comparrisons

Or you can just bring a pizza to every service call.

Have you considered including information about hourly service rates in your sales literature? I used to give clients our service rates along with warranty terms during my sales presentations. I suspect many clients are miffed when they learn that the hourly charges are more than what they pay their auto mechanic. By giving them the information up front you "disarm" them.

Actually, I go one step further. At activation I offer a service agreement. Strictly optional. They sign to accept the service agreement which suprisingly enough most take advantage of. If they don't want it, they check the decline box which is accompanied with the statement that they agree to pay the hourly service of X. When they complain, we send a copy of what they signed along with the service ticket. After the service is complete we again offer the service agreement. Some take it and some still don't. I think they just like to push the envelope. I had lady say "you can't blame a girl for trying", which tells me they expect to pay but if they scream loud enough maybe you'll back down.

And they will all be napping by lunch time.

That's about the best you can do, really. Make it clear up front what the options and costs are and let them decide. We had the occasional "can't blame a girl for trying," too. The ones that annoyed me were the slow/no payers who would call up a year after the monitoring contract expired demanding service NOW!.

I always love the one client that calls at 2:30 in the morning and says, "Your alarm system is beeping and I can't get to sleep. Do something!". My system isn't beeping so I take it we need to talk about your system. How can I help you? As far as the slow/no pay or non monitored goes, it is "we need a credit card on file in order to dispatch a technician."

I get those calls, too, but most are from people who didn't buy it from us. They buy a home with an existing unmonitored alarm and no manuals, move in and one night (usually a Sunday or holiday) the low battery signal goes off. Where do they look for someone to help with their alarm? The Internet. They search on "Napco P9600" or whatever, find us and assume we're the manufacturer.

They must be using something other than "Napco P9600". On the first page Google returned, the manufacturer's direct link is right there along with some to Smart Home, Bass Home and Home Security Store... How anyone could assume you're the manufacturer is beyond me...

You might want to research a little more before drawing conclusions, Frank. For the heck of it I just Googled "Napco Gemini security system". Guess whose website comes up ahead of Napco's. Under "Napco alarm system" I come up right after the manufacturer. My site is first for "Napco Gemini P1632,""Napco Gemini P816," "ademco vista 20p," "ademco vista 10p" and several others. I'm second (after an old Pittway link for "Ademco Vista 128BP." There are similar results for many of the panels if you substitute Honeywell for Ademco.

Beats me. I just answer the calls. However, I'll share a little something else with you. With over 236,000 products in our online store I get a lot of calls from professional buyers who have little time to shop multiple sites. Some government and military buyers post lists of products into special search software. They get an ordered list of sites offering the largest number of the requested products first. This has helped me to establish relationships with national guards in several states and all of the other military services as well as numerous federal agencies.

BTW, Boeing is also one of my regular customers. :^)

No need. I entered what you originally quoted (Napco P9600). That's all the "research" I've got time for right now. There's a new website I'm helping a friend set up (geared specifically to fire alarm technicians).

Good for you!!! You're one step closer to "world alarm site domination"... :-)

Must be some really *stoopid* people... Personally, I couldn't do what you do... I'd feel obligated to answer the phone 24/7 and my wife would "frickasee" my ass if I did that at 2:00AM two nights in a row.

And I do a lot of work for local airports.

looks like u gonna keep it up till the bitter end.

I don't often bother checking which exact phrases bring in search traffic because we have so many.

Have you chosen the domain name yet?

I'll be happy with 1-2% of the market.

Naah. Many people just Google what they're looking for and call the first place that pops up.

Sometimes it gets tiring but I still enjoy it.

I don't but JFK in is a regular customer and we've sold cameras to contractors working at DFW. This weekend if the wx permits I'll be flying out of SRQ in a Tiger.

Keep what up? I'm still working -- just not putting in full days.