Pacific Security Reviews

-Training is a joke. During your interview you will be told there are many training sessions available that will prepare you for a "career in security". The truth is there is little to no training offered to the employees, career orientated or otherwise. Further, as mentioned in some other reviews, most of the time even the managers have no idea how a site is supposed to be operated. It will often come down to trial and error as to whether you did your job. If you happened to fail at doing said job (likely due to not being properly trained) prepare to be thrown under the bus for the good of the company. -The quality of the guards is extraordinarily terrible. Lacking the proper knowledge to perform your job is one thing, lacking professionalism entirely is another. I have worked with many guards in my years at Pacific and can count maybe a dozen guards that were worth what the client was shelling out to us. Many guards are young men straight out of high school whom have never held a job before. These are often the kids who think they are police officers and will be overly aggressive in their duties. Others will realize the freedom from supervision this position allows and will immediately abuse it (sleeping/staying at home while clocked in/ bringing their significant others to the site).This isn't an issue only related to the young guards, but to older guards as well. Sadly I have met a lot of awful people while employed for this company, and a majority of said people come from the company itself. These include racists, sexists and thieves that you don't want near your person let alone your valuable property. It has also become a common understanding among many guards that this company is a joke and therefor the job duties do not need to be carried out accurately. I have found myself doing the duties of multiple other guards at a site due to my want for protecting the clients contract (and thus my job). This leads to another issue. -Burn out is a huge problem with this company. If you go anywhere near full time hours the company will be constantly giving you calls for shifts. Miss too many of these calls and you will be placed on a list for termination due to not being available around the companies needs. Due to this threat of termination I have seen many guards make ridiculous trips to fill shifts that management has assigned them. One such example was a guard from Tacoma filling a 4 hour shift in Arlington. Further, due to management being so disorganized, it is a reoccurring problem that you will be selected and signed to shifts that are impossible to meet (such as shifts at different sites beginning at the same time). This has lead many guards to quit after a few weeks to a few months who cannot keep up with the positions assigned to them. Others, as mentioned before, will adopt a laid back perspective and attempt to cheat the system as long as they can. This of course creates a quality of work issue for the company and other guards who attempt to maintain contracts. -Management is hit or miss, much like the average guard. Many of the Field Supervisors are newly appointed from the pool of regular Security Guards looking to make a little bit more money. Some will allow the power over others to go to their head despite making a dollar or two more. In my experience however most Field Supervisors have been fairly forgiving as they understand the position many of the guards are forced into (having been forced into similar positions). Unfortunately there is often a lot of drama going on between the multiple supervisors which can create a hectic work environment. Due to you likely being matched with multiple supervisors the set standards for a site will change erratically. Some supervisors will expect you to do things well beyond the contracts details, where as others will promote doing as little work as possible without breaking contract. Again this creates a quality problem. The main issue with management comes from those working in the office. The scheduler/commander of the Everett branch is extremely difficult to work with. I have yet to have a conversation with the man that didn't come off as either threatening or belittling. Many guards have shared a similar experience, making it increasingly difficult for us to seek aid from office. Maintain the mindset that nothing you do is correct when talking to him if you want to keep your sanity. -Call offs are akin to murder in this company. You had better be on your deathbed with a provided doctors notice if you think you are getting out of a shift. If you are part time you will be viewed as a liar and the scheduler will be very forward in letting you know that. -Clients/Customers, as with any other position concerning customer service, will have a large range of what type of people you will be forced to deal with. I've had many experiences both good and bad with the clients we are contracted to. Some clients believe the facade that this security company is reputable and are more or less happy to see someone standing in front of their shop. Others gain an odd notion that they hired a personal body guard and expect you to be a 10$ cop for them. It is the latter type of client whom will be the most problematic and will try to push you into doing duties well beyond your role as security. Despite having been told during my interview that we maintain our position only as