Client employee bullies

[Trunk Monkey]

30 years ago I was going through a rough patch and I took a second job as a day laborer to help make ends meet. One day I was on a construction site showing a permanent employee how to set up a concrete form. The guy’s using MY tools, while I’m showing HIM how to do His job and he has the nerve to refer to me as a “rent-a-drunk” 30years later and I still get mad just thinking about it.

The reason I opened this thread with that story was to set a mood. We’ve all (I’m sure) had to deal with client employees that equate security with “loser”.

The company I work for has the City utility as a client and there’s quite a disparity between their wages and ours and in the minds of some of the client employees that translates to an equal disparity in our station in life. A fact they make sure we're aware of at every opportunity

I had a run in with one such client employee today , I’m not sure that specifics are necessary but this is one of those types that just radiates contempt every time I come in contact with him. As a brief example I walked into MY office one day and found him sitting at my desk (with his feet up on it) using my phone and he sat there for about 20 minutes waiting while whoever he was on the phone with had him on hold without so much as a an apology for preventing me from doing my work. When he was done he got up and walked out of the office without so much as an excuse me.

IMO people like this are bullies, they treat security like crap because they can and truthfully we really have no recourse except maybe requesting a transfer to another site where you’ll have another bully to contend with.

The best solution I can come up with is to simply leave the office and make my rounds whenever he shows up (which isn’t often thankfully) I’m curious how some of you deal with client employees that treat you like dirt?

[Condo Guard]

Depends on who they are - I don't fight battles I can't win. If its one of the higher managers who is either very powerful or very popular, I do nothing if it is a minor annoyance, or just passive agressive nonsense. On the other hand, if someone is actively interfering with getting the job done, I will report it to my supervisor, without getting upset or using "loaded" language. I just set out the facts (so-and-so interfered with our investigation, this manager ordered the S/O to do the opposite of SOPs, etc.).

On a side note, at a lot of places I've worked at the "security desk" is usually an afterthought. Where I work now our desk ends up being an extra work station for other staff, but they are respectful and will log off the computer when they know we need it. The desk is kept clean and nobody touches our stuff (all confidential papers are kept elsewhere, so there's nothing interesting to read anyways).

I do try to give a big smile to the jerks - hoping it makes them wonder if I know something incriminating about them...

[copelandamuffy]

God does this ring bells. So true. When the buildings were being torn down, there was talk among a few smart
guys that once the buildings were torn down security would go bye, bye. That was 2007, the construction laborers are gone and 2012 we are still here

My views the worse to work with is a Union Shop. Not all are bad, but some real dolts. I worked security at a UAW shop
What eased my work was many moons prior to working security I was in the UAW. My job working security was okay
I knew the Shop Steward from days of old in the UAW. She made sure I was treated nice.

[rpmacmurphy]

I believe that this is one of the biggest issues to the modern private security professional. My agency is proactive in battling this problem in order to create a more positive and professional workplace environment. All of our guys are trained in tactical protective etiquette.

It draws from the same ideas taught in executive protection courses. Executive protection officers don't have any authority, yet through their posture and gestures they can intimidate those around them in order to keep them away from the client. We teach the same concepts so the employees of a client feel that they are in the presence of a legitimate authority figure rather than a "rent a cop".

That being said, in my experiences, being armed also helps keep the employees off your back. A lot of people see unarmed guards as glorified receptionists and janitors.

[copelandamuffy]

How many of us have worked as new Guards. It is a Saturday morning
Rita Smith stops by the Office Building You request to see her badge
This is what she hits you with “ I have been working for XYZ corporation for 20 years, I don’t have to show my badge” She storms off to her office. You call the client
“ Oh Rita, she is set in her ways. She means no harm” I had this happen to me with Pinkerton. I did have just enough smarts to call the Field Road Supervisor. He wrote down what transpired.
I wrote an Incident Report, making sure I made a copy, and faxed the Incident Report to the Branch Office. Never heard another peep. But left with the satisfaction I did cover my**.

