It has become more than necessary to hire a manned guard for your store – especially if you are selling something reasonably expensive. Of course, having digital security equipment is common, and almost every store, no matter what they’re selling, has that. However, on top of that, it is crucial to have a manned guard to add that additional level of security.
But what should you keep in mind while hiring a manned security guard for your store? We will be sharing some tips for you that could help you while choosing one.
The first and most important thing that you look for is that the personnel should be trained and qualified to do the job you’re hiring them for. That should be the most basic requirement that you need to have for the job. You wouldn’t want someone who doesn’t know how to do their job, especially when looking after something as big as a store.
If you’re looking for a manned guard that needs to handle arms, you need to ensure that they have the proper training and experience with arms. You can’t just give a gun to someone and ask them to handle it, can you? It could be dangerous to do so, to say the very least. And even after you hire them, you need to make sure that you train them correctly according to your needs.
You must check if the firm you’re hiring a manned guard is a licensed one. Since there are a lot of firms that provide security services, it isn’t necessary that all of them would be licensed. It usually is the scenario where a licensed firm makes sure that they insure their guards, which is beneficial for all three parties – you, the guard and the security firm.
Along with the guard being strong enough to manhandle someone when the need arises, it is vital for them to be a great communicator. Because in most situations, the problem can be solved by just talking. Someone who doesn’t know how to talk it out wouldn’t be the right person and could directly jump to manhandling someone. That could create problems for you. So, it would be best to look for someone who has excellent communication skills on top of top-notch physical strength.
No good ever happens without knowing about someone in depth. That is why you need to do a solid background check of the security personnel you will hire. Of course, if you’re hiring the security personnel via a security firm, the background check will be handled by the security firm itself. However, for an additional level of trust, you can do the background check yourself as well. It is always better to double-check, isn’t it?
The next thing that you need to keep in mind is specialization. It becomes pretty obvious to hire specialized personnel for a specialized job. For example, you wouldn’t hire an event security personnel to man-guard your jewellery store because the latter would need some expertise and experience in using arms. An event security personnel at a jewellery store would be as good as a misfit. Most security firms offer you a choice of specialized personnel to match your specific needs.
One of the most basic and yet essential skills that a security guard needs to have is kindness. Along with that, they should be well-spoken and well mannered as well. Essentially, they will be the first people your customers will interact with, even before entering the store and interacting with the receptionist. If a security guard at the door is a grumpy one, that would create a bad impression of the store on the customers and could hamper the entire image, sales and the impact of your store.
You would need someone who knows how to handle the technical side of the security as well. For example, if you have CCTV cameras in your store, you would need a security guard who knows how to operate them in times of need. Hiring someone especially to handle just the cameras would be a redundant thing to do.
Lastly, some basic things that you need to take care of. You need to make sure that you are getting the guard for the right price and fitting all the needs you are looking for. They should be aware of what kind of job they need to do. Whether you need someone for an entire day or just for half, whether you need some extra protection during a specific time of the year, say during festivals or whether you need someone for a short period or on a long contractual basis. It would be best if you made everything clear at the beginning itself.
So, all this is what you need to keep in mind when hiring a manned guard for your store. We hope this helps you to make sure you find yourself the right one.