The customer is always King

The reasons for this are many and varied. Competition means more choice, which places the onus on contractors to maximise efforts aimed at customer retention. After all, the cost of losing an existing customer can far outweigh the rewards for winning a new one.

Existing customers also represent a natural market for new business. Why focus so much attention on marketing your services to potential new customers when nurturing an existing relationship can produce more fruitful results in terms of cross-sales, or indeed the expansion of existing contracts?

For the security services sector, adopting a customer-focused philosophy is doubly important. Indeed, there are a number of reasons why today – more than ever before – it's vital that we strive hard to continually raise our service standard for the end user.

For one thing, that's what our customers most clearly expect from us. Gone are the days when security companies simply met requests for static security services and left it at that. Now, our clients want professional security advice and guidance. They want to see the service they pay for developed and improved upon on an ongoing basis. They also demand proof of such progress by way of over-performed Service Level Agreements and Key Performance Indicators.

The impact of regulation
At the same time, security companies – just like many other service suppliers to the corporate world – are coming under ever-increasing pressure to justify any price increases we make, whether they are the result of higher costs or to satisfy our objective of making security officers' quality of life that bit better. With a whole new set of overheads now coming our way, mainly as a result of the Private Security Industry Act 2001, it's important we ensure our customers 'get something back' in return for shouldering their portion of the cost burden.

Regulation of the private security industry will certainly generate additional costs, but will most certainly lead to improved operational standards across the industry.

What variables do security companies operating in today's world need to think about when it comes to improving customer service?

In the first instance, contractors must be ready to adopt a far more pro-active stance when it comes to meeting our customers' requirements. Clients are now having to face up to risks never even contemplated before – including terrorism, industrial espionage and, possibly, war. In order to service our client base properly, we need to be able to not only proficiently assess these risks, but forecast any possible future threats to businesses and work closely with end users on formulating successful, foolproof security strategies. We need to be our clients' consultant, advisor and strategic partner all rolled into one.

At the same time, security companies must take a long, hard look at how their existing service offerings might be developed to provide customers with added value. Price will always be an important factor when it comes to signing a contract, but ultimately it's value for money that clients really desire.

Such added value can take many different shapes and forms. For example, several major blue chip companies now want the convenience and efficiency of a 'one-stop shop' security provider that can meet all their security needs – from manned security through to CCTV and access control system provision. Those security companies that are agile and innovative enough to offer a complete portfolio of solutions will be the real winners.

Security companies must take a long, hard look at how their existing service offerings can be developed to provide their customers with added value. Price will always be an important factor when it comes to signing a contract, but ultimately it’s value fo

Likewise, many customer organisations are also looking for added value from their security personnel. Multi-tasking and multi-skilling are now the order of the day, with security officers expected to perform a far broader range of tasks – possibly taking in receptionist duties and postal delivery through to emergency response and First Aid. Again, those security companies that invest in appropriate training and development for their security personnel will come out on top.

Standards of professionalism, range of expertise and the breadth and depth of service offering are clearly the criteria by which private sector security companies will be judged in 2003. But we'd be mistaken to think that they're the only factors at play.

Embracing new technology
Customer service can be improved immeasurably if we willingly embrace some of the latest technologies. Many of our clients are already exploiting the Internet, Extranets and the newest communications technologies to do business with their customers and suppliers. The security industry should be at the forefront of this new technology 'push'.

Electronic business also presents the security industry with new opportunities. By moving the invoicing and payment for security services online, for example, we can not only provide our clients with an easier and more efficient means of making payments, but also eliminate the manual, laborious, paper-based processes that are currently involved for both parties – not to mention the costs of postage.

Given that so many of our clients are already conducting business with their own customers and suppliers in this way, particularly in the retail sector, it's vital that we keep pace.

Finally, in an age where customer service is King, what could be more appropriate than investment in the latest Customer Relationship Management tools. Originally devised to maximise customer retention and profitability by allowing improved customer understanding, Customer Relationship Management can provide us with new opportunities for monitoring the services we provide to each and every customer on a daily basis.