automatically get expired and the lock will get open with the help of new card key. The card keys are anonymous and easily changed, making it nearly impossible for a would-be burglar to pick up a card and break into a room. The card costs less amount and can be reused many times. Common systems consist of a computer, access control system software, and a database program to manage authorizations. The computer connects to data gathering panels located 70

in telephone rooms or at the door (this connection may be hardwired or routed via an Ethernet network). Each controlled access door is equipped with a card reader, an electric lock, a door position switch, and a request to-exit device. These devices are wired to the data-gathering panel to operate locks. Fig.4.3 Electronic key card Advantages of Electronic Access Control: Electronic access control systems offer many advantages over traditional key-based access control in terms of cost savings, increased security, and convenience, and they can be considered for any security upgrade plan. One of the biggest benefits to electronic access control is it mitigates the need for keys. Below mentioned are some advantages of card keys:  Convenient guest room access via a card vs. fumbling with keys.  High levels of security by tracking and controlling who has accessed (and when).  In the event of a break-in or a security question, the hotel has the \"ability to do a lock interrogation. 71

 They can run a report based on that particular lock and find out exactly which keys have been in that lock and when.\" Housekeeping and maintenance have master keys that will also show up on the report. Provides a log of valid and attempted entries through controlled access doors.  Mitigates the need for re-keying (a user’s access privileges can simply be turned off). Saves the cost of rekeying doors and the inconvenience of distributing new keys. The only drawback to the technological version of room security is demagnetization.  If an electronic key is carried too close to a magnet or other credit card, it can lose its code. \"If that happens, in that case guest needs to contact reception for getting his room key activated. Control of keys It is important for the Front desk to exercise a strict control on guest room keys for the safety and security of guests’ belongings. To ensure strict control over keys Front desk should adhere following points. Mail and Key Rack: To keep track on the room keys, mail and key rack must be used by the Front desk. The keys of occupied rooms should be with the guests while they are in the hotel. When guest goes out of the hotel, he should leave his room key at the information desk, who would keep it in the rack. The room keys of vacant or unoccupied rooms should be at the appropriate pigeon hole of the mail and key rack and if it is not there then the missing keys of the vacant rooms are tried to be located which could be with the housekeeping or bell desk. It is checked, and if not found needs to be entered in the report and details of missing keys list is made. There are times when a room key may be lost or a guest may forget to return the key while checking out of the hotel. In such cases room numbers are noted and tried to get in touch with the guest to get the room key back. If it does not work out in that case the door look must be changed immediately to prevent unauthorized access to the room. Key control sheet: Key control sheets are maintained by information desk employees in the night. In this sheet details of all guest room keys are entered such as keys of occupied rooms, vacant rooms and details of missing keys. So that if there is any kind of discrepancy needs to be investigated and corrected immediately. 72

Fig.4.4 Key Control Sheet  Collection of Room keys: At the time of guest departure, Front desk agent ensures that room key has been deposited by the guest.  Keys must be signed for personally by the employee to whom they are issued. 4.4 ACCIDENTS Common Hotel Accidents and Injuries Paying hotel guests expect to enjoy a safe and clean environment in their rooms and other areas of the facility. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Some of the most common causes of hotel injuries are: Slip and fall accidents: Broken bones, head injuries, and severe sprains are often the result of slip and fall accidents in hotels. Worn carpeting, uneven flooring, icy walks, spilled beverages, and a variety of other hazards can cause a guest to stumble and fall. Broken furniture: Many hotels save money by making in-house repairs to furniture, which breaks down from overuse. Some furniture is just too old. It’s only a matter of time before a customer’s weight is enough to make a chair collapse with the guest in it, resulting in injury. Swimming pools: Most hotels aren’t required to have lifeguards on duty. However, the hotel is required to post warnings and rules, and to keep the pool, locker room, and jacuzzi areas clean and safe. Safety includes diligent pool and tub management to ensure proper temperatures and chemical balance. 73

Food poisoning: Hotels with restaurants and food service must maintain high food safety standards. Unsanitary kitchen conditions, employees with unclean hands, and improper food handling can all lead to serious food borne illnesses. Bed bugs: Bed bugs are very small insects that can infest hotel mattresses, pillows, furniture, and even light switches. They are hard to see and very difficult to eradicate. Contact with bedbugs can cause itching and other skin irritation, infections and sometimes severe allergic reactions. The guest can unwittingly carry them home in clothes and suitcases. Burns: Guests may be scalded by extremely hot tap water from showers or sinks. Guests may also suffer burns from defective in-room appliances like irons, coffee makers, and hair dryers. Criminal activity: The hotel must take reasonable steps to ensure guest safety. The hotel may be responsible for assault, robbery or theft when the hotel failed to provide adequate security or lighting, failed to maintain door locks and windows to prevent unauthorized entry, or was otherwise negligent. Your Legal Rights in a Hotel Your rights to safety and security at a hotel aren’t limited to your room. The hotel’s obligation to protect guests extends to private and common areas including:  Shuttle bus  Parking lot  Meeting and banquet halls  Swimming pools  Public restrooms  Restaurants  Fitness areas Laws can vary from state-to-state, but wherever you’re staying, the hotel always has an obligation to take reasonable steps to make their premises safe and to prevent foreseeable accidents. The rules may be different if you suffer a personal injury while abroad. 74

