Commercial Real Estate

Case Studies

A New View of Security and Customer Service at Philadelphia's Tallest Building

Situation

Security and customer service were top priorities for the Comcast Center, a 975-foot-high Structure in Philadelphia’s Center City, encompassing approximately 1,253,000 rentable square feet, inclusive of 24,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space. The Comcast Center, which opened in April 2008, also includes a public park, an entrance to the Suburban Station commuter rail station and underground retail concourse, an enclosed winter garden, and a gourmet food market. As construction workers began to pour concrete and set steel for the $540-million landmark, Comcast Founder and Director Ralph Roberts, Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian Roberts, and Liberty Property Trust’s Senior Vice President of Urban Development John Gattuso were envisioning a fusion of security officer and customer service ambassador. “Our goal was to recruit and train a group of individuals to perform a dynamic function instead of sitting at a fixed post,” said Mark Farrell, Chief Security Officer for Comcast. “It was important for us to ratchet up the customer service aspect of our security efforts. After all, Comcast is a customer-oriented, customer-friendly company.”

Challenge

The challenges for AlliedBarton were recruiting officers who met very specific criteria - those who had customer service experience and were also right for the security functions - and implementing the necessary customized training programs. “We traditionally recruit for a person who has a security background and experience. But the Ambassadors role has additional requirements. We needed people with experience in customer service and concierge work, who could create a warm and friendly rapport with visitors, yet also provide excellent security,” explained Mike Coleman, AlliedBarton’s Vice President of Commercial Real Estate. “Our ability to train and recruit specific to our client’s needs, positioned AlliedBarton to successfully navigate through this challenge and create a specialized program.” “We wanted a security experience that was just as focused on concierge service and a five-star atmosphere as it was on first-class security operations,” said Jim Birch, Liberty Property Trust’s Director of Security and Life Safety. “The feeling was that we could train people in good security concepts, but it is more difficult to teach people to be ambassadors.”

Solution

In order to accomplish the challenging task of establishing a safe, friendly, and responsive atmosphere for workers and visitors to the Comcast Center, a whole new training model had to be created and implemented. Recruiting and training the proper people meant the use of non-traditional tools. AlliedBarton’s recruiters contacted university hospitality programs and concierge associations, posted positions under hospitality, not security, and utilized sources that are normally not considered for security. Current AlliedBarton officers who fit the job description were also able to apply. “We got a significant response,” said Birch. “We were on our way to hiring Ambassadors.” The next phase in attracting niche recruits was to create a personality profile test that measured an applicant’s predisposition to customer service, as well as security. That was followed by one-on-one interviews with AlliedBarton’s account manager and assistant account manager to reinforce the high expectations of the Ambassador’s responsibilities. The new AlliedBarton Ambassadors participated in two layers of training. First, they received standard AlliedBarton security officer training. Next, a training expert who had headed the customer service training at a major amusement park created a special course to bring their experience and concepts to AlliedBarton’s Ambassadors. The training focused on the dual initiatives of security and customer service. In all, employees completed approximately 60 hours of security and customer service training. “Once we brought the AlliedBarton Ambassadors into the building, we had to get them to look the part of a concierge. We spent a great deal of time deciding that an attractive blue business suit with a warm color tie would help foster a positive relationship between visitors and the Ambassadors. The Ambassadors were very proud of this look,” Birch said. “When the building opened, our next challenge was to assist tenants, guests, and visitors understand that our Ambassadors were full-service providers. Yes, they provide security and access control to the building and offices, but they were also capable of tending to customer needs, providing architectural information about the building and answering questions about Philadelphia or any other questions visitors might have. We wanted tenants and visitors to realize that they get a whole lot more out of the Ambassadors than simply ‘can I see your identification, please,’” Birch added.

Result

Did all of the efforts to change the profile of a security officer at Comcast Center prove to be the best course? “It couldn’t be any better,” Farrell said. “All of the comments from our Comcast employees are remarkable. There was nothing negative. Everyone’s enjoying the experience. I would say the AlliedBarton Ambassadors are doing their jobs at a high level. They recognize people and they look them in the eye. They say hello, and tenants and visitors are getting personal service.” “We have seen a return on our investment in all of the critical intangibles such as training, recruiting and forming partnerships with everyone involved,” Farrell explained. “The staff feels important and understands that they are a part of the overall success of the property. They arrive early for voluntary roll call and remain on site until they’ve briefed the next shift. The security staff at the Comcast Center is dedicated and reliable.” Of equal importance is the flexibility of the program. This is an evolving, living process that includes ongoing training and fine-tuning as needed to ensure that the program is continually meeting the client’s needs and expectations. Management’s constant attention to the client’s goals when this program was first developed, as well as any new goals, is the key to future success.

“The people who bring the role of the AlliedBarton Ambassador to life, and make it what it was intended to be, have made this program a success,” said Coleman. “These officers see a real value in their positions and prove that every day by always staying focused on the top priority – the building and its tenants’ security. We’ve already witnessed the impact of our training as we are experiencing continuity of service, little turnover, strong attendance and a sense of ownership and community from the staff.” Coleman said the new employees felt good about themselves. “They felt empowered, had confidence and knew they were part of a special program,” he said. “Our security officers and managers understand that this is a different type of assignment. There are many factors that elevate the status of these positions including the uniforms, location, working environment and extensive training.” The AlliedBarton Ambassador program demonstrates the complex and multi-faceted role of the security officer. Many security officers are often called upon to perform other functions, whether those functions are part of their official role or not. From early in the development of the Comcast Center, it was determined that the standard officer was not exactly what was needed – and also that the usual customer service representative was not enough. The role of the Ambassador has proven to be a successful mix of the two, and a winning combination for the Comcast Center.

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