Hiring the proper security company for your business, building, location, or event is crucial to the process of keeping guests, personnel, and valuable assets safe and secure.
But here’s the problem.
How do you know what to look for when hiring a security company?
Unfortunately, if you’ve never dealt with anyone in this industry before, you may not understand the ins and outs of finding a security company that’ll actually be worth the money—as opposed to a sketchy ‘fly by night’ company that’ll charge you exorbitant fees without offering you the kind of protection you actually need.
Security is a skill.
And it’s in your best interest to look for a company that has more than enough talent, knowledge, and experience to handle your project.
Special Security Services describes it like this:
“If you need to hire a security guard, you need to consider several factors. You need to look at the number of guards you need, the level of risk at the location, and the security guard experience that you will need to have.”
Let’s talk about what to look for when hiring a security company.
1. Experience
You definitely want a company that’s been around for a while.
You want to make sure that this security company understands your industry, how to protect your customers and personnel, and how to make sure that your assets aren’t lost, stolen, damaged, or otherwise compromised.
2. Reputation
Along with this experience, you want to hire a security company with a quality reputation in the industry marketplace.
What kind of reviews has this company received online?
What do people say about them?
When you research customer feedback on this company, do you come up with positive reviews or negative reviews?
It’s extremely important to research a security company’s reputation before choosing to hire them.
3. Professionalism
Along with a positive reputation, you also want to make sure that this security company is professional in how they conduct the affairs of their business.
A professional security company will make sure to maintain a presence within your location, organization, or place of business that doesn’t interfere with the normal day to day operations of that business.
In other words, you don’t just want a bunch of gun toting thugs hanging around while scaring and intimidating your customers.
You want to hire professionals who can maintain a low profile, while also presenting the kind of presence required to dissuade criminal activity—to act as a deterrent against potential danger.
4. Do They Have References?
Checking security company references is a must before hiring.
With that being said, it’s vitally important to ask them for a list of past clients, along with contact information for these clients, before any contract is signed.
Any professional company worth their salt will gladly provide said references for you.
If they either can’t come up with a good list of references, or try to give you excuses as to why they don’t provide them, you should be wary.
This is definitely a sign that they may not be reputable professionals.
5. Are They Trained And Certified?
It’s crucial to make sure that any security company you hire is trained and certified in all the ways that matter.
This is especially true if they’re going to be carrying firearms and/or other security equipment on the job.
Ask your security company what types of training they offer their officers.
Also ask them what certifications they’ve received—both at the individual security guard level, and as an organization.
6. Do They Define Their Services?
Some security guard companies specialize in specific types of security.
Others offer a more broad range of services.
But some companies don’t really define the scope of their services at all.
And these are the ones that you want to watch out for.
You want to make sure that you’re hiring a company that understands the industry you’re working in.
Failure on the part of a security company to understand the specific risks associated with your industry could put your guests, customers, personnel, and assets at increased risk.
7. How Much Will It Cost?
Price is always a concern whenever you’re hiring a contractor, freelancer, or service provider to assist you in doing business.
And the same is true when it comes to security.
But with that being said, keep in mind that high quality, specialized, professional security is simply going to cost more.
In this industry, you tend to get what you pay for.
But it’s also important to do your research to make sure that the company’s reputation matches the price tag.
8. How’s Their Customer Service?
When you contact the company to ask questions, to inquire about references, or to get a price quote, do you feel like they’re taking your requests seriously?
Are they helpful?
Do they do a good job of explaining their services, breaking down the costs, and going in-depth about the details of your quote?
Professional customer service is a must have in any industry provider.
And this is definitely true when it comes to security.
Conclusion
There you have it.
8 tips for what to look for when hiring a security company.
Of course, these really just scratch the surface of the tip of the iceberg.
The truth is that hiring a professional security company isn’t always an easy process.
You may have to juggle a few different options before settling on the best fit for you.
Keep in mind that this is not a decision to make lightly.
Choosing the wrong security company can most definitely put you, your business, your customers, and your assets at risk.
So use these tips to help you choose a proper company that’ll work professionally to protect your personnel and assets.
You’ve got this.
Now get out there and find the perfect security company for you.
