I just took one over last weekend, not ADT but another biggie. The homeowner had a false alarm on one of his two motions, their CS could tell him which one (go figure on a 5 zone system...why you couldn't tell which pir it was...dunno). Anyway they suggested he have service go out and take a look at it. That was October 2...no one ever called him so he called them back a week later...after a few apologies they then recommend he CALL ME. Huh? Ok, well I used to run service for them 10 years ago, under contract with them but not anymore. So I went out and took it over, and he calls them to make sure his cancellation went through and they wouldn't continue to bill him. They acted surprised he was cancelling...this was Oct 22 when we took it over...guess when he finally received a call from "service"?...yep...the day after he canceled Oct 23....21 days late.
The client is thrilled with us and wants to expand his system from 3 doors and 2 pirs...to all openings, more smokes and a couple of gbs...something he didn't want to do with the other company because he didn't have much faith in them.
Oh, yeah...the false alarm on the pir was that his wife left a burning candle on the dining room table.
Clients like to talk to the "owner"...or at least a familiar voice when they call. My clients are surprised that I remember them when they call...I say how could I forget you?...you put food on my table!
I also prefer to do biz with small companies...try trading ADT for a house paint job or a new transmission :-)
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| >>Where do you get the stones? Your company has totally f***ed up this | >>industry, and it's perception by public and police. Now you have the | >>chutzpah to say: | >>
| >
| > It's not my company. I don't own it. The work that I do doesn't have | > anything to do with the low down residential lick and stick 2 doors | > and a motion illusion of security that's sold by ADT dealers and their | > corporate high volume residential program. You're right about one | > thing, they're in business to make money and nothing else. ANSC or | > RMR as you call it, is king. Of course, long term profitability does | > require some level of competence, and ADT has been making money for a | > long time. Personally, I'm in business to make enough money to buy | > the things I need to support my family and hopefully retire before I | > hit 70. Hopefully ADT/ Tyco does well and my stock earns a decent | > return. | >
| > I know a lot of people in this industry working for a whole lot of | > different companies. You can bash ADT all you want, but the vast | > majority of local and regional companies do business just like ADT. | > They use the same type of equipment. The monitoring procedures are | > the same. The pricing is very similar. Contract language is the | > same. The systems perform the same way. What make's you so | > different? | | Well, I care about the quality of the systems I install. Those systems are | reliable, and not prone to false alarm. I answer the telephone when people | call for service, even after hours. I look for ways to keep my costs down do | that I do not have to raise my monitoring prices every year. I don't promise | people things only to take it away with the small print in a contract. I | show up on time. I don't make people wait two weeks for service, and then | send out some dope who doesn't know what he's doing. | Shall I go on?? | js | |