Questions to Consider When Hiring Professional Security Services
Why hire security services?
I can immediately think of four reasons. The first is the increased value that an outsourced company brings due to its professional staff and experience in the security industry. This depth and breadth of experience and knowledge is offered because of relationships with other clients who have faced the same or different challenges. The second reason is the cost. Simply put, because of the expertise and experience the provider brings, the financial burden of training, recruiting, hiring, and providing employee benefits is considerably less for the customer than managing these programs in-house. The third is the transfer of responsibility from the client to the security company. The security company assumes the legal burden and ramifications of particular incidents that may occur on your property. Lastly, and most importantly in my opinion, is the peace of mind that an effective security company can provide so that you, the customer, can focus on the day-to-day business that defines you as a company.
Why change security provider?
Switch providers when the value is gone, plain and simple, but you need to know what is valuable to you as an individual customer. If you’re on a small budget and need a low billing rate, know that’s what you value. If it’s about superior management and executive accessibility, know that’s what you value. If it’s a provider that can accommodate a customer nationwide, then know that’s what they value. When there’s no more value and when your provider’s program no longer represents you as a customer, it’s time to switch providers. However, certain values have repercussions. Low billing rates will produce low wages. National providers may not pay specific attention to you locally. And having a phenomenal program with top-level staff combined with strong management will cost you more. You just have to know what you value most and work from there.
What are the important things to include in an RFP?
First things first, an RFP should be designed to allow you to compare “apples to apples.” This is especially important when it comes to the financial proposal of each potential supplier. To accomplish this, the pricing structure must include the itemized list of costs to include wages, billing rate, necessary insurance coverage, employee benefit costs, as well as the provider’s overhead and supervision structure. A well-defined scope of work included in the RFP will allow the vendor to fully understand the “job” requirements and price accordingly. When preparing the RFP, remember the more you specify; the more exact and comparable will be the respective offers.
What is included in the cost of security services?
The cost of security is found in the difference between the client’s hourly billing rate and the guard’s hourly pay rate. That difference between billing rate and payment rate is the result of an equation based on the value of particular line items, which vary from company to company. Examples of these variable items are liability insurance because they fluctuate due to claims against the individual business. Another is workers’ compensation insurance which fluctuates in suit. Corporate and branch salaries, marketing, the cost of bidding projects, and rent are examples of differing administrative overheads. Paid holidays, paid sick time, medical and dental benefits, and more are also factors. Therefore, it is important to know what the benefits are and how much they cost per person per month so that you can make a fair comparison of one company with another. Finally, there is the benefit, which will vary depending on the prerogatives of the company. Whether it’s short, tall, or average, it’s a direct example of their business model. Security is an industry where the quality of service should dictate the cost of the program. The cost of security should never dictate the quality of service.
What are good questions to ask security companies and why?
Four questions that quickly come to mind are the following: First, who are your competitors? This is important because you want to know what niche a company serves. This will help you assess if they are right for you and your property. Second, what are the salesperson’s responsibilities and guidelines for sales work? This is important because it will reveal the management structure and should address a well-designed business model. You want to be treated like a valued customer and not a number of hours. Third, how many hours are assigned to the area manager? This question will give you an idea of the attention you will receive and how loud you will have to shout to be heard. Finally, how many accounts has a company lost in the last year? This general question could be the tip of the iceberg regarding churn rates, salaries, performance, and customer satisfaction. The commitment to understanding your needs, defining them in the RFP, and asking your vendor quality questions to produce a perfect fit is the difference between a long-term value-based relationship and starting the process over and over again.
By Nick Sapia
The Guardian Force, Inc.
http://www.tgfinc.com