Despite what you may hear online, retail is still a huge part of our economy. Every day, millions of people visit retail establishments across the country. While most of these people are valuable customers, a few are criminals disguised as patrons.

Unfortunately, retail store theft is a harsh and concerning reality for retail business owners. Maintaining the safety and security of their customers, employees, goods, and property is critical, especially during busy days.

Apart from retail theft, there are plenty of other situations where security is threatened in a retail establishment. In such situations, having retail security guards has proven incredibly beneficial for retail business across the world.

Let’s discuss this in further detail to help you understand why you should hire retail security guards:

Why Should You Hire Retail Security Guards?

● Deter Crime & Criminals

Visible security measures like a CCTV camera, padlock, or an active security guard are excellent deterrents of crime. If you leave a pile of goods lying around in public unattended, even the average person who doesn’t steal will be tempted to take it.

Criminals on the other hand, will definitely take it the first chance they get. Whereas if you place a visible security camera or a uniformed security guard around it, the same people will think twice before attempting to take the goods.

This is why visible security measures like retail security guards are a great way to deter crime at your retail store. Criminals, especially armed ones, will see the guards and think long and hard before they even attempt to steal or commit other crimes on your premises.

Whereas regular people, including your employees, will not be tempted to commit petty crime just because “no one is watching.”

When customers and criminals see uniformed security guards at a retail store, they know that this is a crime-averse zone.

● Minimize Shoplifting

Shoplifting is a huge concern for retail businesses. It can be tough to keep track of every patron who enters your establishment. Shoplifting creates massive losses for retail businesses, but the presence of retail security guards minimizes shoplifting, because there is a much greater chance of getting caught by the guards.

If a patron or criminal does shoplift, security guards are more likely to catch them immediately and address the issue. Over time, as security guards get more familiarized with your establishment and its weak spots, there will be more vigilance and fewer shoplifting incidents, until they reach almost zero.

● Improve Customer Experience

You may not consider it, but retail security guards are an excellent addition to your customer service. When they patrol your establishment, they observe intently and familiarize themselves with your business, becoming a part of it.

This allows them to assist customers when they ask for directions or anything else. Exemplary guards are approachable, kind, and professional, with outstanding communication skills. They quickly become great brand ambassadors for your store.

At the end of their shift, especially at night, they can assist customers safely to their vehicles. Most importantly, when customers see retail security guards, they instantly feel safer to shop at your retail store.

If there are heated interactions between patrons and/ or employees, it can be tough for untrained individuals to react calmly and sensibly, especially in high-stress situations. But security guards are trained to de-escalate matters and resolve problems, before they become serious.

Ultimately, security guards improve your retail store’s overall customer experience, which is an integral part of your business.

● Immediate Response in Emergency Situations

A key reason you should hire retail security guards is because they can provide immediate emergency response. If something happens at your retail store, emergency services or law enforcement may take time to respond to the situation.

Often, the damage is done before they even arrive. However, having security guards at your retail store means you can protect your goods, customers, and employees as an emergency situation unfolds.

They can detect suspicious activity, respond immediately, and detain perpetrators and suspects until law enforcement arrive and take over. There are plenty of emergency situations in which security guards can provide emergency response, including criminal activities, fire hazards, accidents, etc.

● Security System Failures

As a business owner, you may already have some security systems in place, such as security cameras, sensors, alarm systems, etc. However, these systems are dependent on things like electricity, networks, and properly functioning devices.

If your security system fails for some reason, even temporarily, retail security guards can be alerted to respond accordingly. They become your eyes and ears on the ground, observing weak spots. They may set up specific protocols to overcome security system failure, be more vigilant, and help your business maintain security in such situations.

Most importantly, modern criminals are often excellent hackers. This means that if your retail establishment is solely dependent on electronic security systems, these criminals may hack into it and rob you blind.

Whereas if you have security guards on site, such attempts are most likely going to be unsuccessful.

● Complete Confidence & Satisfaction

Apart from improving your retail establishment’s security and all the mentioned benefits and reasons, hiring retail security guards gives you peace of mind. You can rest assured that highly-trained professionals are guarding your goods and premises.

You will gain complete confidence and satisfaction that they will handle any situation that may harm your business interests, in an appropriate manner.

They will patrol your premises, observe suspicious activities, deter criminals, handle security breaches, respond to emergencies, deescalate stressful situations, monitor surveillance systems, and detain suspects, all while improving your customer experience.

They ensure the safety of your property, employees, customers, and operations effectively, unlike any other security measure you can put in place.

Final Thoughts

By now, it should be clear why hiring retail security guards is not only beneficial, but necessary for retail establishments. They are highly-trained professional experts who can identify threats to your business and eliminate them, often before they even become an issue.

Your retail business will benefit in that security guards will help protect a lot of money from losses, avoid trouble or tricky situations, mitigate challenges, handle crises, improve customer experiences, and maintain its operations and brand reputation.

If you want to learn more about why you should hire retail security guards, or about the best, most trusted security guard services in the country, please visit our website today!