Reasonable means common-sense. Reasonable steps are actions the average sensible adult would take, like mopping up a spill. A foreseeable accident is one that a sensible hotel manager knows or should know could happen under the circumstances. After an overnight ice storm, the manager knows the hotel sidewalks will be slippery if left untreated. When you’re trying to figure out if the hotel is liable for your injury, it helps to understand some terms used by insurance companies and lawyers: Duty of Care means the obligation to be careful and avoid causing harm to others. Negligence happens when hotel management, or an employee, fails to act responsibly or does something no reasonable person would do. Liability means responsibility. The negligent hotel owner is usually liable for the injured guest’s damages. Damages for personal injuries include medical costs, out-of-pocket medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Property damages can include the replacement cost of ruined or lost clothes, jewelry, luggage, or other items. Although a hotel has a legal duty of care to protect you from harm, it doesn’t extend to all harm. The duty is to protect you from harm that could reasonably happen. Icy walkways are a foreseeable danger for guests falling and getting injured. If the manager fails to have the walkways treated promptly, the failure is a breach of the hotel’s duty of care. If a guest is injured by falling on the ice, the hotel is responsible. On the other hand, when the hotel has taken reasonable steps to clear the walkways, and an intoxicated guest falls and cracks his skull on his way to the entrance, the hotel will likely not be liable. The hotel cannot foresee or prevent the arrival of an intoxicated guest. Hotel management must protect guests from reasonably foreseeable incidents that might harm them. It isn’t reasonable to have to protect a guest from injuries caused by the guest’s voluntary intoxication. 75

Parking Facility Accidents and Injuries Pedestrians coming and going through parking facilities are most commonly injured by moving cars, slip and fall accidents, and criminal assaults. Here are some of the factors that come into play: Slippery surfaces: While ice and snow are typical causes of dangerously slick parking areas, oil spills and runoff from poor drainage are just as likely to cause pedestrian slip and fall injuries. Pavement dangers: Potholes and broken, cracked, or uneven pavement are a major cause of trips and falls in parking facilities, resulting in fractured wrists and hips, head injuries, dental injuries, knee injuries, and cuts and bruises. Wheel stops: Wheel stops are the abutments found in front of your car as you pull into a parking space. Wheel stops are hazardous when cracked pieces of cement fall off, or the stop becomes misaligned. It’s easy for a visitor to overlook them and trip and fall, especially in accessible parking areas. Visitors have no reasonable expectation a wheel stop will be in their direct path. Poor lighting: Poor lighting is a contributing factor in trip and fall injuries and criminal acts. Shopping malls, schools, and businesses are frequently open during evening hours and sometimes late into the night. Most airports are open round the clock. Insufficient lighting in parking garages can mask potholes, debris, and cracked pavement. Poor lighting also gives criminals places to hide. Distracted drivers: Pedestrians are injured and killed every day in parking lots and garages. In a recent government survey, 66 percent of drivers admitted to talking on cell phones while driving through parking lots, as well as texting, checking social media, reading emails, and watching videos. If you’ve been run down by a careless motorist, you’re entitled to compensation from the at- fault driver’s insurance company. 76

Inadequate and confusing signage: Ineffectively placed stop, turn, and yield signs are an invitation for chaos. So is inadequate signage. When hundreds, even thousands of pedestrians and drivers come in close contact with each other in confined areas, the probability of pedestrian injuries skyrockets. Not only are distracted drivers liable for injuries, but the property owners are also equally responsible for their poor signage. Inadequate security: More than 400,000 violent crimes are committed in parking lots or garages each year, including rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Poor lighting and inadequate security are an invitation to parking lot crimes. Victims are often preoccupied, alone, and have their hands full. It’s easy for an assailant to hide between parked cars. The criminal’s van or car won’t be noticeable among a sea of other vehicles. There’s financial help available for crime victims. Learn more about Crime Victim’s Rights to Compensation for Injuries. Proving Parking Lot Owner Liability Property owners have a legal duty of care, meaning obligation, to keep their premises reasonably safe. It’s important to understand the term “reasonable.” Reasonable means the garage and lot owners don’t have to keep their premises completely safe from all possible harm. That’s practically impossible and an overwhelming obligation. However, they are obligated to do what any reasonable parking lot owner would do, such as making periodic inspections, making timely repairs, and anticipating common hazards, like snow or ice. Parking garages and parking lots are usually covered with concrete and asphalt. Because of constantly changing weather conditions, shifting of the earth, and normal wear and tear, parking surfaces are subject to cracking. It’s nearly impossible for a parking lot owner to discover every newly formed crack, pothole, or dangerous condition. For an owner to be held liable, meaning responsible, the danger must be apparent or the owner must have received notice of the danger. 77

