Whether you are a private home owner, a townhouse trustee or the manager at a business or retail park, you most likely will need to employ the services of a security company. So how do you know that you are appointing the best and most reliable security company?

It may be tempting to appoint the cheapest company, the most visible security company or the one that has been doing a lot of advertising. But this may not always be the best solution for you.

The first step is to ignore all the marketing slogans and ask a series of questions that will reveal who is really up to the job. It is important to ask the same questions of all the different security companies you are considering. This will allow you to compare apples with apples, and will reveal any problems with a potential supplier before you appoint them.

Ask these 11 questions before appointing a security company:

• Is your company registered and does it comply with all government regulations?
• How long has the company been in operation and does its management have experience in the industry?
• How do they select the guards that work for them?
• What proof is there that the guards are performing their jobs correctly?
• Can you know if the guard isn’t doing his job?
• If there is proof, is it in writing?
• Do you have access to reports detailing what the guards are doing at any given time?
• Are there daily route reports?
• Can you receive daily automated electronic reports?
• Does your security company offer onsite follow up training to their guards?
• Is there a system that rates the guards’ performance?

We have prepared a tool that will allow you to keep track of the answers and make your comparison easy. It is easy to use and we encourage you to download it and keep it on hand whenever you are comparing, or whenever a new security company wants to get your attention.