24 Hour Emergency Response 604-644-9229 (BC) 780-995-9229 (AB) 416-628-3393 (ON)
24 Hour Emergency Response 604-644-9229 (BC) 780-995-9229 (AB) 416-628-3393 (ON)
Any business can be the victim of a crime or illegal activities. Regardless of the size of your company, many business owners often run into some problems that could have been easily averted or solved by security guards. That said, some businesses such as retail stores, warehouses, and banks may be more susceptible to petty thieves and criminals compared to other types, hence the need to consider partnering with a security company.
Many companies choose to hire guards to maintain security, prevent crime, and assist customers. The presence of a security guard at your premises acts as a great deterrent to crime. Potential thieves will think twice before targeting a business with uniformed guards. Moreover, professional guards are trained to be observant and to look for suspicious activity, which further helps to deal with threats before they happen. Even if an issue occurs, security guards are trained to respond to different situations to help maintain peace.
Having guards on-site also provides peace of mind for your employees and customers by creating a sense of security. Trained guards can assist with customer service, controlling and directing traffic, or escorting customers and employees to their vehicles after dark.
These are just some of the benefits of hiring security guards for your business. However, how do you know when to engage the services of a professional security company? Here are a few signs to look out for:
For many small businesses with limited resources, the owners may be unable to cover all situations where potential risks and emergencies may arise. Employee and vendor theft can be a particularly big problem for stores. Professional security guards with proper training to handle different kinds of security and emergency situations can promote employee and vendor honesty, while encouraging your employees to focus on the core business as they enjoy a sense of safety.
Many businesses today require their employees to understand aspects of safety, health, and fire emergencies to ensure a prompt response in the event of any incidents. That said, they’re unlikely to have expertise in these areas, or even enough time to learn about them. Professional security guards, on the other hand, would act as the single point of contact for these areas of your business management, helping to relieve the burden from employees while providing continuous training to your staff on safety and security.
One of the best ways to assess whether you need to hire professional security guards is by examining the crime rate in your area. If your community’s crime rate is higher than average, or if it seems to be growing, then it’s a good idea to enhance the security of your business by partnering with a security company.
Most businesses that work with goods often face huge losses from inventory shrinkage, with theft coming from both internal and external parties. Hiring security guards can help to minimize stock losses by not only deterring crime and watching blind spots, but also viewing live security video and reviewing the footage to investigate incidents.
If most of your customers park in a commercial parking lot, consider improving the security of their vehicles by hiring security guards. Most of these parking lots are quite unsafe, especially due to the poor lighting and unfriendly layout. Unattended parking lots tend to attract vandalism and other criminal activities. However, you can improve security and make your customers feel safer by hiring security guards to be on-site or to make regular patrols to help deter criminal activity.
If your store sees a very high number of customers, or if it has many employees, then this may increase the likelihood of accidents and emergencies occurring. A security guard can help to maintain order and facilitate emergency response services in the event of an accident or incident.
If your customers or clients are permitted to indulge in alcoholic beverages on-site, then you should be prepared to handle occasional volatile situations. Trained security guards can quickly and effectively diffuse tense situations. Their visible presence will help to deter unruly behaviour; plus, they will be ready to de-escalate any conflicts at the earliest opportunity.
Installing an access control system is a great way to limit entry to only authorized persons. However, these systems can be quite expensive to maintain. Without proper maintenance, they can become ineffective. Security guards, on the other hand, will keep a high level of effectiveness and consistency in protecting the entry and exit points of your premises.
If your business receives many guests and visitors, you should consider hiring security guards to monitor those coming to and fro, and also to assist in directing them around your premises. This can be particularly important for businesses that need to protect their intellectual assets.
With many complaints of police forces across the country being understaffed and overworked, some areas may experience higher crime rates due to slow response time. If you’re concerned about police responding to emergencies at your office on time, then consider partnering with a security company to help maintain order and enforce various security measures when the need arises before the police officers arrive.
Any of the situations above will indicate that you may need the services of a security company. The right security guard company will help you to develop a plan on how to best protect your business, while focusing on specific areas that are of concern. They will help you to define your specific needs and find the right match for you, whether you want security guards to be inside or outside your store, guide your customers to different sections of your business, or escort your employees when working late hours.
For more information on using security to keep your business safe, please contact Optimum Security, a reliable security company in Kelowna.
