Customer satisfaction with Security Industry Authority remains high

A recent independent survey has found high levels of customer satisfaction with the Security Industry Authority’s licence application service. 90% of individual licence applicants were satisfied with the application process, compared with 84% of businesses. Both figures are higher than satisfaction levels in previous years.

The SIA commissioned IFF in June 2021 to conduct a tracker survey measuring customer satisfaction with its online licence application service. The last time that the SIA commissioned a similar survey was prior to the pandemic in 2019.

The survey showed that both individuals and businesses rated “making consistent and fair decisions” as a key strength of the SIA’s licensing operation. There was also a significant jump in security operatives agreeing that the SIA licence is “priced fairly”; this follows a reduction in the cost of a licence from £220 to £190 since the previous survey. Both individuals and businesses gave strong scores to new questions around the clarity of the information provided by the SIA and being kept up to date on the application process.

Iestyn David, the SIA’s Head of Licensing and Service Delivery, said:

These results, which show a high level of satisfaction with the service we provide, are extremely positive. They are a testament to our staff, who have worked hard under the difficult circumstances of the pandemic to continue to deliver the level of service that our customers expect and deserve. We asked additional questions this year about different aspects of our operation, and this has given us more detailed information on the areas where we could do better. We will continue to work on improving our service, and this survey is a valuable tool in showing us where to concentrate our efforts.

IFF conducted their fieldwork between June and August 2021. The initial survey involved more than 1,000 interviews. These included 750 interviews with individuals who had recently applied for or renewed an SIA licence, and 250 interviews with employers who had recently submitted applications on behalf of their employees. A follow-up phase involved in-depth interviews with a representative sample of respondents from both categories.

You can see a summary of the survey findings here.

Further information:

• The Security Industry Authority is the organisation responsible for regulating the private security industry in the United Kingdom, reporting to the Home Secretary under the terms of the Private Security Industry Act 2001. Our main duties are: the compulsory licensing of individuals undertaking designated activities; and managing the voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme.

• For further information about the Security Industry Authority visit www.gov.uk/sia. The SIA is also on Facebook (Security Industry Authority), LinkedIn and Twitter (SIAuk).