A lot of brass !

Got a call this morning from an alarm company in the process of putting one of my old, disconnected systems on line. He started by becoming very chummy with me, asking if I remembered him. I didn't but I certainly remember his company, since they unethically lock all their boards, and then actually advertise on the can..."we lock all our boards for your security" (yeah...right...for who's security ??)

Anyway, after a few friendly comments he proceeds to ask me for my installer code. Taken aback, I asked him how long he has been in this business, since anyone with more than 20 minutes experience in this business knows this is something never given out willy nilly. I told him to simply default the board to factory, since none of my boards are ever locked. He then admits to me he doesn't know how to program this make and model !!!!! His comment was, we share our installer code, why don't you (this coming from a company that locks all their boards....!!!!)

At this point, I bluntly told him he has no business putting a system on line he knows nothing about, since without basic programming knowledge, he can't be sure he even sets it up to the station correctly, let alone service it later for the client. I then hung up on the idiot !!

Am I mistaken, or is it getting worse out there ??? In 20 years, I've never had anyone this stupid call me...

Reply to
tourman
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Keep in mind that there are some companys that give each subscriber their own code. I've been successful occasionally breaking into locked out systems simply by using zip codes, house numbers or telephone numbers or combinations or those numbers in reverse order. Just did one a few months ago with the zip code in reverse order. I'll usually try various combinations for about 15 minutes or so and then just change out the board if I can't figure it out.

If it will make you feel better I could try and find someone more stupid to call you.... :-) In fack I cud cal uoe if uoe want me too.

Your experience reminds me of an sign I saw over someones desk years ago.

Sex muns ago I couent evan spel injunear ...... Now I are one.

Reply to
Jim

RHC: You know, in thinking about it, the only other stupid one in this scenario is their customer. Why would they lock in to an unnecessary long term contract at twice the price with a company known to be scum bags in the industry, and likely end up with poor service (by reputation) and a locked board. Even if they don't choose me from all the information on the alarm panel, they could have done better by going to just about ANY other small dealer around.....

Sheesh....some peoples children !!!

Reply to
tourman

tourman Wrote:=20

Lol... You should have told him you couldn't tell him but you would give the homeowner a code.

"Put the homeowner on the phone for verification purposes." Once you have the new customer on the line, tell them to kick that @sswipe out and you'll come do it!

--=20

"I don't like to discriminate against terrorists based on nationality.=20 If you declare war on the United States and you want to kill us,=20 We're going to kill you first, period."

October 19, 2011 - Ali Soufan (Colbert Report)

Reply to
G. Morgan

=A0Once you have the new customer on the line, tell them to kick that @sswipe out and you'll come do it!

RHC: Hehehe.....good idea. I guess I don't have the same killer instinct you do....:))

Reply to
tourman

Your correct I am seeing more stupid alarm installers/company's than ever just look at the articles my blog.

Alarm company today want to hire the least common denominator they can find pay them as little above minimum and no benefits that they can. Provide them with no tool's and no training. Put no effort into actually designing a system that works properly and effectively instead put it together the cheapest way they can and then make the biggest buck they can on the install or by MRR . then they sit there and wonder why they keep losing jobs to company's doing the right thing. You where right to hang up on the ass hole. I would have hung up sooner than that and told the loser to go figure it out him self he wanted it so bad. actually some of the customers that where stolen from me when i was going thru colon cancer where the biggest pains in the as and I was glad to get rid of them they where nothing but a waste of my time when i could have been concentrating on those who pay there bills and care.

good for you.

Reply to
nick markowitz

RHC: Yes Nick, I remember your predicament while you were undergoing cancer treatment. Scumbags are everywhere in this industry, and some customers aren't much better some times. They want everything for free, and won't pay proper wages to do any kind of labour at all. It seems it takes years to learn this bit of wisdom in our business, and some never do....

I've taken to being very choosy over who I take on as customers now. I don't tell them of course while doing a quote, but there are telltale signs that tell you they are going to be a troublesome customer, and / or will be totally unreasonable later on. I've got a good nose for it, and if I sense this, I make up an excuse why I can't quote the install, or takeover the system. Some companies simply quote high if they don't want the job; I just say so, and walk away. Amazing how some people are actually insulted that I'm not begging for their business. But I'm near my second "glass ceiling" anyway, so at this point, I only want to make up for natural attrition.

However, I guess there are good and bad types on both "sides"in every industry. Luckily for us, the vast majority of customers are some of the nicest folks in the world !

Reply to
tourman

RHC: Interesting observation Bill, and I concur 100%. Most of the questions I respond to from my customer base are covered in the first few pages of their user manual

RTFM....!!!...:)

Reply to
tourman

You've heard of the age of Aquarius?....... We'll we're presently in the age of Google. As the years roll by , this generation of people, who should learned things .... figured out that they don't have to know how to do anything or commit anything to memory ....... What ever one wants to know ...... just Google it. You don't have to remember it, or ponder it or work out comparisons or alternatives to other similar things ....... because the next time you want to know something about it ...... just Google it again ..... and then forget it.

You might also refer to it as "The Age of Brains of Mush"

At this point in my life, gratefully I'm still able to function, however, with the ability to choose to deal, (for the most part,) with rational people only, I'm sort of sitting on the side lines, just watching society decline. I kind of get this feeling of superiority when I watch what people do.

I just spent a long weekend in Manhattan and while walking down the street, one of these street venders was selling "wise crack" signs. The one, out of all of them, that struck me most was. "Never underestimate the power of a large group of stupid people" For me, that sums up the age we're living in.

You've heard it before .... that there are three kinds of people in the world People that make things happen. People that watch things happen and People that don't know what the f*ck happened. There are so many more of the latter .... now.

Reply to
Jim

Ha! I just got a call from Alarm Relay, they wanted me to provide them with one of my ex-client's RAM password so they can monitor him for 8 bucks a month. I told them what I told the customer last week...I put that system in

21 years ago, that version of RAM ran on DOS and I just recycled that computer about a year ago and I don't keep records of 21 year old RAM passwords for systems that aren't monitored anymore. BUT I would be glad to go out there and DEFAULT the panel for them for $125.00 bucks.

Waiting for a reply.

Rob

Reply to
Robosama

I would have told them to go get ..... Re layed.

Reply to
Jim

I had to read this twice. I thought it said a lot of Bass. It seems few here thought a lot of Bass.

Reply to
Just Looking

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