Re: Slomins vs ADT vs Brinks vs any other home security system vendor

[Nomen Nescio <nobody@xxxxxxxxx>]

J. Sloud said:

>First, some facts:  ADT is by far the largest electronic security
>company in the industry.  Go to sdmmag.com and click on SDM100 for a
>look at the industry.  ADT is the only company in the industry with a
>fully redundant network of customer monitoring stations.  These five
>monitoring stations are located throughout the United States and are
>configured so that is one becomes overloaded or is forced to close,
>alarm signals are automatically redistributed to the others.  ADT is
>the only national company that offers services in all industry market
>segments from basic residential to commercial, industrial, and
>government customers.  ADT has been a GSA Federal Supply Schedule
>holder for over 20 years and supplies more electronic security to our
>government than any other company.  ADT is involved in numerous
>homeland security pilot projects to help develop technology used in
>the war on terrorism.  Google "operation Safe Commerce" for an
>example.  ADT has several sole source contracts with the federal
>government including a contract with the US Marshals Service to
>install and maintain security, video, and access control systems in
>every Federal Courthouse in the country.  If that isn't enough, ADT
>also has a national account with Brinks.  We install the security
>systems on their cash vaults.

I'm really not out to bash ADT.  In fact, I'm a fan...of the old ADT, back
when they really were the best in the business.  But the things you've
mentioned are both irrelevant and misleading.

ADT is not the only company in the industry with networked redundant
central stations.  Do your homework.  And I might add that there are
drawbacks to having five mega-central stations monitoring an account:  the
customer may never speak to the same operator twice. :-)  He's just one out
of five million customers.

Big is not necessarily good.  Ask General Motors and Ford.  Both probably
sell more cars to the federal government than any other car makers.  That
doesn't mean they're good cars:  the Japanese are killing them on both
quality and price.

I doubt the average homeowner knows, or cares, that ADT does a lot of
government work.  That has nothing to do with whether the homeowner gets a
good residential alarm system or good service after the sale.  As you know,
the people who service government accounts don't deal with homeowners.  And
doing a wonderful job on a large card access system doesn't relate to doing
good house jobs.

There is a lot to be said for dealing with a smaller, independent company,
a company that recognizes its customers when they call and truly
appreciates their business.  ADT recognizes the name "Uncle Sam" when he
calls in.  And Uncle gets better service than Joe Homeowner.

I will give you points for the crack about Brinks.  I use that line myself.
Of course, that has more to do with UL certificates than anything else, but
it's still fun to beat them over the head with that.

- badenov