The owner must also have a reasonable amount of time to repair the dangerous condition once they know about it. Parking facility owners can’t escape liability for every pedestrian injury. For example:  When a crack, pothole or other dangerous condition is large enough to be easily seen  An employee or other person already reported the problem  The owner is aware of criminal activity in the area When the parking lot owner knows or should know about a problem and fails to fix it, the owner is negligent. If their negligence results in injuries, then the owner is liable for the injured person’s damages. Damages can include the cost of medical bills, out-of-pocket expenses, lost wages, and emotional distress. Injured in your employer’s parking lot? Find out when off-the-clock work injuries qualify for worker’s comp. You won’t have to prove negligence to get paid. Just because you’re injured doesn’t mean the property owners are liable. When you’re filing an insurance claim or a lawsuit, the burden of proof is on you. To win, you’ll have to show: 1. The parking lot owner was aware or should have been aware of the dangerous condition. 2. A reasonable owner would know the dangerous condition could result in injuries to someone. 3. The parking lot owner failed to take reasonable steps to correct the dangerous condition or to keep people away from the danger. 4. The owner’s negligence was the direct cause of your injuries. 5. Your injuries are verified. 6. You didn’t contribute to the circumstances that led to your injuries. 4.5 IN- ROOM SAFE BOX These days many hotels have installed an electronic safe deposit box in each guest room. this safety box can be operated by using an electronic number. Guest can use any number to open the lock. The number selected by the guest becomes the locker’s code number. the guests are 78

advised to keep their valuables in the electronic safety box. Though hotel is not responsible for any lost item. But hotels take this issue as prestige issue. Hence, an inquiry is done on the hotel security level. Key Control It is the duty and responsibility of the front desk staff to ensure the right guest is given the key to his room and his safety and security pertaining to issuance of key is not compromised or violated during his stay in the hotel. Front Desk Agent should never give keys, room numbers, messages, parcels or mails to any person without first requiring appropriate identification. For Security reason hotels uses at least three types of keys, Emergency Key, Master key and guest room keys. Types of keys used may vary hotel by hotel but the process of handling them remains pretty much the same. 4.6 SUMMARY  A security summary report helps the buyer understand all that goes into providing quality security services. When done correctly, the summary should provide data and insight into your operation.  The control of guestroom keys is one of the cornerstones of the hotel security that guests have a right to except under common law.  Accident, unexpected event, typically sudden in nature and associated with injury, loss, or harm.  Accidents are a common feature of the human experience and result in injury or permanent disability to large numbers of people worldwide every year  Guest room Security locks can be a critical aspect of guest protection. The guest room doors and windows must be fortified to prevent forced entry.  All the hotels should adopt security and safety measures irrespective of their size or level of service, as security is considered to be an important prime concern for the guests who come to the hotel.  Training personal safety and security measures is vital for hotel industry as it may boom or decline the industry as they are directly proportional to each other.  The hotels should use technology as well they should train their employees to protect their guests in any sort of emergency. 79

 Security has become an important element of hospitality now a days as the guests have become more safety conscious. Also, by the efficient use of safety and security measures, the hotels can attain their pre-determined objective of “GUEST SATISFACTION” when the guests feel that they are at home.  The hotel can also build and maintain their rapport and can even maintain healthy customer relations if they provide world class security to the guests during their stay in the hotels. 4.7 KEYWORDS  Key Jacket - key jacket is a kind of envelope to place key.  Pavement dangers - Potholes and broken, cracked, or uneven pavement are a major cause of trips and falls in parking facilities, resulting in fractured wrists and hips, head injuries, dental injuries, knee injuries, and cuts and bruises.  Slip and fall accidents - Broken bones, head injuries, and severe sprains are often the result of slip and fall accidents in hotels. Worn carpeting, uneven flooring, icy walks, spilled beverages, and a variety of other hazards can cause a guest to stumble and fall.  Time office - Time Office is a place in the Premises of a hotel where every workman is required to appear for Marking his Attendance before and after his duty each day in the manner Prescribed from time to time by the Management.  Key control - Key control sheets are maintained by information desk employees in the night. In this sheet details of all guest room keys are entered such as keys of occupied rooms, vacant rooms and details of missing keys. 4.8 LEARNING ACTIVITY 5. Define key and key controls. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 6. Explain the possible accidents and injuries held in hotel industry? ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ 80

4.9 UNIT END QUESTIONS A. Descriptive Questions Short Questions: 7. Define hazards. 8. Explain the types of accidents held in hotel industry? 9. What is slip fall accident? 10. Explain time office 11. What are the types of locks used in hotel? Long Questions: 6. Describe the types of keys? 7. Explain the parking facilities of hotel 8. Describe in room safe box. 9. Explain types of accidents occur in hotel? 10. Draw key control sheet and explain? B. Multiple Choice Questions 1. Time keeper maintain an accurate track of house worked for ------------------ purpose a. Job b. Payroll c. Calculation d. Commission 2. The key open all rooms on a particular floor that are not double lock is ---------- a. Passkey b. Master key c. Sub master key d. Grand master key 81

3. A -------------- is lost under circumstances that may result in a guest being a risk the entire section should be re-keyed. a. Floor master key b. Emergency key c. Pass key d. Section master key 4. -------- can be placed at the main entrance to prevent entry to unauthorized material. a. Baggage scanner b. Sign board c. Alarm system d. None of the above 5. -------------- is in charge for in room safe box. a. Duty manager b. General manager c. Executive chef d. Executive House keeper Answers 1-b, 2-c, 3-d. 4-a, 5-a 4.10 REFERENCES References book  Hotel housekeeping third edition, G.Ragubalan.  Hospitality Security: Managing Security in today’s Hotel, Lodging ...By Darrell Clifton. 82

