Optimizing Security is Critical for Managing Costs and Reducing Losses for Vehicle Dealers
Vehicle Dealers of all shapes and sizes – from cars, trucks, and motorcycles to bigger fleet vehicles including buses and RVs – are a prime target for rising crime. It’s a fact of life that some areas experience higher crime rates than others, and in these areas, maintaining and securing dealerships can turn out to be increasingly difficult and costly. Their existing security systems may no longer be suitable to meet the demands or perhaps savvy criminals have bypassed existing measures. Rising crime leads to rising costs for these dealerships who are already struggling to recover from the last several years and face an uncertain economy ahead. A loss of vehicles on their lots leads to a loss of revenue and future customers – who wants to buy a car from a dealership plagued with constant crime? It is imperative that these dealerships seek a solution that serves their needs and provides a safe, welcoming environment for employees and customers alike.
Security Guards: Yea or Nay?
One area of concern might be to reduce stolen inventory – whether it be whole vehicles or parts. With this scenario in mind, what solutions might support a reduction in stolen inventory? Tougher perimeter protection is one option, but likely very expensive. What about a solution that jumps to the scene when a risk presents itself? One established solution is hiring a team of on-premises security guards. Under the right circumstances and with the right team, on-prem security guards are effective, but they do have limits.
For instance, they can’t have eyes everywhere at once, response times can be slow, especially when operating at larger dealerships, and outside factors can interfere with their attention (phone calls, tiredness, etc.). Furthermore, contracting a big enough team of security guards to cover your dealership can turn out to be exceedingly expensive no matter the size of the business. Investing in too few guards may stunt their impact below a reasonable benefit for the cost.
What is PVM and How Does it Fill In the Gaps?
Proactive video monitoring, PVM, secures dealerships by jumping to the scene albeit virtually the moment a risk presents itself and takes immediate action as soon as the risk is verified. The solution applies machine learning to live camera footage to detect risks. Any risks detected are relayed to highly trained intervention specialists who verify the alarm and talk-down to intruders sternly directing them off-site over a PA system. While proactive video monitoring does take advantage of a human presence when monitoring an area for threats, intelligent software fills in the gaps that would otherwise be left vulnerable via human error, and in turn, our human experts ensure that a scene is properly interpreted before any action is taken in response. In addition to this, PVM has a 98% success rate for preventing theft, vandalism, and other crimes through custom, live talk-downs that prompt would-be criminals to flee before they can do any damage in the first place, saving clients the costs of repairs and replacements. By combining human ingenuity with intelligent technology, PVM ensures that clients are able to reap the benefits from both worlds.
PVM and Guards: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Using one or the other by itself comes with its own gaps, which needs to be covered for dealerships in rising and high-risk areas. One way to close these gaps is by combining on-prem security guards with PVM to keep an eye on things. When PVM and an on-site security team are used in tandem, the effectiveness of the security program tends to increase dramatically. In a way, PVM can augment security guards and improve their readiness for incoming criminals by providing an early intruder detection notification, preparing them to react accordingly, and in a timely manner. Ultimately, when a ground team has Netwatch PVM monitoring their blind spots and giving an early warning for intruders, the dealership is safer, and when the solution leads to achieving the desired results, the costs of security are effectively lowered by the cost savings in damages that it delivers the long run.
