A very wise person once said to me, “Life in this industry would be so simple if we didn’t need to work with clients or security officers.” And to be honest, they weren’t wrong. But if it was easy, everyone would be doing it, right?

For an operations director, the ultimate headache comes when—after weeks of planning, scheduling, and preparing well-trained officers for a new assignment—a last-minute client request suddenly changes everything. And there go our carefully laid plans and a few nights of decent sleep! 

Here are some real-life curveballs we’ve faced, along with the lessons we’ve learned to stay resilient in the face of last-minute client requests.

Failing to Mention Key Requirements

Challenge

Some time ago, after a lot of back-and-forth with a new client and with recruitment well underway, they dropped a bombshell. They required guarding services across multiple sites near the South Coast. We’d recruited about 90% of the staff needed to fulfil the contractual requirements and were thrilled with the calibre of officers we’d lined up. But just when we thought we were all set, the client casually mentioned there were licensed bars on a couple of the sites, and they’d like our officers to handle inebriated patrons and help clear people out when the bar closed.

Problem

Most of our recruits only had the standard “Security Guarding” SIA licence, which doesn’t cover dealing with licensed premises. To handle inebriated patrons, our officers would need a “Door Supervisor” licence, which involves additional training. This small oversight suddenly became a major issue—a perfect example of how a last-minute client request can cause big problems.

Solution

After a candid discussion with the client, we agreed to avoid managing the licensed premises for the first four weeks. During this time, we shuffled officers around and put several through the mandatory Door Supervisor training to gain the correct licences.

Takeaway

Always double-check for specific licensing requirements—especially if a site includes licensed premises. A quick question early on could save a lot of last-minute scrambling!

Requirement for Female Security Officers

Challenge

A few years back, we landed a large contract that needed a multi-officer team, onsite supervisors, and a site manager. After a Herculean effort recruiting the right team in a tough area, we thought we’d nailed it. But just days before the contract was due to start, the client updated their requirements. Due to recent incidents, they would like us to implement staff searches at the end of their shifts, at random intervals. 

Problem

Under normal circumstances no problem at all, however, 60% of the client’s staff were female, and you guessed it, all of our security officers on this contract were male. so we couldn’t carry out searches on female staff without breaching best practices. The client, however, was adamant about the searches, leaving us in a bit of a bind.

Solution

After a tactful conversation with the client, we managed to shuffle some female officers from other sites to cover this assignment temporarily. We also started an urgent recruitment drive to bring in more female officers specifically for this role, so we could comply with the last-minute client request.

Takeaway

Consider gender diversity in your hiring process, especially when roles involve close client interaction. A balanced team can save you from last-minute staffing challenges when new client needs pop up.

Last-Minute Changes in Shift Times

Challenge

Last year, we were literally two days away from starting a multi-site contract. Two months of careful planning, recruiting, and onboarding had gone without a hitch, and we were feeling pretty pleased with ourselves. Then, out of the blue, the client decided to change the working hours at the vast majority of sites—extending the planned 12 hour shifts to 15 hours! 

Problem

The client thought they were doing us a favour, assuming longer hours meant more pay for everyone. But in reality, it threw our whole staffing plan into chaos. A 15-hour shift is too long for one officer to work alone, but also too short to justify splitting it into two shifts. This left us in a tough spot: too many hours for one shift, not enough to create two attractive shifts for new recruits, despite a decent pay rate.

Solution

After some tactful explanations of the impact on our staffing, the client agreed to adjust shift lengths: some were extended to create two proper shifts, while others were shortened to suit a single officer. Crisis averted—just about.

Takeaway

Always plan for flexibility in shift structures, especially for multi-site contracts. Sometimes, a client’s “helpful” changes require tactful negotiations to make things work for everyone.

Prepare for Curve Balls

All the planning in the world can fall apart with a single call from a client. In our line of work, clients rarely fully understand the amount of compliance, training, and scheduling that goes into preparing a security team. And to be fair, they’re often juggling their own pressures and don’t always realise the impact of last-minute requests. That’s why building strong client relationships is essential in the security industry. It helps create mutual understanding and makes it easier to handle these curveballs when they come.

But resilience remains our superpower. The more we’re able to fulfil or absorb unexpected demands, the smoother things go for everyone involved. As we’ve learned, flexibility and clear communication are key to meeting client needs without losing sleep (or our sanity).

Final Thought: Ready for the Next Curve Ball?

Whether it’s unexpected licensing requirements, a need for gender diversity, or sudden schedule changes, this industry is full of surprises. But with a bit of agility, empathy, and creative problem-solving, we keep things moving smoothly—even when clients throw in a few wrenches with last-minute requests.

Tools like GuardCheck make a big difference too, helping streamline the BS7858 vetting process so you can get qualified officers on-site faster and fully compliant. This means you’re always ready to respond to sudden changes without missing a beat.

Want to know how we can help you manage the unexpected with ease? Get in touch to see how we turn last-minute client requests into well-handled solutions.