Take Over Practices

Donuts = Customer retention

Send me some CCTV > > Thanks Bob,

Careful ! Statements such as that will bring the wrath of the industry down on you....or at least some in the industry..:))

RHC

Hey, watch it...... you'll get spanked with a competitors yard sign........ :-))

Which is why there are laws in NY regarding the legal way to handle "automatic renewal clauses". If a client wants to jump ship after the initial

As ong as he's paid in full- no problem This is a free market society, and the belief that

True- Imagine if your long

Again, the key words are, "fulfillment of financial obligation"

If you have a contract with the Alarm Company, that is valid and enforceable, then yes, YOU ARE A SCUMBAG! A satisfied customer won't think about switching

Not True- many people act on impulse! What is so wrong with

Nothing, as long as they are paid up.

Maybe some Dealers do- NOT ALL!

Frankly, I'd be terrified if any of my burg accounts found out what you're willing to do for 15 bucks a month, Bob. I can't believe you actually loose accounts. 15/mth, free service, free parts. How the heck can anybody complain about that?

If you look after your clients, no dealer has much to fear from lower priced dealers. There is a dealer here in town that sells monitoring for $9.95 monthly; he is a dealer for The Monitoring Centre in Toronto. He does all right but nothing spectacular. Price is not everything !

But no, I cant remember losing an account because of price ! Customers move, die, lose their jobs ...whatever, and a certain amount of attrition is normal because of those sorts of things. I did have one client who's husband joined ADT and they forced him to go with them, but that's their loss....

After paying my Revenue Canada bill this year, I gave some thought to lowering my rates (either that or pay my son a hell of a lot more....:))

RHC

Personally, I agree with you. But you're a Brinks dealer. Does Brinks still use proprietary equipment that no other company can reprogram? That could be an even more efficient anti-takeover technique than long-term contracts.

The last I recall, Ken Kirschenbaum was pushing five year monitoring contracts with five year automatic renewal periods. I find that a wee bit excessive.

- badenov

Uhh yup they will

Rant "ON"..

Where the hell are the discussions and concerns about the customers rights in all this !! What right does Brinks have to sell a proprietary panel to a customer that doesn't allow the customer complete control and freedom of choice over HIS equipment at the end of the term ? Answer...they don't !! And in regards to the question of "what company unlocks (fully paid for) customer owned panels at the end of the term if the client wants to jump ship", the real question is "what right does any company have to leave a fully paid for customer owned board in a locked state at the end of the contract term, whether the client is planning to leave or not" ? Answer..they don't !! And disabling local programming on a customer owned system is nothing short of malicious interference when it's done simply because the client won't resign a contract, or chooses to go somewhere else ! And manufacturers who cater to companies who demand boards with receiver numbers built in (or as Paradox did some years ago, become automatically permanent after a week in service) are only adding to the overall problem.

Its the general acceptance and ongoing continuation of highly questionable internal practices like this that gives our industry a bad name and makes us all look like scheming money grubbing opportunists....

Rant "OFF".....(aaahhh....that feels better.....:)))

RHC

Someone brought up certain industry practices........

Brinks does not sell panels at the end of the term. The panel always remains Brinks property.

I find your rant somewhat sexist, but leaving that aside I didn't think that Brinks actually sold their proprietary panels, I was under the impression that they leased the equipment with Brinks retaining ownership in which case Brinks has every right to retain complete control and freedom of choice of their equipment at the end of the term without having to worry about the bottom feeders stealing their equipment for their own use.

Doug L

Sexist ???!!! I've been called a lot of things, but never sexist before. But you're right, if the equipment is leased, they can do what they want with it. I understood (it seems incorrectly) that Brinks sold their hardware...

But sexist.....???

RHC

brinks owns the basic system...any extra equipment that the customer buys, is theirs to do with what they want

billy

You don't sue the customer. You send them a final invoice for the balance of the contract that he should have completed. If he doesn't pay you send him to collections.

Then you have your attorney (acutally I have a form letter) write up a letter to the takeover company complaining of tortuious interference of a valid on-going contract and you threaten them with a lawsuit.

| >>

| >> Yeah, that's a great way to show other customer's you care about them... | >> just sue. | >

| > Do you let them walk? Do you let the other company continue to hit the | > homes | > with your signs, telling the customer that it is alright to flip because | > you | > won't do anything about it? If so, you will be simply replacing and not | > building. With over 400 alarm companies in my area, with some of the | > wildest | > marketing ideas you could dream of, over the years, I have definiately had | > my attorney write some of them nasty grams about their sales habits. | > Luckily, I have a fairly loyal account base and they call me when one of | > these jokers show up selling their snake oil. I have had to build a one on | > one relationship with ADT's attorney, and I sat on the NBFAA's Board of | > Directors with the Brinks attorney, so it is real easy to call off those | > dogs with so many of the authorized dealers running around down here with | > their "freebies". | | | Have you sued a customer? I haven't... | | |

He's not?

Who says a business has to install a non-proprietary panel?

You are talking about unlocking the board for a dealer so it can be monitored elsewhere, I'm talking about unlocking the board at a customer's request