The private security industry in India has gained a strong footing in the last decade. With the largest number of private security agents – estimated at 7 million – this industry provides employment to a huge section of people. Urbanisation, and introduction of government proposals such as Mission Smart Cities and Make in India have created a demand for more and more security personnel.
Current state of affairs
Private security industry plays a huge role in the safety of commoners. For a densely populated country like India, the police to people ratio is not significant enough, which has made the private security industry all the more popular. However, this industry grapples with many crises every day. One of the major problems is the lack of accountability from the security personnel.
Security industry in India is largely unregulated, and it’s not uncommon to see guards swapping their shifts without intimating their employer. This impersonation can be potentially harmful, not just for the customer, but also for the security company This is just one of the many problems plaguing the security service providers. Unless there’s a scheduled visit or patrolling by a supervisor, there’s no way to monitor if the guards are alert on their job. Surprise visits to the premises are not a productive alternative either.
The human body which is designed to retire at sunset starts to inevitably feel tired and dull during night shifts. Therefore, it makes sense to place your trust in systems, rather than a person to supervise the security personnel.
How cloud telephony can help
Automated Calls with IVR based check-in
To check if the guards are alert, a simple mechanism such as an automated call can be set to trigger at particular time intervals. These calls can solicit input from the guards to ensure that they’re alert. Alternatively, they can be imparted with small training modules in vernacular that are a minute long, asked a related question towards the end of the module, and solicit a response from them.
A lot has been said about the lack of training for the security guards. This is an interesting and engaging way to keep them alert and awake.
Their call response is an attestation to their situational awareness and alertness. Actions can be initiated by the agency if they fail to respond or answer the call.
This method is more proactive than reactive, and adheres to the urgency of the situation.
Apart from these call check-ins that fall into a predictive pattern, surprise check-ins can be done by triggering calls at random times. This keeps the security officers alert and ensures they don’t nod off on duty.
Automated check-in calls are a more sustainable solution, and the message or structure of the call can be changed every now and then to break the monotony, which is one of the major gripes of security officers.
Reminder calls for shift changes
Automated reminder calls can be set to go out an hour or 30 minutes prior to the shift, which ensures that the security officer is on time to relieve the on-duty officer. This reduces the chances of no-show or turning up late to the shift.
SMS updates to the customer
Since the shift rotation chart is prepared in advance, the details of security personnel on duty can be setup to be sent to the customer via an automated SMS message, which they can verify with the help of the personnel identification card. This ensures no impersonation can take place, thus assuring the safety of the customer.
IVR to handle new/ potential customer queries
For a security services provider, it is essential to be available at all times and put the customer’s safety interests first. Instead of employing a full-scale call center solution, IVR automation can be introduced to answer FAQs. This helps to optimize existing resources better, while also ensuring that an agent does not have to be on-call at all times.
A technology like cloud telephony can bring responsibility to this unorganized sector. What’s more – it is not a stand-alone solution. A virtual number that is obtained from a cloud telephony service provider can help provide all the features mentioned above.
By Shivakumar Ganesan – CEO & Co-founder of Exotel
