Security versus customer service? The best security is customer-focused, writes Ian Pugh. Director, pictured, of PAL Protect Consultancy, Anchor Group Services.
Security and customer service are too often seen as separate, even competing priorities. In reality they are inseparable – and when done properly, they strengthen one another. Good customer service is not the opposite of security; it is great security. A safe, secure environment whether in a shopping centre, transport hub, or corporate facility is best delivered by professionals who understand their role, who engage with the public in a friendly, confident manner, and who remain alert to behaviours that fall outside the norm.
That phrase ‘outside the norm’ is critical. For any security professional, the first step in protecting a location is to establish a baseline of what ‘normal’ looks like. In a shopping centre, for example, normal means people browsing, chatting, enjoying food courts, and interacting socially. Security officers, in turn, should contribute to that environment by making eye contact, smiling, greeting customers, and being approachable. This visible presence reassures the public while quietly building an awareness of patterns and behaviours.
But when someone strays from this baseline running, shouting, trying to access staff-only areas, or showing worrying interest in CCTV systems, that’s when the security mindset must take over. These anomalies may signal hostile intent, malice, or criminal planning. A well-trained officer will know how to investigate, interact, and, if necessary, escalate through proper reporting channels.
The challenge is balance. A disengaged or inattentive officer cannot build rapport with the public or detect early warning signs. Equally, an officer who focuses only on friendliness risks missing behaviours that pose real threats. The professional security officer must embody both: approachable and customer-focused, but also vigilant and ready to act.
At Anchor Group Services, we embed this philosophy in our security strategies. Our officers are trained not just to observe and protect but to engage, delivering customer service as a frontline security tool. We teach them to set clear behavioural baselines for their environment, to recognise when something falls outside of that baseline, and to act with confidence when intervention is required. Procedures and training need to be aligned to the environment you are protecting. Crucially, our strategies are tailored to each environment; there is no such thing as ‘one-size-fits-all’ security.
In the end, it comes down to this: understand your environment. Set the baseline. Engage openly with the public. Support when needed, but respond firmly when behaviour deviates from the norm. Customer service and security are not two competing duties – they are two sides of the same coin. Only when they work hand in hand can we deliver a truly professional security service.
About the author:
Ian Pugh has 40 years of experience in the security and facilities management sector. He has held senior positions, including as a Group Head of Security, where he designed and brought in security strategies for in-house and contracted teams. Previously Deputy Chair of the Crowded Places Business Information Exchange, Ian has worked with the UK official bodies NaCTSO and Homeland Security on counter-terrorism initiatives. He is a member of the Revo Security Committee, contributing to best practice guidance and legislative updates for the retail and placemaking sectors. He has led large-scale security operations, including managing over 1,000 security officers at Bilfinger Europa and overseeing security strategies for 21 shopping centres across the UK and Spain as Head of Security at the mall chain intu. Since 2020, he has provided consultancy services to major retail and corporate clients and now serves as Director of PAL Protect Consultancy with the contractor Anchor Group Services.
