The Background
A commercial property company that managed multiple, large shopping malls across the country was fed up with the lack of security at a mall that spanned a couple of football fields. The property company had hired a security firm, but found that they weren’t responsive to the mall’s security needs whatsoever. The property manager sent emails that went unanswered. Guards didn’t show up for shifts, were asleep, or were on their cell phones. Their unengaged response made the property unsafe for shoppers and for personnel. A couple of years ago, the property company made the switch to Signal.
The Solution
The owner of Signal in the market met with the property manager to determine their needs and developed a plan to take back the mall from transients and others that had made the mall an easy mark. In fact, the Signal owner broke down the security needed into phases. First, Signal implemented a huge, uniformed presence. Second, Signal began conducting bicycle patrols. Third, Signal placed supervisors in unmarked vehicles and then the supervisors would call into marked units if there were any activities that required attention. The Signal owner, who has a military background, utilized his experience in developing the “area saturation” plan that ensured the safety and security of mall staff and patrons.
To further enhance the safety of the mall, Signal established an office in the development, which meant that coverage would be 24/7, seven days per week. The mall has a dedicated vehicle as well as dedicated security personnel keeping watch day and night.
Communication issues are no more as the Signal officers use a fully automated reporting system that is fully accessible to the property manager. The Signal Edge technology allows for smooth, accurate reporting of services and photographs to help document security shifts and any presenting concerns. Plus, the local Signal owner is on-site quite often and meets with the property manager regularly. The responsive owner is always just a phone call or text away.
The property manager was so pleased with the performance of Signal she awarded two more malls to the franchise owner shortly after cleaning up the issues at the original mall. In addition, two more of their malls will soon be under the care of Signal. Lastly, Signal is now serving this commercial property company in multiple states via the formation of a strategic alliance.
Shoppers now can have peace of mind and store clerks and managers can feel easy in pursuing their passion for serving these clients. The alliance with Signal has paid dividends to the property company and the relationship will continue to strengthen over the next several months and years.
