Hospitality Unites Against Crime
The UK’s cafe, dining and hospitality providers are joining forces to combat fraud and theft from their outlets, and reduce violent attacks against their front line staff.
The Cafe, Dining and Hospitality Loss Prevention Forum is modelling itself upon the success of the Retail Loss Prevention Fashion Forum and, more recently, the Health, Beauty and Pharmacy Loss Prevention Forum. Its aim is to tackle crime, and the losses felt by restaurants, cafes and hospitality venues ranging from a coffee concession on platforms of local railway stations to dining experiences at stadia.
Signed-up members so far include Starbucks, Costa Coffee, EAT, Compass Group UK & Ireland, The Gondola Group and SSP UK and Ireland.
One of the first initiatives for the new Forum will be to highlight the risks and opportunities arising out of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
“One of our big initiatives starting now will be to look at the threats and opportunities posed by the 2012 Olympics, not just for our businesses in London, but all around the country. We will be talking to the lead Police teams and learning the lessons from our international colleagues who have experienced it first hand,” said Aimee Hunt, Head of Profit Protection, Compass Group UK & Ireland, and the newly-elected chair of the CD&H Loss Prevention Forum.
Newly appointed vice chair of the Forum, and head of partner and asset protection for Starbucks UK & Ireland and EMEA, Sally Kee, is very supportive of the new Forum’s collaborative approach to employee and customer protection and crime prevention. She is also well placed to share best practices from Starbucks Canadian business, which recently experienced the winter Olympics.
The Forum will also examine other issues including shrink reduction, health and safety for store employees, the nature of transient workforces for temporary events, and table ‘cruising or surfing’ (where thieves target cafes for laptops, hand-held devices like Blackberries, and briefcases).
“Regrettably many opportunities still exist in our industry for thieves specifically seeking electronic devices. All too often customers leave their table, with their laptop or phone on display, and return momentarily to find that their personal belongings have been subjected to theft,” said Sally Kee.
The Café, Dining and Hospitality Forum is being facilitated by loss prevention specialists, the ORIS Group. For any operators in the café, dining and hospitality sectors wanting to get involved with the new loss prevention forums contact Anne Frost at the ORIS Group or email anne.frost@orisgroup.co.uk.
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