Do Customers Know The Value Of Your Security Services?

Recently I’ve read several articles from various sources that underlined the need for security guard companies to start measuring their services differently.  Security guard service is not just about the guards, it is about demonstrating the value that those guards provide for your customers. 

I have talked to many managers who have expressed some level of frustration that their clients don’t fully appreciate what they do.  Consequently, if  clients don’t appreciate the work that is being done, it is extremely hard to assign a fair value for those services.  In today’s data driven world security guard companies need to focus on providing their customers with metrics that help demonstrate that value.  So how do you show value to customers?

Examples of Demonstrating Value

Here are several examples of security organizations capturing and sharing information with their clients that demonstrate the value of their services.

Example 1

In a recent post in a LinkedIn discussion group, Bill Nesbitt wrote this about the security manager of a large manufacturing firm:

“…His CEO had recently called him into his office, where he was told that he was going to be required to make significant cuts to his operating budget. His boss said, “Why don’t you get back to me in a week with your recommendations.” The Security Director promptly went to his computer and developed an itemized list of the proactive actions his security officers had taken over the past three years. The list included things such as: 125 doors found unlocked and secured; removed trespassers and homeless people from the property 35 times; escorted female employees to their cars 184 times. The list had somewhere around 50 items that documented the affirmative actions of his security force. He didn’t wait for a week to get back to the CEO. He returned in less than an hour.

He laid the list on the CEO’s desk, and stated: “Which of these things do you want me to stop doing?” Essentially his boss smiled, and said “get out of here,” and no cuts were made that year.”

Example 2

The Isanti County News recently published an article that again demonstrates the power of providing metrics for security officer activities.  In the article the security force was able to outline their accomplishments over the course of just several months.  The security force checked in 43,453 people turned away 3 people with guns.  They also turned away 1,438 knives, 121 hazardous tools, 67 cans of pepper spray, 43 scissors, and 4 Tasers.  After seeing those numbers the client went on to say that “I never thought this many people visit the government center.”  If you are not capturing and reporting the activities that your officers are providing, you are missing huge opportunities to demonstrate the value of your service.

Example 3

In another article that featured Giddens Security Corporation, the writer details how Giddens was responsible for greeting 465,637 visitors and snagging 10,360 potentially dangerous items.  Those items included knives scissors, pepper spray and guns.  Again the power that those metrics provide are invaluable to building your company’s brand and showing the value that your services provide.

Metrics That Show Value

In order to demonstrate the value that your company provides, you will need to capture information in a manner that allows for easy access and calculation.  Paper based reporting systems are not flexible or efficient enough to facilitate this type of reporting.  Security Guard Reporting systems like OfficerReports.com provide their users with a more efficient way of reporting on security officer activities.  Here is a short list of metrics that you should be providing to your clients on a regular basis.

  1. Number of incident, types, and trends
  2. Numbers of lights found not working
  3. Doors found unlocked or unsecured
  4. Employees being escorted
  5. Fire extinguishers checked
  6. Number of vehicles logged
  7. Number of visitors checked in
  8. Maintenance issues found
  9. Fire hazards found
  10. Recovered value of stolen items
  11. Slips, trips, falls, and near misses
  12. Tour stops completed

With these metrics in hand you can easily convey to your clients  the value that your security officers are providing for them.  Although being humble is an admirable trait, humility is not good for your business.  Tell your current clients and prospective clients all about what you do and how you deliver value.

value

By Courtney Sparkman

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