With the focus on security at an all-time high, it’s imperative to ensure that your business is protected at all time. With millions of pounds worth of stock still going missing every year – and heightened threat level for terrorism – what can your business do to up your security and keep your assets, employees and clientele safe?
1. CCTV
CCTV surveillance is such an important part of any operating retailer. Ensuring your camera system is top of the range – and configured correctly – makes monitoring live activity much more efficient, and ensure that any criminal activity is dealt with promptly.
It can also help identify problem areas within the store; thus allowing security strategies to be altered to target these areas.
2. Use Professionals
Having the right trained security professionals will do much more for your business than just loss prevention. The right security team will ensure that not only is the store being monitored with walk-around surveillance, but it’ll also act as a deterrent to potential thieves.
Being able to see security will quite often make the risk bigger than the ‘reward’ for would-be-thieves.
3. Communication
Clear communication is key when it comes to security operations. Creating a seamless reporting procedure between retail staff and the security team is critical.
Having all staff members on the same page will make monitoring security within the store much easier and much more effective.
4. Customer Service
Within a retail environment, customer service is always the key component to creating that perfect customer experience. However, having good customer service can also be a way of preventing loss and increasing security levels. Greeting each customer that comes into the store allows a brief, yet important, personal interaction. This gives the impression that the store is under surveillance and that staff members are paying attention to their surroundings.
5. Training
Having a clear plan to follow when security incidences happen is critical, and providing adequate training to all staff members is a must.
Every member of staff should be clear of what to do for a variety of different security breaches. It not only increases the efficiency of the business, but also reduces the risk of personal injury during any incidence.
6. Risk Assessment
By law, every business should be doing regular risk assessments when it comes to their security. However, during busy periods, this is even more critical. If there is a busy retail period coming up, ensure that separate risk assessments and strategies are prepared. Whether that be extra staff or providing queue barriers to control crowds, small changes and a very thorough risk assessment will undoubtedly go a long way in protecting the store, the staff and the customers.
7. Embrace Change
When it comes to the world of security, change is inevitable. Whether that change lies within technology or ever complex security threats there is no way to be able to fully predict what is coming next. Being able to adapt within an instance is imperative. Having a dedicated Operations Manager for your security strategy will ensure an up-to-date and fully flexible Action Plan is always available whenever it is needed.
