Tag Archives: Lawsuits

by | January 7, 2015 · 8:50 am

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Going mobile: The tipping point is close”

Ed Higgins, vice president of Thousand Islands Insurance Agency in Clayton, N.Y., and vice chair at the Applied Client Network, says he believes that independent agents are missing out on the opportunity that mobile apps provide…businessman-w-laptop-apps-169-crop-600x338Thousand Islands Agency was an early adopter of the MobileProducer, the mobile-app version of Applied System’s agency management platform. For Higgins, the key benefit of the app is the ability to deliver what he calls the “Starbucks experience” for customers.

Four years ago, Apple trademarked the phrase, “There’s an app for that.” With more than 1.2 million offerings in the iTunes App Store—and about 1.4 million in Google Play—it would seem that the phrase is more true than not. However, only a few general-market agent productivity apps exist, and none have more than a few reviews from users.

“It’s a relatively small number of agents who are using insurance-specific apps today,” says Chad Hersh, senior vice president at The Nolan Co., an insurance management consulting firm. “Granted, a lot of agents use general apps on their mobile devices to the extent that many people do in their daily lives and jobs, but the penetration just isn’t there for insurance apps for agents.”

For more: http://bit.ly/14oxiiB

Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Going mobile: The tipping point is close”

Filed under Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Technology

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | January 5, 2015 · 9:06 am

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “Looking Back to 2014, Ahead to 2015 at Natural Disaster Activity”

The report says that it is possible that the U.S. may still have two to three years of near-average flood-related damage before the next catastrophic loss occurs, based on projections from historic data.insurance-journal-logo-340 The 2015 flood losses could total between $5-6 billion, with flash flooding events continuing to account for a large percentage of overall annual damage

Fewer tornadoes, a mild hurricane season, lower acreage lost to wildfires, overall less flood  and other damage— all in all, 2014 was not as bad as it could have been for natural disasters in the U.S.

That’s according to global property information and analytics firm CoreLogic, which released its annual Natural Hazard Risk Summary and Analysis detailing the most significant natural disasters of 2014 and providing several projections for 2015.

The report provides a look at the year’s hurricanes, floods, hailstorms, tornadoes, wildfires, sinkholes, earthquakes, tropical cyclones and typhoon events in the U.S. as well as an international snapshot of the hazard events that caused significant damage across the globe.

For more: http://bit.ly/1DpKzDy

Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Management Update: “Looking Back to 2014, Ahead to 2015 at Natural Disaster Activity”

Filed under Flood Insurance, Hotel Industry, Insurance, Magazines, Management And Ownership, Risk Management

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | December 30, 2014 · 8:27 am

Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Marriott hotels lobby FCC for right to block outside Wi-Fi”

Most obviously, hotels would have a monopoly over Internet access and could charge guests with exorbitant Wi-Fi fees; much like Marriott did with its $1,000 access rates at the Gaylord Opryland HotelBlock wifi…Worse yet, hotels and other enterprises could also easily censor access to content deemed undesirable to the business via the Wi-Fi access contract terms. For example, Hilton could block all access to travel booking websites that list hotels with lower rates.

As the battle for Net Neutrality rages on, Federal regulators may soon be ruling in another dispute between consumer access and business control of the Internet.

In a petition to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission made public last week, the American Hospitality & Lodging Association and Marriott International asked the FCC to declare that a hotel operate can deploy equipment that “may result in ‘interference with or cause interference’ to a Part 15 [Wi-Fi] device being used by a guest on the operator’s property.”

“Wi-Fi network operators should be able to manage their networks in order to provide a secure and reliable Wi-Fi service to guests on their premises,” Marriott argued.

For more: http://bit.ly/1vEjyXZ

 

Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Technology Update: “Marriott hotels lobby FCC for right to block outside Wi-Fi”

Filed under Guest Issues, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Technology

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | December 29, 2014 · 10:31 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Hotel Industry Takes Action with 911 Direct Dial”

To date, 10 of AH&LA’s largest hotel member chains have activated 911 direct dial access at nearly all of their owned and managed properties, with the remainder expected to complete the process very soon.911 Further, more than half of these chains have updated, or are in the process of updating, brand standards to ensure franchisees upgrade their phone systems as well. Led by AH&LA, all of these chains, as well as the broader hotel industry, also have worked hard to educate franchisees and their properties on the need to make the switch as quickly as possible.

One year ago, tragedy struck an east Texas town. Not only did our community lose a loving mother, daughter, and sister, but the nation also lost trust in a system it relies on in life-threatening circumstances.

Last December, Kari Rene Hunt Dunn was murdered by her estranged husband in a hotel room in Marshall, Texas. Kari’s 9-year-old daughter, while witnessing the unthinkable, did exactly what we train our children to do in an emergency—dial 911. However, in this case, the daughter could not get through to the authorities because she failed to dial 9 to get an outside line.

For more: http://bit.ly/1rvrX3F

 

Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Legal Update: “Hotel Industry Takes Action with 911 Direct Dial”

Filed under Guest Issues, Hotel Industry, Liability, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Technology

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | December 23, 2014 · 9:33 am

Hospitality Industry Management Update: “Due Diligence – Standard Operating Procedures: Don’t Play Russian Roulette with Your Business”

By now you should understand how critical it is to have policies and procedures in place. Remember that it’s not enough to just have the SOPs and SSOPs documented in writing. It is imperative that you monitor compliance on a routine basis.due diligence It also requires timely updates; yearly should be sufficient. Once your policies and procedures have been established, it is important to keep your staff informed of any changes or updates as they occur

In order for a restaurant to run smoothly and deliver excellence on a consistent basis, Standard Operating Procedures (“SOPs”) and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (“SSOPs”) are an integral part of the business. No matter whether you’re a corporate chain or an independent owner/operator, it behooves you to take a moment to think about your SOPs and SSOPs. You have them, of course, don’t you? Or are they only in your head and it takes a visit to Total Recall in order to pluck them from your brain? Are they written policies or are they handed down verbally from person to person? Or will it take a lawsuit in order for you to address your policies and procedures?

