Aug 16 2008
There Is A Lot More Than Image To A Good Home Security Monitoring Company
Television is a powerful medium. Many companies have used television to establish their name as the name of quality in their field. Others have used television to establish themselves as a recognizable brand name in their field that customers know and trust. McDonald’s is a great example of a company that has used television to establish a name people recognize and it has helped their sales greatly. For some reason, people tend put a great deal of trust into what they see on television and the smart companies will follow up television advertising with print advertising in the national magazines and newspapers to give added validity to their claims of quality service. When you are choosing a home security monitoring service you will start to realize how much some of the home security monitoring companies rely on television advertising to convey a positive image. A home security monitoring company will spend millions on advertisements that show the worst criminals being thwarted by the security company employees dressed in perfectly pressed uniforms and seeming to attend to their client’s every need. A home security monitoring company that uses major marketing like that is putting out a strong image but as a smart consumer you should not be fooled.
A slick television commercial and some color ads in People Magazine are not good reasons to choose a home security monitoring company. Name brand recognition in the home security monitoring company business can be a dangerous thing to customers because customers may find themselves trusting a company simply because they are familiar with their advertisements on television. Television is entertainment and reality is always different than television so before you sign on the dotted line always research a home security monitoring company you are considering.
Check With The BBB
Your first step is checking out a home security monitoring company’s real reputation is with the Better Business Bureau. You can use the BBB’s website to check out just about any company and sometimes you would be surprised at the results you find. Many companies with the most expensive commercials sometimes have the worst relationships with their customers. It is your security, so always check it out.
Television is nice for entertainment but never develop a feeling of trust with a home security monitoring company based on their television ads. Make that company earn your trust with a thorough background check and a face-to-face meeting.
Related posts:
- A Home Security Monitoring Service You Can Watch When You Are Not Home
- Home Security Alarm Monitoring
- How To Choose The Right Home Security Monitor
- Choosing Right Home Security Alarm Company Important To Safety
- All About Alarm System Monitoring
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Thanks for the info, I agree the BBB is a good place to start your research. Other important questions to ask are:
1. What is the operator to account ratio? Some companies have one person “watching” more than 10,000 accounts. This is simply not possible to do effectively, no matter what kind of technology they have assisting them.
2. What is their valid dispatch rate? In general, across the county false alarm rates for burglar alarm companies is 96-98%. This is ridiculous and unacceptable. While no company has a zero false alarm rate, 40% is a more acceptable number.
3. How do they verify alarms. A company that calls you (the homeowner) to ask what to do when the alarm goes off is pretty much pointless. You could just do that yourself and safe the monitoring fee.
4. Do they offer a false alarm fine guarantee? Any company really committed to reducing false alarms will offer a guarantee about false alarms, as well as, a performance warranty if you have a break in they didn’t detect. Without these two guarantees, it just isn’t worth the monthly monitoring fee.
Thank you for the advice. I agree that just because a company has the money to publicize themselves on TV, does not necessarily make them the right security company for you. Often times, large companies don’t offer the same level of customer service that a smaller security company can. Many big security companies will send you through an extensive automated answering machine system just to get you to someone who can’t give you a direct answer to your question. They don’t offer the same personal touch that a smaller company can. If you can find a local security company, with a good reputation, and a commitment to providing quality customer service then you hit the jackpot.