Chapter 33
Nonsecurity Duties and Creating a Positive Impression
Abstract
Security officers are often assigned to nonsecurity duties that in some cases may be demeaning and not necessarily professional for a modern-day officer. Examples of some of these nonsecurity duties are discussed and suggestions for providing the best possible professional attitude and demeanor are provided.
Keywords
Chauffeur; Importance of answering the phone professionally; Janitorial duties; Positive impression; Reasons for nonsecurity dutiesA popular television commercial’s catch phrase from the 1990s—“You never get a second chance to make a first impression”—is never more true than in the security profession.
Security officers are judged, in large part, by the impression created in dealing with people in 15–30 seconds. Most security officers are wearing a uniform, consisting of a shirt, possibly a tie, hat, shoes and perhaps a jacket. The security officer who arrives to work unshaven, with a soiled or wrinkled shirt, unpolished shoes, and a general appearance that looks like the officer has just climbed out of bed, might as well find another job! The visual impression given to the client, supervisor, and co-workers is that this officer just does not care and will never become an effective member of the security department. This person may be the most qualified individual in their field of study, but they have already impaired their potential for success.
Besides visual appearance, the tone of one’s voice and the willingness to offer a “Good morning”, or a “May I help you?” create a positive impression in the minds of the listener.
As security officers, to improve your chances of success, follow these simple guidelines:
1. Arrive to work a few minutes early. Due to labor board rulings in many states, an employer cannot ask you to report work early. The fact that an officer would do so willingly creates a positive impression.
2. Be in a clean uniform.
3. Bathe or shower just before leaving for work.
4. Greet your co-workers with a friendly hello and smile.
5. Ask the officer you are relieving if anything happened on the preceding shift that you need to be aware of.
6. Leave your personal problems and hang-ups at home.
7. Ask at least once a day, “How can I help you?”
8. Clean your work area before the end of your shift.
9. Ask your relief if there is anything they need before you leave.
10. Remember that you agreed to perform this job for an agreed-upon amount of money. If you find a better job, treat your employer as you would like to be treated and give at least 2 weeks’ notice.
Nonsecurity duties
This entire Security Officer Training Manual was written with the hope and intent of upgrading the training and professionalism of all security officers. Unfortunately, many security officers work for organizations where they are asked to perform a multitude of duties that are not truly security in nature.
A question often asked by the inexperienced security officer or student is, “Why are security officers expected to perform these nonsecurity duties? Management should be told to have someone else perform these tasks!” It is not as simple as it may appear.
The author of this manual was once the supervisor of a small, eight-person security department. Two security officers worked each shift on a daily basis. Three days a week, one of the day-shift security officers was to drive the plant manager’s vehicle into the nearby city to have the vehicle washed and filled with fuel. Whenever a maintenance problem occurred with the vehicle, security was responsible for driving the vehicle into the repair shop to have whatever problems corrected. It was not uncommon for the security supervisor to be summoned by the plant manager early on a Monday morning. The security supervisor initially thought that a serious problem must have occurred at the plant over the weekend. Unfortunately, the security supervisor’s ego was usually bruised after he was informed that the plant manager had noticed a noise with his car. The plant manager was asked if the security supervisor would take care of the problem as soon as possible. Because the security supervisor was young, early in his career, and not independently wealthy, he “cheerfully” always complied with these requests.
It is extremely difficult to upgrade the image and professionalism of a security department if some of the many duties performed by security officers are seemingly trivial, unproductive, and often demeaning. The problem faced by security officers, supervisors, and managers is how to transfer the mundane job duties to some other department.
Reasons for nonsecurity responsibilities
If a contest were held throughout the United States to determine what was the most ridiculous nonsecurity duty performed by security officers, the list of entries would probably be long and quite humorous. There may be many reasons or past history as to why security is responsible for certain duties. In a large, general, and broad sense, the primary reason security officers perform nonsecurity duties is that currently, or in the past, someone other than a true security professional was given responsibility for managing or supervising the security department. This person, although perhaps well-intentioned, may not have had a clue as to what security officers should be doing on a daily basis. Worse yet, they may have preconceived notions of what security officers should be doing that are totally inconsistent with projecting a professional image.
