If you are a business owner, you may be wondering if hiring a local security guard company is a smart choice for your business. Civil unrest is on the rise and after COVID-19, employees and consumers alike are becoming more unpredictable.
While cost is certainly a consideration, and every business has a budget to adhere to, the advantages of hiring local professional security guards can easily outweigh the costs. Even a single botched security event could save you hundreds of thousands of dollars. Here are 9 benefits of hiring a local security guard company and how to choose the right security equipment for your needs.
- Fewer crimes in the workplace
Hiring a team of competent local security guards protects your establishment by preventing vandalism, theft and other threats to your property or employees. Professional security companies like us can spot suspicious activity and take appropriate action before it becomes a much bigger problem for your organization. Most would-be criminals are deterred from attacking your premises if you have security guards orange county on the premises. This is especially true if the security company is local and has extensive knowledge of the local business infrastructure.
If you own a retail establishment, for example, employing security guards can help dramatically reduce shoplifting rates. If you sell or manufacture expensive or high-end items, having security professionals on hand can deter criminals from targeting your business.
- Improved employee behavior
Security guards can play an important role in enforcing workplace rules and regulations. They can help act as a disciplinary authority, ensuring that team members follow the rules established by their company. Misconduct in the workplace, whether caused by visitors or by employees themselves, can cause your business to incur excessive costs and, in some cases, could jeopardize your reputation.
In many cases, misconduct can be identified and handled by a trained security guard. Even before the client or staff loses control, this can happen. Since they understand the local culture, having a local security guard on the premises also helps diffuse some types of altercations among members of the local community.
- Crowd management
If your workplace tends to attract a crowd, security guards will assist you in crowd management, minimizing potential threats like mob fights, crowd squashing, unruly behavior, or disturbances at your business. For example, if you have a Black Friday sale every Thanksgiving, hiring a team of security guards for the day can deter and mitigate potential problems involving large crowds.
They may be able to guide customers on where to line up, how far to stay apart, or hold off a group before a popular product launch. If a large group of people becomes unruly, guards can implement crowd management tactics to prevent injuries and defuse the situation. A local business will have a better idea of the size and type of crowds to expect, so your business can better prepare.
- Increased surveillance of your property
Security guards will also patrol the premises, monitor security camera activity, allow people to enter and exit the building, operate a security gate, and respond to alarms. They can usually do this relatively quickly when they are already on your property, saving you valuable time. Some security teams use dedicated monitoring and management software that provides real-time updates on property activity, so they can immediately respond to threats or spot potential problems even before they arise. - Additional customer service
Professional security guards are responsible for both protecting their work and providing basic customer service. They can, for example, help customers in retail stores find various items or departments. In other types of work settings, guards can help people find their destinations and escort them there if needed, even late at night or outside of business hours.
They can also help answer basic questions about your company’s products or services, especially if they’ve been working for your company for an extended period of time. While not a replacement for dedicated customer service staff, especially in a retail environment, security guards can be cross-trained to get customer complaints to the right place as the first point of contact. When you work with a local security guard company, many of your customers are likely to know the guards, which helps build trust between your target audience and your establishment.
- Protection during labor disturbances
During labor unrest, strikes or protests, the safety of your organization and your employees is of the utmost importance. This type of discomfort not only reduces the productivity of your company, but can also endanger the lives of your employees and the integrity of your property in the worst case. If protesters gather outside your workplace or a riot breaks out nearby, the risk of harm to everyone involved is substantially increased. Many businesses have recently had their windows broken with bricks and have been looted or vandalized simply for being in a certain area; the companies themselves were not targeted.
You can deter escalation during civil unrest by employing experienced local security guards and placing them in strategic locations within your business. Local guards who are familiar with the area can help employees navigate protests or pickets safely to get to work and ensure that demonstrations near their workplace remain peaceful. Often when security guards are present outside a business or at the gates, protesters or rioters will choose another location. If crowds escalate, security guards already on the property can respond quickly and call for backup.
- Brand exposure
Increased brand exposure is an odd but effective approach for security guards to bring value to your organization. For example, if a security guard wears a company logo shirt or company uniform, it helps consumers immediately connect your service with your brand. Customers feel more secure in your workplace and brand safety can also improve your company’s image and overall reputation.