Textbook references  Hotel housekeeping third edition, G.Ragubalan. Website  https://www.uou.ac.in/sites/default/files/slm/BHM-703T.pdf  https://www.livecareer.com/resume/examples/safety-security/hotel-officer  https://bngkolkata.com/safety-security/  https://lodgingmagazine.com/lock-it-down-hotel-security-trends/ UNIT - 5:GENERAL HOTEL SECURITY II STRUCTURE 1.12 Learning Objectives 1.13 Introduction 1.14 concept 1.15 Importance 1.16 Lost and Found 83

1.17 Scarp disposal 1.18 Guest complaints 1.19 Main porch duties 1.20 Guest floor duties 1.21 Guest/staff injury & sickness 1.22 Construction & Renovation 1.23 Summary 1.24 Keywords 1.25 Learning Activity 1.26 Unit End Questions 1.27 References 5.0 LEARNING OBJECTIVES After studying this unit, you will be able to:  Describe lost and found procedure.  Understand the scrap disposal process.  Comprehend the main porch duties.  Know the procedures to be followed when a guest is injured.  Deal with staff injury.  Understand the duties of the main porch.  Understand the security issues during renovation and construction. 5.1 INTRODUCTION Hospitality security is the management of security in hotels, lodging, entertainment facilities as well as in the tourism industry. This type of security involves using proven methods of preventing and resolving challenges faced by the hospitality sector. Security in a hotel, or within the hospitality industry, is important because it’s a security system in place to protect staff, guests and physical resources and assets. Physical assets such as equipment, appliances, buildings, guest belongings and even the hotel grounds. The security department is often regarded as a passive department, reacting only when called on. In reality, it is a very active department, setting policies, organizing programs, and delivering training programs to promote guest and employee safety. The director of security is 84

a trained professional who must ensure that a busy hotel filled with guests, employees, and equipment stays safe. One of the department’s goals is to prevent emergencies through planning. Another goal, however, is to train all hotel employees to respond to emergencies. Hotels are part of the hospitality industry, where providing good customer service is essential. A hotel’s reputation is staked largely on the guest experience, and investing in proper security services plays a central role in ensuring guests feel safe and protected. It also protects owners from the damages and costs that may arise from criminal activity such as theft. Hotel security involves the overall security of the hotel’s building and grounds as well as its guests, employees, visitors and day users. Outlined below are some of the most important aspects of hotel security that properly trained officers can address. The guest, who comes to a particular hotel, comes with an understanding that he and his belongings both will be safe and secure during his stay at the hotel. At the same time, it is also quite important that the hotel staff and assets are protected and secure. Hence it is very important to have a proper security system in place to protect staff, guests and physical resources and assets such as equipment, appliances buildings, gardens of the hotel and also the belongings of the guest. The management must take care that the security and safety systems and cover the following areas: 1. Guest: Protection from crimes such as murder, abduction and health hazards from outsiders, hotel staff, pests, food poisoning etc. 2. Staff: Providing staff lockers, insurances, health schemes, provident funds etc. Protective clothing, shoes, firefighting drills, supply of clean drinking water use of aqua guards, sanitized wash rooms etc. 3. Guest luggage: Secure luggage store rooms and proper equipment such as luggage trolley and bell hop trolley should be provided. 4. Hotel Equipment: Lifts, Boilers, Kitchen equipment, furniture fitting and building etc. must be protected and for these the security and safety should cover up fire safety equipment, bomb threat security system, water floods security system, earthquake security system, safe vault security system etc. 85

5. Protection of raw materials, goods, provisions and groceries etc. for this the security system should cover proper storage and pest control systems, apart from the application of total material management system. 5.2 CONCEPT The hotels in order to fulfill their safety and security needs, have implemented proper safety and security system to protect their employees, guests and their belongings, tangible assets such as artifacts and décor, equipment and appliances, raw materials, grocery items and goods pertaining to various departments like production, housekeeping and front office along with intangible assets like garden and surrounding. Hotel require to dispose the scrap product from the hotel, which will be done from day one. when guest complaints about impolite, unprofessional and indifferent behaviour of staff members of the hotel. Construction repairing and replacing furniture, finishes, soft furnishing and fittings that have become obsolete or need attention 5.3 IMPORTANCE It is important to practice emergency procedures regularly in order to identify any weakness in the current emergency situation. This process can reveal weakness like a shortage of equipment and supplies are trained personnel. It also helps to improve workers moral when faced with the emergency. It plays an significant roles in the hospitality industry providing the highest level of safety stands and security ensures good marketing for the hotel by preventing an accident before it becomes a major issue causing loss of life and property. The security measures developed and implemented in the hotel are aimed at performing the following tasks:  Ensuring guest safety, protection of personal property during their stay in the hotel;  Protection of hotel property from hostile actions (theft, acts of vandalism, etc.);  Maintaining public order and ensuring proper behavior in all public places of the hotel;  Providing hotel guests with peace and privacy during their stay at the hotel; 86

