Customer Service as a Security Deterrent
In the world of security, people often see security officers as private policemen. In fact, the primary role of security officers is entirely different. While they do respond to emergencies, a good security program understands their primary job is service and deterrence.
Generally, a good security plan should provide high-profile patrols that will send the criminal element to locations that do not present the challenge of a security officer. Most of the time, this high-visibility patrol is disguised as an officer serving people. From opening a door, to giving directions, or greeting people and making them feel safe, good security officers are often ambassadors for the businesses they serve.
We at Teachout Security Solutions have always believed in a service orientation. This has been reinforced by our work in healthcare along with many studies that indicate service-oriented security teams result in fewer incidents. This can be easily understood, particularly in healthcare. Often times people coming into hospitals (whether as patients or visitors) are under additional stress. Sometimes they are genuinely having the worst day of their life. If the security team serves them and gets them where they need to go while being kind, they are less likely to escalate. It must be a welcoming environment.
It is our belief that this concept works in nearly all environments. If the first contact a person has with a security officer at the mall, office building, or anywhere else is positive, the entire interaction is more likely to be positive. If it starts with the officer challenging a guest, the interaction is far more likely to be negative. When we tell people this, they usually say, “That’s common sense!” We believe it is; the question is, if it is “common sense” why are so many security teams and companies working with an enforcement orientation?
Teachout Security Solutions trains their staff to greet people warmly, help them in any way possible, and maintain a service orientation. Yes, we can adopt an enforcement orientation, but that is the last option, not the starting point. This approach has been documented to reduce incidents, which is the greatest risk mitigation strategy. An added benefit is that our approach also creates happy consumers of our client’s services.
Since 1981, Teachout Security Solutions has become well-known as industry-leading uniformed security services. We provide our customers with comprehensive security solutions both domestically and worldwide through a network of strategic partners. For more information, contact us today!