We have all had the incident where a retired employee wants to stop by and say hello to the boys in the shop. Your post orders state no retired employees allowed on the property
Weeks afterward the boys in the shop treat you like dirt because you did not permit Jimmy Jones retired machinist on plant grounds to say hello

Some secretaries treat you like sewer and some Junior Executives as well
Want to know who usually is nice to you? The men and women at the top of the ladder of Corporate, and the janitor. The Big Guy sitting in his mahogany walled carpeted on a Sunday morning going over the expense sheets, and the janitor on the ground floor mopping the stairways. They are the ones who usually have kind words to say to you

I did have a funny incident happen to me one late night. On my patrols I noticed a tractor trailer truck parked in the vacant lot. I went over to truck. Motor running. Tapped on the door of the cab. Long story, short story. Lonely truck driver picked up some pavement princess for some fun. He and his gal left after I tapped on the door of the cab

I reported back to the 2nd shift supervisor what was going on. He ran around and told the shop workers. “Copie spoiled some fun for some lonely truck driver” I was kidded and joked with the guys and yes some of the gals what a mean guy I was for the next week

[flashlightcop509]

Referring to the original post, unless the "Security Desk" is a common use/universal area, that guy using "my" space for twenty minutes would have gotten unassed by me nineteen minutes earlier...

You have your space, I have mine; and never twixt the two shall meet...

[Trunk Monkey]

Referring to the original post, unless the "Security Desk" is a common use/universal area, that guy using "my" space for twenty minutes would have gotten unassed by me nineteen minutes earlier...

You might have done it but on this contract you'd have only done it once.

EDIT:

In this situation stories about how “you wouldn’t take that crap off the guy” aren’t helpful. The fact is that your nemesis in this situation is a city employee of 20 plus years in good standing. He has what amounts to tenure and the city has invested quite a bit of money in training him.

You, on the other hand, are a 12.00$ an hour security guard who can be replaced in a day, if not sooner.

He works for a city department that has an institutional culture of having no use for security (which means that what ever supervisor you might complain to has no use for you either) He also has a grievance committee and the full support of his employer. You do not.

Employees of this client have been known to get guards transferred w/ a single phone call.

As I pointed out up thread, you might start a pissing contest with the guy but you’ll only do it once.
/EDIT

[CameraMan]

Trade someone for a night shift, poop in the offender's desk drawer. Done.

If no one will trade you for a night shift, or you happen to be constipated that week, look on every encounter with a bully as a chance to practice your verbal judo skills.

I, too, occasionally have trouble with coworkers invading my personal space, using my cubicle as a place to discuss their stupid personal lives with each other, or in the case of one guy, just leaning on my chair while I'm sitting in it.

I find that the best tactic is to stare at people until they become uncomfortable and leave. I'd like to see someone complaining to HR that you were staring at them, especially if they were all up in your bidness.

[copelandamuffy]

You might have done it but on this contract you'd have only done it once.

EDIT:

In this situation stories about how “you wouldn’t take that crap off the guy” aren’t helpful. The fact is that your nemesis in this situation is a city employee of 20 plus years in good standing. He has what amounts to tenure and the city has invested quite a bit of money in training him.

You, on the other hand, are a 12.00$ an hour security guard who can be replaced in a day, if not sooner.

He works for a city department that has an institutional culture of having no use for security (which means that what ever supervisor you might complain to has no use for you either) He also has a grievance committee and the full support of his employer. You do not.

Employees of this client have been known to get guards transferred w/ a single phone call.

As I pointed out up thread, you might start a pissing contest with the guy but you’ll only do it once.
/EDIT

Want to know the sad part of all this? The citizens of your city are paying for the a** hole's salary
Clowns like this would never get away with acting like this in public
This s*it head tried this down at the Devils Biker Bar and he probably be looking up at the floor

You can bet the Union will protect his a**, no matter what he does
Probably has friends and relatives over at city hall
On election day he is holding a political sign
"Vote for Mayor Stonner of Mayberry"
It' called polical kick back
From Phoenix to Boston this bull s*it goes on, and on.
I'd quit { yes easier said then done} before I worked another day at a hostile enviroment

And this entire topic can be wrapped up into two key words
HOSTILE ENVIROMENT:mad:

[Trunk Monkey]

I think you’d actually be very surprised at how accurate your post is cope.

