Bullshit. You sound like the typical ADT brainwashed sales person. You can do the same thing for any installation trade. Any average installation company, with any experience in this trade, doesn't advertise in the yellow pages. So .... in fact, anyone who's advertising in them is either a large company who's got the deep pockets to do it and doesn't miss the exobitant amount of money they cost, for the mininimal response gleaned from them ..... or .... someone who doesn't know any better. It's all word of mouth referrals in this and in most trades .... and if you had any experience as an entrepreneur rather than an employee, you'd know that.
Here's a little game for YOU to play.
Find my company name in a phone book.
Nah, don't bother. Yet ....... I've been in this industry for 36 years, have an unlisted telephone number, don't advertise and I've had a box of 1000 business cards for about 10 years and it isn't even half empty. If I told you what my income was and how many accounts I have and gain every month ...... you'd actually shut your mouth for at least a second.
Here's another game. Give me ANY already installed ADT residential system and I'll take it away from them within an hour. Their sales people are generally unaware of how systems should be installed or spec'd. They are almost taught how to sell a system but don't have a clue about where and how things should be installed. I've taken every job away from them that I've ever quoted. They stink.
With regard to their installations ..... Their touting to unsuspecting end users, that three doors and a motion detector is a "comprehensive, state of the art alarm system" has ruined this industry. In spite of the fact that most of their jobs are spec'd as wireless, their subcontracted or directly employed installers don't know how to install them. Since the installers generally don't have to do service the service calls, the installs are done sloppy and improper because they leave it up to the servicemen to fix their mistakes or depend upon the fact that the end user doesn't know that it's not done that way by experienced installers ..... who actually CARE about their customers. They wouldn't know how to install a concealed contact if their lives depened on it. Or .... perhaps I should say, they WOULDN'T install one. They generally do shoddy and slipshod work leaving wires and component exposed. They don't install RJ31X jacks or panel earth grounds, unless it's really-really convenient. Motion detectors mounted over keypads, because it's convenient, so that they've got to be put on delay. Wireless transmitters mounted on doors rather than molding, because it's more convenient. Siren mounted right below the motion detector, because it's convenient.
Gimme a break with your defense of a defensless miscreant in this trade. The only reason that you don't have every participant in this Newsgroup jamming this back up your ass is because we've been down this road so many times before, it gets rather boring to have to put up with people like you, who occasionally come here showing how oblivious they are to what actually happens in this trade.
By the way, keep in mind that "this trade" is composed of primarily small alarm installation companys, who make up the majority of the trade, and install more systems and monitor more accounts than all of the "mega" companys put together.
Do YOU get the picture now?