Celebrities and high net worth individuals all require some sort of protection. From the paparazzi to overzealous fans and those with ill will, it can be difficult and downright scary to be part of the rich and famous. You have a lavish lifestyle and have worked hard to get there. You deserve to be able to live a peaceful life without fearing for your safety. Here’s why you should want a luxury executive protection company.
The Buddyguard Dilemma
If you’ve turned on the television within the last decade, you’ve seen celebrities with bodyguards. Take Arnold Schwarzenegger, for instance. Recently, he had a run-in with an “extreme fan” in which he was physically harmed. He had multiple bodyguards around him. Unfortunately, they didn’t seem to do much in the way of actually protecting their client. We call these types of bodyguards “buddyguards.”
You may know these buddyguards as the ones who are constantly posting pictures of Instagram of themselves with their clients. This is a huge mistake. Not only is this unprofessional, but it also lets the entire world know the location of the celebrity.
When you open up your location to the entire world, you’re letting not only the fans know where the celebrity client is; you’re letting those who wish to do them harm know as well.
This means that anyone can simply show up at the location and find the celebrity. This is exactly the type of situation protection companies should be avoiding. However, when you have an inexperienced buddyguard where the relationship with the client has been skewed, mistakes are bound to occur.
Another trait of the buddyguard is letting the client order them around. Take the case of Kim Kardashian being robbed. A bodyguard was hired to protect Kim, who had brought along her sister and a few friends. However, when the others in the party wanted to go out, Kim ordered her bodyguard to go with her and leave her alone in the hotel room. Unfortunately, the bodyguard listened to her request, and she was robbed.
An executive protection firm will listen to the desires of the client, but they should never agree to do something that would put the client in harm’s way; after all, we are the experts, which is why we were hired. If we believe that a client is intentionally putting themselves in harm’s way, we will recuse ourselves and wait for another protection team to arrive.
Kim’s situation could have been avoided had the bodyguard simply said no and explained to her why it was a bad idea to leave her alone. He could have waited for another bodyguard to arrive on the scene before leaving with the others so that they could ensure her safety. However, this man was inexperienced, and unfortunately for him, he ended up being sued by the insurance company.
The Gold Standard of Service
Bodyguards don’t seem to understand that they are delivering a service and instead will brag about their ability to fend off intruders with their fighting skills. However, delivering the gold standard of service is what sets a luxury executive protection company apart from the rest.
What is the Gold Standard?
We believe in delivering the best customer experience possible so that our clients can be comfortable with our presence. Like the Ritz-Carlton’s techniques, we deliver a polished service that focuses on the client and their experience with our team of agents. We believe in anticipating the needs of the client will deliver a quality of service, unlike anything else.
This being said, we believe that while the hard skills like fighting ability will matter when the time comes, these situations rarely occur if a protection agency has done its job in prevention, which means soft skills matter more. Soft skills include proper communication with clients, understanding their business, and learning about them as an individual.
We’ll know what’s going on in the media with celebrity clients so that we can gauge their day and make them feel like they’re getting the best possible experience from us. Whether this means having this favorite coffee waiting for them in the car or finding the best restaurants, we believe in giving our clients the best of the best when it comes to service.
Protecting Your Lifestyle
When it comes to your security, privacy, and protection, it’s important to work with a protection company that can cater to your lifestyle while still having the perfect balance between hard skills and soft skills. In the past, you may have hired bodyguards who had the physical skills you would want in case of violent outbursts from fans, but they cannot deliver the gold standard of customer service.
Your protection should always be a luxury service, and our agents have learned the delicate balance necessary between their skills to make your experience with us one of a kind.
