ADVICE & OPINION
FROM THE FRONT
RETAIL REASSURANCE
In the latest of our features which celebrate the contribution made by FMs working at
the service front, we hear from Alexandra Shafqat, a security supervisor for Expeditious
Services who works in retail
I first applied for my SIA (Security Industry
Association) licence over 10 years ago and
have worked in the industry ever since. Over the
years, I’ve been in a variety of roles for di erent
agencies and employers – from working
the doors at nightclubs and bars, corporate
buildings, gatehouses, lone-working, and
now I’m a security supervisor for Expeditious
Services, working in retail.
Taking the leap and getting my security license all
those years ago was one of the best things I’ve ever
done. It’s had a huge impact on my confidence in
all areas of my life, not just work. Particularly some
aspects of the training like self-defence and basic
martial arts I found to be an extremely empowering
skill for a woman to learn. You hold yourself a
di erent way knowing you can safely defend
yourself, friends, or the public in challenging
situations.
In previous security roles, I have worked the
typical anti-social hours associated with security
work. The late-night hospitality venues with
long shi s and challenging circumstances with
intoxicated members of the public. Some of the
situations you would have to put yourself in were
dangerous and an expected part of the job, which
I’m glad I don’t do anymore.
RETAIL ROLE
Today, I work in retail-based roles for Expeditious
Services. I really enjoy the more personal nature of
this type of work. You can be helpful for both the
public and the sta , chat to them, brighten their
day. This type of work suits me a lot better and is
easier to fit around family.
12 APRIL 2021
I started for Expeditious Services about eight
months ago, right in the middle of the pandemic
a er the first lockdown. COVID-19, wearing masks
and the other safety restrictions was still so new.
You could tell many of the public were worried
and doing their best at finding their feet with the
changes, fearful and wary. It changed the attitudes
of some people, I noticed many weren’t as friendly
or talkative as before.
Over the last year my job role has shi ed.
There’s been a noticeable di erence in the public’s
expectations of security o icers. Before, I would
blend into the background, only noticeable if I
chose to engage in conversation or respond to an
incident. Now, I very much feel at the forefront.
The public are looking to myself and my colleagues
for reassurance and calming control. As well as
my normal duties, I’m now monitoring social
distancing, monitoring appointments to only let
people into store who have pre-booked, ensuring
sanitising and mask enforcement. In the beginning,
there were some objections from members of the
public not wanting to follow guidelines or respect
the adjustments made. I have had colleagues who
have had to handle people who are against maskwearing
or believe it’s a hoax. These troubles seem
to have calmed down now, thankfully.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
For me one of the biggest challenges has been
having to alter how I conduct myself. In a frontfacing
customer service leaning role in retail, I
really found the masks created a barrier and my
work became more di icult. Trying to have a
conversation is challenging, especially if you’re
trying to reason with someone and prevent an
incident escalating. The anonymity and being
unable to fully read body language have meant
I’ve had to be even more compassionate and
empathetic. Many people are scared or worried and
it can be projected in the wrong places.
It’s been a worrying time to be a security o icer
(of course, it’s been a worrying time for most
people). Security o icers have been noted as
being one of the most a ected job roles, those
most likely to become ill in the pandemic. I’ve
seen some people refer to those of us working in
security as “forgotten keyworkers”. Whilst I do see
it as doing our jobs, we have stepped up to new
responsibilities, new duties, doing our best to keep
everyone safe, with the occasional challenge of a
conspiracy theory. I know many others who work
in security who have been worried for their own
health, safety, or the risk of taking the virus back
to their families. I’ve also known others get poorly
with the virus which really put into perspective the
impact the pandemic was having.
I have friends outside security who have had
to balance working from home and running a
household, or worried about redundancy. It’s
almost been a relief for me that I was fortunate
enough to be flexi-furloughed while retail was
closed for lockdown, and a pause was pressed on
my normal work. It’s allowed me the space to focus
on keeping me and my family safe during the most
di icult months, juggling home-schooling, with
the potential to work if anything suitable came up.
Knowing I had a secure job to return to as soon
as lockdown li ed, and retail reopened was really
comforting.
Now there is a roadmap for retail reopening,
the store I work for has been undergoing
refurbishments, maintenance and getting ready
for opening. I’ve been working on-site to guard the
retail unit whilst workmen are there. They’re going
to such special lengths to keep public and sta
safe, it’s incredibly reassuring. It’s heartening and
relieving to see the light at the end of the tunnel,
especially for retail. I’m very excited for the shops
to reopen so I can get back to doing what I do best
and what I love. I do wonder if things will ever feel
the same as they did before Coronavirus started.
I really miss being social and personable with the
public when I’m working, and it feels so di erent
with PPE. Maybe one day!