We’re in the thick of it now. It’s the United States’ favorite shopping season, that weeks-long stretch between Black Friday and New Year’s Eve. Though this holiday season might look a little different after such a turbulent year, nothing can completely stop a buyer’s need to get out and purchase a few gifts for their friends and family.
Of course, even if you’re only going out to buy one gift, it’s important to stay safe while doing so. Here are some safety tips for holiday shopping in Fort Myers, FL.
Beware of online payment portals
With the novel coronavirus pandemic ongoing, the smartest decision you can make is to do the majority of your shopping online this holiday season. Of course, just because you’re safe from COVID-19 in your home doesn’t mean your money is also secure.
Before you enter your credit or debit card information in an online store’s payment portal, make sure it’s secure. You should also consider setting up a username on a secure payment platform like PayPal, Apple Pay or something similar.
Watch your volume
When you’re out and about, the temptation to buy as much as your arms will hold can be pretty high. If you’re going to be carrying packages to your car over a long distance (even just to the far end of the parking lot), you should consider scaling back on your purchases, inviting a friend to help with the heavy lifting or asking an employee or security guard to escort you to your car. The last thing you want is for your holiday presents to get taken while you’re trying to get them to your vehicle.
Wait to be asked for payment
When you get to the counter and hand over the items you’re going to buy, you obviously know what’s coming next: you’ll be asked to pay. Rather than pulling out your card in anticipation of the purchase, keep your wallet closed until prompted by the clerk. Having your credit or debit card information exposed on the countertop is a great way for enterprising thieves to get your financial information.
Have your car keys at the ready
If you’re walking toward your car with an armload of packages, make sure to have your car keys out and ready to go. This holiday shopping safety tip in Fort Myers, FL can help you make the transition into your vehicle much more rapidly. You should also be sure to lock your doors once you’ve gotten into your car.
If you’re going to be heading to your vehicle in an environment that makes you uncomfortable, don’t hesitate to ask for help. An employee or security professionals should be able to take the time to escort you to your vehicle. You’re not being a nuisance—you’re being reasonably cautious.
Get more tips
Want to get more safety tips for holiday shopping in Fort Myers, FL? American Pride Security Services, Inc. is standing by to help! We can turn your business into the ideal place for shoppers to peruse your goods in safety. That’s our promise to you. Contact us today to find out more about how we can help you this holiday season.
The holiday season is upon us once more, and although 2020 has been one for the record books, no number of unforeseen circumstances can squash the holiday spirit. As more people file into your store for the holiday season, it’s increasingly vital that you ensure your security measures are up to the task. After all, nothing will take the joy out of your holidays like the unexpected loss of merchandise.
With all that in mind, here are some holiday security tips in Fort Myers, FL to help keep your shop safe.
Limit your customers
The 2020 holiday shopping season presents shop owners with a unique challenge. Because the COVID-19 pandemic is still a threat to shoppers, all of your clients are likely to be wearing masks. This could create confusion—and the opportunity for theft—in the event there are too many people in your shop.
This holiday season, the smartest choice to make is to limit the number of customers in your store. This allows for easier social distancing (to combat the novel coronavirus) and more effective security precautions.
Consider some extra help
One of the most effective means of protecting your business during the holidays is with the physical presence of a security officer. Merely having an armed or unarmed professional patrolling your property can be a significant deterrent to any criminals who might otherwise target your company.
Check security equipment
Before the busiest weeks of the shopping season, check out your security equipment to ensure it’s in good condition:
Test your security cameras
Inspect your door locks
Update your cybersecurity measures
It may also be smart to schedule an assessment with a security company. An inspector can determine the best security measures for your company and craft a system that keeps your merchandise, employees and clients as safe as possible.
Review security policies
A business’s security is only as strong as its least effective advocate. That means, regardless of any preventative holiday security tips in Fort Myers, FL you put into practice, they won’t mean much if your employees aren’t properly briefed. Make sure every member of your staff knows how to respond in the event of a holiday security scenario.
Taking the time to educate your employees can make all the difference when it’s critical to put your security plan into action at a moment’s notice.
A note for offices
If you’re planning to close your business for an extended period during the holiday season, make sure you lock up. Before leaving the premises, secure all the windows and doors. You might also consider putting your lights on timers to provide the illusion that someone is around.
Trust the security pros
Of all the pertinent security tips for Fort Myers, FL businesses during the holidays, the most impactful is your choice of security company. That means calling American Pride Security Services, Inc. Since 1984, we have distinguished ourselves as the area’s most effective security providers. Let one of our talented team members help you feel more secure than ever before. Contact us today to find out more about what we can do for you.
The holiday season is just about to arrive, and with it comes a significant increase in shoppers in stores around the nation. Even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is still expected that there will be a big increase in shopping numbers around Black Friday and beyond, if to a smaller extent than in most other years.
This makes it a great time to more heavily invest in the security services you have at your shopping center, and to get a refresher on some shopping mall security best practices in Fort Myers, FL. Here are some things to remember.
Make sure all personnel—not just security personnel—are properly trained
This includes all personnel at the mall, everyone from valet staff to workers at information desks and janitorial staff, and even workers in individual retail stores. Obviously these people aren’t going to have the same degree of security responsibility that specialized security staff will have, but they should still know how to screen the area, how to securely move cash, situations in which they should advise security staff of potential threats, how to report suspicious activity and how to address visitors’ questions.
Plan out specific security procedures for busy seasons
The general craziness of the holiday season should lead to additional security tasks, including going through equipment and emergency procedures. You should meet with your employees to discuss and communicate important safety and security issues. Make sure you review all procedures to report suspicious behavior, emphasize the importance of staying alert and make sure you have a sufficient number of flashlights and radios.
