Whether you own an apartment or a commercial building, your property is a valuable asset. The last thing you want is someone to damage it, your clients to be scared away, or for the value of your building to be reduced dramatically.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in 2015, victims of property crimes collectively lost 14.3 billion dollars from their assets.
If you want to avoid becoming part of this statistic, property managers should sign a long-term security contract with a qualified security services provider.
A long-term security contract can guarantee protection for you and your client’s property, giving both of you peace of mind. Security contracts can be tricky to understand, especially if you’ve never done one before.
Read this post before you sign a security contract to make sure you are hiring a company that will Read on to discover how you can find one that is right for you and your property.
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Hire a Security Company With a Good Reputation
Before you can even consider starting a security contract, you need to check out your potential security contractor’s reputation. Conduct online research, reading their reviews on Google and social media.
Try to see if they’ve had any complaints made against them by former clients or whether there have been any lawsuits filed against them. The three big aspects of a security contractor’s history to look into is worker compensation, experience, and negligence. You should also inquire about their hiring practices.
You may even be able to get this information from a local courthouse if need be.
Ensure Your Provider is Licensed in Your State
Once you have confirmed the legitimacy of the contractor’s reputation, check out whether they have a state license or not.
Why is this an important exercise?
It is required by law that security contractors have a valid state license that is to date. This license is given out by the state as a way to keep records on each security company.
If they don’t have a valid license, this may be a sign that they are not legitimate and thus you shouldn’t get a contract with them.
Check References and Visit Locations
Another way to confirm the legitimacy of a contractor before taking out a security contract with them is to check out their references. References give you an insight into the contractor’s reliability and whether they uphold their contacts or not.
Therefore, before choosing the contractor, ask them for references, preferably with projects that are similar to yours. These references can help you determine what their current security system is like and how well the contractor has kept to the contract.
If you’re looking for a security contractor for your apartment or office building, you might also visit a building where the contractor provides security to see for yourself.
Also, be sure to ask open questions so they can answer as freely as they can. Additionally, be sure to figure out how many years the contractor has serviced their property.
However, you need to be extra careful when performing this task.
Don’t solely rely on online reviews.By asking for references from long-term clients, you can receive a much more comprehensive insight into their work.
Learn About the Management Team
When you create a security contract, it’s important to realize you aren’t just hiring security guards but also an entire guard service management team.
Be sure to meet the management team so you get an understanding of what they are like and whether you think they will uphold the contract as agreed. Be sure to find out how many years of service the team has and whether they have done security projects similar to your own before.
Request a Security Agreement Proposal
Before you can even start to draw up a security contract, you need to request a proposal from your potential contractor.
So, what should you be doing in this phase?
During this phase, you need to ensure that your proposal request to the security contractor includes absolutely everything you need out of the security contract.
Be sure to explain the responsibilities of each guard, what equipment you need, hours of coverage, reference post orders, inspections needed and any special scheduling requirements.
In terms of the contract itself, you need to ensure you include how long you want the contract to last, its starting date and what the terms of payment will be.
Once you get the proposal from the contractor, make sure you study it carefully. It should address all of the security needs of your property. If it isn’t satisfactory enough, either ask for a redo or try another security contractor.
Choose a Security Contract Timeframe That Works for You
Generally speaking, most long-term contracts can last anywhere between 12 months and 60 months. The industry standard on average revolves around 36 months.
The longer your contract is, the lower the monthly fees should be. So, if you want a contract that is easy to afford, you may be better off going with a longer-term contract.
But a longer contract may end up being a little bit inflexible.
A longer contract means you are obligated to stay with the contractor unless there is a specific clause in your contract which allows you to terminate it at any time.
Hire a Contractor that Fits Your Budget
When considering a security contract, you need to take into account how much it will cost. You will likely interview multiple companies with different price bids. Know that hiring the cheapest company won’t give you the best quality service.
If the offer from your contractor seems too good to be true, then it probably is. If their bid is too low, they may try to hide some fees for equipment and materials that weren’t included in the original bid. To avoid this, be sure to find out all costs upfront before you sign the contract.
Security companies often offer anywhere between a few months to 2 years’ warranty on equipment and labor. However, don’t assume these have a warranty unless it is explicitly stated.
The best way to understand what costs your security contract will have is by making sure your contractor is crystal clear with you.
Know Qualifications of Security Guards
There were over one million security guards employed in the US last year. Since the number out there is a lot, you need to consider what type of guards your security contractor can offer you. Different types of security guards can assist you in certain situations.
There are two types of security guards a contractor can offer you: a uniformed security guard or plain clothed security guards. Whereas a uniformed security guard can deter any troublemakers and provide ease of mind for residents, a plainly clothed security guard is better at apprehending.
Another aspect you need to consider is whether your guards are armed or unarmed. Which is right for your business should be discussed with your contractor before completing any contract.
There are other things you need to consider about the guards you hire. This includes what security-related education they have, their levels of training and any experience they have had previously.
If your contractor is able to provide their guards with as much additional education and training as possible, you can tell they can be trusted to be reliable.
Signing the Right Long-Term Security Contract Will Keep Your Property Safe
By starting a long-term security contract with a team of security management experts in your area, you can be sure that your property will remain safe and secure.
