Monitoring Roundtable: Answering the Call During COVID
Execs from leading monitoring providers tell how they upheld the integrity of emergency response when the pandemic struck, and how they continue to help their dealers excel.
Rapid Response Monitoring runs fully redundant, bi-coastal facilities in Syracuse, N.Y., (75K sq. ft.) and Corona, Calif, (35K). (Courtesy RRMS)
In what specific ways do you help contracted security dealers increase RMR?
Mayer: We have three leading RMR propositions. First are new solutions such as video verification, and PERS and PSAP services. Next is our industry-leading service levels. Finally, our great partnerships that include CHeKT, AlarmNet, Alarm.com and the fast-growing BluePoint Alert Services for active shooter solutions.
McMullen: Perhaps the best way we help protect our dealers’ bottom line is by protecting the RMR they already have by ensuring they don’t lose customers due to poor service. Excellent service also leads to customer referrals. Another way we help dealers grow is by offering our services at competitive rates so they can realize greater margins and compete with the industry giants.
We also offer a range of education to dealers using time-tested methods on how to grow their business taught by former successful alarm dealers. Lastly, we have several cost-savings programs, including our Equalizer Program that allows equipment to be paid for over time in their monitoring bill; equipment purchase discounts; discounts on employment ads; discounts on office supplies; and more.
Wade Gibson, Senior Vice President, Network Sales, Brinks Home: We partner with Alarm.com, Qolsys, Nortek and others to offer our dealers a wide range of video and automation equipment and services, allowing them to offer customers the latest in smart home security. With these advanced features comes higher RMR.
Oppenheim: In the near future the senior population of the United States will nearly double to over 70 million people, with 96% of those wanting to remain in their own homes. Affiliated’s low priced PERS equipment and monitoring package allows partners to tap into the fantastic earning potential of this growing senior market. Affiliated can also integrate video into any security installation with support for a broad array of DVRs, NVRs and cameras. Video monitoring opens up a new avenue of significant recurring revenue for them. Each account with advanced interactive video services can generate hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars a month in RMR.
Kozak: We partner with our dealers to allow their customers to receive remote guarding and the benefits of all the technology that enables us to have such results. All our programs with dealers involve a substantial value proposition on RMR for their benefit.
Page: We supply marketing materials; we provide a dealer portal they can access information on every facet of the security industry. We provide their customers access to MASmobile to manage their accounts. We provide dealers with MASmobile and MASweb to manage their database of accounts.
Are self-monitored systems, or MIY, a threat to your business? Why or why not?
Oppenheim: We believe the services we provide are very valuable and that for most users a self-monitored solution can never match the capabilities and services we can offer. In fact, as we continue to expand our presence in the PERS and video spaces, we are finding we are providing more services and solutions to our customers, and with that comes a closer relationship and more RMR.
We are proud to have been selected as the monitoring partner for well-known companies and products, many of which started in the “self-monitored” space, only to find that a professionally monitored solution was the only way to be truly competitive and provide end users with the experience and sense of security they demand.
Mayer: Yes, but it is important to differentiate that a professionally monitored account through EM24 is still a better service — faster, more reliable and more responsive.
Kelly Atkinson, Chief Commercial Officer, Brinks Home: We know millions of people have peace of mind due to their professionally installed, professionally monitored smart home, or business, security systems. We are proud to provide our customers with these services. Self-monitored systems do not provide the professionally monitored smart home and security that the more than one million people we protect desire and pay for every month.
Kozak: Not at all. Our clients are large-scale with enterprise-class locations. At very large sites, someone will approach almost every night. Imagine if your home burglar alarm went off every night. Large property owners should not take on the role of a 24/7 security guard just because it’s remote.
McMullen: Not at all. Before MIY and DIY, the only option customers had for security was a professionally installed system by a local independent dealer or large national company with market penetration in the low 20%. For the first time, MIY and DIY are offering customers options and opening the door for more customers to experience a security system. We don’t think customers that prefer professionally installed, MIY or DIY are in mutually exclusive groups or necessarily competing with each other in every instance.
In fact, we believe one type of system might lead to another as a customer’s situation in life changes. For instance, a single customer who rents and lives alone might opt for MIY. When they buy a home, they may want DIY or a professionally installed system. Later in life, when they start a family and have less time on their hands, we believe customers will continue to rely on the expertise of a local company to professionally install a whole-home system.
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About the Author
Scott Goldfine
Scott Goldfine is the marketing director for Elite Interactive Solutions. He is the former editor-in-chief and associate publisher of Security Sales & Integration. He can be reached at [email protected].
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