Having just experienced one of the most challenging, rapidly-evolving and risky periods of a generation, business owners are starting to look to the future, as they attempt to define how their organisation can viably exist amidst uncertain times.
Whilst talk of vaccine break-throughs and the impending opening of some domestic borders are the newsworthy and visible stories on our screens, there is also a real day-to-day buzz of activity and innovation happening in businesses throughout Victoria. Businesses across varying industries, from suburbia to regional townships and the city centre, ranging from those with a handful of employees to the state’s biggest employers of Victorians, are all looking at how they can protect their staff, protect their clients and operate a viable and successful business, all whilst complying with the numerous and ever-changing Covid-19 regulations outlined by the Victorian Government to protect the community.
Some of the change we will see – such as record keeping for contact tracing and reconfigured hospitality dining layouts – is likely to be implemented very quickly, thanks to the stipulated Covid-safe plans. From here, the ongoing challenge for businesses will be to ensure their customers and staff are interacting in a Covid-safe way, whilst also endeavouring to actually provide their fundamental product or service. A key part of this new look will be new processes, across both staff training and customer experience.
Educating staff about change is arguably the easier part of this challenge. A staff meeting, discussions, Q&As, on-site demonstrations – these can all be planned and executed to not only comply with Covid-safe practices, but to also position a business ahead of their competition and ready to thrive. “Control the controllable”, as the saying goes.
Educating customers is a whole other challenge, and as such, many businesses are looking at the blueprint for their new look customer experience and considering the best way to structure their in-store or on-site process.
For many businesses, the introduction of a security concierge service is proving to be a rewarding strategic choice. Whilst the typical role of a security concierge has included tasks such as answering customer questions, providing directions, arranging for maintenance and cleaners, deterring thieves and other criminals, and getting help in a crisis, business owners and managers are seeing even more additional benefits in these different times, such as:
- Expert advice on managing security risks.
- Conflict resolution.
- Reassuring staff and customers by having a security presence.
- Allowing staff to focus on their primary job task and not worry about other concerns, thus improving productivity and staff wellbeing.
- Implementing new processes and guiding customers through this new experience.
It’s important to remember that any security staff on-site or in-store are a reflection of that brand. With this in mind, the decision to engage a security concierge needs to consider the fact that these staff will be interacting with customers; meaning that essentially, decision-makers need to enter into any arrangement with a strong awareness that their security concierge will be an extension of their existing staff team, at least through customer perception.
In the foreseeable future, with an ever-growing list of compliance requirements to stay Covid-safe and a real focus from businesses to protect their staff and customers, it is a fair assumption that the demand for security concierge services will continue to increase and become a far more normalised component of the customer experience.
If you would like to find out more about security concierge services for your business, contact our team at Excell Security.
