Have you ever tried to change your company?

[dboogie2288]

Seems like a strange question eh?

What I am asking if you have ever tried to change the back-end of your companies business for the better. I work for a relatively small, though seemingly well established security company, and I really do enjoy it. We also do funeral escorts as well, and I am also part of that side of the business. Ever since I started, I have tried to put seeds in the mind of my office manager about opportunities we could take advantage of, or some contract stipulations that could potentially make us for more money...and it all goes unheard. And its not like I dont know what I am talking about, I have a business degree and my ideas are far, from far-fetched.

From updating their website, to a variety of other things, I have productive ideas that cause no additional overhead, and could possibly lend themselves to bigger, longer contracts - more money for the company, and more work for me. (I work part-time, and sort of cherry pick my gigs)

Anyone have any sort of experience trying to make changes for the better, with any success??

[SecTrainer]

There are many people who are almost genetically predisposed to resist any type of change. Maintaining "the status quo" is almost a religion with these people. Some of their favorite sayings are: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", or "We've always done it this way", or "You can't improve on success" (as they define "success", anyway). They are pleased enough ("satisficed" is the term coined to express this) with the way things are and simply lack the imagination to envision how much better things might be. "Please don't rock the boat" is all they ask of their fellow travelers.

You sometimes feel that they're just trying to ride their wobbly bicycle across the retirement finish line without being knocked off course by any "radical ideas". The fear of failure looms larger for these people than any possible rewards they might reap if they pursued loftier goals. They will settle for low-risk mediocrity, thank you very much. After all, mediocrity is paying the bills so far, right?

Very often, throwing ideas at these people is like firing ice cubes at the sun - the ideas simply evaporate, never to be seen or heard again. It's very frustrating when all you get is "Uh-huh, that's very interesting" or "We must talk about that some time"...and that's the last you hear of your idea. Even if they would just say right out "Absolutely not, you damned fool!", you could at least get your teeth into that.

Your ideas don't sound terribly radical, at least as you describe them. However, your employers might see any ideas as radical and "risky". Since you don't mention exactly what your ideas are, or exactly what kind of response you get, it's a little hard to know what type of resistance you're up against or what to offer that might be helpful.

[FireEMSPolice]

Not a strange question at all. Here is my example:

I tried to better the company but no dice. They think they can get something with no investment, like new radios for example. I wanted to streamline all radios to 1 suitable model instead of mixing them like they are now. Security, Maintenance, and Housekeeping all use Motorola HT750's while Management uses the smaller, discontinued Motorola Visar's. Our radio company presented us with a Kenwood TK-3160 (I believe). We tried it and loved it. Small, lightweight, seemed durable, easy to use, and most of all CHEAPER then what it costs for 1 HT750. Some suit in the corporate office, who will never key the mic on these radios, said no because it was a Kenwood. I crunched the numbers 10 times, 10 different ways, to show them the cost savings. NOPE! Fast-forward to 2 weeks ago. One of the Management Visar radios craps out and I advised that the Visar is discontinued. Guess what he got. Yep, the Kenwood we all wanted that corporate refused to buy. GRRRR

[LPAjh9558]

When our LPM left and we new that we were getting a new one in, a couple of us thought it over and tried to make some minor and/or subtle changes. When we did, and although they were great ideas that would've helped out the department, the TL wanted nothing to do with it...so nothing has changed. The whole store recently got new RF guns (every dept. got one). But did we...NOPE New radios have been poping up all over the place accept for us Imagine that.

[OccamsRazor]

Not a strange question at all. Here is my example:

I tried to better the company but no dice. They think they can get something with no investment, like new radios for example. I wanted to streamline all radios to 1 suitable model instead of mixing them like they are now. Security, Maintenance, and Housekeeping all use Motorola HT750's while Management uses the smaller, discontinued Motorola Visar's. Our radio company presented us with a Kenwood TK-3160 (I believe). We tried it and loved it. Small, lightweight, seemed durable, easy to use, and most of all CHEAPER then what it costs for 1 HT750. Some suit in the corporate office, who will never key the mic on these radios, said no because it was a Kenwood. I crunched the numbers 10 times, 10 different ways, to show them the cost savings. NOPE! Fast-forward to 2 weeks ago. One of the Management Visar radios craps out and I advised that the Visar is discontinued. Guess what he got. Yep, the Kenwood we all wanted that corporate refused to buy. GRRRR

How durable, loud and easy-to-use is the Kenwood, and what's the battery life like? I worked an EP detail over the weekend where we were using ancient Visars, and they sucked even on the same hotel floor.

