Hotel Key Control Systems: How They Work & Their Benefits

 If you own or manage a hotel, then you should learn all about electronic business key control systems and the unique benefits they offer hotel owners, managers, and staff. These systems make monitoring employee use of keys easier and more effective than tracking them in other ways, such as with a traditional paper and pencil key sign-out system.

Read on to learn how an electronic hotel key control system works and the many benefits of installing one of these devices. 

How a Key Control System Works

A hotel key control system typically consists of a metal, tamper-proof box where all business keys are stored on special key hangers. This box is typically mounted on a wall where all hotel employees can access it when needed. While all key control systems can vary, most key control lock boxes can only be opened when an authorized employee types a unique pin number into the box keypad or unlocks the box with a fingerprint or other form of biometric authentication.

After an employee gains entry into the lock box, a built-in electronic key tracking system monitors which key the employee removes from the box and exactly what time they remove it. Then, when the employee is finished using the key they removed from the box, they unlock the box with their unique credentials again and replace the keys. The tracking system then notes who returned the key and when it was returned.

Many key control systems are equipped with additional advanced features, including features that allow only select, pre-designated employees to access certain keys in the box; features that require employees to input the reason for key removal when they remove certain keys; and other features that help hotel owners and managers customize key access and tracking.

While some hotel owners choose to install one lock box where all business keys are stored and managed, others choose to install several boxes installed in strategic locations throughout the hotel grounds. Hotel Key Control System Benefits

Hotel key control systems offer hotel owners many benefits

Increase Employee Accountability

When employees know that hotel managers and owners are tracking when they remove and return keys to the main key control system box, they may be more likely to adhere to workplace protocols accurately and manage their time effectively.

For example, when the exact time that an employee removes a key to the break room and then returns it is logged by the key control system, the employee may be less likely to take an extended break that was not preapproved by a supervisor or other business superior. 

Reduce Lost Key Incidents

When business keys get lost, sometimes access to certain business rooms and areas can only be regained by contacting a locksmith. In addition, missing keys can jeopardize business security.

While a hotel key control system may not eliminate the chance that an employee will accidentally lose a key, employees may be more likely to handle keys carefully and take additional steps to prevent their loss when they know that their business superiors will know who was responsible for the key when it went missing. 

Minimize the Chance of Business Theft

When objects go missing at a workplace, it might not only be disheartening to suspect that an employee may have stolen them but also difficult or impossible to determine who may have taken the objects when you do not have a key control system in place.

However, when your hotel is equipped with a key control system, you can determine who was in the room where the item was stolen around the time it went missing by checking the key lock box log. When the employee who had the key to the room where the object went missing was not responsible for the theft, they may have witnessed someone else taking it or have other evidence you can use to find the guilty party.

If you own or manage a hotel, consider installing a key control system that allows you to monitor the movement of employee keys around the hotel with little effort. Contact the security and access control experts at Phoenix Access Control to discuss hotel key control system installation today.