 Ensuring the possibility of immediate and effective response in the case of any event that requires the intervention of hotel staff or representatives of third parties (e.g., police, ambulance, etc.);  Guaranteeing proper behavior, as well as display honesty and integrity of all staff members;  Guaranteeing the possibility of providing the hotel with special services to ensure increased security of high-ranking officials. The application of these security measures will not only protect the customer during his stay in the hotel, but also protect employees from baseless allegations. And this, along with other aspects, will increase the reputation of the hotel and, consequently, increase its occupancy and make a positive guest experience. The priority areas for modern hotel security issues by technical means are:  access control in the hotel (electronic card wireless online system, video identification function);  a set of measures for fire protection (effective and timely detection of fires with accurate location, automatic notification of security, all employees and hotel guests, organization of evacuation of people from the burning house, including unlocking all doors and elevators);  burglar alarm, CCTV and video surveillance (motion sensors for outsiders, security cameras, video surveillance in order). 4.4 LOST AND FOUND Every lost and found item discovered at the hotel (either inside or outside) by a member of the staff (or by a non-employee such as a guest or a visitor to a member of the staff) must be forwarded to the Supervisor, Head of Department, Assistant Manager or General Manager. This will include but is not limited to, items found in guest quarters, public areas, food and beverage outlets, and on hotel grounds. Below are standard Lost & Found Procedure in Hotel to be followed:  An item left behind by guests either in the room or in the public area identified by any staff and brought under the notice of Housekeeping is termed as “Lost and Found” item. 87

 There should be a designated place to collect missing objects, whether located in guest rooms, meeting rooms, public areas, or restaurants.  Lost items must be stored in a locked closet or in a very restricted area.  Employees are told to carry items to the lost and found area and to provide prompt attention to valuables.  All items received to be recorded in a lost and found register.  All items, irrespective of whether they are valuable, non-valuable items, and perishable products, must be registered in the Lost & Found Register.  Items should be put in a plastic bag with a serial number from the tag, the location found, the date, the name of the individual who found the object, etc.  Valuable items like Jewellery, mobile, wallets, laptops, pads, etc. must be stored in a locker.  If the Property Management System has Auto Trace capability, then put a trace on the Guest Profile of the missing object kept by the Housekeeping Department.  Send Email to the guest to notify the guest about the lost item ( as per the hotel policy )  If a guest calls the hotel to inquire about the missing object, only the person carrying the lost and found list will respond to the call.  If the item has been submitted to the guest / collected by the guest approved individual, an appropriate entry will be made to the system. This is a term used in hotel parlance to refer to any item which is left by the guest or temporarily misplaced by the guest but traced later by the hotel staff. Such articles to be handed over to the housekeeping department which maintained a special locker for this purpose. If the item belongs to the guest who has already checked out, then a letter has to be sent to the forwarding address left by the guest while checkout or which is there in the registration card. If no reply is received by the hotel within a certain time limit, that may be auctioned to the hotel employees or take a decision as per the hotel policies and rules.  An item left behind by guest either in the room or in public area identified by any staff and brought under the notice of Housekeeping is termed as “Lost and Found” item.  There should be one dedicated location to receive lost and found items whether it is found in guestrooms, meeting rooms, public area or restaurants. 88

 The lost items must be secured in a locked closet or area that has highly restricted access.  Employees are instructed to bring items to lost and found area, with valuables receiving immediate attention.  All items received to be recorded in a lost and found register.  All items regardless whether it is valuable, non valuable items and perishable items must be recorded on the Lost and found register.  Items should be put in a plastic bag noting the serial number from the register, place found, date, name of the person found the item etc.  Valuable items like Jewellery, mobile, wallets, laptops, ipads etc. must be stored in a locker.  If the Property management system has Auto trace functionality then put a trace on the guest profile stating the there is a lost item held with the housekeeping department.  Send Email to the guest to notify the guest about the lost item ( as per the hotel policy )  When guest calls up the hotel to ask about the lost item, only the person who maintains the lost and found register should revert to the call.  Once the item is sent to the guest / collected by the guest authorized person an appropriate entry to be made on the system. The lost and found items are classified as follows: 1. Valuable items. 2. Non valuable items. 3. Perishable items. Valuable items:  One separate Register is maintained for Valuable lost and found items and the items are kept in a safe Deposit Locker.  Valuable items are kept for a period of six months ( as per the hotel policy), 89

 If there is no response from the guest, auction to be conducted. Non valuable items: These category items are kept for three months in safe custody after making necessary entries. If there is no response from the looser till the time, these items are to be disposed off. Eg: To be distributed to the finder. Perishable items: Perishable nature lost and found items are kept for three days. 5.5 SCRAP DISPOSAL Disposal of scrap when handled in an imaginative manner can result in handsome returns to the organization. An effective disposal requires a compact disposal organization reporting to the materials manager, continuous market survey on the prices of various categories of scrap generated in the plant and constant touch with the industries which generate similar scrap and with the end-users. Disposal action follows when the scrap cannot be utilized within the organization. In practice, it has been found that it is profitable to dispose the scrap directly to end-users rather than to middlemen who normally form a cartel of their own which leads to lower returns. Before disposal action it is essential that the scrap is segregated according to metal, size, etc. when the scrap is mixed, the return is even lower than the lowest element in the mixture. This is because the buyer of scrap will have to segregate it at an extra cost. A cursory analysis of scrap prices will reveal that sheet and plate cuttings will fetch fewer amounts per a tonne compared to that of turnings and borings. Also when costly scrap such as wooden items ,aluminium utensils and tungsten are involved, it is imperative that they are segregated as returns are huge and price levels are different. Since scrap is generated process-wise, it comes out in a segregated condition and there should be no difficulty in sorting. Auction and Tender methods are frequently used for disposal of scrap. Parties in both the cases are normally required to inspect the scrap in the scrap yard and deposit earnest money. Very often the company insists on a basic price depending upon the category of scrap. The disposal section works, in this aspect, in close coordination with the finance department. Many companies have found to their displeasure scrapped components appearing in the market and competing with their parts as ‘original equipment’. This is the price which organizations 90