Consider these analogies: Would it make sense to give a maintenance supervisor responsibility for accounting? Would it make sense to have an engineer responsible for all personnel activities? Or would it make sense to have the supervisor of janitorial staff responsible for the chemical laboratory?
Naturally, few executives in their right minds would consider implementing any of the examples just mentioned. But why do so many executives and other managers think that just about anyone can manage the security function? For the most part, managers and executives have preconceived ideas about security based upon their own experiences (even if these experiences are few). If their experience with a security problem or security officer was positive and pleasant, then there is a much higher degree of probability that they have a positive view security. Unfortunately, if there security experiences were negative or left a very poor impression of the duties and responsibilities of the security, they are likely to have a poor image of the function.
Removing nonsecurity duties
Attempting to eliminate security officers from performing nonsecurity duties is difficult at best. Unless the duties are so obsolete that if no one assumed their responsibility, no one would notice, it will be very difficult to remove the functions from security.
The first, most basic, question to ask is, who needs the service? Secondly, if no one performs this service, will it matter? Finally, if the service is needed and security does not plan to provide it, who will? The last question is the most difficult to answer. Who will provide the service if security does not?
Typical nonsecurity duties
Telephone
Most security officers are required to answer the telephone for some minimum amount of time on a daily basis. This may require the security officer to simply answer telephone calls that come into the security post from another interior telephone or, as is often the case, security personnel are required to act as the main telephone operator during evening and weekend hours. No matter the level of telephone service provided by security, it is critical that all security personnel answer the telephone in a professional manner.
Even though the person who is calling on the telephone cannot see the person who is answering the call, perceptions are made about the person on the other end of the phone. If the caller has never met the person who is receiving the phone call, a mental picture is formed. This mental picture is shaped by perceptions on the part of the caller. People have a natural tendency to guess what a person looks like. Often, these mental pictures are totally inaccurate. The soft, sweet, and even sexy female voice on the other end of the phone, may belong to a woman who bench presses 500 pounds and looks like a linebacker for the Green Bay Packers.
People make assumptions and reach conclusions about a person based upon the tone of voice and way in which a person speaks on the telephone. A person’s mood and mental outlook are expressed in the voice. The mood of a person who is tired, angry, happy, frustrated, etc., is often very obvious by their tone of voice. Therefore, if a security officer is not very happy with having to answer the telephone, this resentment is often transferred through his or her tone of voice in their unfriendliness or willingness to help the caller.
As security officers, image and perceptions go a long way in the way workers and executives view the entire security operation. Security officers, who may be required to answer the telephone for extended periods of time, may be accepting a telephone call from the president or chief executive officer of the corporation. If an executive of the corporation hears an impolite, rude, uncaring security officer answer the telephone, it will greatly erode and damage the reputation of the entire security department. Security officers should accept the responsibility of answering the telephone and perform this task to the best of their abilities.
Suggestions for answering the telephone
1. Always answer the phone within three rings.
2. Answer the phone by saying, “Good morning/afternoon/evening. ABC Company, Security Officer Jones speaking. May I help you?”
3. Try to help the person. If they ask for someone who is not at work, do not just say, “they are not in.” Help the caller by saying, “Is there someone else who can help you?”
4. If the person has a problem or complaint, listen to them and attempt to offer them a suggestion or alternative.
5. If the caller asks for the home phone number of anyone, do not give it out. If the caller insists that they must speak to the person, ask the caller for their name and phone number. Advise the caller that you will call the employee at home and give them the caller’s name and phone number.
6. If the caller is a customer or client, be certain to obtain specific information about their questions or problems and then attempt to contact the appropriate executive at home.
7. If the caller states that they must speak to someone because of an emergency, take notes of their statements and be certain to notify the employee or, if required, their supervisor as soon as possible.