Not all but certain employees of this client treat guards like absolute garbage. I actually had one that would actually THROW his ID card at me every morning when he arrived for work when I finally just left it lying on the pavement he complained that I “knocked it out of his hand” The upshot of that little incident was that when he showed up for work I was no longer allowed to check his ID.

The city utility is a GOBC if you aren’t related to someone that works there you don’t get a job there. I understand taking care of your family but these guys push it to extremes. I think I’ve mentioned that the city employees can get a guard removed from a specific site or the entire contract with a single phone call. The site supervisor just before me worked here three days before being transferred because he requested a replacement for his chair.

So, I’m sure you’re wondering why I don’t quit, since this is the city contract we get about 50% above the prevailing wage for our town and when and if my company loses this contract whoever gets it tends to just hire all the guards from the previous contract. Also, as I’ve mentioned in a few other threads, the site I work on is considered “remote” so I can actually go weeks at a time without seeing a client employee. It’s just that when I do they tend to be horse’s asses.

[copelandamuffy]

I think you’d actually be very surprised at how accurate your post is cope.

Not all but certain employees of this client treat guards like absolute garbage. I actually had one that would actually THROW his ID card at me every morning when he arrived for work when I finally just left it lying on the pavement he complained that I “knocked it out of his hand” The upshot of that little incident was that when he showed up for work I was no longer allowed to check his ID.

The city utility is a GOBC if you aren’t related to someone that works there you don’t get a job there. I understand taking care of your family but these guys push it to extremes. I think I’ve mentioned that the city employees can get a guard removed from a specific site or the entire contract with a single phone call. The site supervisor just before me worked here three days before being transferred because he requested a replacement for his chair.

So, I’m sure you’re wondering why I don’t quit, since this is the city contract we get about 50% above the prevailing wage for our town and when and if my company loses this contract whoever gets it tends to just hire all the guards from the previous contract. Also, as I’ve mentioned in a few other threads, the site I work on is considered “remote” so I can actually go weeks at a time without seeing a client employee. It’s just that when I do they tend to be horse’s asses.

In Massachusetts we call this the public sector vs. the dreaded private sector
Same jerk who tossed his I/D at you, I'd love him to do that to some State Police Officer
out on the Interstate. Or this arrogant clown will do something stupid out of the reach
of his protected city employee status, and have his body parts rearranged
In ny views this idiot is a coward. And my boiling point is that your, and my tax dollars
pay for this a-- hole

[jeff mcmaster]

When I worked at the local college for another company, we had constant issues with the groundskeepers, both of whom had worked for the college for many years. One day the lead groundskeeper, who was the type to call our client contact anytime he felt that security was not doing their job ( which he had no clue what security was supposed to do) told my supervisor to do some sort of task that was prohibited by the client. My supervisor said to this jerk " don't you have some leaves or trash to pick up?" We never again had this idiot say anything to us.

[rpmacmurphy]

Another thing that these clowns need to understand that as paid witnesses, security guards basically walk around with a big target on them. They are there to protect the lives of those on their site. I don't understand why private security professionals are "looked down" upon by society. They perform a selfless service for less than they deserve. Maybe it would be good to remind them why you are there.

[copelandamuffy]

Another thing that these clowns need to understand that as paid witnesses, security guards basically walk around with a big target on them. They are there to protect the lives of those on their site. I don't understand why private security professionals are "looked down" upon by society. They perform a selfless service for less than they deserve. Maybe it would be good to remind them why you are there.

I agree. but these jerks do not understand.

