Choosing the right security provider for your establishment shouldn’t be hit or miss. There is too much at stake to risk going for a security company you are not 100% comfortable with. But what exactly should you look for when choosing a security provider?

If you’ve hired a security company before, you may already have an idea what qualities are ideal and not-so-ideal when it comes to security service contractors. This list aims to summarize some of these ideal qualities and hopefully serve as a guide for you to land the perfect security service provider for your business.

What Qualities Should a Good Security Service Provider Have?

Credible

You wouldn’t want to deal with a shady company, especially when dealing with matters of security. A good security company is one you can trust to handle sensitive tasks like safeguarding cash and valuable items, keeping keys and passcodes, among others.

There are a couple of things you can check to know if a security company is legitimate or not and if they comply with the requirements under the provision of local laws:

• Security licence

A security licence is required before a security company or a security officer is able to provide its services to clients. Securing one involves rigorous checks on the company’s background, identity and criminal history.

• Certifications

Certifications indicate that the company complies with international standards and follow the recommended management and operational systems in their industry. Some of these include ISO certification for Quality Management and Environmental Management.

Reputable

Having years of hands-on experience in providing security services accompanied by positive reviews and feedback from the company’s current and former clients is an indicator that your business will most likely receive the same quality of service. How is the company’s relationship with their clients? Can they provide references who can attest to their reliability and performance? Do they have a strong portfolio in providing security solutions that your business needs?

Invested in their team

A team of security professionals is the backbone of a security provider’s operations. How much the company values its team members only shows how it values providing quality service to its clients. How invested is the company in the professional development of its personnel? What kind of training does it offer? Are their team members compensated adequately according to industry standards? The security officers’ job satisfaction will reflect in their performance when providing services for your establishment.

Transparent

Maintaining a level of transparency with regards to agreements and negotiations also builds trust between the security provider and the client. All provisions should be well-defined from the beginning of the engagement and should be formally documented in a contract. These provisions may include the following:

• Responsibilities of both client and security provider
• A process for resolving disputes
• Terms for reviewing, extending and terminating the contract

Transparency also means providing regular security updates to clients which may include incident reports and patrol status. Some security companies have guard verification systems that they use to seamlessly record data, track the location of their security officers, and provide consistent comprehensive reports to their clients.

Responsive

Businesses undergo changes that may also cause their security needs to adjust. Security companies should be able to adapt accordingly to these changes by making adjustments to the services they provide if necessary.

Flexible

A one-size-fits-all approach to providing security solutions doesn’t work since all businesses are unique and so are their security needs. Your security provider should be able to work with you in identifying your security requirements in relation to your business goals and designing a security plan that is specifically made for your business.

Competent

You’ll want to work with a company that is an expert in its field. One that has a good track record to back up their promises. A company that has well-seasoned consultants in its roster to offer guidance and direction to its team. It is up-to-date with the recent security industry developments and innovations and continuously improves its systems to remain relevant.

Committed

An engagement with a security provider usually lasts years. Deploying new security officers and protocols at your business establishment requires meticulous turn over processes, orientation, and certain adjustments from your existing staffs. Changing security providers can eat up your resources, efforts, and time. It is beneficial to partner with a company that is capable of committing its services for a long-term and supporting your business as it goes through cycles of challenges and growth.

Industry-compatible

A security provider that truly understands your industry and how your business works is obviously a better fit. It takes dedication and genuine concern for a particular industry to get to know it better. More so to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to respond to a particular industry’s security needs and risks. How familiar is the company with your industry? Has the company worked with businesses similar to yours? How updated are they with your industry news and trends?

Conclusion

There is no perfect security service provider out there. Just like any working relationship, a partnership with a security company strengthens and improves over time. Ticking off as many qualities in the checklist as possible only indicates how well-equipped a security company is in providing the best security service for your business.

We at Prosek Security won’t claim that we have all these qualities. Instead, we invite you to get in touch with us so you can ask us questions or raise concerns that will help you complete this checklist for yourself.