pay for not dismantling and disfiguring the scrap before disposal. Automobile spare parts and bearings especially are prone to such dangers. For this purpose some organizations go to the extent of requesting vehicle users to demolish filters and plugs before scrapping them. This is very important aspect. 5.6 GUEST COMPLAINTS SERVICE-RELATED COMPLAINTS Are usually associated with the hotel service. The guest may experience a problem with hotel services and may get dissatisfied. It can be of wide-ranging and about such things as long waiting time for service, lack of assistance with luggage, untidy room, missed wake up call, cold or ill-prepared food or ignored request for additional supplies. The front office generally receives more service-related complaints when the hotel is operating at or near full occupancy. Examples of guest complaints due to service-related issues:  Ignore any request made by the guest for any special amenities.  The service is too slow!  I've been waiting for 30 minutes to speak to someone.  Why there is no one at the bell desk.  Missed wakeup call request by guest. Attitudinal Complaints Attitudinal problems are often associated with the attitudes and behaviour of the hotel staff. All hotel's whether it is big or small does come across instances when guest complaints about impolite, unprofessional and indifferent behaviour of staff members of the hotel. The moment an employee disagrees with the guest, his conflict with the guest begins which leads to guest complaints. Guest may express attitudinal complaint when they feel insulted by rude or tactless hotel staff members or sometimes guest overhears staff conversations or who receive complaints from hotel staff members. Managers and supervisors should listen and attend to the complaints and problems of the guest. This can be especially critical to maintain good guest relations. Examples of guest complaints due to staff attitude: 91

 No one smiles around here.  What a rude waitress.  The front desk clerk was not very friendly.  Staff showing a lack of skill and sensitivity in dealing with guests.  Guests feel insulted by rude hotel staff members. Mechanical Complaints Mechanical complaints deal with equipment problems within the hotel. Most guest complaints related to hotel equipment malfunctions. It is usually concerned with problems with air conditioning, lighting, electricity, room furnishing, vending machines, ice machines, door keys, plumbing, television and so on. Effective use of a front office log book and maintenance work orders may help to reduce the frequency of mechanical complaints. Examples of guest complaints due to mechanical reasons:  Air conditioner.  The vending machines.  The lights are not working.  TV not working.  Docking station for iPad, Phone etc. not working.  Plumbing Issues.  Hot water or cold water.  Key not working.  In safe not opening.  Electric Kettle not working.  Fan not working.  Dryer not working. Unusual Complaints Unusual problems are those that the hotel has no control over such as the weather, traffic, or transportation. Guest sometimes expects the front office staff to resolve or at least listen such 92

kind of complaints which are unusual and the hotel cannot do anything about them. Sometimes guests demand something that simply is unwarranted or impossible to deliver such as they may complain about the absence of a swimming pool, lack of public transportation, bad weather and so on. Hotels generally have little or no control over the circumstances surrounding unusual complaints. Front office management should alert front desk agents that on occasions guest may complain about things the staff can do nothing about them. Through such orientation, staff will be better prepared to handle an unusual situation with the appropriate guest relations techniques and avoid a potentially difficult encounter. Examples of guest complaints due to unusual reasons:  The traffic around here is crazy!  It's so hot and humid in this area.  The traffic in this town is ridiculous.  The pre-paid taxi counter at the airport had a long queue.  It's difficult to deal with the tuk-tuk drivers.  Why it's raining all day? Room Related Complaints Any guest complaints related to the room is categorised into complaints related to rooms. This issue can occur due to room category booked vs assigned, old mattresses, poor view, noisy room, poor linen, or even bad lighting in the room. Nowadays due to most of the bookings are generated online guest expects that the picture is shown while reservation should match with the room they have been assigned. Due to numerous Online travel agents (OTA's) available online and the fact that these OTA's have a different type of layout for the hotel image gallery, the guest is often confused about the room they have reserved. Once the guest reaches the hotel and check-in to the room they find out that the room allocated to them is different from that they have seen online. Also, the less sleep the hotel guests have the more issues you'll have with them the next day. Try to ensure that the mattresses are always good if you want your guests satisfied in the morning. Examples of guest complaints related to rooms: 93

 Noisy room.  View not good.  Booked vs assigned room.  Downgraded to a lower category due to non-availability or maintenance issue.  Repeated maintenance issues. Complaints Due to Food and Beverage Even with very good accommodation facilities, the guest can complain about the hotel due to the reason of food and beverage not up to their exception. Even if your hotel provides an exceptional culinary experience to the guests, but despite your best efforts, there’s no way to please everyone and that leads to the occasional customer complaint. Examples of guest complaints related to food:  Untidiness.  Edibleness.  Dirty cutlery and crockery.  Stale food served.  Quantity of the food served.  Non-veg delivered in place of veg food items.  Wrong item received.  Items were missing.  Delay in foodservice.  Dust particles or Hair in food. A special Type of Guest complaint These are the type of complaints that the guest refuses to allow you to solve. For example a guest who found some animal hair from the previous guests in a corner which the maids missed. The hotel offered to re-clean it but the guest refuses. The next day he complains again and again the hotel offers to clean but he refuses again, this goes on every day. 94

