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5 ways to use technology to mitigate risk of litigation and benefit your business

Here are five ways that technology can help hospitality business owners avoid litigation.

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March 4, 2024 by David DeLorenzo — Owner, Bar and Restaurant Insurance

Safety is paramount in today's ever-changing restaurant industry — and that goes not only for the safety of your staff and your customers but also for your business. The use of technology can be increasingly helpful when it comes to protecting your business and keeping everyone involved in it safe. And while some restauranteurs may resist technology, it could actually save a business in the instance of a lawsuit.

Here are five ways that technology can help hospitality business owners:

Documentation

As technology advances, restaurant owners can and should use it to monitor and record everything that happens in and around their restaurant. Capturing and saving timestamped video of a potential incident can be a lifesaver in the case that the restaurant is sued for some reason —whether a customer was in an accident and is claiming to be overserved or if an employee is hurt on the job.

Particularly in today's litigious society, documentation is more important than ever and as camera technology advances, it can document and save data for a year or longer. Having this documentation on file is imperative in the case of a claim. At the end of the day, this is about protection.

Storage

Do away with filing cabinets. Seek hospitality-driven technology that can provide a place for restaurateurs to manage and store all their important documents such as certificates of training, food handlers cards and proof of licensing in one convenient place. This way, documentation is conveniently stored and accessible when needed.

Streamlining Protocols

Technology can also be utilized to help business owners streamline their business operations—from management to training. Using tools such as training videos can help improve customer service and also help motivate and keep employees accountable. Technology can also be utilized to create protocols that can help improve and streamline business operations across a multitude of facts.

Safety and Protection

In addition to documenting safety via camera technology and instilling training protocols as mentioned above, technology can help mitigate the risk of a lawsuit by enhancing safety in other areas. For example, having a tech professional put firewalls into place to protect your credit card processing systems and to ensure the restaurant's website has good security can make it harder for hackers to access.

Savings

Quite simply, the fewer claims you have, the less liability you have. Ultimately, you will pay less for coverage because you are not seen as high-risk by a carrier. Safety, training and documentation through the use of technology can help protect you and your business—and these elements can also help you save money.

There's no need to fear or resist technology. It can be a time-saving, money-saving safety feature that can help streamline a business in many ways.

About David DeLorenzo

David DeLorenzo has spent three decades building a large bar and restaurant insurance business, as well as a consulting arm that works with restaurants on an array of topics, connecting and protecting owners along the way.

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