TOP 10 TRAITS OF AN EFFECTIVE DOOR SUPERVISOR
1) Appearance – Well dressed and well groomed.
Door supervisors are often the first point of contact people have with a venue, so their appearance is extremely important. People can begin forming an impression of a venue just by looking at the door supervisors, so it’s important that they’re smiling, well dressed and well groomed.
A good door supervisor should be wearing a suit and tie or branded jumper; and all attire should be clean, ironed and boots polished. They should also be washed, have a neat hair cut, trimmed beard, and a splash of cologne doesn’t hurt either.
2) Communication – Good words are worth much and cost little.
Along with that smile, “hello” goes a long way. A good door supervisor speaks with everyone, and articulates clearly and concisely. Clear, concise communication exudes confidence, competence and helps keep people moving.
3) Body language – Unspoken words.
Body language is also an extremely important form of communication. A good door supervisor’s body language should be open. Open body language gives the impression of being friendly and approachable. They should make eye contact when they speak to people, be stood upright with their head up and not have their hands in their pockets. Finally, the most important thing a door supervisor can wear is a smile. Smiling being contageous isn’t a myth. A smiling door supervisor can improve customers’ moods, so they enter the venue happy, and immediately make a venue/person more approachable.
4) Alertness – No need for Redbull.
As well as being good communication and body language, smiling and saying hello are both indications that a door supervisor is alert to what is happening around them. An alert door supervisor, one who is paying attention, is able to spot key details that could prevent an incident, and help keep peace. Finally, if customers can see the door supervisors are alert, they’re likely to think twice before trying to sneak banned items into a venue.
5) Ability – Happiness isn’t the absence of problems, it’s the ability to deal with them.
Going hand-in-hand with alertness, a good door supervisor should have the ability to prevent, diffuse and deal with a wide variety of incidents. A door supervisor’s actions are extremely important in keeping people both feeling safe and actually safe, should something happen.
6) Knowledge – Knowledge is power, but brains are better than brawn.
Door supervisors should have excellent knowledge of both their venue and the local area. Some venues can have very poor visibility; so having knowledge of the layout and emergency exits is paramount.
7) Physical Fitness – No pushover.
Being physically fit can create a presence that can help deter disruption and maintain peace. A physcially fit door supervisor is also much more likely to be able to quickly deal with an incident in progress. Also, people feeling safe in a venue can be partly due to their trust in the door supervisor’s physical fitness.
8) First aid – How to save a life… or put on a plaster.
Sometimes, no amount of ability, knowledge, alertness or experience can be prevent an unforeseeable accident. While waiting for an ambulance, properly administered first aid can be life saving. Enough said.
9) SIA Licence – Qualified and trained.
SIA licences are required for most job roles throughout the security sector; this includes working as a door supervisor. An SIA licence ensures a door supervisor is working legally, but it also means that they have undergone training that will better prepare them for their role.
10) Calmness – Keep calm and supervise the door.
Keeping calm allows a door supervisor to stay focused, think clearly, make decisions and act appropriately in difficult situations. Calmness will also instill confidence in people and encourage them to be feel same. People are also less likely to try to take advantage of a door supervisor with a calm demeanor. One of the reasons a door supervisor is able to stay calm is faith and trust in the ability and knowledge of their teammates.