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I don't normally get to post here, seeing as my job I don't typically deal with customers.
Here's the lowdown: I'm a security guard, working in the mobile division on Graveyard shift. This means that I drive around in a car all night from building to building, and patrol the insides of them. A lot less driving and more walking and stairs than most people realize, but it's good exercise.
However, another big part of the job is responding to alarms. We get text messages from the alarm company, telling us where the alarm is, the type, etc... and if it's in our patrol zone, we respond to it. Fairly simple, really. I'm lucky in that my route doesn't get many alarms (Though conversely I have more patrols)
I had just finished my last patrol, and was on my way back to the office, which with rush hour traffic and all, is a good 20 minute drive. I'm just arriving when I get a text on my cell... it's an alarm. Not only is it in my zone, but it's one of the buildings I patrol.
It's still 6:45... my shift isn't over yet, so this is my responsibility. Crap. So I turn around and beetle back to the building as fast as I can without violating traffic laws.
When I get there, the building is obviously open, people are going in, doors unlocked, etc... great, so someone set off the alarm and didn't contact the monitoring company. HOWEVER, I can't just assume that, I have to talk to the building manager and verify everything is alright and get him to confirm I'm not needed.
So in I go. Building manager at first seems alright... I explain to him that I was here responding to the alarm. He was wearing a company shirt, but no nametag... if a site is active, and I talk to an employee with a nametag, I can take that as verification, as it indicates they work there AND their identity... but without those things, I need to verify with ID. This is important later.
Building manager: What time was the alarm? (I tell him) When I came in this morning, the alarm was still on... it's supposed to be shut off at 5:30. You should have just ignored it this late in the day.
Polenicus: (I have no way of knowing what schedule his alarm is on, or if an alarm is valid... that information and judgement call lies in the hands of the monitoring company.) Unfortunately, I don't have the authority to disregard an alarm without some instruction from the monitoring company. I'm sorry to bother you, I'll just call them and let them know it was a false alarm.
Building manager: Good, you do that.
Polenicus: (Sheepishly, because I KNOW no one reacts well to this) Ummm... I know this is a hassle, but I just need to see your ID for a moment? The monitoring company will expect me to verify, and won't clear the alarm unless I do. (And it's also protocol and required of me by MY company, but they never like hearing THAT).
Building manager: (Switch suddenly flips from slightly disinterested to red-faced RAEG!) WHAT?! IS THE FACT I'M WEARING A COMPANY SHIRT NOT ENOUGH? WHAT'S YOUR NAME!? I'VE HAD JUST ABOUT ENOUGH OF YOUR COMPANY! YOU WANT MY ID!? I WANT THE BOILER ROOM KEYS YOU LOST (Many moons before I ever worked for the company)!! THAT'S GOING TO COST US $8000 TO GET ANOTHER SET MADE! I'M GOING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT YOU MISTER!! YOU'VE GOT NO BUSINESS COMING HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY BLARGLEARGLEARGH!!
Polenicus: (Blinking, stepping back a bit, and just letting him run down, a little stunned)
Building manager shoves his ID in my face, I take down his name and info, and calmly and pleasantly thank him for his time. He demands the phone number of a specific person in the company (Head of mobile division) which I don't know, which he responds to with more spluttering incredulity. I could have offered him the office number, which he could have gotten this gentleman with all but a word to the operator, but he was being a douche, and hadn't asked, so I figured he could use the phone book. Besides, given then number of restrictions on this site, and the fact he knew the mobile head manager by first name indicated to me he had done this lots before.
I walk out of the building, call the monitoring company and clear the alarm, write up my report and head back, clocking out finally 45 minutes after the end of my shift. I left the Mobile Manager a note about what happened, and likely he would be hearing from this guy.
To boil this down... Building Manager sets off alarm in the morning. He does not call monitoring company to tell them it was a false alarm. Monitoring company does their job by alerting us. We do our job by responding, and checking in with him to make sure everything is all right.
This is apparently completely unacceptable.
I really really REALLY hope the tenants he has to deal with on a day to day basis are bigger jerks than he is.
