subject: Customer Service and Security [print this page] Customer Service and Security Customer Service and Security
If you are a security guard half your job is guarding property and people. Observing and reporting is any officers primary function, but just as important is being an ambassador to the client you work for. Security guards are often the first people clients and their customers see. They are also the last, and so it is critical that they develop good customer service skills.
Many officers lack the training and background to treat people in a respectful, polite manner. They incorrectly think that if they are too nice, they will lose their ability to command respect themselves. Nothing could be further from the truth. There's an old saying: a teaspoon of suger is worth more than a pound of salt. Being 'tough' and ordering people around is not what security guards are supposed to do. Many officers have a t.v. version of what the security guard indstury is like. Every location or account is different, of course, and there are some instances where officers should create a strong, authoritive presence but this is generally not typical. Diffusing potentially hostile situations is often much more easily accomplished by simply being nice.
Training of security officers often lacks this fundemental knowledge pertaining to customer service. If you are hiring security gaurds it's important that you test their customer service skills. It's advisable to role play with them to ensure that your clients and employees get the level of customer service that you seek. There are training manuals that assist employers and security guard companies in developing officer customer service skills. Some of the training material is quite good and highly reccomended.