8. Security personnel must not convey their emotions in their voice. If the security officer is tired or angry at someone, he or she must remember that, in all likelihood, the caller is not responsible for this mood. Therefore, do not make the caller the victim.
9. When answering the telephone, security personnel should always assume their boss is the person calling. Never think that you can play jokes or games on the phone because you know the caller. You might think you know the identity of the caller, but you may often be mistaken.
10. Smile on the telephone. Project a positive image.
Vehicle maintenance
Security personnel may be responsible for ensuring company vehicles are kept in good working order and clean at all times. If security personnel are required to wash vehicles, information on car wash locations should be obtained. Discounts are often given if a book or coupons of several car washes are purchased at one time.
Logs should be maintained for each vehicle to document when the vehicle last received fuel, lubrication, oil, engine tune-up, tire rotation, etc. If at all possible, consideration should be given to transferring the responsibility of vehicle maintenance to another department. If this is not possible, security personnel must perform this task in as professional manner as possible.
Consideration must also be given as to how vehicle maintenance work will be paid. If cash is used, proper documentation and retention of all receipts must be maintained and submitted for review and approval on a regular basis. If credit cards are used, clear instructions must be given to the recipients of the cards as to the description of vehicles that are permitted to have work charged on the card. Instances have occurred where a person with access to a company credit card had work charged to the credit card for work performed on a personal vehicle.
Delivering the mail
If mail moves the country and zip codes move the mail, then why do so many security officers deliver the mail at the locations where they work? Once again, without a doubt, some bright, nonsecurity professional thought it would be a good idea for security to deliver the mail. Think about the reasons this executive found:
1. Security has to patrol anyway, so why not have them do something useful with their time?
2. What else do they have to do anyway?
3. It allows a person who has really important things to do, such as an administrative assistant, to be able to do more important things.
4. By keeping the security officers busy, they are less likely to fall asleep.
5. We have done this way for years. If we change now, who will do it?
If you happen to be a security officer who is responsible for mail delivery or posting of notices on bulletin boards, etc., there is not much you can do to alleviate this problem except by performing the task in the best way possible. Unless clear alternatives can be presented to remove mail delivery from the security officer’s area of responsibility, little chance exists of someone else becoming the mailman.
Cleaning and janitorial services
If you are a security officer who delivers mail, consider yourself luckier than the officers who are also expected to mop floors and clean restrooms. Once again, someone came up with this idea for much the same reasons security was given responsibility to deliver the mail.
As security professionals, this is one area where the proverbial “line in the sand” must be drawn. An individual who is applying for a security officer position should refuse the position if it involves basic janitorial responsibilities of any kind other than maintaining a clean work area for the security officer himself. If contract security companies refused to accept these assignments because no one would serve in these capacities, the level of professionalism would immediately improve.
The author of this manual is very adamant about security officers not performing basic janitorial services. However, it would be expected for a security officer to use a mop, bucket, broom, etc. to assist in the cleanup after a spill, leak, or other emergency. Aside from assisting in these emergency situations, as security professionals we have to politely and diplomatically refuse to become janitors.
Lawn care
Other than having the responsibility of turning a lawn sprinkler system on and off, the author believes that lawn care also falls into a similar category as janitorial services.
If a security officer enjoys planting flowers and cutting the lawn, etc. at the facility where they are employed, this work should be conducted after normal working hours. In addition, the person should not be performing this work while dressed in the security uniform.
Once again, impression and professionalism is the central point to be made. A security officer who possesses a Ph.D. will not gain the respect of workers and visitors if they are viewed as the gardener.
General gopher (“go-for”)
Some companies give security officers the responsibility of driving a company vehicle to retrieve spare parts and maintenance items from local suppliers. Although this function is much more acceptable from an image standpoint, it is very unacceptable from the standpoint that security exists to protect a facility. Removing the person who has primary responsibility for guarding the facility in order to retrieve an item that can be delivered or picked up by other means is not conducive to building a professional image or an adequately protected facility.
Again, the same reasons as before are often used to justify why security personnel have this responsibility. If one accepts the premise that an objective of the organization is to have a professional security service, then one has to also make some tough decisions by removing certain of these nonsecurity responsibilities.