Anyone ever work in a gated community?
God foirbid if you stop Paul Jones because he does not haver a resident sticker on his 2010 Kia Rio
He'll rant and rave security is nothing but worthless crap Then the day comes along when
his car is vandalized, and there was no security at the front gate. He'll be the first to
piss and moan about lack of security

[copelandamuffy]

If there are any comforting words to say. remember these words of my superior I met long, long ago in 1972
with Pinkerton


"The Security Guard is the last one to turn out the lights"

Oh how so true. Long, long after the CEO. CIO. Executive Vice President, the Shop Steward, the wise guy who sat in your chair are laid off. THE SECURITY GUARD IS STILL GOING STRONG.

[Pop pop]

Interesting, anyone who thinks security professionals are losers, has "never" been on a team, nor in the game.

This is the only thing ass hats who think and act like that will ever get from me, go back and sit in the stands. ;)

[PolarDeer]

As for workers invading one's personal space, smaller retail sites more often than not have the CCTV system stuck in the manager's or the deputy manager's office which tends to get a bit bothersome at times if there's staff coming and going all the time when you're trying to look for shoplifters. Which is not a problem if the staff is there just to do their job, though if they just stay there to hang out it becomes fairly retarded.

At one site a couple of lazier store employeers had a tendency to use the office as their personal gossiping space and when the reactions to my complaints where in line of "no one's going to steal from here anyway", I decided to move myself to our "actual" control room in the other end of the building (it was a complex of two department stores both served by our company with two guards) knowing full well the problem of a lenghtier response time because the "employee disturbance" proved so bothersome.

The reason why I try to steer out of office-type sites and whatnot is that the staff in those usually has a very negative attitude towards security personnel, either because security is seen as a hindrance (they'll say that "nothing's going to happen here anyways", hint: it's called preventive security because the security measures in place prevent crime or disturbance) or because they look down on people less educated than themselves. In this category I've mostly had experience with a couple of corporate offices but workmates in cultural and education sites and the like give me a similar idea.

Though in retail the staff is usually way more receptive to security, in part because security also has a positive effect on their ability to do their own jobs since the security officers will be there to take care of shoplifters and other assorted troublemakers. It's also funny how in my general experience the higher up the ladder you go, the more interested they seem to be about security doing its job. A co-worker once relayed a story of working in a corporate HQ where the only one not complaining about the strict security was the CEO himself, and in retail sites managers are often fairly supportive of security since high theft loss or disturbance also has an immediate effect on the3ir own income.

Unless its a retail site where they don't actually have any need for security guards, they just hire them for the image or as a "jack-of-all-trades" to whom you have to pay less than the store's own employees. :mad:

[Jaeger]

Funny, this thread pretty much sums up alot similar experiences that I've had with client-employee relations.


The reason why I try to steer out of office-type sites and whatnot is that the staff in those usually has a very negative attitude towards security personnel, either because security is seen as a hindrance (they'll say that "nothing's going to happen here anyways", hint: it's called preventive security because the security measures in place prevent crime or disturbance) or because they look down on people less educated than themselves.

Everything you've said is completely true.

I've worked in what you call "cultural sites" along with regular office reception sites since the beginning of my career, and I've met with class A bullies and stuck-up better-than-you's more than I care to remember. We are constantly looked down upon in these sites and there are very few nice folks around these sites, but luckily there are a few to mention :o

In one of my regular day-time receptions us security officers are basically acting as outsourced receptionists, but all of the older staff of the company seem to think that the things were much better "in the old days" when they had their own receptionists handling things there. This attitude is largely reflected upon us at this site in all situations where we have to interact with some of the other personnel of the client.


Though in retail the staff is usually way more receptive to security, in part because security also has a positive effect on their ability to do their own jobs since the security officers will be there to take care of shoplifters and other assorted troublemakers.

Retail is in my experiences much closer to regular security officer work than what you get in reception sites. The only downside is the pay, which is a grade lower than mine at the moment. Grade III work is really cumbersome to deal with at times, but luckily the sites I work at during the weekends and evenings make up for all the bull you have to sling while doing the receptionist shifts.

Besides, I've got a lot of bills to pay so working in grade III is a minimum in order for me to survive financially.