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When property managers hire security guard companies, they consider their contract security force profile, but often what they get is not what they imagined. What we found is that most security guard companies can provide the service that property managers want, but often do not do so due to a lack of continuous quality control procedures.
Security guard companies are different from any vendor that a property manager typically hires. If you hire a painter, you can tell whether or not they are doing their job by looking at the walls. But when you hire a security guard company, how often do you know if the guard company is doing their job which includes conducting background checks and drug checks, providing good training to your guards, and monitoring and supervising your guards effectively. It may be in most cases, but it is important to implement a system of verification and quality control to ensure that problems associated with not performing these functions do not start to occur.
In this article, we will discuss five (5) easy steps to improve your security guard service and achieve what you envision as the ideal security guard force.
Check your guards’ qualifications
In many states, guards are mandated to have a specific amount of training before they can begin to work as security guards. If your state is one of these states, make sure your security guard company complies.
If you are in a country where there are no government requirements for guard certification, research the type of training your security company offers and ask yourself if it sounds appropriate.
Plus, does your security guard company perform background and drug checks on all of your guards before they are dispatched to your property? If they are, then they should provide you with verification. If not, then why?
Another excellent way to find out if a guard is a good fit for your property is to conduct a short “interview” to get to know the guard and explain your expectations. This initial conversation can tell you a lot about what to expect from this goalkeeper and give you a chance to order a different guard if you feel it is necessary.
Guard Training Assessment
Although most security guard companies have very precise guidance that provides each guard to the same company, in many cases the guards’ direction to the property assigned to them is not complete. We call the orientation of the custom feature “site-specific training.” Find out what your training site looks like:
- Is it happening on your property?
- Who does the training?
- What is the duration of training for each new officer?
- How long does the security company take to double a bank? (Dual banking is the process of having a veteran guard work at the same time as a new guard.)
- How accurately do you explain your mailing requests?
Determine the answer to each of these questions and make sure it matches what you feel is appropriate. You should even think about sitting down on the directions of your security guard company and training your site to understand what goes into preparing a guard to work on your property.
Watch your IT security Contractor
Guarding supervision is one of the most important factors of good guard service. When security companies provide weak monitoring, adequate attention is not paid to preventing errors, problems, and complaints. Lack of supervision also removes the goalkeeper the opportunity to learn and understand his duties better. If the guards are not supervised, they begin to realize that their work is not important and begin to see themselves as less than a part of the security team. When guards are not feeling part of your team, it usually leads to unacceptable practices such as unacceptable behavior, delays, and even theft.
Depending on your contract structure, site moderators may not be included. If your contract does not require on-site supervision, how do you remotely supervise your security guard company? Outside the field check of a field supervisor of a regular security company, there are two methods of remote supervision that have proved successful:
- Officer Tour Tracking System
- Officer Check-in
If your company is required to make visits to your property, a system is necessary to track them while on the job. Officers’ tour tracking systems provide a remote way to monitor guards while they are on your property. These tracking systems allow the IT security Indianapolis company to monitor the time and record the IT support activity as they visit different areas of your property. Most officer tracking systems can produce reports that enable a security company to understand if it is making rounds. A short version of these reports should also be submitted to the asset manager.
In addition to the officers’ tour tracking system, we have found that having an arrangement with the security company to check in regularly provides a way to ensure that each guard is safe and alert. By having regular guard check-ins with the security guard company, at least every 30 minutes, the guards feel that their safety is important and that staying up and alert is an important part of their job.
Check your IT security provider
Inspecting your guards after hours is always a great way to discover what is happening for your safety when you are not there. During these inspections, be sure to ask the security guard about their duties and responsibilities so that they understand their job. In fact, we suggest that security guards show up regularly (formally post-inspection), and informally (i.e. covert purchases) as part of an ongoing security program by a licensed security advisor Go.
Companies like Asymmetric Strategies provide a free service that aims to do this. Remember, when choosing a security advisor, make sure the advisor is not actually a security guard company. If so, your audit is sure to lead to problems with the security guard corporation.
Visit your IT security company regularly
The fifth and easiest step is to meet regularly with your security company. Without providing regular feedback to their security guard company, asset managers miss opportunities for a gradual increase in inefficiency. Topics such as tenant notes, attention of guards, feedback from any remote supervision system, and any security audit should be discussed during these meetings.