Chauffeur
Perhaps one of the best typical nonsecurity duties is that of being a chauffeur. Because being a chauffeur allows the driver to often come into close personal contact with key executives, opportunity is presented to converse with the people who possess the power within an organization.
In recent years, the task of being a chauffeur has become increasingly more important from a security standpoint. Because executives are often the possible targets of kidnappers or extortionists, it is critical that security personnel who serve as chauffeurs take their jobs very seriously and go to great lengths to protect their passengers.
Most chauffeurs should be schooled not only in defensive driving techniques but also in detecting if they are being followed by another vehicle. Some commonsense tips, such as varying routes and times of departure, will greatly assist in deterring the possible kidnapping of an executive.
Security personnel who are asked to be chauffeurs should take their jobs seriously and accept the assignment as a compliment as opposed to a demotion.
In conclusion, nonsecurity duties for officers are standard operating procedure at many facilities. For officers facing these responsibilities, there are two different yet parallel courses to take. On one hand, officers must execute all of their duties, security or otherwise, with the utmost professionalism and dedication. On the other, there must be a concerted effort to make employers and management aware of the compromises made when security officers are expected to perform duties unrelated to their purpose.
Summary
• Security officers are judged, in large part, by the impression created in dealing with people in 15–30 s. A sloppy appearance gives the client, supervisor, and co-workers the impression that the officer just does not care and will never become an effective member of the security department. This person may be the most qualified individual in their field of study, but they have already impaired their potential for success.
• It is extremely difficult to upgrade the image and professionalism of a security department if some of the many duties performed by the officers are seemingly trivial, unproductive, and often demeaning. The problem faced by security officers, supervisors, and managers is how to transfer the mundane job duties to some other department.
• For the most part, managers and executives have preconceived ideas about security based upon their own experiences (even if these experiences are few). If their experience with a security problem or officer was positive and pleasant, then there is a much higher degree of probability that they will have a positive view of security. Unfortunately, if their security experiences were negative or left a very poor impression of the security duties and responsibilities, they are likely to have a poor image of the function.
• Most security officers are required to answer the telephone for some minimum amount of time on a daily basis. People make assumptions and reach conclusions about a person based upon the tone of voice and way in which a person speaks on the telephone. A person’s mood and mental outlook are expressed in the voice. The mood of a person who is tired, angry, happy, frustrated, etc., is often very obvious in the tone of their voice. All security officers should act as if they are speaking to the president or chief executive officer of the company every time they answer the phone.
• Security personnel may be responsible for ensuring company vehicles are kept in good working order and clean at all times. If security personnel are required to wash vehicles, information on car wash locations should be obtained. Discounts are often given if a book or coupons of several car washes are purchased at one time.
• If you happen to be a security officer who is responsible for mail delivery or posting of notices on bulletin boards, etc., there is not much you can do to alleviate this problem except by performing the task in the best way possible. Unless clear alternatives are found to remove mail delivery from the security officer’s area of responsibility, little chance exists of someone else becoming the mailman.
• If you are a security officer who delivers mail, consider yourself luckier than the officers who are also expected to mop floors and clean restrooms.
• Some companies give security officers the responsibility of driving a company vehicle to retrieve spare parts and maintenance items from local suppliers.
• Perhaps one of the best typical nonsecurity duties is that of being a chauffeur. Because being a chauffeur allows the driver to often come into close personal contact with key executives, opportunity is presented to converse with the people who possess the power within an organization.
• At this time, nonsecurity duties for officers are still standard operating procedure at many facilities. All security personnel should execute their duties with the highest degree of professionalism. At the same time, those in security management should continually strive to educate those in nonsecurity upper management that a security officer’s time is best used performing protection duties.
Exercises
1. Name as many elements as possible that help a security officer create a favorable impression.
2. Describe briefly the manner in which the telephone should be answered.
3. If you are required to perform nonsecurity duties that you believe are nonessential and somewhat ridiculous (in your mind), how do you deal with it?
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