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Why Is Teamwork Required To Keep Tenants Safe?

Many people don’t realize the amount of work that goes into providing a safe, pleasant environment for tenants and guests. When you think about all that is involved to create a positive experience day-in and day-out, it is easy to see why teamwork is required.

A common scenario that can be taken for granted

A visitor drives up to a beautiful high-rise building. She is greeted by a parking attendant and safely parks her car in the parking lot. As she leaves, she doesn’t even notice the cameras or think about the people behind the monitors who are looking out for her safety and watching over her vehicle.

She walks out of the parking area into a manicured courtyard and toward the entrance. As she approaches, clean, shiny glass doors automatically slide open. Then she enters the building and walks across polished marble floors to the front desk. At the desk she is greeted by a friendly security concierge who kindly determines the reason for her visit. Next, the security concierge makes a call to inform the tenant that he has a visitor. After obtaining permission, the security concierge smiles and provides the visitor with any needed direction.

Next the visitor enters an elevator with a stranger. The door shuts locking her into a small confined space with a man she has never met before. Still, she feels safe. She is not worried about the person who is in the elevator with her because she knows the building is safe. This allows her to concentrate on her upcoming meeting with the tenant.

When she arrives at her meeting, the tenant is able to welcome the guest who is in a positive mind frame and happy to be there. After a productive meeting, she is able to exit the building and return to her car without incident and drives off the property without worry.

This is a common scenario that occurs thousands of times within a large upscale community. For those who live in these communities or work in these buildings, this scenario plays out so frequently that it is easy to take for granted.

What happens behind the scenes

Property managers do an outstanding job ensuring all the needed moving parts work together cohesively and for the good of the community. Vendors also play a vital role in the overall experience.

The security team and security plan for the community are especially crucial. Security personnel has daily interactions with tenants and guests. It is our responsibility to watch out for them. However, there are behaviors that can place the safety of a community in jeopardy.

Dangers can occur when the board, property management, and the security company do not function properly as a team. A cooperative and coordinated effort on the part of all three parties is required to ensure the wellbeing of the community.

Teamwork is vital to success

This may be surprising to some because they tend to view security as a stand alone function that is plugged into the overall operations of a building. Do you know why this thinking is flawed? Think back to our opening scenario and consider these 2 reasons.

  1. The security program is an integrated part of the visitor’s experience. Security is involved from the moment they approach the parking area, and security remains involved until a person leaves the property.
  2. Security personnel are fundamental to the effectiveness of the security program, so the success of a security program is dependent on the retention and development of security officers.

Protecting the integrity of the security team protects the community

When the integrity of the security officers and the security company are compromised then it is ultimately the community that suffers.

Security officers perform a very valuable service and should be respected and appreciated. Arrogance and a demeaning attitude toward the officers we count on is truly self-destructive, and can put a security program in jeopardy. When guards don’t feel good about the job they are doing it creates the following issues:

  • Officers often request transfers and are harder to retain.
  • High guard turnover hinders officer training and development.
  • Low morale among officers can result in poor service and compromise their effectiveness.

However, when management, the board of directors and the security company all work together as a team, policies can be implemented and issues can be addressed to protect the community.

In the end everyone will benefit. Officers will be happier, stay longer and will perform better. A positive environment will enhance the overall community. Management will have fewer problems and the entire community will be safer.

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Bespoke Security Solutions That Exceed Expectations

Which would you prefer? To own a suit that came off the rack or to own one that was custom made to fit you perfectly?  Of course, a custom-tailored suit is always preferable.

The same should apply when it comes to the services we receive. Instead of settling for generic services that are a general fit, wouldn’t it be better if we received services that are a custom fit to our specific needs?

There are usually two reasons why we don’t.

  1. We don’t think we can get it.
  2. We believe it will be too expensive.  

These two limiting beliefs often cause us to settle for mediocre services that meet our general needs, but that can cause irritation and frustration because they don’t fully satisfy us.

For example, in the security industry, property managers may have very specific needs when it comes to the look and level of service they would like to have as a part of their security program. However, the security companies that they talk with present only a few prepackaged programs.

These programs may offer a few varieties of uniforms or concierge-style services, but fail to meet the individual needs of the building and its management team. That’s because the general approach with corporate America is to look at the overall market and then develop packages based on the market’s overall needs rather than the specific needs of each individual client. This approach severely limits options for building managers and owners.

A Perfect Fit For Building Managers & Owners

Property Managers can get bespoke security solutions that are custom-tailored to their specific needs. At GSI we have resisted the behemoth organizational structure that inflates admin costs and limits client options.

Instead, we have sought to remain flexible and agile. As a financially solid, owner- operated, private security firm, we have an unparalleled ability to adapt to the specific needs of each client. Our approach is to listen to our clients’ RFP requests and respond in writing without overlooking even the smallest details.

It is important that we put every detail in writing so that promises do not fall through the cracks later. This type of attention to detail and concern for our clients allows us to consistently exceed client expectations.

Bespoke Services Does Not Equal High Prices

Usually, when a person wants something that is custom, they are going to pay higher rates for it. That does not have to be the case when it comes to security.

Large security firms are always looking for the most cost-efficient way to scale operations which is why they are limited when it comes to customization. Prepackaged solutions help them to reduce costs. One of the reasons that savings do not make its way to their customers is because they also have huge admin costs.

In addition to stockholders, they have to pay large salaries and huge bonuses to a variety of presidents, VPs and an extraordinarily large administrative staff. All this money has to come from somewhere, so they are forced to limit client options and services in an effort to improve efficiencies.

Our approach is different. While remaining very strong financially, we have chosen to invest in improved services for our clients.

  • We provide a client services manager who is responsible for making sure our clients’ expectations are exceeded.
  • We drop in on guards daily to ensure they look their best and are meeting all job requirements.
  • Only 2-3 rovers are assigned to each client’s site, so clients get an officer who is familiar to them and has been trained on site specifics.
  • We provide ongoing client-specific, web-based training that’s fully accredited.
  • We maintain the flexibility to put a bespoke security program in place that meets the specific needs of each client.

While the costs of providing bespoke security services are higher, our lower administrative costs allow us to deliver a security program that meets our clients’ individual needs at a competitive rate. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.

Our clients get exactly what they want without paying more for it. We maintain a very high client retention rate and our portfolio continues to grow rapidly. Growth helps with our recruiting efforts because career minded guards have opportunities to advance, and we are able to retain quality officers.

Our goal with every client is to exceed expectations. That’s why we choose to provide service that is a custom fit to the needs of each client rather than generic services that result in mediocre services.

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