What people really steal from the hospitality industry – and yes, it’s bizarre
Theft in the hospitality industry happens far more often than you think. Research among 130 hospitality business owners shows that something regularly goes missing – for 6% of those surveyed, even every day. Medium-sized hospitality businesses appear to be the most vulnerable: large enough for a convivial atmosphere, small enough for someone to steal a pepper mill or toilet brush (?!) unnoticed. Really, it can get even crazier than you think; all of this gets taken during a visit to a hospitality venue.
If you think it’s safe at your place… think again
Following our article about theft in the hospitality industry, we were flooded with responses. Here are the most remarkable stories from business owners – some almost impossible to believe:
1. A coin by the toilet
Marian: “At the public toilets, there was a saucer for the familiar coin. Nobody left a tip. So we glued a coin onto the saucer to show what it was for. When I came in, someone was trying to pry that coin loose!”
2. Toilet air freshener
Nathalie: “Someone once stole the air freshener block from our toilet bowl.”
3. Everything from the toilets
Strange but true: absolutely everything gets taken from the toilets. Rolls of toilet paper and luxury soap dispensers are in the top five most stolen hospitality items. Shameless, but not exactly crazy. Do all these people have some kind of weird fetish?
Light
Conny: “A customer once reported that the light in the women’s toilets was broken. When we went to replace it, it turned out the light had simply disappeared.”
It can get even worse, as Carine writes: “At the office (a large company), I noticed that the toilet brushes were attached to the wall with chains. After asking around, I learned that they otherwise got taken.”
Toilet seat, toilet brushes, toilet bowl (?!)
Oh wait, apparently this happens more often, as Miranda’s story shows: “A few months ago, the toilet brush and holder were taken, just on a Sunday afternoon.” And it gets even worse: Ron once found an entire toilet seat missing! And very disgusting is what happened to Mark: “Someone took the toilet bowl from our place without flushing it.”
4. Liqueur glasses
Beer glasses and tableware are the most commonly stolen hospitality items. So the fact that liqueur glasses get stolen isn’t all that remarkable. In this case, it was the way they were taken:
Silas: “Years ago, my sister-in-law took some small liqueur glasses from a restaurant in Spain. She was wearing a dress, so the glasses went into her underwear. You can imagine the noise that made while walking to the car. I should mention that she was drunk and didn’t remember the next day where those lovely glasses had come from.”
5. (Almost) the entire park
Elly worked at Centerparcs, and it’s a miracle she wasn’t taken too. Practically everything else in the park was: “Baby cots, mattresses, towels, cutlery, mirrors, curtains, batteries from the remote controls, Senseo… you name it. Everything that wasn’t attached went along.”
6. Ugly pepper and salt shakers
Pepper mills and sauce dispensers are also typical items that get taken en masse. Even when they’re hideous, as Anita’s story shows: “I used to have a shop in Den Bosch where we also sold sandwiches and snacks… so we had a standing table for customers… we always bought the ugliest pepper and salt shaker in existence… and it was always GONE!!!”
7. The buffet
Also so typical… Carmen: “Entire groups of shameless people on holiday would load up three big shopping bags with food and drinks at the buffet in the morning, for the rest of the day (outside the hotel). The people who behaved normally almost always missed out.”
8. For the dog
Kelly: “At a high tea, I have to explain that the contents of the tea box may not be taken home… And apparently the decorations are free to take with us too, according to certain people…. Oh, and recently the dogs’ water bowl: gone too.”
9. Schnitzels in your handbag
From schnitzel to snitching. Unlimited schnitzels: how do you do that? Ruud saw it and is still impressed: “At a restaurant, there was a woman who put a schnitzel in her bag every time. It was an all-you-can-eat fries and schnitzel deal. I said something about it.”
10. TV
Willem remembers it well: “I experienced this once on a trip with a coach company. The hotel called the tour leader and asked whether the people in room X would return the television. The bus turned around, the TV was handed back, and the people in question had to travel home at their own expense.”
The most absurd part: people think everything is included
Some guests even consider it completely justified. Andre says: “With prices the way they are today, people think all those things are simply included.” Anita agrees: “Look at the prices of a cup of coffee; you’d almost think the glass was included.”
Ronny and Stephanie feel called out. Ronny: “Toilet visit €1, milk €0.50 – who’s actually being robbed here?!” Stephanie: “For a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream, I decided the cup might as well come with it.”
Also read:
