Running a successful convenience store (c-store) goes beyond offering a wide range of products and ensuring speedy service. In today’s digital age, video security has become an essential tool for store owners and operators who aim to prioritize safety, security, employee management, and operational efficiency. One valuable tool that can significantly support these goals is a long-term cloud-based video storage solution. Let’s explore why c-store operators, like yourself, need a solution like this and how it can substantially impact your business.
Liability Protection and Insurance Claims with Cloud-Based Video Storage
Accidents and liability issues can happen unexpectedly in any convenience store. Having access to a long-term video cloud storage system allows owners and operators to quickly retrieve footage and provide evidence for insurance claims or legal disputes, if ever needed. Video footage can help:
- Establish the facts
- Protect your restaurant against false accusations and reputation damage
- Expedite resolution
- And most importantly, save you money
Here are common liability issues in convenience stores and why a long-term cloud storage solution is important:
1. Slip-and-Falls
“According to the National Floor Safety Institute, slips and falls account for more than 1 million hospital emergency room visits each year and are the leading cause of worker compensation claims.” (CS News)
In any c-store, slip-and-fall accidents happen. The area around the soda machine can be prone to slip-and-fall accidents due to spilled beverages, wet floors from cleaning, and other hazards. These incidents can occur unexpectedly, and if the affected individual decides to take legal action, you may face lawsuits weeks or even months after the initial event. Therefore, it’s essential to have a reliable video camera system with footage saved in a secure location, readily available when needed.
In case of a slip-and-fall incident around the soda machine, video footage becomes invaluable evidence to determine the cause and liability. Having this footage helps protect your convenience store from false claims or potential legal disputes, as the recorded evidence provides clarity and transparency. With video evidence at hand, you can effectively address any claims and ensure the safety of your customers.
2. Workers’ Compensation
Workplace injuries can occur in many different ways in the convenience store industry. Ready Convenience says that common c-store workplace injuries include:
- Lifting and handling inventory
- Being struck by or against something
- Cuts from knives, box cutters, or sharp objects
- Improper use of equipment
- Chemical hazards
When workplace injuries happen in your convenience store, having recorded documentation of the incident is essential. Having access to important footage of employee actions, dangerous work conditions, and incidents causing injuries provides reliable evidence. This evidence helps you understand and support the events surrounding the claim.
3. Wrongful Termination
Terminating, or firing, an employee is (most of the time) never a pleasant experience. Now imagine, a former employee suing you for wrongful termination.
This occurs when an employer fires an employee in violation of the employment contract or in violation of employment laws. To lower the chance of a bad situation, it’s crucial to have recorded videos of these occurrences. This critical footage can serve as evidence.
With security camera footage stored in the cloud, you have the ability to access interactions between employees and management that happened up to the termination. This evidence can be used as a valuable record of the events, ensuring accuracy surrounding the termination. Retrieving and sharing the recorded footage helps your convenience store demonstrate the fairness and transparency of the termination process.
4. Employee and Customer Altercations
As an owner or operator of a c-store, it’s crucial to know the potential risks of employee and customer incidents. Whether the incident turns into a customer complaint, loud argument, or worse, a violent situation, you want to ensure that video footage is stored in case a lawsuit arises in the future.
With a cloud-based video storage solution, the footage is archived for extended periods, even years if needed. This capability is essential when dealing with legal cases that may take a considerable amount of time to come to light. In the case of altercations between employees and customers, you have access to footage from past incidents, helping reconstruct the events accurately and providing a solid defense against false claims, saving you time and money.
5. Alcohol, Tobacco, and Lottery Sales
In convenience stores, handling alcohol, tobacco, and lottery ticket sales comes with unique responsibilities. Serving alcohol to an obviously intoxicated customer or selling age-restricted products to minors can lead to serious liability claims. To mitigate risks and ensure compliance, it’s essential to follow protocols like refusing service to intoxicated individuals and diligently checking customers’ identification.
Having video footage of these transactions stored in the cloud can be a game-changer. It provides important evidence in legal claims, helping convenience store owners defend themselves against false accusations. Also, with a reliable long-term storage solution, store operators can look back at past incidents, see any patterns of not following the rules, and improve staff training to prevent similar issues in the future. By taking a proactive approach and leveraging cloud-based video storage, convenience stores can significantly reduce the likelihood of liability issues arising from alcohol, tobacco, and lottery ticket sales.
6. Law Enforcement Investigations
Having long-term storage for video footage is crucial for convenience store owners in the context of police investigations involving criminal activities. Many incidents, such as stolen vehicles, kidnappings, vandalism, and assaults, may not be immediately reported or discovered. Therefore, having access to historical video recordings becomes essential for law enforcement to reconstruct events accurately.
In many cases, investigations can span days, weeks, or even months before leads emerge. Having a long-term storage solution allows convenience store owners to retain video footage for extended periods, ensuring that critical evidence is preserved and accessible when needed by the authorities.
Enhanced Security and Loss Prevention with Cloud-Based Video Storage
The safety and security of your convenience store is essential. Video security systems serve as a proactive way to discourage theft, vandalism, and other security risks. By implementing a cloud-based video storage solution, c-store owners can securely store security footage off-site, ensuring that critical evidence is preserved, even if the physical security equipment is tampered with. This ensures quick identification of culprits, aids investigations, and prevents future incidents, ultimately protecting your convenience store and its profits.
Cloud-Based Video Storage with Remote Access for Peace of Mind
Cloud-based storage solutions offer the convenience of remote access to your video footage whenever you need it. Typically, a Network Video Recorder (NVR) storage device holds around 90 days of video footage.
With a cloud-based storage option, you can store footage for months to years. This long-term storage solution gives you the ability to access historical footage anywhere at any time. The ability to remotely access video footage provides peace of mind, knowing that you can monitor and respond to incidents even when you’re physically away from your convenience store.
“Companies are choosing the cloud because of its security, scalability, flexibility, mobility, storage and upgrades,” says Deon Johnson, vice president, customer technology and software, for McLane. (CS News)
In a complex industry like c-stores, where security, compliance, and operational efficiency are crucial to the success of your business, long-term video cloud storage is a game-changer. Cloud-based storage solutions offer benefits like enhanced security, improved compliance and company culture, streamlined operations, and peace of mind for owners, saving your time and money. By investing in a solution like Envysion’s Cloud Archive, convenience store owners can protect their business and profits, provide a safer environment for customers and employees, and ensure the smooth functioning of their establishment.
Because the past is never truly behind us, safeguard your c-store locations against liability claims and other workplace events with Envysion’s Cloud Archive – connect with us today to learn more.