Business coach and founder of KMA Consulting Group, Kelly Skillen, provides tips on creating a culture of respect and enhancing club safety.
(NOTE: This story was written by Kelly Skillen and appears in the March 2025 issue of ED Magazine)
Security hosts, whether they work at the club entrance, on the floor or in VIP, suffer from a bad reputation. A keynote speaker at a recent ED EXPO referred to them as the “ape at the door,” and the audience comprised mainly of operators and team members, applauded. However, security’s role has evolved. Today, their most important professional responsibility is standing between the club and a lawsuit.
Navigating a treacherous legal landscape is nothing new in this industry. What I’d like to focus on here is how the words and actions of our very own “ape” can be the difference between causing or mitigating exposure on the part of our business. And although you should schedule de-escalation seminars often, the risk of “excessive force” is only the beginning.
Did a host’s attitude toward cast members and entertainers potentially create a hostile workplace? Did a host’s failure to report an incident cause vicarious negligence on the part of the employer? Did a host’s inattention fail to keep a guest, team member or entertainer safe? It’s not only what our hosts do that causes us to lose sleep; it’s also what they don’t do, particularly in areas that could lead to Title VII claims.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, gender or other protected class and is often invoked in sexual harassment suits. Claims under Title VII may not be subject to arbitration and, under certain circumstances, can be used to hold owners and officers individually responsible. In other words, it can permanently shut a business’ lights off.
With the legal deck stacked against club operators, what can be done? You transform your security team into your best operational line of defense.
Establish a culture of respect
Culture is defined by shared values — perhaps a mission statement, some core philosophies. For those who think all that’s BS, you’re right, in a way. Posting inspirational quotes in the employee breakroom and then going about business as usual won’t get the job done. However, truly instilling a culture that encourages respect for the guests, the entertainers and ourselves is the greatest thing we can do for our security team and our organization. Why?
- Your team will commit fewer litigious acts.
- Your team will look out for the club and its performers, preventing incidents before they occur.
- Your team will perform better in depositions and court if it comes to that.
That last one got your attention? Culture is a great attribute, but many believe it’s like good bone structure — either you have it or you don’t. A respectful culture can be cultivated through words, actions and intentions.
Words matter. That’s why we say “host” instead of “bouncer,” “entertainer” instead of “dancer,” “guest” instead of “customer.” Just by changing our language, we’ve begun to instill respect. We’ve placed entertainment and hospitality front and center. We’ve suggested the kind of behavior expected from all involved.
The only way it works is if we use the same words all the time. Gently correct each other. Review the mission statement at every pre-shift. When someone jokes that we’re starting to sound like members of a cult, we know we’re on the right track! Words will gradually extend to actions. If we feature “celebrities” instead of “strippers,” it feels natural to help them offstage and offer to escort them to their cars. From there, identify the intention behind each action. For example, we sweep the cigarette butts from the front steps because it must be done, but also because we have pride in our club’s appearance.
Recruit and develop your team
As the role of security evolves, so must the hiring manager. Choose your words carefully when recruiting. If you really want a “floor walker” standing between you and the next lawsuit, that’s what you’ll get. Instead, create a campaign, just as you would for a guest!
Commit to developing your team. Make the introduction to culture personal, and if you don’t have a trusted security trainer, fill the role yourself. It’s challenging to scrape together the time and effort to develop our most important resource, our people — but whether we adjust our priorities or hire a third party, we have to figure it out because the industry’s future depends on it.
Refining situational awareness
Refining situational awareness provides a great opportunity for club owners and operators to lead by example. We all know the importance of staying on the floor, but what should we be doing there? We should be paying attention. Which guest is drinking a little too quickly? Who’s becoming unruly? Is the vibe fun or angry?
