Ots 2:00 AM and the alarm is going off.

I got one of those just yesterday, but more like 9 PM. The scenario as you described, and with much the same result. My caller was a tenant, directed by the property mgt. Co. to call me. They said we handle the alarm service. Hmmm....news to me. I did the install years ago, and the that customer has long since moved out.

She wanted me to tell her which wires to cut. Yeah, right. I told her to contact the property manager for the code.

She hung up on me too. js

And it's always; "YOUR alarm is going off", to which my reply is...no it ain't, sounds like the sound is coming from *your* end of the line...nice and quiet here, or at least it was until you called wanting a free service call at 2am on a Sunday morning.

| > The person on the other end of the phone wants you to tell them over the | > phone how to turn off or disable the alarm that is going off. They are | not | > the person for whom the alarm was installed. They claim to have purchased | > the home from the person who had the alarm installed. You can hear the | > siren going in the background. They have no code for the alarm system. | > They are not wiling to pay for a service call to come out to the site to | and | > help them out. | >

| > What do you do? | >

| > I tried to explain to them that there was no way that I would give | somebody | > I didn't know instructions over the phone on how to disarm or disable an | > alarm system, but if they were willing to pay for an overtime service call | I | > would be willing to come out to the premise and help them with the | > situation. When paying for my service seemed to be unreasonable to them I | > tried to explain that any skilled proffessional is going to require to be | > paid for a 2:00 AM service call. The caller then went on to say they | could | > not understand why I could not tell them how to disable the alarm over the | > phone. | >

| > Ultimately they threatened to make sure my manager knows how I didn't help | > them and hung up on me. | >

| > If the caller had waited I would have explained to them that they could | > reach my manager on Monday morning after 9:00 AM and that "he" would be | glad | > to listen to their complaint. LOL. | | I got one of those just yesterday, but more like 9 PM. The scenario as you | described, and with much the same result. My caller was a tenant, directed | by the property mgt. Co. to call me. They said we handle the alarm service. | Hmmm....news to me. I did the install years ago, and the that customer has | long since moved out. | | She wanted me to tell her which wires to cut. Yeah, right. I told her to | contact the property manager for the code. | | She hung up on me too. | js | |

For those calls I'd like to get a voice mail system that after working their way through 27 different options finally dumps them at a call centre in India, or maybe just forward them to RLB's VM system.

Doug L

I've been thinking of adding a selection in my VM for non-clients...press 3 for Help if you not a current client...that will forward to a 900 "Help Line" at 3 bucks a minute billed to their phone number, and put them on hold for 10 minutes before I pickup.

| >> The person on the other end of the phone wants you to tell them over the | >> phone how to turn off or disable the alarm that is going off. They are | > not | >> the person for whom the alarm was installed. They claim to have | >> purchased | >> the home from the person who had the alarm installed. You can hear the | >> siren going in the background. They have no code for the alarm system. | >> They are not wiling to pay for a service call to come out to the site to | > and | >> help them out. | >>

| >> What do you do? | >>

| >> I tried to explain to them that there was no way that I would give | > somebody | >> I didn't know instructions over the phone on how to disarm or disable an | >> alarm system, but if they were willing to pay for an overtime service | >> call | > I | >> would be willing to come out to the premise and help them with the | >> situation. When paying for my service seemed to be unreasonable to them | >> I | >> tried to explain that any skilled proffessional is going to require to be | >> paid for a 2:00 AM service call. The caller then went on to say they | > could | >> not understand why I could not tell them how to disable the alarm over | >> the | >> phone. | >>

| >> Ultimately they threatened to make sure my manager knows how I didn't | >> help | >> them and hung up on me. | >>

| >> If the caller had waited I would have explained to them that they could | >> reach my manager on Monday morning after 9:00 AM and that "he" would be | > glad | >> to listen to their complaint. LOL. | >

| > I got one of those just yesterday, but more like 9 PM. The scenario as you | > described, and with much the same result. My caller was a tenant, directed | > by the property mgt. Co. to call me. They said we handle the alarm | > service. | > Hmmm....news to me. I did the install years ago, and the that customer has | > long since moved out. | >

| > She wanted me to tell her which wires to cut. Yeah, right. I told her to | > contact the property manager for the code. | >

| > She hung up on me too. | > js | >

| >

| |

ls each week with similar situations. It is mostly a new homeowner with no codes for the system in place. I usually charge $35-50 per call.

Jim Rojas

People, Don't ya love'em

At 2:00 AM ?

"People", I'm generally ambivalent over... *Customers*, I like...

For the telephone call? Cool. Now there's an idea... js

Was it by chance a Moose panel?

Actually if they're nice (like a little old lady in tears) I will walk them through disarming it until I can get there. There are ways to disarm without revealing any real codes to them.

