Bodyguard proposes, client disposes...

[Local Talent]

Often, we are sent by a company to provide services for one of their clients. And often, we temporarily cover the days off or the vacation time of another, more senior agent who is the regular at a particular account. So we're usually someboby else's "guest" and can't put our foot down, at least not right away.
I know that some will say, "safety first!", and will make a point to pull all the stops whenever something is not right. To these people, I say, "what makes you think that you're the first one to notice?". And worse, "what makes you think that something will change?"

Cases in point:
1. I worked a problematic estate protection gig, once (Once? Yeah, right...). It quickly became apparent that the perimeter alarm was not working and several perimeter gates wouldn't lock properly.
Given that this "open house" belonged to a millionaire, I found it hard to believe that details like these couldn't be fixed rapidly. Although I questioned the professionalism of the agents who had preceded me, I kept to myself until I felt I could complain to the estate manager.
The response I got then was, "Oh yeah, that's one of the first things your boss mentioned to us when he got the contract, but Mr. X (the client) just said, hey, that's why I'm paying big money for those guys..."
So I learned to increase patrols and rely on CCTV and the dogs, instead of bitching about known issues that would only make the client suspicious: "what do they need an alarm for? So that they can sleep all night?"
Foliage obstructing cameras? He didn't want his guests to feel like they were being watched. You get the picture: client disposes.

2. A jewelry store situated in a bldg not well thought-out for a high-risk business. After several months of complaining to my supervisors about the absence of a camera or peep hole on the back door, the client ended up showing me my boss' initial security survey for the account. Sure enough, the lack of visibility at the back door was high on the list. Everybody knew, but it took a long time for the bldg's owner to spring for a simple peep hole. It's all about the money until someone gets hurt.

My current attitude, then?
I don't rock the boat unless the client appears receptive and/or initiates a dialogue about his set-up (rare). Im a very detail-oriented SOB and do my best to learn the ins and outs of any account, with an emphasis on any and all weaknesses and vulnerabilities.
All safety issues are then logged and reported in writing to the company, in a respectful manner. This way, if injury or property loss results from holes in the any of security layers, my liability is zero.
Meanwhile, I do what I have to do to work around any deficiencies and operate in a less-than-perfect environment.
I did provoke some negative reactions from one employer, but mostly people seem to file away those reports that don't tell them anything new anyway. CYA stuff.

The hardest part is to train new agents, show them the holes, and then watch their face when I explain that nothing will be done. In the end, the ball is always in the client's court and they often balk at spending a couple of bucks for security issues.
They'll keep the pool heated at some vacation home inoccupied for most of the year, but turn down requests that night lights stay on around their front gate or that the IR be adjusted... Client disposes.

[Lone Wolf]

I totally get it.. The client that I spoke about in another link here was of the same attitude.. I spend the big money so I dont have to fix things.. He had one of the best security systems in the world IR cameras in the yards of the main and guest house motion alarms as well so even if a fox or some other little critter would walk across the yard, the alarms would go off.. It got to where the team would turn every thing off and just do visual surveillance of the area and frequent patrols of the properties.. The estate is the largest ocean front property in the continental US a whopping 13 -17 acres again he was not high profile just needed security / EP to protect his estate and his family when they were in the area...

I have since worked alot of other EP gigs and they were better the clients were actually in fear of bodily harm and would not do anything unless I told them too.

So the tide goes both ways... It is what it is and we do what we have to do to keep ourselves employed happy and healthy for the most part...

[Local Talent]

I have since worked alot of other EP gigs and they were better the clients were actually in fear of bodily harm and would not do anything unless I told them too.
Yeah, clients who see the threat as only a remote possibility, and who have a protective detail as only a matter of routine, tend to ignore us. They resent that their wealth brings them a new annoyance: expensive but usually not very polished knuckle draggers who shadow them everywhere. It's best to stay out of their way for the most part. That's where knowing how to disappear in the environment can help, we become mobile furniture... :)

There's a lot of "new money" in L.A., and that kind tends to fall in this first category. So do a lot of celebrities, IME, who can play more games with us than with the paparazzi... :rolleyes:

On the plus side, some of these clients will leave us alone, wanting nothing to do with us.

So it can be pretty rewarding and refreshing to have clients "actually in fear" as you say. They look around and you can see the relief in their eyes when they spot their security. Or they shake your hand at the end of the job and tell you that they wouldn't have made it without you.
They also tend to be a lot more open to suggestions on how to stay safe, of course.
Without those, the job could make you bitter fast.