April 24, 2018, 6:06 PM
Accountability is fundamental to running a successful security business — without it, you’ll end up losing contracts as fast as you can win new ones.
It’s one thing to say that your guards are doing their job, but it’s another to prove it to the client. The most competitive security companies are able to show clients exactly how they’re fulfilling their duties on a daily basis.
Accountability isn’t just for clients, either. Increased accountability in the office and in the field helps you keep your team organized and get better performance from your guards on the job.
Here are some quick tips for improving accountability:
1. Understand Previous Client Experiences
Many property owners and managers work through several security companies before they find one they can trust. Ask your client about what they liked and disliked about security teams they worked with in the past — if they bring up things like poor communication, inconsistent reporting, or unreliable guards, then focusing on accountability will likely help you retain the contract. Gaining insight into these past experiences will give you a roadmap of what to focus on and what to avoid.
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2. Use Guard Management Software
Guard management software is one of the most valuable accountability tools for security managers. Guard management software enables supervisors to ensure guards are on time, critical tasks are completed, and checkpoints are checked. All this information is documented in a way that’s easy to track and share with your client to prove that the job is being done well.
3. Share Real-Time Results
Guard management software gives security companies access to real-time information about their officers, such as GPS locations, guard tour progress, and task completion. Sharing access to all or part of this dashboard with clients is a simple way to improve accountability. Now, instead of blindly trusting you, making in-person checks, or calling your office, a client can just go online and see for themselves that everything is running smoothly.
4. Produce Better Reports
On many properties, the main form of communication between a security company and their client is the daily activity report. Improving the quality and clarity of this report can go a long way toward improving accountability.
Some guard management software solutions offer tools to automatically generate improved DARs. These reports feature color-coding and photos to give clients a clear understanding of how the previous day went.
5. Deliver Reports Automatically
Sliding paper reports under your client’s door at the end of a shift puts their information at risk. It also comes across as unprofessional in today’s digital world. Guard management software helps make the report delivery process more streamlined and consistent. Your software can be set to automatically deliver a report to your client daily via email, which takes the responsibility out of the hands of supervisors. In addition, the report can be sent electronically to any number of stakeholders, ensuring everyone who needs to know stays up-to-date on their security.
6. Be More Responsive
Accountability isn’t just for guards. Back at the office, your customer support professionals and managers need to be accountable for responding quickly to client communications.
When your inbox is overflowing or you don’t answer the phone, you risk damaging the trust that you’ve worked so hard to build with clients. A huge part of accountability for security companies is being there when things go wrong, ready to answer questions and fix problems.
Accountability requires dedication and a lot of hard work, but it pays dividends over time. Clients who know that their security company is responsive and responsible are more likely renew your contract and recommend your service to others.
