In an era when superior manufacturing processes and commoditization have leveled the product playing field and economics have caused buyers to be more cost-conscious than ever, service has become the prevalent differentiator. Doing business as a premium service provider entails a top-down company culture predicated on a commitment to always place the customer first.
While there are myriad components and variables involved with accomplishing that mission, one of the foundational elements is: Know your customer. In the case of commercial security systems integrators that customer is often a security director/manager or of similar title/responsibilities. To earn their trust and loyalty it is critical to understand how they think, what their needs are and the challenges they face.
In a continuing quest to help facilitate this process, SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION has released the results of its annual Corporate End-User Study. For the first time, the survey was conducted in cooperation with ASIS International, the world’s largest organization of security professionals (36,000+ members). As a result, the 2008 research features the largest-ever number (335) of qualified respondents.
This data has become invaluable in providing security contractors with a profile of the typical high-level end user and the organization he/she represents, as well as the end users themselves to see where they stand among their peers. With the fourth study in hand, telling comparisons can be evaluated and trends identified.
Among the fascinating findings: Corporate security directors/managers are working more closely with IT personnel than ever and are reversing the erosion of decision-making authority stemming from the nascency of logical-physical convergence. A somewhat mixed bag for security providers includes favorable feedback and undiminished interest in security solutions, but also complaints about customer service and pricing.
