How to Choose a Contract Security Company
The
contract security industry includes more than 15,000 contract security
companies, many of who are focused only on signing a contract, squeezing out as
much profit as possible and treating their employees as low wage hired help.
Turnover in the industry varies between 200% and 400%. Are your prepared to
change over your security force every three months?
Choosing
a reliable and professional security company is a major decision, which will
significantly impact the security and image of your company and the credibility
of the decision makers. Select wisely. All companies are not the same. Many
epitomize the "guard" stereotype, but others are focused on the
customer, the employee and on developing long-term, mutually beneficial
partnerships. The following checklist should help you find a truly professional
security company.
Annual
employee turnover rate. (How long do they retain their
employees?)
Management
stability (how long do they retain their managers?)
Customer
retention rate how long do they keep their customers? (A copy of their
customer satisfaction survey)
Letters
of recommendation
Worker's
compensation experience modification factor (EMF)
This
factor gives you an indication of their worker's comp losses as compared with
others in the industry. Uintah basin security patrol, Inc. has a factor of 77.
Our safety modification factor is .75.
Year-to-date
and five-year OSHA injury incident rate. (These
statistics provide an indication as to the provider's commitment to safety.
Statistics show that a safety-conscious company will also have low liability
claims and more attentive officers.
UINTAH
BASIN SECURITY PATROL, INC
has not had any in several years. A
listing of closed and open litigation History and outcome of lawsuits.
Copy
of the provider's insurance certificate
Meet
with the local personnel who will be supporting your account. After all, you are
considering hiring them for your property. Ask the following:
How
long have you been with the company?
What
makes your company different?
What
are your backgrounds?
What
value will you bring to your account?
What
is the mission of your company?
Choose
a sampling of the provider's clients to contact as references. Ask them about
their experience with the provider, both good and bad.
Choose
a sampling of the provider's former clients. Ask them why they stopped doing
business with the provider. Would they recommend them?
Would
you recommend a friend to join your company?
What
is your account turnover rate?
Visit
the provider's training facility and ask to see the materials given to class
participants. What kind of training is provided to supervisors and
managers?
Ask
to see a breakout of the proposed pricing for your account - don't rely solely
on a bill rate.
Obtain
a copy of the provider's services contract. Pay particular attention to the
Indemnification Agreement section to ensure that; you are not held liable if the
provider's officers are negligent.
Find
out what other security and customer support services are provided by the
security company that support your needs and give you greater value in your
relationship with them.
This
list may seem long, but when you place your property in the hands of another
company, you need to do your homework.