Professional hoteliers know about these kinds of guests, and as a hotelier you should be aware that some guests are just abusive. They will try to make abuse look like a complaint. So it's important learn to differentiate and to stand up for your employees. 5.7 MAIN PORCH DUTIES The following are the main Porch duties  Uploading and Loading the Luggage.  Handling Guest Luggage on Arrival and Departure.  Entering and Leaving Guest's Room.  Escorting and Directing Guest.  Rooming the Guest.  Arranging Transportation.  Delivering Message, Mail or Parcel to the Guest's Room.  Handling Lost and Found Items. 5.8 GUEST FLOOR DUTIES. · Following are the guest floor duties The staff should be calm and polite to the guest, greeting them according to the time of the day A GRA should not knock on the door or try to access a guestroom when the DND card is displayed on the door knob. If the card has been displayed for a long time, the matter should be referred to the supervisor. GRA’s should follow the standard procedure for entering a guestroom. A GRA should knock softly on the door with the knuckles and announce in a steady, soft voice ‘housekeeping’. If there is no answer, the GRA should wait for a few moments and knock again. He/she should announce housekeeping again. If there is no answer, the door should be held slightly ajar and the announcement housekeeping repeated. If the guest does not respond, it can be assumed that the room is empty and the GRA can enter and proceed to clean it. 95

In case the guest answers the knock, the GRA should introduce himself/herself and ask if they would like their room serviced. If yes, the GRA should proceed to clean the room. Alternatively, the guest might not want service immediately. In this case ask for their convenient time. 1. GRA should keep the door wide open when doing the cleaning 2. GRA should keep their cart parked in such a way that the guest corridor is free for movement. The room service tray should not be kept in the guest corridor. The staff should not leave any kind of notes to the guest 3. The staff should not leave any kind of notes for the guest 4. If a guest acts in a strange manner or one that makes a GRA un comfortable, the GRA should make an excuse to leave and contact the supervisor 5. GRA should not throw any paper or item found in check out rooms. All the items found should be reported to the supervisor and handed over to the lost and found section. 6. The staff should communicate with each other in low tones on the guest floors, and only when necessary. Unnecessary speech, especially gossips, is to be avoided 7. The staff should always remain calm in front of the guest- running about in haste or due to panic must be avoided. 8. The staff should keep an eye open for any suspicious and untoward activity being indulged in by a guest on the guest floor. They should remain alert at all times and display presence of mind 9. Staff should readily offer assistance and relevant information to the guest. However, when they do not have the requisite knowledge, they should consult their supervisor 10. The staff should not accept tips. When accepting gifts from guest, they should also request a letter stating this gift and explaining the guest’s action 11. The staff should at no time argue with a guest, however unreasonable he/she may be. They should refer the problem to a supervisor when such a situation presents itself Guest Floor Reportable 1. NB/ NL - No baggage or no luggage refers to a room in which the guest with no luggage is registered. The GRA should note this down on the room assignment sheet when servicing the room. This is important, as such a guest may ‘skip’ easily without paying bill. Alternatively, the room may have such a status due to unauthorized occupation. 96

2. SB – Scanty baggage refers to a room that has a guest with light luggage. Such a guest, if he/she is a ‘premeditator’ can easily skip without settling his/her account with the hotel. These guests who arrives with a small piece of luggage and stay in a hotel with the prior intention of skipping without paying the bills. 3. DND – GRA also need to inform supervisors about DND rooms that have displayed the same status for a long time 4. Change in number of persons (‘PAX’) –GRA can easily gauge the number of people occupying the room by the number of beds that has been slept in and the amount of bath linen used. 5. Damaged or missing hotel property – when a GRA enters the guestroom to service it, he/she should cast a keen eye around to check whether there is any damage to any guestroom fixtures or fittings or if any standard items are missing 6. Pets – hotel do not allow pets to be kept in guestroom 7. Illegal items – some guest may take undue advantage of the privacy of the hotel guest room and indulge in certain illegal activities 8. Sickness – GRA should inform the house keeper if they notice a guest is in ill health as they may require medical aids 5.9 GUEST / STAFF INJURY AND SICKNESS Situation of illness and epidemics: The receptionist may be called for assistance during sickness of a guest. Patient should be advised to consult the house physician but in case the guest has his own physician the same should be called. Housekeeping needs to be notified about the sickness and instructions if any If the case of serious sickness, the guest should be moved to a nursing home During epidemics all precautionary measures especially in food and beverage service area should be followed. Protecting Your Hotel From an Onsite Outbreak 1. Ensure that all guests and workers are aware of and are following all available health and safety guidance available from sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), OSHA, and other hotel and lodging trade groups. This guidance includes 97

