Career as a Door Supervisor
October 11, 2020Want to get into a career as a door supervisor? Well here are a few requirements to give you an idea of if you are right for the job.
You must be 18 years of age or older to meet the requirements of Door Supervisor training
Flexibility
Door supervisor work requires a certain degree of flexibility with your availability. Generally speaking, peak times for supervising work are evenings and weekends. 9 to 5 jobs may be available, but it’s likely you’ll be required to work unsociable hours. Being willing to adapt to these changes will likely lead to more job opportunities.
Fitness
Supervisors need to have a certain level of fitness to be effective, even if they don’t get into physical altercations. The job usually requires long hours of standing, which may not sound too taxing, but considering the environments you may be working in (outside in the elements, or inside a hot and noisy building), standing can soon become tiring.
But if things do turn physical, you will need to intervene. You don’t need to be Hercules – but a good overall fitness will allow you to deal with almost all possibilities.
Knowledge of any laws applicable to the job
Knowing your stuff can be just as valuable as any other skill on this list. Door supervisors work across a variety of venues, which will all have different laws that apply to them. Some are constants – knowledge of health and safety, and human rights laws, will apply to everywhere. But knowledge of specific laws linked to the venue can make all the difference in a pinch.
Knowing licensing laws inside and out can be invaluable if you are working the door at a bar or restaurant. You can rest assured when informing people of alcohol licensing rules that you know what you are talking about, so therefore your words carry authority. Knowing what you can and can’t do will also help you avoid any possible legal trouble, that could stem from undertaking actions that you legally can’t do.
Customer Service Skills
Door supervising gets an unfair stigma as being all about security. In truth, it is just as much about customer service as anything else. Door supervisors are almost always the first point of contact for customers when they enter a building. They will want to feel welcome and appreciated. Being unnecessarily hard nosed or rude will start things off on the wrong foot, which won’t be appreciated by the owners. A level of professionalism can be maintained whilst also remaining friendly. Remember – 99% of people aren’t out to cause trouble, so treat them accordingly!
Calm Manner
Another unfair offshoot of the door supervisor stereotypes, people can sometimes think that “bouncers” are nothing but angry, violent security guards. In fact, the best of the best are actually the opposite. The elite among door supervisors are those who achieve consistent results without ever raising their fists.
There is no doubt that, every once in a while, a situation you are dealing with will become heated. Remaining cool, calm and collected in this situation, as opposed to getting angry and confrontational, will lead to much better results. Not only do you avoid any tricky legal situations that can stem from physical altercations, but you also provide a better customer service for all concerned.
Licensing
If you feel you possess all of these skills, then the final hurdle is training and licensing. These courses tend to be intensive, multi day training sessions, that include exams. Once you have passed these tests, you will be fully licensed to work as a door supervisor in England, Scotland and Wales.
Posted by Mathew Holt. Posted In : Becoming A Door Supervisor
