This article is about the way people treat security guards. Or vice versa. A good example here is when a security guard interacts with visitors at an office, or any other facility with security protection. People WILL be stopped, they WILL need to show credentials, and they WILL need a valid reason for that visit. People just can’t walk in without prior approval from the person they wish to meet.

1. Do we treat
the way they should be treated?
“our security guards”

2. 2

3. This article is about the way people treat security guards. Or vice versa.A good example
here is when a security guard interacts with visitors at an office, or any other facility with
security protection. People WILL be stopped, they WILL need to show credentials, and
they WILL need a valid reason for that visit. People just can't walk in without prior
approvalfromthepersontheywishtomeet.
And here's some feedback for you. Eight out of every 10 guards I have spoken to,
mention being treated with impatience when they stop people at the very first entry
point–themaingate.
I think visitors need to understand that the first job of the security guard is to verify the
identity and credentials of each visitor entering the premises - and the process won't
take more than two minutes. (A little longer if your car is being checked.) And it always
helpsifyouhaveapriorappointmentwiththepersonyou'replanningtomeet.
With today's heightened threat levels at key installations, including large corporate
offices, security guards are trained and instructed to be watchful at entry points, and
extremelyvigilantwhenitcomestomonitoringvisitormovementwithinthepremises.
Much to the discomfort of visitors, there's another layer of security that sometimes
comes into play. The careful inspection of handbags and laptop cases. Security guards
could also instruct you to leave your laptop or camera behind at the security room if you
do not have permission to take these inside. (Most visitors get aggressive when they are
toldtoleaveelectronicitemsbehind.)
Having said all of this, I do understand that guards can also be at fault when they are
interacting with people - some of them even feel a false sense of “control in uniform”.
One good example many of us can relate to is at the visitors' parking area. I once saw a
guard insisting on perfect alignment, even though the car was well within the yellow
guidelines.(Ittookthevisitoranextrafiveminutestogetitjustright.)
So where do we go from here?
If security guards behave badly, it only means they have not been trained adequately.
Guards are our employees and we are largely responsible for their levels of interaction
and behavior. (However, there could be other reasons behind the way security guards
behaveandinteractwithvisitors,asIhavelistedbelow.)
Many of them have chosen the job of a security guard as a last resort – when all other
job avenues have failed. So there's that inner sense of frustration they need to get
over,orlearntohandle.
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Do we treat
the way they should be treated?
“our security guards”

4. 4
?I have also noticed that they could come from poor, impoverished backgrounds.
So when they come into a big city they do need help in interacting with people, places
andthings.That'swheretrainingandorientationcomesin.
By default, our guards tend to think in their local language (mother tongue) and
translate their conversations into English as they speak. And when they do this, they
couldgivetheimpressionofspeakinginarudemanner.
From what I have observed, guards living near client locations could be staying in
small, one-room tenements. Sharing one room with six, to eight other people can lead
tostressesandfrustrationsthattheyneedtolearntolivewith.
Many of them could be sending almost 80% of their salaries back home, to their
families.They are also constantly coping with demands from their families on money
issues. Money for sister's marriage, money for father's medical treatment . . . the list
goesonandon.
I have also come across guards who have not gone back home over long periods of
time – eventually feeling troubled, lonely and homesick.And in this state of mind they
maynotbeabletodischargetheirdutiesatworkproperly.
Once again,where do we go from here?
From our side, we can pay them better, and pay them on time to ensure a fair wage for
the jobs assigned to them.We can also talk to the banks we transact business with, to
offer small tide-over-loans that guards can repay without going to private money
lenders.
We can give them lessons in managing their money. Basically in terms of spending
wisely,savingwiselyandkeepingmoneyasideformedicalemergencies.
We can help them feel secure in their jobs. This is also important, because unless a
security person feels secure in his job, he cannot make his clients feel secure in their
workenvironments.
We can give them training to improve and elevate their people handling skills. Guards
do need to be polite and well-mannered in their interactions – this is extremely crucial
frommypointofview.
Additionally, we can orient them in treating women better – with a visible measure of
politeness and respect. And this could include lady colleagues, lady bosses, and lady
visitors.
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Do we treat
the way they should be treated?
“our security guards”

