The Operational Challenges of Monitoring Guests in Large Casinos

The hotel incident reports may only contain a few sentences. The report lists the guests, describes the disturbance, names the staff who responded and also records when management was notified.

This report could raise more questions for attorneys than it will be able to be able to. Who was in charge of supervising the employees that were involved? Was surveillance footage preserved? The facility adhered to its own rules. Was the property involved in earlier interactions not included in the report.

These questions illustrate why hospitality litigation often demands an examination of normal business records prior to when witness testimony commences.

Begin with the Documents that were created in Normal Operation

Records are maintained by hospitality businesses for scheduling, guest services, training of staff and security, as well as management and more. While these records were not intended to be used in litigation, they are useful for documenting how a facility was able to perform during an incident.

A hospitality expert witness will look at the staffing schedules along with operating procedures, the employee’s training records, security logs and monitoring recordings in order to better be aware of the responsibilities attributable to different employees. For instance one policy may state that the manager must respond when an employee notifies them of a drunk client.

Investigating the incident should determine whether the manager was involved on the incident, if the complaint was made, and from the evidence what was the response. The goal is to evaluate the actual operation rather than assuming that the procedures written down were implemented or not.

Restaurant Records require their own Interpretation

Restaurant investigations pose challenges since employees have to divide their time between food service, beverage preparation as well as customer demands and dining-room management. A Restaurant expert witness can explain how these responsibilities affect the decisions employees make during service.

Think about an incident in the dining room involving the patron who bought alcohol at the bar prior to moving to an area to sit. The bar receipt can confirm the initial order and the records from the dining room will record the more recent orders.

These records might not show what the server’s information was about the prior service. Reviewing server assignments, transaction times notes of management and employee declarations together will assist in determining the order. It is essential to keep an important distinction: just because alcohol was purchased doesn’t mean employees were intoxicated.

Casino Investigations may require different records

Casinos run beverage programs which can be quite different from traditional restaurant services. The inclusion of complimentary drinks cocktails, servers serving drinks at the casino floor, and security personnel are all sources of additional information.

A certified witness from a casino can review the beverage staffing assignments and surveillance footage including security reports, employee communication protocols. Traditional sales receipts may provide an incomplete account when beverages are complimentary.

In such a case, the investigation could rely more on surveillance, employees’ observation or service records as well as documented procedures. Experts must recognize the limitations of evidence, instead of relying on incomplete records as evidence.

You should keep the evidence up to the point that it’s no longer accessible

Documents that have to be saved for time is a major concern when it comes to lawsuits which involves hospitality. Surveillance systems may retain recordings for only a short time. Different departments or systems can store employee calendars, internal communications as well as incidental documentation. Attorneys should identify potentially relevant documents early and take the appropriate steps to protect these records.

The nature of the investigation will depend on the nature of the allegations. The extent of the investigation will depend on the allegations. A targeted review can identify the records that are crucial and not assume that every department is involved.

The Paperwork is a Product of operational experience

Preston Rideout is a hospitality veteran with more than 20 years of experience. He has held roles in management, bartending, as well as beverage operations for multiple units. Rideout Hospitality Consulting is a company he created in the year 2010. He has provided advice to on resort, restaurant and hotel operators across the United States.

He has served as an expert witness in a variety of cases involving hotels, casinos, resorts and restaurants for attorneys representing defense and plaintiffs. This background in operations can be beneficial in the interpretation of records that appear straightforward to someone who is not familiar with hospitality management.

A schedule of staffing is a good example. It lists the employees who were given the task of working. Being aware of whether the assignments provide appropriate supervision requires knowledge of the service model of the facility and its operating conditions.

A stronger case starts with More lucid questions

An early expert review helps attorneys differentiate established facts from ambiguous issues. It can identify records that should be requested and also define the operational terms used in depositions.

There are many reasons why discrepancies may not be indicative of an operational issue. Also, not every policy that proves that the correct procedure was observed.

It is the significance of an expert’s assessment that shows these distinctions using accepted best practices in the industry and evidence. Attorneys who are preparing for a hospitality lawsuit can benefit from a thorough understanding of the operations and their employees before conducting an interview with them. This allows for an unbiased analysis of what transpired.