Then, move beyond observation and speak to each table. Learn something about each guest and note if something seems off. Later, teach your floor hosts to do the same. Keep them on their toes by asking specifics about some of the people you interacted with, such as what occasion the guest in the red baseball hat is celebrating. Situational awareness isn’t just a way to spot catastrophe brewing — it’s also exceptional hospitality.
Have a backup plan
What happens when the system fails? Your backup is a clearly defined complaint procedure, including an anonymous call line or portal to which all team members and entertainers have access, such as WorkSafe, a product created by attorney Devon Lyon.
“This allows employers the ability to get immediate notice of issues in the workplace so you can address them and not allow them to turn into litigation for failing to prevent workplace issues,” explains Lyon, a legal advisor to ACE National and leading authority on employment law. “It’s a way to be sure a host isn’t treating our talent lineup like a personal buffet or has failed to address an incident that made a team member or entertainer feel unsafe — including assault.”
Keep in mind that complaint portals also come with the responsibility of guarding against retaliation and keeping the process from being weaponized by those with personal agendas.
Provide the necessary safety tools
If we ask our hosts to do their best to ensure the safety of our cast and entertainers, especially in VIP suites, we must give them the physical and strategic tools to do so. These fall into three categories: Schedules and stations, radios and nametags and silent alarms.
If you don’t schedule an adequate number of hosts, you put the club at risk of a serious incident — fight, assault, active shooter — that could have been prevented. Where you station your security hosts is just as important. Where are your blind spots? Is a cast member always stationed in the eye or earshot of each performance area? If your dances happen upstairs and your host is at a downstairs podium, you may not be doing the most to keep your entertainers safe.
Working radios and earpieces are a must. These tools allow door hosts to communicate with floor hosts. It also ensures VIP hosts can quickly get coverage without leaving the suites unattended. Why nametags? They encourage accountability. Make nametags a part of your host’s uniform, and be sure they’re visible to guests.
Silent alarms in VIP areas provide an added measure of safety. In over 25 years of operation, I’ve only experienced a handful of incidents in VIP rooms — including a hostage situation — but I’d do just about anything to prevent another, and so should you. In today’s “new normal,” our security team — and by extension, the club — may be held accountable for failure to prevent assaults, and short of parking a host in every room, giving entertainers tools to communicate with our security team is the next best thing. Don’t confuse silent alarms with telephones or intercoms that allow guests or entertainers to call for service from VIP rooms and otherwise be left alone. This is the opposite of what we’re trying to accomplish.
Is there good news? Absolutely! The suggestions provided here — culture, development, awareness, planning, tools — won’t only save us from Armageddon, but they will make us better at what we do. That’s right! The goals surrounding workplace safety and offering excellent guest service — thereby achieving higher sales — aren’t in conflict. They are aligned. By transforming our security team into our greatest line of defense, they become our greatest offense.
Six Surprising Ways to Keep Your Club Safe
by Neil Kluttz of KMA Consulting Group
- Establish culture — Culture is all about the reason why, and it begins with having respect for each other. THIS STARTS AT THE TOP!
- Coach and develop — We used to say, “You’re only as strong as your weakest link.” Now we say, “The weakest link will land you in court.” From bar backs to GMs, comprehensive training is key.
- Lead by example — How can you expect your team to observe, interact and engage if you’re holding up the wall, absorbed in your phone?
- Teach situational awareness — If you coach your team to notice what’s playing on the TVs and which light bulbs are out, they’re also going to see when something’s about to pop off.
- Touch tables — Introducing yourself to each table, and guiding your hosts to do the same, doesn’t just give you the information you need to maintain a safe environment, it results in superior guest service!
- De-escalate — I’m too old to fight, but even the youngest members of our team need to embrace the art of keeping cool and using their words. Work as one. Tap each other out. If we have pride in the workplace, we’ll rise above negativity every time, because we’re better than that.
For more information on KMA Consulting Group, visit www.kmaconsultinggroup.com. For legal advice, contact Devon M. Lyon at 562-216-7382 or dlyon@work-safe.biz.
