You have good reasons for hiring a security service. It's about protecting assets and property, or creating security for the lives of employees and customers.
For this, you need a reliable partner who takes on this task with responsibility and experience.
Unfortunately, the reality in Germany is different in some cases: unskilled staff hired on a weekly basis; illegal labour; letterbox companies that pay neither taxes nor the minimum wage, and even corruption are not uncommon. This means that the necessary safety cannot be guaranteed - in an emergency, it can even become extremely dangerous!
We want to be honest: it annoys us immensely that a few black sheep are bringing the entire security industry into disrepute!
We have therefore developed a checklist to help you avoid falling for dubious providers who often have nothing more to offer than the cheapest deal on the market.
If you hire a security service, 3 points should be of particular interest to you:
A fair offer at a reasonable price. Nobody can pay their staff enough with dumping prices. As a result, staff are often unskilled or work illegally.
Well-trained security forces. You entrust a lot to these people - it should be ensured that they are also able to offer real protection.
Genuine reviews and certifications. Take a critical look at a company's reviews and certifications. These are easy to falsify.
Timo Paffen, Managing Director and company founder
My aim is to build trusting and long-term relationships with our customers.
How to recognise a reputable security service:
Checklist
Imprint of the website The imprint must contain the following information:
Company name
Surname and first name of the authorised representative
Registered office (P.O. Box is not sufficient)
E-mail and telephone number
Tax number and VAT ID
Register number of the commercial register Here you can check whether the information is correct.
Age of the company Pay attention to the age of the company. With dubious companies, the company name changes frequently, although it usually sounds similar. Every 1-2 years, a new company is set up via straw men in order to avoid tax payments, social security contributions and VGB contributions; or because insolvency had to be declared. Only engage companies that have been on the market for at least 5 years under the same name.
Business registration and liability insurance Ask to see the company's business registration and liability insurance. A reputable company will do this without discussion.
Employees registered in the security register All employees must be registered and authorised in the security register in order to work in the security industry. Ask to see the certificates.
ID card Ask to see the company ID card. This must show the name of the company.
Information from Creditreform Obtain information from Creditreform. This will show whether there are any debtor entries and what the ownership structure is, or whether the same person is constantly setting up new companies.
Clearance certificates Ask to see the clearance certificates from the VBG, tax office and health insurance companies.
Check certifications Is the seal used even from an official body? If necessary, you can also ask the certification bodies or ask to see the certificates.
Check reviews Reviews on Google, Yelp or Proven Expert can warn against bad providers and recommend good providers. But be careful: always check them for plausibility. Would a customer write like this, or have the many flowery reviews been bought? You should become suspicious if a large number of good reviews have been received in a short period of time. But bad reviews may also have been deliberately placed by the competition. If in doubt, ask the company and pay attention to the reaction.
Availability and contact persons The security service you hire must always be available and be able to react flexibly to changes in plans and emergencies. Make sure they can be contacted around the clock. Make sure you have a personal contact who is familiar with the conditions on site and the security concept.
Long-standing staff Reputable security companies must train their employees carefully. Fair payment and a long-term perspective must be created so that they can give their full commitment. Dubious companies that offer their services at dumping prices can therefore usually be recognised by their constantly changing staff, some of whom are only hired on a weekly basis.
Training of the security forces Good staff training not only ensures the quality standards of the service. A lack of training and experience in dealing with people and in legal matters (what am I allowed to do as a security guard and what not?) can also be critical for the client. Untrained security staff can make themselves liable to prosecution if they are not familiar with the sections required for the industry. The client may also become liable for damages to third parties.
A planned approach A good security service does not simply deploy employees who then stand around on site. A catalogue of services should be defined for each service that the employee performs. Be it defined rounds at certain times, the control of certain checkpoints or other activities that serve security. The implementation and work results should always be monitored and checked by the head office.
Appearance of the security forces Proper uniforms with the company logo, staff's knowledge of German and a planned approach instead of standing around haphazardly: this is what characterises employees of a reputable company.
Very good company! Very professional work, punctual, good and fast service even in emergencies. I will continue to use their services in the future.
Great service, friendly team! I found the Paffen company to be very courteous and polite at the entrance to the supermarket. A reputable security service provider from Bonn.
Paffen Wach- und Sicherheitsdienst provides you with a range of professional security services. From Freight detective and Porterage up to the Object protection and Site security - We guarantee comprehensive security. We are also happy to advise you in advance!