Here's the lowdown: I'm a security guard, working in the mobile division on Graveyard shift. This means that I drive around in a car all night from building to building, and patrol the insides of them. A lot less driving and more walking and stairs than most people realize, but it's good exercise.
However, another big part of the job is responding to alarms. We get text messages from the alarm company, telling us where the alarm is, the type, etc... and if it's in our patrol zone, we respond to it. Fairly simple, really. I'm lucky in that my route doesn't get many alarms (Though conversely I have more patrols)
I had just finished my last patrol, and was on my way back to the office, which with rush hour traffic and all, is a good 20 minute drive. I'm just arriving when I get a text on my cell... it's an alarm. Not only is it in my zone, but it's one of the buildings I patrol.
It's still 6:45... my shift isn't over yet, so this is my responsibility. Crap. So I turn around and beetle back to the building as fast as I can without violating traffic laws.
When I get there, the building is obviously open, people are going in, doors unlocked, etc... great, so someone set off the alarm and didn't contact the monitoring company. HOWEVER, I can't just assume that, I have to talk to the building manager and verify everything is alright and get him to confirm I'm not needed.
So in I go. Building manager at first seems alright... I explain to him that I was here responding to the alarm. He was wearing a company shirt, but no nametag... if a site is active, and I talk to an employee with a nametag, I can take that as verification, as it indicates they work there AND their identity... but without those things, I need to verify with ID. This is important later.
Building manager: What time was the alarm? (I tell him) When I came in this morning, the alarm was still on... it's supposed to be shut off at 5:30. You should have just ignored it this late in the day.
Polenicus: (I have no way of knowing what schedule his alarm is on, or if an alarm is valid... that information and judgement call lies in the hands of the monitoring company.) Unfortunately, I don't have the authority to disregard an alarm without some instruction from the monitoring company. I'm sorry to bother you, I'll just call them and let them know it was a false alarm.
Building manager: Good, you do that.
Polenicus: (Sheepishly, because I KNOW no one reacts well to this) Ummm... I know this is a hassle, but I just need to see your ID for a moment? The monitoring company will expect me to verify, and won't clear the alarm unless I do. (And it's also protocol and required of me by MY company, but they never like hearing THAT).
Building manager: (Switch suddenly flips from slightly disinterested to red-faced RAEG!) WHAT?! IS THE FACT I'M WEARING A COMPANY SHIRT NOT ENOUGH? WHAT'S YOUR NAME!? I'VE HAD JUST ABOUT ENOUGH OF YOUR COMPANY! YOU WANT MY ID!? I WANT THE BOILER ROOM KEYS YOU LOST (Many moons before I ever worked for the company)!! THAT'S GOING TO COST US $8000 TO GET ANOTHER SET MADE! I'M GOING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT YOU MISTER!! YOU'VE GOT NO BUSINESS COMING HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY BLARGLEARGLEARGH!!
Polenicus: (Blinking, stepping back a bit, and just letting him run down, a little stunned)
Building manager shoves his ID in my face, I take down his name and info, and calmly and pleasantly thank him for his time. He demands the phone number of a specific person in the company (Head of mobile division) which I don't know, which he responds to with more spluttering incredulity. I could have offered him the office number, which he could have gotten this gentleman with all but a word to the operator, but he was being a douche, and hadn't asked, so I figured he could use the phone book. Besides, given then number of restrictions on this site, and the fact he knew the mobile head manager by first name indicated to me he had done this lots before.
I walk out of the building, call the monitoring company and clear the alarm, write up my report and head back, clocking out finally 45 minutes after the end of my shift. I left the Mobile Manager a note about what happened, and likely he would be hearing from this guy.
To boil this down... Building Manager sets off alarm in the morning. He does not call monitoring company to tell them it was a false alarm. Monitoring company does their job by alerting us. We do our job by responding, and checking in with him to make sure everything is all right.
This is apparently completely unacceptable.
I really really REALLY hope the tenants he has to deal with on a day to day basis are bigger jerks than he is.
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