Within the security industry, store protection is a different discipline. A security officer is in the public domain and therefore has to deal with different categories of people: from shoppers to tramps and pickpockets. No day is the same.
People change, situations change and seasons change. One must react differently to an elderly woman with a stroller at the escalator than to a young man who is displaying unusual behaviour. In the summer we have to deal with curious holidaymakers, and in the winter with tramps looking for a place to get warm.
We find communication with our clients to be very important. This is why, together with our clients, we evaluate the quality of the service and the situation in the store every 6 to 8 weeks. After all, our security officers are different. The qualities of our security officers are tailored to the customer’s wishes and needs.
A jeweller requires a different kind of protection than a clothing store. Will there be any additional requirements after a few weeks? In that case we will make sure that the right security officer ends up in the right place.
Owing to the diversity within the retail security sector, specific skills are required. The MAAT Academy has been set up for this purpose, and this is where our security staff are educated and trained. Our store security officers must be representative, helpful, service-minded, and must be able to think on their feet and anticipate situations.
The store protection we provide is not primarily about ‘scoring’ as many theft preventions as possible. MAAT Security officers are specifically trained to handle different situations. Does a security officer spot someone in the store exhibiting unusual behaviour? He has been trained to then walk by and say hello. The person will then know that he has been noticed and is therefore less likely to misbehave.
