Protect your pro shop from theft

PGA Members across the UK and Ireland are being urged to be extra cautious following a series of robberies and break ins at pro shops in the Scotland region.

The Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC) has provided these steps that can be applied to prevent theft.

Physical Security

Alarms should be well positioned so they are seen as a visible deterrent, much like CCTV. It’s best to have an alarm monitored by an alarm-receiving centre, or notification sent to your phone or tablet.

CCTV

Technology has improved in CCTV; making cameras clearer but also smaller, but in the same way as alarms your CCTV cameras should be easily identifiable. Signs saying you have CCTV for the ‘prevention and detection of crime’ should be bright and well positioned.

Staff

Often those persons who may wish to break in and steal your stock will visit the club to see how easy it is for them to get in and out. It is at this time they may be noticed by you and your staff.

If you are unsure of someone engage your customer service skills; can I help you today? Are you looking for anything special?

Sometimes criminals start by calling into the pro shop or telephoning, asking for something specific, asking if you stock a certain set of clubs or range of clothing. Whilst doing so they will be looking at your security features. More importantly, you are looking at them, you are talking to them, picking up where they come from by their accent, and questioning do they look like they play golf or know what they are talking about?

By employing security measures it can help deter any would-be thief from thinking you are a soft target and they may think twice before committing crime.

Insurance

The final preparation is to ensure that you have the correct level of insurance. Some of the unfortunate PGA pros have found insurance companies to be tardy in their re-imbursement taking up to three months to process their claim. You will therefore need to ensure that the terms of your insurance are appropriate. PGA Partner, Golf Plan offer bespoke pro shop cover for PGA professionals to meet the needs and requirements of each shop. They work with a panel of insurers that provide comprehensive cover at competitive rates. Contact details for Golf Plan can be found in the Member Benefits section of the website.

Security Assessment

The full security assessment provided by The Scottish Business Resilience Centre can be found by clicking here.