Just finished two more of those systems you hate. Five year contracts at 80 and 90 a month respectively. The customer specifically asked for it that way. I'm jsut glad I can afford to carry these installs for him. Sure helps out my monthly figures.
What's funny is this guy is very frugal in other respects.
I suppose it might be suitable to mention that this is the 6th and 7th systems for this client I think. Also, all his systems are Supervised OC with backup communications and full extended warranty. (maintenance agreement)
Hey, I don't "hate" them; as Jim so likes to blather on about...that IS the industry norm unfortunately!! It's just they aren't in the customers best interests in the vast majority of cases. And far too many companies (at least around here) use them to virtually extort money from the clients under certain circumstances.
No offence to you personally Bob, but if he's stupid enough to sign that long a contract, that's his problem !!
$80 and $90 bucks a month ? I assume you have other things going on here other than basic monitoring?... cellular charges or DVAC's perhaps ! That would definately help the bottom line....:)) The IRS must love you.....
RHC
I choose Polesoft Lockspam to fight spam, and you?
And fortunately, companies go into business to make a profit and benefit their business and to NOT give a little piece of their company equity away with every sale. However, as we all know, some businesses are willing to sacrafice long term equity and the future of their company simply to impress their customers and to make a sale today.
And fortunately THIS is not the norm as YOU so like to "blather" about.
I guess that would be comparable to saying that, if you're stupid enough to promote giving away equity in your business in lieu having future retirement income ....... that's your problem ....... right?
Get a clue Robert. I hope I pay a million dollars in tax next year and so do you.
Yeah, but why give it to the government. I pay a high priced accountant to keep the money legally away from the government. Rather than make more and work harder, I would just as soon make less and keep more of it.
Perhaps in your country it pays to make more money. Here in Canada, they just sock it to you all the harder. It honestly reaches a point where it no longer pays to make more money since the majority of it goes to the government !!
Besides, I'd have to work harder and I'm trying to phase out...
RHC
I choose Polesoft Lockspam to fight spam, and you?
I really don't want to say how much we make in our household, but between rental properties, a medical corporation, my contracting business, sale of real estate etc, we still get to keep a little bit of what we make, and if we make more then we net more.
LOL. Robert, that makes the arguement for high price long term contracts. If I had not adopted a lifestyle that is way to expensive for my means otherwise I could quit working tommorrow and live off my RMR just doing occassional service calls. As it is I don't advertise and I am seletive about the clients I work for. I am even on friendly terms with my local competitors. I just got off the phone with one begging him to bid against me on a job. LOL.
Glad things are working out for you so well. I can assure you, I too am doing far in excess of what I ever dreamed I would (and that's even when compared to my high priced salary when I worked in big business). Whatever else it proves, it does prove that if you want to make a lot of money in this world, you DON'T work for someone else; you own your own business and work for youself !!
Being on friendly terms with your competitors seems to be the domain of companies that have proved themselves and can stand on their own regardless of competition. I think the old saying goes..." In business, there are no such thing as competitors; just friends that I haven't met yet...":))
In my case, my son is coming up very strongly, and I think that shortly I will be giving him the reins. I don't mind doing service, but climbing in attics and all the bull work associated with alarm installations leaves me cold....
Having buried a close relative over Xmas, it sure brings home the fact that your days on this earth are numbered, and you damn well better make the best of them while you're hear.....reminds me of that old Schlitz beer ad..." Live life with gusto; you only go around once"....
Cheers !!
RHC
I choose Polesoft Lockspam to fight spam, and you?
There was no reason in the world for you to make any comment about Bobs customer being stupid for signing a long term agreement. Just because you say, "no offense" ..... it's supposed to make it alright for you to get your digs in? It IS offensive to imply that Bob is ripping off his client by accepting the agreements. And it FURTHER implies that ANYONE who accepts long term contracts is equally stupid. WHEN, in fact, it is YOU who throws away the equity of your company.
MYYYY stupidity? Where do you see ME bringing up the fact that YOU don't have long term agreements and that I think that it's stupid? No one EVER brings that up or thows that in your face. It's always YOU who's got to "blather" about it. And then when I call you out for it ............ It's MY stupidity? Yeh sure.
It is sufficient to say that his offering the industry standard contractual term doesn't imply I think he is ripping anyone off. That is just your oversensitivity to my statement.
And frankly, I don't care what you think about my monthly term way of doing business.
We're not going down this pointless road again !
RHC
I choose Polesoft Lockspam to fight spam, and you?
It's OK Bob....I kinda thought that was the case....and I was poking back at you. I know you know I wasn't insulting you or your way of operating; that's not my style...
Jim is hypersensitive to my business approach; that seems to be a problem for him...
RHC
I choose Polesoft Lockspam to fight spam, and you?
Hmmm. Then what was the point in calling his client stupid? And haven't you said repeatedly in the past that anyone who uses long term contracts is ripping off their clients? With that in mind ..... how am I being "over sensitive"? Are you saying something different now or just trying to weasle out of what you said?
With all the names that you've called dealers who use term contracts in the past, do you now contend that calling his client stupid carries no futher implications?
I can understand that completely ........ and in a one or two time circumstance, simply out of politeness, that alone would deter someone from making further comments to you about it.
However it seems that you can't understand that it works both ways. I (and I'd have to guess that the majority of people participating here ........ also) don't care what YOU think about long term contracts. But that doesn't seem to deter YOU from jumping up at every mention of the word 'contract' to tell us AAAAAGGGAIN what you think about them. Why is it ok for YOU to always bring out YOUR opinion and when called on it, you get all huffy ....... like people should care about hearing YOUR policies?
I sincerly hope that you do understand, that I also really .... really ...don't care how you run your business. It's fine with me and I'm sure with everyone, regardless of what policies you have. But it is an important fact to note that as far as I can remember, neither I nor anyone else here has ever initiated any thread or interjected anything about the merits and benefits of term contracts. What that we could say the same about your pontification of YOUR contractual policies. Why is it ok for you to criticize and to insinuate fraud and deception on the part of anyone using term contracts and voice your opinion, (which is radically against the "Industry Standard Contractual Term") but you don't think you should be criticized about what YOU do?
Not unless you lead the way, we wont.
I noticed that you don't seem to have anything to say about the fact that it's always YOU who broaches the subject about how bad, term contracts are, but no one ever starts a thread or interjects about how stupid YOUR policies are. Yet you get your shorts is a knot when someone takes you to task for it. A little hypocritical there aren't we Bobby boy?
If you don't want to go down the road Robert, then step on the brakes at the stop sign. You know where it is.
Robert, it really ...... and I mean this sincerly, doesn't make a hill of beans difference to me HOW you run your business and I'd hope that you would realize that.
When you carry it beyond the bounds of propriety with your implications and down right derisive name calling of dealers who DO use them, is when you should be called on it. Just because you DON'T like them or find a need for them, doesn't give you a license to ridcule dealers who do. At least not without expecting the same disrespect in return.
Consider that .... respect is mutual .......... so too, is disrepect.
Didja ever notice how those who profess to employ wisdom in their replys, appear exactly the same as someone who's just too stupid or lazy to get up off their ass and do something?
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