requiring workers to stay home when they are sick, encouraging guests and workers to follow social distancing guidelines, urging guests and workers to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer frequently and making sanitizer stations available, and cleaning all surfaces, buttons, knobs, and other frequently-touched surfaces regularly. Consider having a specific employee or safety manager ensure that all guidance is followed. 2. Clean your hotel regularly. This includes disinfecting frequently-used surfaces at least on a daily basis, and minimizing sharing of any day-to-day items. It also means ensuring your hotel is properly ventilated. 3. Limit the number of workers and guests that may be staying in the hotel congregating in any given location of the hotel. If your hotel has an onsite restaurant that is permitted to continue serving or is offering takeout, ensure that proper steps are taken so that food is not contaminated. Also consider ways to stagger guest meal times to take the need for social distancing into account. 4. Review any agreements with lenders or investors. Get familiar with provisions of your contracts relating to force majeure, payment delays, emergencies, insurance, and termination. Determine whether any applicable insurance policies may provide business interruption insurance. Understand your rights and obligations now, so that you can better form an action plan. Do not wait until an outbreak at your hotel occurs. Speak to you insurance broker and consider filing a claim under a business interruption or other insurance policy now. 5. Consider preparing notices in advance. This includes letters notifying guests and workers of a shutdown or mandatory quarantine, notifying guests and workers that they may have been exposed to the virus, and notifying an insurer, lender, or investor of a potential impact caused by coronavirus, including any impediment or delay to payment. Consider requesting that your lender or other investors forebear on any scheduled loan payments until the pandemic has ceased. 6. Evaluate your employment situation and policies, and speak to employment counsel to determine, among other things, whether to lay off workers, furlough workers, or continue to employ workers while applying for an SBA loan that will cover your payroll for the near term. Familiarize yourself now with the newly enacted and continuously evolving employment assistance programs potentially available to you. Also consider how to address employees who refuse to come to work based on a reasonable fear of contracting COVID-19. 98

7. Create a contingency plan in the event a governmental order completely shuts down your hotel, or a governmental order limits guests that may stay at your hotel to medical personnel, first responders, and other essential guests. Speak with counsel about steps that may be taken to ensure that any guests are, in fact, essential guests, including potentially requiring guests to sign a contract attesting that they fall within the definition of an “essential guest” under any governmental order. 8. Form a plan and course of action for what your organization will do in the event a guest or worker is diagnosed with coronavirus. Determine who has the responsibility for which obligations within your organization, what steps must take place when a diagnosis occurs, any steps you must take before your hotel will reopen or a quarantine will be lifted, which parties need to receive notices, and your future ability to operate the hotel and comply with your loan or investor agreements. What To Do When a Guest or Worker is Diagnosed with COVID-19 1. Isolate the guest or worker and any person who may have been in close proximity to the infected individual and ensure implementation of appropriate quarantine arrangements. Evaluate the potential need to shut down the hotel immediately under applicable guidelines from the CDC and local health department or similar governmental mandates, as well as send any communications to other guests or workers that are necessary regarding possible exposure to the infected individual. Guests and workers in a hotel are very frequently in close contact, and commonly touch the same surfaces and items. If one guest or worker is diagnosed with COVID-19, there is a probability that others may have been infected as well. Identify further measures needed to maintain a safe hotel that are specific to your hotel, including closing or limiting the use of any amenity spaces or public areas such as gyms, pools, beaches, spas, restaurants, and bars. 2. Hire a professional cleaner to sanitize affected areas of the hotel, and ensure that the cleaner is familiar with and complying with any guidelines. 3. Consider engaging with any governmental health or safety agencies with jurisdiction over the hotel. Ask for their advice, safety/health requirements, and any available financial or other assistance. 4. To the extent you have not already, review your insurance policies, and provide any notices of claims. Also, review your loan and investor agreements and determine whether any steps 99

are needed with respect to your lender or other investors. File a claim under any applicable business interruption or other insurance policy. 5. Work with your guests, workers, lenders, investors, and any applicable government agencies to determine the best methods to mitigate damages and loss. Form a prudent and reasonable plan to make the hotel safe and able to be re-opened after any mandatory or voluntary closure. 6. Any supervisor who witnesses an accident or security risk will notify Public Safety immediately, but stay at the scene of the accident or security risk unless the supervisor feels personally threatened. 7. Any supervisor who has any concern that workplace violence is a possible event should notify both the Human Resources and Public Safety. The supervisor should not make a judgment call as to the likelihood of the event but notify these departments and they will determine whether observation and/or investigation is recommended. 8. Any supervisor who has staff affected by a serious event or tragedy should contact the Employee Assistance Provider and schedule group or one-on-one counseling in the aftermath. Personal Injury, Illness, and Accidents 1. Any employee who has an accident or incurs an injury on the job should report the accident to Public Safety. Any supervisor who is aware of such an event should encourage the employee to report the accident. If the employee is reluctant to do so, the supervisor should file a notification report. 2. Any supervisor or employee who is aware that another employee, guest, visitor or student clearly requires medical attention . 3. Supervisors and employees are not to diagnose, treat, or administer emergency medical care to an individual unless they have medical certification for such treatment. Supervisors and employees may not move the ill or injured individual; but efforts may be made to provide privacy, warmth, and comfort for the individual until emergency services arrive. 4. Since all work-related injuries, illnesses and/or accidents are to be reported, supervisors do not need to make a judgment call as to whether a worker's compensation claim is appropriate. The Risk Management Office is responsible for workers’ compensation claims administration and ensures that the appropriate forms are filed on a timely basis in accordance with 100