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Check in security/deposits

Front Desk Operations

Hostel Witness started this discussion 17 years 7 months ago

I was wondering what sort of security and deposit system people are using.

I've been in hostels where they ask for nothing, just money up front and give you the key. I've been in other places where they want deposits and forms to fill with all sorts of questions.

I guess it depends on region to region and country to country, but I'm just wondering what the checkin/security is for anyone who runs a place. I was thinking perhaps payment up front, plus a deposit, refundable after. I also thought perhaps a form with rules and regulations to sign, then maybe scan a copy of their passport to my computer.
That way if there is any damage and they try and skip out I can pass their details on to the authorities - I mean you never know what people could do.
I would also have the whole place covered by CCTV; outside the front door, directly behind the desk, along the corridors and in the common room. (but not the rooms or bathrooms obviously)

I'm sure some ppl might think that somewhat excessive, but in my experience, when it comes to people, it's always best to be prepare for the worst, that way it's always a joy when you see the best. Strong security also acts as a deterrant, ppl are less likely to mess around when they know you're watching them and can catch up with them.

It's a conflict of interest really, deep down I'm an advocate of privacy and I'm repulsed by the "camera culture" we've become yet @ the same time I know that this is the age of ignorance and as long as society as a whole continues to eschew personal responsibility, the self-employed people need the invest in all this draconican crap.

Oh well, what kind of security and deposit systems do you all use or have you come across - what's the most common, and, in your opinion, what's the safest and most practical.

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aboriginalhostel

17 years

As a guest, I think it is a very bad idea to leave your passport at the hostel desk, and I feel angry when I am forced to, as in Croatia and Greece. One hotel kept a battery of passports on the counter, within reach of any guest if no one was watching.

At Zadar YH (Croatia) I had a few things to ask when checking out and forgot to take my passport. To the hostel's credit, the clerk phoned the Bus Station who managed to contact me, and the clerk then drove to the bus station to give me it back! I did miss my bus though (there was another 1 hr later).

As my experience of the last couple of years, we've introduced no deposit requested from our guests... and it really works! Most of the people come to the reception anyway to check out, and the ones who are leaving with backpacks are often asked: "Did you give us your keys?" and if not, then they will... This is our experience since and even if we lose about 20 sets of keys a year, worth of about 100EUR total, it saved us a lot of hassle (getting deposits, administrate, secure them from the till, giving them back by check out, etc.)

In Hungary, it is obligated to have your ID/Passport with you at all times. Therefore we don't take passports or any IDs, as: 1.) We don't wan't anyone arrested ;) 2.) The postal costs were more than the annual losses on keys...

If you have a good front desk policy, the guest will always come to you first...

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Ria

17 years

i think they keep passports in greece to make sure you pay when you leave...but my brother had a problem getting his back..the hostel owner did not show up to give it back and my brother had to catch a ferrry or be stranded for 3 more days.

My aunt called the tourist police who went and arrested the pension/hostel owner. As a US citizen you are not supposed to give your passport to anyone... the tourist police were not happy with the owner. Just for the record, my brother just wanted his passport back, not to get the hostel owner in trouble, it was the tourist police's decision to arrest him.

They got the passport back and released the hostel owner.

on the subject of deposits, I am all for them. We charge $10. While keys don't cost that miuch to replace they are a pain to change/rekey and the point is to be a deterrent to keeping the key and stealing the sheets ...which are much more likely to go missing. Our 'security' deposit is for keys and sheets, both of which must be returned to the front desk on departure.

Also, in the USA Homeland Security requires that we have passport information on guests and in Nevada, the law requires each guest to fill out a registration card. Since Homeland has come sniffing by in the past, we make sure that information is taken on each guest. Also, if a guest turns out to be a thief, you have some info to give the cops...

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Josh Hostels

17 years

stealing the sheets

I've found that pillowcases often go missing... they make good laundry bags...

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Ria

16 years

Want people to check out on time? Then do a refundable deposit with a deadline. That's what we do....

If people stay over the check out time, they lose the deposit in increments. $5 lost if they are an hour overdue, the entire thing if they are 2 hours overdue. And they get charged for another night if they are 4 hours overdue (or at least we say so, we've actually never charged that).

Also, we keep the deposit if someone messes something up. The most common thing is the 'throw up' charge. Someone drunk pukes on something of ours, they lose the deposit. And we give it to the poor housekeeper or receptionist who gets stuck cleaning it up!

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gordo

16 years

we're getting keycards installed in a few weeks and im not sure what to do about our current deposit system. we dont really suffer from missing sheets and the £5 deposit now is really just for the cost of cutting keys - we lose a lot of oddly enough. keep a lot of deposits too usually...

anyway, on one hand a key deposit brings people back to the desk on check-out but the administration problems - ok, not THAT bad but still - and extra effort it requires is somewhat hard to justify. we get days where 150+ people check out... if each one ahs to collect £5... imagine what that was like collecting deposits and then handing them all back a few days later. its a pain in the ass. but it IS good to ensure people check out on time.

ergh...:confused:

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Josh Hostels

16 years

we're getting keycards installed in a few weeks and im not sure what to do about our current deposit system.

We used to collect deposits even with the keycards (200 bed hostel). Otherwise people would just leave the hostel without checking out or bringing down their sheets. Then it would turn into chaos as no one could figure out which beds were occupied (especially on the night shift).

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gordo

16 years

im inclined to stick with deposits for that reason - though we dont ask people to bring their sheets down at the moment, as we allocate beds. Id like to stop allocating beds but getting people to bring their sheets down to make things easier on the housekeepers probably wont work. its a LOT of stairs between reception and the top floor...

i am thinking about using a 'bed tag' system though. for smaller dorms its easy enough to figure out which beds have been vacated - but we go up to 38 beds and then it becomes a little tricky!

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Josh Hostels

16 years

i am thinking about using a 'bed tag' system though. for smaller dorms its easy enough to figure out which beds have been vacated - but we go up to 38 beds and then it becomes a little tricky!

A 38 bed dorm room? Or 38 beds in the hostel?

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gordo

16 years

A 38 bed dorm room? Or 38 beds in the hostel?

38 bed dorm mate - we've got 270 odd beds in total :D
oh and a 20 bed dorm with a BRILLIANT view of the edinburgh castle!

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Josh Hostels

16 years

38 bed dorm mate - we've got 270 odd beds in total :D

That's what I thought you meant, but it's a lot of beds so I wasn't sure :)

I've seen a 40-bed dorm once, but I think the next biggest I've seen was a 14 beds.

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