Monitoring Matters

Adding A/V systems to your portfolio can help fend off new competitors.

How basic central station tools can help you greatly enhance customer service.

In this article, United Central Control Inc. (UCC) Senior Vice President Mark Matlock addresses concerns surrounding IP transmitters.

Marketing communication with your alarm system customers should not only happen during the presale stage, but throughout your professional relationship. Continuous communication with your customers will help lengthen your affiliation and often result in additional sales opportunities after customers realize they need a service your company provides.

In this column, Peter Giacalone explains why remote services are so important to the well-being of alarm businesses.

I  am frequently asked by my alarm dealer customers what I think their alarm accounts are worth, i.e., what multiple can they can expect from a buyer. The answer is complex as there is no "universal" multiple paid for alarm accounts.

Like many disagreements, the rift between the alarm industry and Illinois municipalities that entered into the alarm-monitoring business was a result of a lack of communication.

The topic of central station redundancy and its significance is always a popular subject. This is especially so in the wake of Hurricane Irene's wrath along the East Coast.

As plain old telephone service (POTS) continues to fade into obsolescence, alarm dealers are increasingly choosing to send alarm signals via IP-based communications.

Commonly, alarm dealers want to build a base of accounts to derive recurring monthly revenue (RMR) that will fund their operations; but, ultimately, those accounts provide a large asset that can be "cashed out" as needed or at retirement. To maximize the value of the accounts, there are two key tactics that should be followed: always keep current contracts with customers and have all accounts residing on your own line card.

It seems the rapid pace of Internet sales and door-knocking campaigns have caused some traditional alarm dealers to resort to a faster, less comprehensive sales pitch. Some have gone from the comprehensive in-home sales presentation to a fast-and-furious pitched attempt at a power close.

Given our propensity for smartphones and interactive technology, the more savvy alarm dealers are gearing their offerings toward this trend. More than ever manufacturers and third-party vendors are really coming up to speed with mostly IP-based, interactive security systems and devices.

Prospective alarm account buyers — especially those with their own central stations — are smart investors who examine the smallest details, and so should alarm dealers if they want to maximize the value of their subscriber accounts.

Although I have touched on the subject of alternative means of central station communications in the past, it was specifically from a standpoint of offering ancillary services and creating additional recurring monthly revenue (RMR).

Let's discuss a cautionary tale about alarm signals gone mad. Here's the idea:  Imagine three turnstiles in a subway. Every couple of minutes a passenger deposits a coin and passes through easily.

All central station alarm monitors should be trained comprehensively and subject to background checks that include a run of fingerprints through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC).

As a young burglar alarm salesman in the early 1980s I got my first crack at selling a system with access control, including entry doors, elevators and climate control ...

I have heard it said that the difference between a dream and a goal is a plan. In running a business, it is very important to have a well thought out business plan ...

An astute alarm dealer recently said, "Every time there's a service call, we have the potential to lose a customer."

No matter that nearly all security dealers are aware most central stations monitor environmental and supervisory alarms, too often non-security event monitoring is offered only in response to client requests. 

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