What You Need To Know About About Nightclub Security

With security concerns arising in the past few weeks amongst club goers, spiking has always been around, but is the issue getting out of control? Find out how you can ramp up your security using technology, protect your customers and keep your nightlife venue safe in this week’s article.

Security concernsÂ

A pattern of different concerns seems to be repeated, and post-pandemic nightlife still poses the same challenges to nightclubs and bar owners.

Recent news has instilled a heightened fear in clubbers, and rightfully so. With over 200 spiking incidents being reported over the last two months, extra measures have never been more important. Taking steps such as investing in high-definition CCTV cameras to identify & monitor more closely, increased searching upon entry, reinforcing a zero drug and abuse policy, and more can help you prevent these sorts of attacks.Â

Common challenges club owners face regarding security are … people selling illegal substances, employee theft (both from finding it difficult to refuse free drinks to friends and, pocketing cash or just straight up stealing), and controlling incidents caused by intoxicated people within the premises.

All of these issues can lead to damaged reputation, negative press, loss of revenue, and unhappy customers. So keeping these issues under control is really important.

There is one simple technology solution that Astaris recommend investing in, CCTV. We recommend a Cisco Meraki CCTV as it comes with a range of additional features such as facial recognition, image search, cloud-managed storage, extremely high definition, and continues to record even when it’s not connected to the internet.

Having this high-definition CCTV may not prevent security incidents but will be extremely useful when it comes to resolving the issue and also ensures to authorities you are taking extra precautions to ensure the safety of your staff and customers. It will also allow you to easily identify and staff or customers involved in suspicious behavior. Get in contact withAstaris – 01273 940000 for more information on CCTV.

To prevent connection dropping out at all, again it goes back to WiFi, so make sure yours is reliable!

A reliable network

The IT infrastructure running through a nightclub is huge. From tills, PDQs, DJ sets, sound systems to WiFi and internet. There aren’t many parts of a nightclub that don’t rely on IT in some way. So it’s important that it’s reliable.

In particular,WiFi. A good WiFi is a foundation for a lot of the systems found in a club. Music, contactless payments, order at the table apps, and people simply sharing their night out on social media all relies on your WiFi network. Without realising many businesses have a connection that is more suitable for domestic use.

The same WiFi you have under the stairs at home just isn’t compatible with a large venue. Something like Cisco Meraki WiFi and multiple wireless access points located across your venue will ensure reliable and fast coverage making your guests night out more fun and meaning your staff will be able to serve quickly and efficiently, bumping up your revenue in the process.Â

A wide range of marketing benefits is also available from investing in ‘purple WiFi’ such as collecting valuable customer data, allowing you to tailor your marketing campaigns and get the most out of your budget.

Hospitality staff shortages?

Hiring the right staff for your business that are loyal, reliable but also care for your customer’s safety is important. Read more about getting & keeping your staffhere.

It’s no secret that the hospitality industry as a whole in the UK is suffering an immense staff shortage (the vacancies for hospitality staff were up 12.1% between April and June this year compared to 2017 figures), and nightclubs are demanding long shifts, unsociable hours, and having to deal with lots of different types of people and situations from its employees.

So how can you improve your situation if staff shortages are something your club is facing? One of the good things to come out of the pandemic is the technology that everyone is now embracing. Waiting in long queues at the bar may be a thing of the past if your club has tables and seated areas, order at table facilities is well worth having. It reduces the number of people waiting at the bar allowing your staff to serve those who do wish to order at the bar to be served quicker.

Contactless payments have also become an increasingly popular method of payment for a number of reasons, it reduces physical contact which has been important to lots of people over the last year, and it’s a lot quicker! (83% of the UK population use contactless and no age range drops below 75%).

It’s no doubt your PDQ takes contactless payments, but how long does it take for the payments to go through. Having to wait for ages for the PDQ to connect or having to ask customers to move around the bar to get a better signal just slows you down even more. Having a reliable WiFi and Internet connection will ensure your contactless payments go through instantly and you can serve more people.

There really is a lot of potentials for nightlife businesses to excel post lockdown, don’t let security and IT issues stand in your way. Take back control of your venue and make a secure, safe, and fun place to be!