KEY CONTROL AND LOST

KEY CONTROL AND LOST & FOUND

Key words: grand master key, sub master key, lost and found, key control

[A] KEY CONTROL:

          Since management has certain responsibilities for the safety of guests’ belongings, the proper care of keys is the very important aspect of security.
          
          Individual heads of department are responsible for all the keys in their area and the housekeeper probably has control of more keys than any other departmental head.  In a hotel, there is grand master, master, sub-master and individual room keys.

FORMAT OF KEY REGISTER































[1] GRAND MASTER KEY:
          It opens all doors and in addition double locks than against all other keys over the latch put on by the guests for privacy in the room – a precaution is necessary in case of an emergency, illness or injury.  It is used when access to a room to be prevented, for example, in case of death.  It is used when a guest leaves his belongings in his room and goes away for a night or two.  It is used when a guest doesn’t leave his key at reception and the room needs to be seen by the manager for some special reasons.  It is held by security in-charge, general manager, and duty manager and sometimes by the housekeeper.

































[2] MASTER KEY:
          This key will open all the rooms in the house, be carried by assistant housekeepers and might be with floor service waiters while on duty and sometimes by maintenance staff.

[3] SUB-MASTER KEY:
          This key opens all the rooms in a maid section, is signed for at the start of the work, is attached to a belt around the maid’s waist and should never leave the key to anyone, is handed over back when the maid goes off duty.
          At night, the duty housekeeper checks the return of all the keys and locks them away for the night.
          It is generally written into staff terms and condition contract that the loss of any master key will lead to the dismissal of the employee.

[4] INDIVIDUAL ROOM KEY:
          On being shown a room to a guest, the guest is given the key with a room no. and the name of the hotel on the tag.  Guests are asked to hand in their keys when they go out and keys are then put on a key board which should be out of view of any passer by as security precautions.  A key is not on the keyboard should indicate that guest is inside the hotel; this information can be useful in case of any emergency.  The mastering of locks is necessary but it should be realized that when locks are mastered a certain amount of security is lost and great care should be taken in the allocation of keys to responsible person emphasizing the need for utmost care in their protection and used at all times.  It may be possible to zone rooms so that all parts of the establishment should have proper keys.

[B] LOST AND FOUND:

      Many times, the housekeeping department handles the lost and found functions.  Lost and found items should be stored in an area that is secured and has limited access.  One employee per shift should be assigned to handle the lost and found as a part of his/her job.

          In large hotels, a room attendant may handle the lost and found procedure.  When an employee finds an item left behind by a guest, he/she should immediately and it over to lost and found section.  In no instance should lost and found items be left in an unsecured spot such as on top of a room attendant’s trolley.

          Items should be tagged, logged and secured after they have been handed over to lost and found section.  Tags may be numbered or used to identify the item.  A log should be used to record the date, time, where the item was found and by whom it was found.  The log should also have a space to record if and when the item was recovered by its owner.
FORMAT OF LOST AND FOUND REGISTER

HOTEL XYZ
LOST AND FOUND REGISTER
SLIP NO.:……………





























          All lost and found property should be kept at least for 90 days.  If items are not claimed after 90 days, it is up to the management to decide how to dispose of the item properly.  Many hotels donate unclaimed lost and found items to local charities.  It is important to ensure that the lost and found policy of the hotel complies with local and state laws.