For more: http://bit.ly/1vk9WRZ

Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Management Update: “Due Diligence – Standard Operating Procedures: Don’t Play Russian Roulette with Your Business”

Filed under Employee Practices, Hotel Employees, Hotel Industry, Maintenance, Management And Ownership, Training

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | December 22, 2014 · 8:57 am

Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: Carbon Monoxide” (VIDEO)

The holiday season is upon us and our P3 team here at Petra knows that, that means more use of fireplaces and heaters. Because of this, we have put together a video on the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning and the steps your staff can take to help best protect your guests and themselves in these colder months!

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/114357192 w=500&h=281]

Petra Risk Solutions’ Loss Control Manager, Marco Johnson, offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Report – ‘Carbon Monoxide’. 

P3 (Petra Plus Process) is the Risk Management Division of Petra Risk Solutions – America ’s largest independent insurance brokerage devoted exclusively to the hospitality marketplace.

For more information on Petra and P3 visit petrarisksolutions.com or call 800.466.8951.

Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: Carbon Monoxide” (VIDEO)

Filed under Guest Issues, Health, Hotel Industry, Liability, Management And Ownership, Risk Management

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | December 12, 2014 · 9:56 am

Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: Carbon Monoxide” (VIDEO)

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/114357192 w=500&h=281]

Petra Risk Solutions’ Loss Control Manager, Marco Johnson, offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Report – ‘Carbon Monoxide’. 

P3 (Petra Plus Process) is the Risk Management Division of Petra Risk Solutions – America ’s largest independent insurance brokerage devoted exclusively to the hospitality marketplace.

For more information on Petra and P3 visit petrarisksolutions.com or call 800.466.8951.

Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: Carbon Monoxide” (VIDEO)

Filed under Guest Issues, Health, Hotel Industry, Injuries, Liability, Management And Ownership, Risk Management

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | December 5, 2014 · 10:20 am

Hospitality Industry Risk Management Update: “Preventing Credit Card Fraud at Hotels” (VIDEO)

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/113722566 w=500&h=281]

Petra Risk Solutions’ Loss Control Manager, Matt Karp, offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Report – ‘Preventing Credit Card Fraud at Hotels’. 

P3 (Petra Plus Process) is the Risk Management Division of Petra Risk Solutions – America ’s largest independent insurance brokerage devoted exclusively to the hospitality marketplace.

For more information on Petra and P3 visit petrarisksolutions.com or call 800.466.8951.

2 Comments

Filed under Crime, Guest Issues, Hotel Employees, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Risk Management, Training

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | December 3, 2014 · 8:57 am

Hospitality Industry Security Update: “The Case For Giving Hotels the Same Health Grades as Restaurants”

Many hotels fail to perform adequate background checks on job applicants before hiring them. In September 2011, a woman staying at a Best Western hotel in Arizona woke up in the middle of the nightWashington Post Security to find a man standing over her bed. She says the man raped her. He was a registered level-3 sex offender, according to news reports, but Best Western had hired him as a night clerk and given him a master key to guest rooms, allowing him unfettered access to turn any of its female guests into his next victims

The difference between a hotel room at $75 a night and $750 a night is the view, the extra shampoo, the cost of the pillows, the fluff of the towels. Price is a measure of comfort and service. What must always be the same — at every price — is your security, your safety and cleanliness. Unfortunately, it’s not. Across the country, hotels are skimping on key safety and security measures, and the consequences range from stolen laptops and Peeping Toms to sexual assaults and robbery at gunpoint. More than 125 property crimes are committed in hotels and motels every day, in addition to more than 21 violent crimes (excluding murders).

For more: http://wapo.st/1vnfYFb

Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Security Update: “The Case For Giving Hotels the Same Health Grades as Restaurants”

Filed under Crime, Guest Issues, Hotel Employees, Hotel Industry, Management And Ownership, Risk Management

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by | December 2, 2014 · 9:37 am

Hospitality Industry Insurance Update: “Think Your Workers’ Compensation Covers Everything? Think Again!”

Consider the risks involved when an employee travels overseas for work. Courts have often ruled that an injury or illness that an employee suffers while on short term assignment away from home—even if he or she is not working when it occurs—is work-related.workers comp But a basic workers’ compensation policy will probably not cover this type of claim. A foreign workers’ compensation policy will. Although no law requires employers to provide this coverage, you risk paying medical and lost-time costs out of pocket if you do not have coverage and a traveling employee becomes injured.

You might think your workers’ compensation covers all work-related injuries and illnesses. This could prove a costly mistake.

In most cases, workers’ compensation will cover work-related injuries and illnesses. But in certain special circumstances—which might apply to your company—the basic workers’ compensation policy will not provide coverage. This could leave your company on the hook for a costly workers’ compensation claim.

For more: http://bit.ly/1ycd3fF

Comments Off on Hospitality Industry Insurance Update: “Think Your Workers’ Compensation Covers Everything? Think Again!”

Filed under Employee Benefits, Hotel Employees, Hotel Industry, Injuries, Insurance, Management And Ownership, Risk Management

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,