Ten Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Security Guard Company.
If you are considering hiring a security guard company, then you should make sure that you are confident in the work that they are doing. Here are a few questions that you can ask to identify a good company:
1 –How long have you been in business?
There is nothing wrong with a company being new if everything else checks out, but dealing with an established company is a plus.
2 –Can you show me your General Liability and Worker’s Liability insurance?
Every security firm should have a good insurance package.
3 –How many claims have you had made against you in the last ten years?
If the company is unwilling to disclose information about claims this is a bad sign. The presence of claims is not a red flag, as long as they were not recent, and there was an action plan made to prevent them happening again.
4 –What training do your Security Guard employees have?
Guards should be trained in communication, observation, conflict de-escalation and resolution, and required to re-train regularly.
5 –How often are your employees required to be re-trained?
The security guards should be asked to re-certify every year or two at the most, to keep their skills current.
6 –What is your employee turnover like? How experienced are the guards that would be assigned to my case?
It is not unusual for security companies to struggle to retain staff because of the unusual working hours. Ideally, you should be getting senior staff that will stay on your particular case for the duration of the contract.
7 –What equipment do your security guards usually use?
Do they use cameras, vehicles, communication equipment? Are they will-trained in its use.
8 –What level of involvement do the account managers have on a case?
Your account manager should be making sure that the guards check in and provide regular updates, and should be pro-active about managing issues.
9 –Who are your usual clients?
Look for a firm that has a lot of clients similar to you –whether that means shops, building sites, or a solo person wanting escorted abroad by a close protection team.
10 –What reports can we expect from our guards?
Detailed reports –even if the details say “Checked this area at 9:15PM, all fine”are essential..