In the past the roles of a security guard and a concierge may have seemed like completely different entities. After all, one is looking out for the protection and security of buildings, assets and the personnel within, and the other is looking out for the needs and wants of those same people. One (the concierge) needs an exceptional level of customer service skills and has to be adaptable and flexible in order to meet those demands; The other (the security guard) has a series of rules and regulations that they must abide by to ensure the safety of all concerned. The concierge gives off a welcoming approachable feel, where people feel relaxed. Alternatively a security guard can often give off the opposite vibe, especially to those who are up to no good.
That said both roles have the needs of the people under their care at heart, so is it too much to expect that they really are two sides of the same coin? And if not, why haven’t more security firms gone down this dual route and provided this service?
From an economical point of view it would certainly pay a company, corporation or a large hotel to employ a security firm that amalgamates these two roles, and indeed it makes perfect sense. However it isn’t that straight forward.
Up until recently many security companies haven’t gone down this route because of a number of reasons. Firstly training. Let’s not forget a security guard who has been trained to be wary of those not known to them, and who needs to abide by strict rules and regulations to ensure security and safety of others, is now being asked to implicitly trust all others and be flexible in how they handle different situations. Impossible? No, time consuming, certainly! This brings up a second issue: the cost of training…. The costs involved of training someone to this degree may well be beyond the scope of many smaller security firms and this is why many companies choose not to go down this road and prefer to stick to their more traditional roles.
This aside, some security companies are recognising that there is a demand for such a role and are training people up accordingly. Nowadays owners of apartment blocks, large businesses and retail park need people who can
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Control and monitor building access and security
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Book in visitors, make sure they reach their destination, and afterwards, book them out
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Deal with complaints
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Receive packages and deliveries
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Maintain security of common areas
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Be a face/point of contact for any guests/visitors or contractors
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Be vigilant and security alert at all times.
This is undoubtedly the changing role of security in the 21st century and thankfully one in which a number of security companies are adapting to. Here at MA Services Group we pride ourselves on supplying the very best, fully licensed, professional security guards that also happen to have exceptional PR skills. So if you’re in need of a security/concierge service and are in the Melbourne area then contact us for a consultation.