Have a plan for opening and closing
Around Black Friday, you’re much more likely to have a line of people waiting to get into the store at opening, and difficulties getting people out of the stores at closing. Maintain the opening and closing times as much as possible, but get employees on site earlier to ensure preparedness for opening. Have security personnel placed at entrances and make sure people enter the premises in a safe, orderly manner. During closing, make sure you inform visitors in advance of closing time and get them out as quickly as possible. Have signs clearly placed on all doors and walkways so people can easily find their ways to the exists.
Bring in more guards
As needed, deploy some additional security guards to patrol the shopping mall during your busy season. This includes patrols prior to opening and after closing. Have one additional security guard during opening hours, a couple more stationed at strategic locations (such as the food court and common areas) and an extra guard for outdoor patrols and checking of important facilities, such as mechanical rooms and the roof. After closing, have guards at entrances to make sure people do not attempt to re-enter.
Focus on high-risk areas such as garbage bins, washrooms, underground parking and utility centers.
These are just a few tips to help you improve your shopping center security this holiday season. For more information about what a Fort Myers, FL security patrol service can do for your shopping center, reach out to American Pride Security Services, Inc. today.
No matter what kind of business you’re running, keeping your clients and employees safe and happy is just as important as how much business you do. Part of that involves hiring a security guard. You’ll be able to guard your possessions and employees and rest easy knowing you’re as protected as possible. Here are all the reasons security guard services in Ft. Myers, FL are essential:
Handle emergency situations properly: Professional security guards are trained to handle even the worst situations, like health emergencies, intoxicated patrons and more. If you have to deal with an emergency, you’ll feel better having a trained professional on your side. Even in the calmest environments, people still get sick and intoxicated people can still wander in.
Keep your employees, customers and property safe: Obviously, you want to keep your business safe. No matter what kind of business you run, it’s important to have backup available when you need it. Whether you run a bookstore, bar, retail store, office or restaurant, having someone in a security guard role in Fort Myers, FL is a smart way to keep the peace. It not only deters troublemakers, but it also ensures you have plenty of help if someone decides to cause an issue. Your employees will also feel safer if a trained professional is available to walk them out to their cars after hours.
Constant surveillance: Not all security guards are visible. Sometimes, especially during high-traffic times like the winter holidays, security guards are watching camera footage and trying to prevent shoplifting or other crimes. Having someone visibly on hand to monitor the premises is a great way to keep shoplifting and other problems down, while making sure that a professional is on hand to help out if there are emergencies.
Prevent crimes of opportunity: In the wee hours of the night, it’s easy to break into unattended businesses, simply because it’s easy. Crimes of opportunity are all too common, and preventing them can be simply a matter of having a watchful presence on the property. If it looks harder to break into your building without hassle, criminals will move on to a less protected place—don’t let it be yours!
Subdue rambunctious people: No matter what kind of business you run, inevitably someone under the influence will wander in. It’s best to keep them at bay with a security officer, who is trained to deal with unruly folks. If your business is a restaurant or bar, it’s a must. The safer you make patrons feel, the more likely they are to come back.
Keep patients safe: Hospitals and care facilities need security patrol in Fort Myers, FL too. No one likes to think about it, but confused patients can try to wander off and will need to be redirected. Having a trained security guard on patrol will help ensure no one puts themselves in danger.
If you’re hiring security guards in Fort Myers, FL, look no further than American Pride Security Services, Inc. Call today to learn more about what we can do for you.
When it comes to keeping your property safe, having a professional security guard on site on property patrol in Fort Myers, FL is always a good option. Here’s why:
Always on guard: Criminal activity has no hours and is opportunity based. It’s easier to break into a building and cause mischief when it’s dark and people are asleep, but criminals will stop at nothing to get what they need. Arm yourself by having a regular security guard.
Specific targeted time: Security hours are sometimes cheaper than using the patrol method. For example, if you used a patrol to come in four times a night at $25 per check, you would be much better off paying $20 an hour and having a security professional there on site for four hours during prime “crime time.” This would result in much better coverage and visibility at your property, while saving you money compared to spot checks. What’s even worse is that in those spot checks, the security guard or patrol officer in Fort Myers, FL rarely even leaves his vehicle.
Have an intimidating presence: Criminals watch for security guards, and have been well known to just go down to the next property to commit illegal acts knowing no one is there. Having an actual security officer on site making rounds and monitoring the activity makes your property safer. Patrol services end up being very routine and mostly just make a quick trip through the property. The criminals understand this and will often learn the patrol patterns.
Be part of the team: A regular scheduled security officer becomes a part of the team at a property. Guest, visitors and staff learn to interact with an individual security officer, sometimes passing on important information on happenings at the property. Random foot patrols of a property rarely have the time to build up any relationship with anyone, due to their short time at the actual site.
Cost-effective: There’s no question that having an actual security professional on site is a much better option than using a patrol type of service. Don’t allow yourself to buy into the idea that patrol is the least expensive option from other companies, because it’s not. If you’re going to pay for any security to be on your property, you need to ensure you have a professional protecting it.
If you’re thinking about hiring a security office for your Fort Myers, FL property, make sure you talk to the best team available. Keeping your property safe is important!
Please call American Pride Security Services, Inc. today and we can have a manager out to speak with you within just a couple business days. We’ve been in business since 2005 and have been changing the way people feel about security ever since. Very simply put, we have some of the best people in the industry and can help keep your property, possessions and people safe. Call us today to get started or visit our website for more information. We look forward to serving you!
