In Edmonton, security companies can help you keep your business safe. If you are hiring a commercial security company, you are most likely paying for a security guard to patrol your business and parking lot. However, hiring the first company you come across or select one based solely on price can be a big mistake. There are many differences between the various security companies in Edmonton. And these differences can make a a difference in how well your store is guarded or not guarded. Here are some of the important questions that you should ask security companies before hiring them to protect your building.
1. Are you licensed and insured? Security companies are required to be both licensed and insured in Edmonton. If the company cannot answer yes to both of these questions, it is time to end the conversation and move on to other companies.
2. Do you background check your employees? The security guards who are responsible for guarding your building are privy to sensitive information. They know when the first worker arrives for the day and when the last worker leaves for the day. They know what day the cleaning crew comes and what nights the building is empty. And in some cases, the security guards even have keys to enter the building in case of an emergency. Unfortunately, if this information gets into the wrong hands, your store could easily be burglarized. Therefore, you need to find a company that background checks their employees, to ensure you aren’t handing out the information to just anyone.
3. How are your employees trained? Every company employees different tactics and as such, trains their employees differently. It is important to understand how employees are trained and what they are trained to do. Some companies simply train their employees to call the police if they see something suspicious, whereas other companies have armed guards who can pull a weapon or place someone in handcuffs. The majority of Edmonton security companies operate somewhere between these two ends of the spectrum. But it is important to know what employees are trained to do in certain situations and what type of training they receive.
4. How often do you come by my building? Unless you are hiring a security guard to keep watch outside of only your building, the security guard watches over other buildings as well. Typically the guards walk around large complexes or drive around smaller businesses. In some cases, the guard will pass by your building once every hour and other times it can be as few times as two to three times per day. It is important that you understand how often the guard comes by and what service you are paying for. This information should also be included in the contract, rather than just verbally being said. That way, if they are not coming by as often, you can negotiate a price reduction or terminate the contract to find a company who will come by often.
5. How quickly will the security guard or company make it to my building if the alarm is going off? If your alarm is going off, security companies in Edmonton will deploy a guard to come investigate what the problem is. You want to find a company who can be there in a matter of minutes. Most burglars are not going to stick around for 10 to 15 minutes after the alarm has been going off, so the faster they can get to your building, the better. If the company can not give you a timeframe, find another company to work with.