5. 5
If you closely look at the points I have outlined out here, a lot of the responsibility for
a guard's behavior is in our hands.We need to enable better patterns of behavior, respect
andpoliteness–andthisisonlypossiblewithsomeveryconstructiveinputs.
If we expect a higher caliber of output, we need a higher caliber of input. We also need
tomaketherightinvestmentsintraining,orientationandpersonaldevelopment.
Thebuckstopshere,withus–andthere'snodenyingthat.
The author of this article is
Poduvath Ravindranath, Founder Director
at Private Eye Private Limited.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/poduvath-ravindranath
https://twitter.com/poduvath
Do we treat
the way they should be treated?
“our security guards”
If you have any thoughts, feedback and suggestions on this please do write in to me
atthismailid>poduvath.ravindranath@gmail.com

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PRIVATE SECURITY SERVICES
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Poduvath Ravindranath
Director
LINKEDIN PROFILE
I’ve been in the vertical of security and investigation for a long, long time.
My entire working life has revolved around it in some way or the other.
As I moved up the ladder and changed jobs in this space I was exposed to
security aspects from different viewpoints. Security at an operational level is
different from security at a planning or policy making level. Security within a
public sector company in India is different from security at a private sector
company. Security from an employee viewpoint is different from that of
managementandstaffingconsiderations.
For a truly well-rounded professional it is important (and vital) to be familiar and
conversant with these groups and sub-groups. And that is where my strength
lies, and what truly helps me run a very successful security service company in
Bangalore, India. My deep understanding also helps me identify with the
concerns and needs of my employees and clients - in an industry where people
areyourmostimportantresource.
According to me, the right people for the job don’t walk in through the door -
they have to be oriented, trained, up-skilled, and sensitized to the needs of
moderndayworkenvironments.AndthatiswhatPrivateEyeisallabout.
Poduvath Ravindranath, Founder Director
at Private Eye Private Limited.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/poduvath-ravindranath
https://twitter.com/poduvath

7. Incorporated in 1988, Private Eye Private Limited has grown to be a leading
security services provider in South India. With head quarters in Bangalore, we
have full-fledged branches in Mysore, Mangalore, Chennai, Kochi, Trivandrum,
SecunderabadandMumbai.WealsohaveasatellitebranchinPuducherry.
ON EXPERIENCE
Our experience in specialized vertical markets gives us deep insights to the ways
we can meet customer needs and align with the needs of individual teams,
departments and client locations. Our key differential is in the quality and caliber
of the people we bring to our work teams – in terms of the right background,
industry exposure and skill sets. It’s a competitive edge that we bring to each
serviceverticalinourclientportfolio.
ON CLIENT ENGAGEMENT
Since the delivery of service happens at client locations, we need to have a
system, process and interface logic to make sure things work according to
design and plan - 24/7 extended to 365.And that’s something we have evolved
and fine tuned over the years to know the pulse of our operations at every client
location.
ON RELIABILITY
Reliability according to us is perhaps the biggest qualifier for a security agency -
and should reflect in every security transaction that happens in a working day, or
shift. Reliability is the key differential between a security agency that stays on
course,andtheonesthatgetleftbehind.
At Private Eye we take reliability very seriously - it’s a factor that is translated
into every aspect of the security function, and across different layers of security
presence and day-to-day throughput in terms of activities. And that is what we
bringtothetable.
Recipient
Best Service Provider Award
(Safety and Security) 2004 & 2010
from IFMA INDIA CHAPTER
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8. PRIVATE EYE (P) LIMITED
Reg. Office : 30/9, 80 Feet Road, Indiranagar, P.B. No. 3841, Bangalore - 560 038.
Tel : 080 25281083, 25255433, 25297363, 25202248 / 49, 25200719
Fax : 91-80-2529 1428, E-mail : Ho@pvteye.in
www.privateeye-india.com
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ThoughtLeaderSeries/Yogananad/052019