Select Security’s Smart Choices Spark Success
Select Security earned SSI’s Installer of the Year Award by achieving record growth while revamping its operating platforms, improving efficiencies and rolling out new services.
During 2013, Select Security not only grew its revenue and customer base ($12 million, 15,000+), but also took major strides overhauling its operations and customer support structure. The firm transitioned to new enterprise resource planning, sales force automation and monitoring platforms.
The app Firestone speaks of permits customers to find video and printed tutorials, access certain accounting features, have one-touch access to reach Select’s false alarm cancellation line, and access system services (e.g. home automation, surveillance video, security controls). Through the app, customers can also create new service requests, view the status of an open ticket or contact a customer relationship rep directly.
Tech Training Manager Hired
A business model that promotes a high caliber of customer care enables easier direct contact with personnel and establishes more transparency will fall on its face in the absence of strength of character and knowledge among staff. Select Security has gladly accepted these challenges by integrating practices, policies, and programs to train and motivate its people.
A full-time technical training manager has been appointed to take a critical look at techs’ strengths and weaknesses, and create programs to train and certify them as part of the company-wide training initiative, Select University. This enables tracking each employee’s skillset and matching the best resource to each customer situation to maximize.
“With the speed at which we move, we find constant training to be of the utmost importance,” says Egan. “So last year we promoted a long-time key member of our team, Bob Grove, to technical training manager. He has done an excellent job building our Select University resources for internal use into an organized platform with which we can ensure our team stays up to date on necessary products, procedures and technical know-how.”
Egan and his management team strive to create an environment that instills pride and ownership among employees in their work and careers. To boost associates’ morale, engagement and retention, and stimulate recruitment, Select has advanced a cascading process that emphasizes a top-to-bottom cultivation of the business as being a compelling place to work, shop and invest.
Fired Up About Volunteerism
Happy employees are typically those who feel like their work is meaningful, and being supported by their employer in giving back to the community or industry is a means for many to achieve that fulfillment.
As a long-time volunteer fireman and former National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (now Electronic Security Association) president, Egan has a long track record of philanthropic pursuits and industry activism. His leanings ripple through Select Security and took on particular poignancy during 2013 after a residential blaze just blocks from the firm’s headquarters left eight people dead and a firefighter critically injured.
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Select organized a fundraising event to help the firefighter’s family get through the recovery process, raising several thousand dollars to support them during the months-long process. After investigations showed that none of the homes had had working smoke detectors, the company then partnered with a local foundation to provide new ones to each home. Those efforts and Select’s donation of 400 smoke detectors culminated in a total of 1,000+ devices being installed for those in need.
In addition to the humanitarian aspect, building such strong community ties serves to elevate awareness and generate pride in the Select Security brand. As prominent as his local standing may be, Egan has achieved an even higher profile in the alarm industry where he has become a pillar of the security community. This is an accomplishment Firestone both admires and aspires to.
“Pat Egan has been a legend in the security industry since the days of his first company, Commonwealth Security, and has long been recognized as a valuable industry resource for those seeking guidance,” he says. “We both strongly feel it important to share our experience with the security industry. This is why I serve on several ESA advisory boards, including vice chair for the advisory group that works to attract the next generation of electronic security professionals.”
Select Security has clearly formulated the right recipe for success, yet its hunger to achieve has yet to be fully sated. It’s a tantalizing prospect indeed to fathom how the firm figures to feast on future market opportunities.
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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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