The hotel incident report could just be a few paragraphs. The report identifies the guest who caused the disturbance, names the responding employees and details the time the management was informed.

This report may raise more questions for attorneys than it could be able to. Who was responsible for supervising these employees? Was surveillance footage preserved? Did the property follow its established guidelines? Did the property have previous interactions that weren’t recorded in the report.

These questions illustrate the reason why hospitality litigation typically calls for an examination of regular business records prior to when witness testimony commences.

Start by looking through the documents created in normal business operations.

Companies in the hospitality sector keep records of guest service, scheduling guest service security, training, and management. These records weren’t necessarily intended for litigation however they can be used to document how the facility operated during an incident.

A Hospitality expert witness may look over staffing schedules, operational procedures, training documents, security logs and surveillance recordings to understand the duties assigned to different staff members. Written policies may demand that the manager take action to employees who report an intoxicated client.

Examining whether or not the manager actually was working and whether or not the report had been communicated and what response is supported by evidence should be the primary objective. Instead of assuming that procedures were adhered to or not it is important to find out what actually took place.

Restaurant Records require their own Interpretation

Restaurant investigations are challenging because employees must divide their time between food preparation and serving customers as well as managing the dining room. A qualified witness in the restaurant industry will be able to show how decisions made by employees are influenced by their responsibilities.

Think about a dining-room incident that involves a customer who ordered alcohol at a bar before taking a seat at a table. The bar receipt could document the initial purchase, while transactions in the dining room could document subsequent orders.

However, these records might not be able to determine the information that the table server had about the previous service. Reexamining server assignments, transaction time notes from management, employee records together can help clarify the sequence. It is essential to keep distinctions: the fact that alcohol was purchased doesn’t mean the staff was intoxicated.

Casino Investigations may require different records

Casino beverage programs are significantly different from those offered by the traditional restaurant. Complimentary drinks, mobile cocktail servers, gaming-floor supervisors, and extensive security operations create additional sources of information.

A Casino expert witness may review beverage staffing assignments, surveillance footage, security reports, and procedures governing employee communication. When beverages are provided as a complimentary service, the receipts from sales traditionally are inadequate.

In these circumstances the investigation will rely more heavily on surveillance records or employee reports, service documentation, and even the documenting procedures of the property. Experts must recognize the weaknesses of evidence rather than accepting incomplete records as evidence.

Be sure to save the evidence before it is no longer available

One of the main concerns in hospitality litigation is the preservation of time sensitive records. Some surveillance systems will only save recordings for a certain period of time. The information about employees’ schedules and internal communications and incident documents could be stored by various departments or systems. Attorneys need to identify and archive the records that may be pertinent as soon as possible.

It’s dependent on the nature of the claim. The scope of the investigation will be contingent on the accusations. A targeted review helps establish the relevant records without taking for granted that every department played any role.

Operational Experience helps explain the Paperwork

Preston Rideout is a hospitality veteran with over 20 years of experience. He has held various positions in management, bartending, as well as beverage operations across multiple companies. Through Rideout Hospitality Consulting, established in 2010, he has consulted hotels, restaurants, and resort owners in the United States and internationally.

Expert witness testimony on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants has included matters involving casinos, resorts, restaurants, and hotels. It’s beneficial to have a background in hospitality management in order to understand documents that appear simple to those who aren’t familiar with the business.

A staffing schedule includes, for instance, those who were given the task of working. To determine if the assignments were proper you should know the model of service for the facility and its operational conditions.

A stronger case starts with Clarer Questions

An early review by an expert can help attorneys to distinguish between the facts that are documented and those that remain unanswered. It helps identify documents that are worth requesting and clarify the operational terminology that is used in depositions.

Every discrepancy is not an operational failure and not every written policy demonstrates that the proper procedures were observed.

The importance of expert analysis lies in explaining the distinctions with relevant evidence and recognized industry practices. For attorneys preparing the case for a hospitality client, understanding the company prior to questioning its employees could lead to a more specific, convincing investigation of what actually happened.