[EMTGuard]

I havn't really tried to change my security company. As I stated in the thread about blowing the whistle, I tried to change things at my local Volunteer Fire Department for years and was eventually expelled for going public with some of the illegal and unsafe things happening there.
Sure I complain about the lack of working cameras and our policy of having to swap tapes everyday on VCRs which don't even record anything but static but if that is what the client wants from security then that's what we work with.

[CAP]

Seems like a strange question eh?
Ever since I started, I have tried to put seeds in the mind of my office manager about opportunities we could take advantage of, or some contract stipulations that could potentially make us for more money...and it all goes unheard.

The fact that Management will not even consider any of your ideas is IMHO assanine. Who knows better how to improve front line issues than Front Line Employees. Though I may not introduce ALL new ideas that employees bring to me, I will at least take their ideas into consideration. Some times these ideas do not coincide with Contractual Obligations or the monetary costs to implement these things may just be too much. I personally try to have an open mind when these things are brought to me.

Have you ever received any type of feedback or is it just "NO"?

On a positive note, I have implemented some changes that employees suggested and was able to streamline operations and was even able to save a little $$$ with a couple of them.

[dboogie2288]

None of my suggestions have been anywhere near out-there...just some stuff that, yeah, as a front line employee I see.

For instance, one of our regular clients consistently overlooks common sense type stuff. One being, they don't call ahead of time for services needed, and another is that they plan so poorly that often times our officers have to stay over their obligated time window.

Most of the guards work 1 and 2 other jobs and if we have expectations set that we will be at this site from 6p-10p, then I expect to be there from 6-10p. Problem is they consistently expect us, without question, to stay later than we had been requested. As of late, we have been "flexible" because they are long time customers and we've not had an issue with them paying, however this situation lends itself to a) possibility of non-payment of excess time spent on site, b) angry/disgruntled guards, and a few others I'm sure I'm missing. One of the opportunities I have recommended is that there be a penalty fee, and a higher rate per hour after the agreed upon time. Such as $25 penalty, and %10 higher hourly. This has a few benefits, 1) you give the guard an extra $20 to stay until they are no longer needed, thus kicking the disgruntled portion, 2) the company pockets the extra 10% on the hourly and 3) it makes it quite clear to the client that they need to properly plan ahead for an appropriate schedule.

This whole thing, plus the complete overhaul of their websites are just a few things I've suggested. I've not been rude, or blatant, or even pushy about it - just setting suggestions and seeds in the minds of the higher ups, and I'm quite confident that they have been flushed out of their brains already. Never any sort of negative response, or NO - but it's definitely a shallow, "yeah we'll consider that."

[EMTGuard]

For instance, one of our regular clients consistently overlooks common sense type stuff. One being, they don't call ahead of time for services needed, and another is that they plan so poorly that often times our officers have to stay over their obligated time window.

Most of the guards work 1 and 2 other jobs and if we have expectations set that we will be at this site from 6p-10p, then I expect to be there from 6-10p. Problem is they consistently expect us, without question, to stay later than we had been requested. As of late, we have been "flexible" because they are long time customers and we've not had an issue with them paying, however this situation lends itself to a) possibility of non-payment of excess time spent on site, b) angry/disgruntled guards, and a few others I'm sure I'm missing.

Maybe it wouldn't be a problem with your crew but from my experiance I'd have to add... C) guards leaving at the designated time regardless of client expecting them to stay later.
Seriously, I've worked shifts where, come 6am the officer is getting in his car and leaving regardless of his relief being present. A relief ran late due to traffic one day and showed up at 6:10am. Where's "Ed"? the relief asked. Ed was already gone. Stay later than expected? Yeah right. What happened? Termination? Suspension? Nothing.
Just last week I worked a 15.5 hour shift. My 12 hours, then as soon as my relief arrived, I went to releive a officer who had come in to work an extra shift at our ship dock. He had done his 12 hours and by God he was leaving. It wasn't his fault that the ship was late getting loaded and underway. He works nights only and if you want him to work more than he's scheduled for then you must be dreaming. I got the extra 3.5 hours and was happy to get them. Heck, I was almost sad to see the ship pull away from the dock. If they had been a little bit slower I could have gotten another 30 minutes and had an even 16 hours for that shift.

[N. A. Corbier]

I would refer to the contractual agreement between the client and your employer, before suggesting a penalty fee. The guard service may already have pledged to provide services at a specific rate no matter how long the guard is required.

As to a website... Most guard service firms buy a website, spend 50-2000 dollars on it, and then leave it alone forever. It costs money to overhaul the website. Money that nobody sees a reason to spend.

[dboogie2288]

As to a website... Most guard service firms buy a website, spend 50-2000 dollars on it, and then leave it alone forever. It costs money to overhaul the website. Money that nobody sees a reason to spend.

I dont know what they have paid in the past, but I have offered to do the overhaul for them, for free.