6
CLH DIGITAL
ISSUE 278
Price Pressures and Poor Behaviour: Tackling Dine and Dash With Body-Worn Cameras By Alan Ring, CEO at HALOS (www.halosbodycams.com) For many hospitality operators, dine and dash incidents are a familiar frustration, and becoming a serious concern. In today’s economic landscape, a single unpaid bill can have a significant impact on the profit from an entire night’s trade. Margins for these venues are often tight – typically just 3-5% - and with the British Retail Consortium reporting food prices in the UK rose by 4% in the year to July, the impact of walk-outs is amplified. Add to that rising energy bills, wage pressures, and unpredictable footfall – there is little room left for additional setbacks. But the financial impact on the hospitality sector is only part of the story. Incidents of customers refusing to pay can leave staff in impossible positions, forced to challenge groups who may respond with hostility or even physical violence. When clips of those confrontations are shared online, venues or even individual team members can find themselves judged by thousands of people before the venue has even closed for the evening. For businesses built on creating positive experiences, dine and dash has the potential to be a threat to long-term customer trust.
WHEN BEHAVIOUR ESCALATES Dine and dash is rarely an isolated issue. It sits within a wider pattern of unacceptable and deteriorating customer behaviour that hospitality staff are increasingly forced to deal with. The Institute of Customer Service has reported a 20% increase in abuse toward frontline staff since 2024, reflecting a trend that extends beyond unpaid meals. Disputes over service, arguments about waiting times or even minor misunderstandings can all escalate quickly in high-pressure environments. Traditional safeguards still matter and continue to play a role, but they have limits. Training equips staff to deescalate situations and defuse tension, but it cannot change a customer’s intent. CCTV provides coverage, but in pubs, bars, restaurants, and hotels, it is not always positioned to capture the crucial moment when a walkout occurs. Side doors, crowded spaces and blind spots mean incidents often go unrecorded. When CCTV cameras do capture the scene, the absence of sound makes it difficult to establish what was actually said – leaving staff without the full evidence they need to protect themselves and report incidents effectively.
WHY BWCS MAKE A DIFFERENCE The gap left by CCTV is readily filled by body worn cameras (BWCs). Already familiar devices in retail and transport, they are increasingly being adopted in hospitality as a way to deter bad behavior before it begins and to ensure it is captured if it does. A camera worn by a member of staff creates an immediate sense of accountability, reminding customers that their actions are visible and recordable. It makes the decision to walk out without paying far less consequence-free. At its core, the deterrent effect is simple. If people know their face is captured on a body-worn camera, and that there are multiple touch points during their visit where the recording shows them clearly, they are far less likely to risk walking out without paying. A visible record of their actions makes dine and dash much harder to attempt, and much easier to prove if it does happen.
Public attitudes suggest this deterrent effect is real. Research commissioned by HALOS and conducted by YouGov reveals that nearly half (44%) of UK adults would “think twice” about their behaviour if they knew they were being recorded. Almost half (47%) also believe BWCs should be used specifically to improve safety and accountability in hospitality, showing clear support for their introduction. Among 18–24-year-olds, that figure rises to 65%. Even though younger people are also the least comfortable with BWCs, with almost a third (29%) saying they feel uneasy about their use, they remain highly self-aware of them. It’s that combination of discomfort and self-consciousness that makes the technology a particularly strong deterrent.
BEYOND PREVENTION: EVIDENCE AND REASSURANCE The value of BWCs isn’t just limited to prevention. When incidents do occur, footage provides impartial evidence that supports fair outcomes for both staff and customers. The findings also revealed that one in three people (31%) support the use of the tech to gather evidence during disputes with frontline staff, a clear indication that the public recognises the role of these devices in ensuring fairness. For operators, this reduces “he said, she said” stand-offs, enables quicker resolutions, and lowers the risk of reputational damage from false claims. For staff, the added sense of safety and reassurance of knowing their perspective can be verified matters greatly. These incidents often have an emotional impact that lingers long after the shift ends. Our research found support for BWCs is especially strong among women, with 72% backing their use for protecting frontline staff from abuse, along with 64% of men. This reflects the reality that employees need more than protection against financial loss, they need to feel secure when challenging difficult situations at the frontline, including when diners try to leave without paying.
DAY-TO-DAY USE WITHOUT DISRUPTION As with any technology in hospitality, the way BWCs are rolled out is just as important as the cameras themselves. Guests need to see them not as intrusive surveillance, but as part of a venue’s commitment to safety, fairness and service, whether that’s protecting staff from abuse or preventing issues like dine and dash. That requires transparency about when they are in use, how footage is stored, and who has access. The physical placement of these devices and the training that staff are given is key. Cameras should be visible enough to act as a deterrent but subtle and lightweight enough to avoid disrupting service. Staff should be trained on how to use the cameras, and how to explain their purpose in a calm, confident way that reassures customers. Done well, this transparency helps position BWCs as part of a venue’s commitment to good service – reinforcing, rather than undermining, the welcoming atmosphere hospitality that depends on.
PROTECTING EXPERIENCES The reality is that pressures on hospitality are unlikely to ease any time soon. Costs remain high, recruitment remains difficult, and customers expect seamless service. In that context, dine and dash is becoming more than a petty crime. Left unchecked, it can damage the venue’s finances, undermine staff wellbeing, and erode customer confidence all at once. Body-worn cameras are not a cure-all, but they offer something tangible at a time when operators need practical solutions. They deter walkouts, provide clarity in disputes, and give staff the confidence that they are supported. Protecting experiences has always been the heart of the industry, and today, tools like BWCs are becoming part of how those experiences can continue to be enjoyed.
Brakspear Sales Increased By 7% In 2024 JT Davies & Sons Holdings Limited, the parent company of Henley based pub operator Brakspear, has reported a 7% increase in turnover for the financial year ended 29 December 2024 at £41.3m accompanied by a 2% decline in adjusted EBITDA at £10.7m. It also reported underlying profit before tax at £7.5m adjusted for an impairment charge totalling £0.7m, which compares with £7.4m the previous year.
“The cost of doing business increased significantly during 2024 and this will increase following the Government’s dreadful Autumn 2024 Budget.” The business invested just under £9m across its pub estate, an uplift of £3.5m over the previous year. This investment included the refurbishment of The Egypt Mill in Nailsworth, and the acquisition of three new pubs added to its leased and tenanted estate: The Swan Inn in Chiddingfold, The Rose & Crown in Upper Farringdon and The George in Maulden. During the year, the business sold The Horns at Crazies Hill, near Henley.
Turnover was up from £38.6m in 2023 to £41.3m, benefitting from growth across all areas of the business including the full year effect of The White Bear, Warlingham, part of its Honeycomb Houses managed division. The conversion of sales growth to profit growth proved more challenging with operating costs increasing significantly because of government policy, inflationary pressures and world events.
Post year end, the business acquired The Redesdale Arms, Moreton-inMarsh with 35 bedrooms and The Kings Head, Cirencester with 64 bedrooms. These two purchases individually represent the largest acquisitions made by the group for a long time.
Tom Davies, chief executive, reflected on the year: “It is very encouraging that we continue to grow our business from a sales perspective, and that is because we have a stable and talented group of pub operators running our leased and tenanted businesses, and skilled, motivated teams across our Honeycomb Houses.
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