Security staff is generally identified with their long-established role of keeping people and property safe. However, making people feel secure in their mere presence lies at the core of their primary job of providing security. This feeling of safety can better be assured only if the security officers engage and offer assistance to the people. When security personnel contribute to customer service by putting people at ease, they set new standards of customer service that enhance the reputation of your company.
When considering manned guarding services, it is important if you utilize your security staff in building rapport with customers, this will not only deliver an enriched customer experience, but could also aid you in pinpointing problems before they intensify into grim issues. Most security personnel are trained for greeting people and helping them with directions to establish a personal contact that in turn helps in monitoring people getting in and out of the premises. Being able to exhibit basic skills in customer facilitation does not overshadow the need for proper training if security guards are required to play role in customer service.
Making the First Impression
Security personnel are the first people your customers get to meet as they enter your business premises. Having a crisp and pleasant physical appearance must not be underestimated while hiring security professionals. Most often, security personnel are the first contact for customers for asking a query, mostly relating to directions and sometimes relating to business as well. Knowing the business well aids security professionals in answering customers’ queries thoroughly in a professional way. Their ability to greet well in a composed and toned, yet friendly manner and provide at least some basic information about the business in a positive way can be a very effective form of indirect marketing. This is significantly essential in dealing with disgruntled or irritated customers as security people are not just the first but also the last people your customers interact with, as they make an exit from your business premises. These small things have the potential to turn a negative customer experience into a positive one making security staff a face of your brand, and helping in retaining customers in the longer run.
Ability to Communicate
Asking questions and interrogating often comes as part of daily duties for security personnel. Being able to go about asking routine questions in a polite and friendly way goes a long way in making people feel comfortable. Communication skills are highly imperative for security professionals as they embark on a customer services role. Their extended role in customer support may also require them to answer phone calls for which they need to have professional phone manners too. Security staff equipped with basic communication skills will also be able to produce clear and concise reports about their rounds and daily activities as they juggle their responsibilities between security and customer service.
General Assistance
Another operative way of rendering customer support is by offering people assistance with directions for navigation, picking up dropped items, escorting guests and disabled people to elevators, and holding doors. Given that security officers are commonly perceived as the most trusted individuals on the premises, their role of acting as a caretaker while taking ownership of managing visitors makes people want to visit the place again. Connecting with visitors and/or customers at an extended level helps security staff in being more vigilant. Repeated interactions help security guards identifying suspicious behaviors and individuals. Security personnel also need to be respectful and immaculate in discharging their regular duties like inspecting identification and/or personal items.
Explaining Security Procedures
Explaining your actions to customers while discharging your duties like scanning their belongings makes customers comfortable and compliant. It helps customers understand that following proper security procedures and policies are for their own security and not an unnecessary nuisance in place. Customers can be given a very positive impression of security policies practiced by the business by giving them information on the efforts business is making to protect its customers.
Striking a Balance
The job of security staff is multifaceted and deals with a myriad of issues ranging from confrontations to crisis management. It is inevitable and necessary for security officials to come across as serious and professional in certain situations, being impassive and unapproachable can put customers off giving them the impression of an unfriendly environment. Fulfilling the extended role of customer support must not distract a security officer from their primary job of ensuring security. Security personnel must be able to prioritize what needs to be done at the moment. Their politeness as customer support should not sidetrack them from appearing grim and assertive in case of suspicion. Consecutively, their alertness in case of emergencies should be maintained with their stretched role in customer service but they must not compromise on being polite and respectful with people. Customers are more likely to feel relaxed when they know they are protected. It must not be ignored that keeping the premises safe is also a form of customer service that causes customers to make repeated visits to your business and choose you over your competitors. Stressing the importance of customer service skills in your security team’s training will allow your security staff to perform the additional roles that go a long way in attracting and retaining your customer base.
If you want to improve your customers’ experience along with expert manned guarding services, visit us at https://syndicatealpha.co.uk/ or write to us at info@syndicatealpha.co.uk for proficiently trained armed and unarmed security personnel. Syndicate Alpha provides a professional approach by using thorough planning while providing event security. Our security services use a multi-layered approach to prevent all kinds of material and non-material losses. Syndicate Alpha is strongly committed to integrity and professionalism, always picking the best resources from the market. We maintain the highest industry standards for security officers’ training, honor, loyalty, and character.