Security Guards instead of janitors/floor stockers, I have yet to have a Field Supervisor tell this to the client. Expect to haul some trash to the dumpster for many of these companies because "your hands are free". Some clients simply cannot be pleased and will do their best to make your life a living hell. If you don't take it personally, and understand that these clients may have been wronged by this company in the past, you should be alright. -Do not expect a pay increase unless you are becoming a Field Supervisor. During my interview I was told that there was a 90 probation period before attaining my first raise (should the company feel I was a worthwhile guard) after which you would be examined yearly for further increases. In my experience I received only a single increase after about 10 months and none since then. Attempting to talk with management on the subject would always come down to an excuse. The first year it was the need for the company to get a new fleet of vehicles for their patrols which meant limiting the budget for the guards. The second year was that they had prepared an "announcement" for wage increases which never came. On the third year it is back to the excuse for needing yet another new fleet. Other guards also claim the same experience. What you start out with is likely what you will leave the company with. Experience or no experience, if you are being paid less that 12$ as of this date you are being taken advantage of. -The work is what you make of it. If you aren't a people person you will likely be overwhelmed by all the issues you are expected to "handle" despite having no training or experience on the matter. If you are a people person, in most cases you will be able to get by even without proper training. The company will consistently lie to you about many of the sites that you will work at so DO NOT expect there to be bathroom facilities. If you find yourself at one of these places you will be expected to continue your work until a Field Supervisor comes to relieve you for bathroom privileges. Considering that a Supervisor has a set window of time to manage multiple guards throughout many sites, it is highly unlikely that they will make time for you. A plastic water bottle will become your best friend if you are a man, ladies however will have to make due with the inconvenience or they will have to sneak off site for their bathroom time. I have heard that this has caused many unfortunate accidents, but as of now that is only rumor. All in all this is a pretty terrible company that I wouldn't recommend to friends/family. Most clients would do better in buying a dog to guard their property than to hire Pacific. It however can be an extremely easy paycheck for those who have some free spare-time or no other avenues for making profit. If you are looking for security experience look elsewhere as this company is by far the most unprofessional I've worked at. If you are looking for a potentially easy job with some easily made cash, you would probably have better luck working pizza delivery. If all that hasn't scared you away then perhaps you are crazy enough (or desperate) to work at Pacific. Don't worry, if you have a heartbeat you will be hired (actual Management motto).

-to management you are no more then money makers that will work exactly when your told to. short notice or not. -want to talk to management good luck you will be dodged like the plague. You will be told that you will be called back...you wont, your emails will go UN-answered -want a raise good luck, the middle management is underpaid you really think they are going to give you money; however, you better work your little $11.50 self like you are making $15.00 or else.... -management will never take responsibility for their actions it will all get brushed under the rug this involves everyone from HR down. THIS IS STILL HAPPENING DESPITE THE "ITS DUE TO PAST LEADERSHIP" that past leadership is long gone and would have never got that far if the current uppers didn't turn a blind eye to what was happening. It must be hard turning a "large ship" when it is half way under water and sinking fast -scare tactics are used to get people to work, don't do favors for the boss then your hours will be pulled and you will be shunned. You will be ignored until you quit which is good for them because they no longer have any liability - you will get write ups for no reason at all, no warning of corrections that need to be made does not matter how hard or how long you have worked for them. Your loyalty to them is one way you are no more than a dollar sign to them. - many of the clients are rude and abusive towards the guards, management will take their side so they can keep collecting their meager profit margins. It does not matter if L&I labor laws are broken they would rather kiss the butt of the client. - you will be expected to travel ridiculous distances for ridiculous contracts and once again this is a or else situation training is a joke, 90% of the time the field supervisors don't know that they need to train you until it is too late. you will be scheduled to fill the shift and then forgotten, half the time you don't even get proper directions or orders for the post -want fair treatment and a company that will obey L&I and stand by their employees, you are looking at the wrong place. There are dozens of better places to work take a little more time and find one