No charge. This creates an indebtedness of sorts and they just love me after that :-)

| >

| > | >> The person on the other end of the phone wants you to tell them over | > the | > | >> phone how to turn off or disable the alarm that is going off. They | > are | > | > not | > | >> the person for whom the alarm was installed. They claim to have | > | >> purchased | > | >> the home from the person who had the alarm installed. You can hear | > the | > | >> siren going in the background. They have no code for the alarm | > system. | > | >> They are not wiling to pay for a service call to come out to the site | > to | > | > and | > | >> help them out. | > | >>

| > | >> What do you do? | > | >>

| > | >> I tried to explain to them that there was no way that I would give | > | > somebody | > | >> I didn't know instructions over the phone on how to disarm or disable | > an | > | >> alarm system, but if they were willing to pay for an overtime service | > | >> call | > | > I | > | >> would be willing to come out to the premise and help them with the | > | >> situation. When paying for my service seemed to be unreasonable to | > them | > | >> I | > | >> tried to explain that any skilled proffessional is going to require | > to | > be | > | >> paid for a 2:00 AM service call. The caller then went on to say they | > | > could | > | >> not understand why I could not tell them how to disable the alarm | > over | > | >> the | > | >> phone. | > | >>

| > | >> Ultimately they threatened to make sure my manager knows how I didn't | > | >> help | > | >> them and hung up on me. | > | >>

| > | >> If the caller had waited I would have explained to them that they | > could | > | >> reach my manager on Monday morning after 9:00 AM and that "he" would | > be | > | > glad | > | >> to listen to their complaint. LOL. | > | >

| > | > I got one of those just yesterday, but more like 9 PM. The scenario as | > you | > | > described, and with much the same result. My caller was a tenant, | > directed | > | > by the property mgt. Co. to call me. They said we handle the alarm | > | > service. | > | > Hmmm....news to me. I did the install years ago, and the that customer | > has | > | > long since moved out. | > | >

| > | > She wanted me to tell her which wires to cut. Yeah, right. I told her | > to | > | > contact the property manager for the code. | > | >

| > | > She hung up on me too. | > | > js | > | >

| > | >

| > | | > | | >

| >

| | |

Open box, push switch to "off".

| > I got one of those just yesterday, but more like 9 PM. The scenario as you | > described, and with much the same result. My caller was a tenant, directed | > by the property mgt. Co. to call me. They said we handle the alarm | service. | > Hmmm....news to me. I did the install years ago, and the that customer has | > long since moved out. | >

| > She wanted me to tell her which wires to cut. Yeah, right. I told her to | > contact the property manager for the code. | >

| > She hung up on me too. | > js | | Was it by chance a Moose panel? | | |

I think the question to ask is, what would ADT do in a case like this? :-)

"Hello, ADT"

"Your alarm's going off and I want you to come turn it off."

(checking the computer) "I'm sorry, ma'am, we can't find a record of your system."

"You installed it about nine years ago for the people who built this house. Now come turn it off!"

"Well, maybe that was one of our authorized dealers. Have you checkd the fine print in your contract for the name of the installing company?"

"Contract? We don't have any contract. Just come turn it off, or I'll rip your alarm off the wall!"

"I'm sorry, but we can't service your alarm unless you have a contract with us. I can schedule an appointment with a sales representative for next Thursday. Would morning or afternoon be better for you?"

"A sales representative? What do I need a sales representative for?"

"Your sales representative will set up your ADT account and give you your account number. Once you have your account number, you can call us back and schedule a service call."

"But I need service right now!"

"I'm sorry, but these procedures are for your own protection."

"I swear I'll never do business with ADT again!"

"You're not doing business with us now. Thank you for calling ADT!"

Caddx. js

Damn!

Hey can you check that again? You sure it wasn't something like a Moose board inside a Caddx box?

I have a few local companies like that here. It is a great way to loose business as I have picked up a few of their service contracts like that.

You're welcome to all of my service contracts like that

Doug L

how to turn off or disable the alarm that is going off. They are not the person for whom the alarm was installed. They claim to have purchased the home from the person who had the alarm installed. You can hear the siren going in the background. They have no code for the alarm system. They are not wiling to pay for a service call to come out to the site to and help them out.

Hang up?

didn't know instructions over the phone on how to disarm or disable an alarm system, but if they were willing to pay for an overtime service call I would be willing to come out to the premise and help them with the situation. When paying for my service seemed to be unreasonable to them I tried to explain that any skilled proffessional is going to require to be paid for a 2:00 AM service call. The caller then went on to say they could not understand why I could not tell them how to disable the alarm over the phone.

them and hung up on me.

Good riddance.

my manager on Monday morning after 9:00 AM and that "he" would be glad to listen to their complaint. LOL.

You could install a 900 number for folks like that. :^)