Re: Any tips for a consumer about to purchase a system & contract?

["Everywhere Man" <alarminstall@xxxxxxx>]

tourman wrote:
> Everywhere Man wrote:
> > tourman wrote:
> > > Hmmm....is "everywhere man" really foul mouthed Jim in disquise. I'll
> > > assume NOT, and respond properly assuming you are indeed someone else,
> > > who doesn't honestly happen to agree with me, because I wouldn't want
> > > to insult anyone other than him. <
> >
> > No "Everywhere Man" is not Jim. This is Tom. The other foul mouthed
> > poster who doesn't buy into your business crippling philosophy.
>
> RHC: Hey Tom, good to see you back. I can never tell who's who when
> people use aliases. <

I never left but thank you for the greetings anyway.

> >
> > > -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > WHAT? People switch providers for pennies let alone dollars.
>
> RHC: Glad I don't have your clientele. Tell me where you live and I'll
> be sure to never open up a business there.....:)) <

NYC and they are ALWAYS looking for the cheapest way possible.
I almost lost a bid this week over $1.00
Government agencies, churches, and non-profit organizations go for the
lowest bid.
My bid guaranteed the panels are unlocked if they choose not to renew.
I guaranteed to upgrade the system if they did choose to renew. I
guaranteed free service within 24-48 hours. They only care about the
bottom line cost. They only see that dollar.

> >
> >
> > > You can
> > > call it "stirring the pot"'; <
> >
> > I call it like I see it and like I have seen it for 8 years now.
>
> RHC: Yup ! Although I know from conversations with you, you and I agree
> on far more than we disagree on. And for a young fellow, you are just
> about as crusty as any of the old dealers I know...can't imagine what
> you'll be like when you're my age..GAWD !!! <

I'll be long since dead. My disagreement is over existing systems not
having contracts.
A 12 month monitoring and service agreement for an existing system is
not locking anyone long term, and it's allowing me a chance to earn a
few dollars. It also let's me work to keep the account and gain
referrals.

> >
> > > however, you might be very surprised how
> > > many companies there are that don't lock into long term contracts (a
> > > couple of the regulars on this newsgroup don't either, but choose not
> > > to say so publicly, and I certainly won't say who). They take the same
> > > view I do that the customer's ongoing freedom of choice is more
> > > important to their continued loyalty than some arbitrary term
> > > committment. My (and I assume their) customers stay because they want
> > > to, not because they have to. <
> >
> > That's easy to do when the company is a one man show working out of the
> > house. Try doing that with some real overhead. You cannot pay a tech to
> > program a system if your only guarantee is $20
> >
> > > Meanwhile, I'll continue to pick up the clients who have had their
> > > belly full of the Borg and their ilk, and would rather get a quality
> > > monitoring service and warranty package without signing their life
> > > away. Different strokes for different folks !! <
> >
> > If it works for you fine but you're misleading people into thinking
> > there are numerous companies who operate like you do.
>
> RHC: Actually there are lots Tom ! But definately small guys with low
> overheads. In my case, it honestly doesn't pay to make more money
> because the government taxes the shit out of everything you make. I did
> a spreadsheet once and if I charged $5 a month more for monitoring (up
> to $20 where it really should be), I'd make $55K more a year and the
> government would get about $35K of that. Screw them ! I'd rather give
> it back to my clientele through reduced prices. I hate the government
> so badly, that it really has warped my judgment over the years. I've
> never forgiven them for what they've done to our gun laws, and how that
> shafted me many years ago.  From where I stand, the only thing
> government does for small business is tax the hell out of them, throw
> additional bureaucratic roadblocks in front of them all in the name of
> assisting them, and generally acting as a disincentive to making any
> money. <

I charge anywhere from $22 to $40 per month depending on the monitoring
level and the upfront cost. Contract terms range from 1 to 10 years. I
couldn't deal with a month to month down in this ballbreaker neck of
the woods. Since I threw Brinks out the door I've taken complete
control over who I do business with and making sure the customer is
satisfied. I have one customer who is pissed off at me for not selling
him extra equipment. He wanted a glassbreak for a skylight in his
bathroom. I assured him that the professional burglar would rather
target homes in Greenwich, Scarsdale, or some other high rent town and
not start scaling the walls of his home to break through a plexiglass
skylight to rappel down into his bathtub. He finally understood it
would be a waste and he sends me referrals. With Brinks he would have
called them and they would have sold it to him and sent me the service
ticket to install it.

> But back to the point of discussion, I've been doing a lot of
> travelling in the States lately, and everywhere I go, I try to meet
> alarm dealers locally and get the "lay of the land" from them (just got
> back from Alaska). There is an amazing difference in this business from
> place to place. I think we all have to be careful in making assumptions
> about business practices prevalent in other areas. This business caters
> to many communities of interest, and they differ markedly from one to
> the other. Within reason, what works for one company may be quite
> different in other areas.
> >
> > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > NOW...if "everywhere man" is actually our very own foulmouthed Jim, but
> > > in disguise, I only have one thing to say to you. Fuck off somewhere
> > > asshole and die ! Or better yet, go flog shit for ADT. You deserve each
> > > other !! <
> >
> > Oh how nice. Another one wishing death on a poster. Tell me Bob, why
> > should Jim die? Would the reason you want him dead have to do with a
> > debate about alarms and business practices? Yeah that's a real good
> > reason to wish death on someone. I don't agree with you either so
> > should I die too?
> > If all of you twisted rump monkeys had your wishes granted over who
> > should die this forum would be empty. Then again it would be close to
> > empty if everyone who said they were leaving for good really left, but
> > we all know that's an attention seeking ploy.
>
> RHC: No, in my case, I really did leave for many months when I felt I
> had nothing left to offer anyone coming in looking for information.
> Frankly, it was always the same questions and the same answers, and it
> got a bit boring. Then Sympatico dropped the news group from their
> server, and I couldn't get on at all for awhile until I discovered how
> to get on with google. However, I decided to come back (would you
> believe 'cause I missed all you crusty SOB's), but now only on the same
> terms and in the same manner that people use to deal with me. Enough of
> this "Mr. Polite" stuff !! <

Ahhhhhhhh so you finally learned how to curse. It only took me 8 years
to break you down.

> And you !....you make like a hard case on
> the outside, but frankly, from private e mails we've had, I know you
> are a damn good dealer that cares a lot for the quality of your
> installs, and your customers, so don't lay that phoney hard cased shit
> on me ...:)) We'll just have to agree to disagree on some things.<

I love my customers. I give them my cell number if they have trouble
because I want to know immediately.
They understand that over the course of the contract there will be
times when we are wrong and that all we ask is for a fair chance to
correct the issues. Not everyone is rosey, and it's not a hug fest. I
do have a few dickheads under contract and one who I walked out on mid
install leaving a hole in the wall. They were up my tech's ass the
whole time. It was July, they had the house sealed, the wife was
boiling cabbage, and they didn't have the ac on. They changed their
mind as to where they wanted the keypad and when my tech bowed to the
pressure we wound up with an impossible run. Two 80+yr old crossbeams
over a concrete slab. They refused to allow for less than 3 inches of
exposed wire. When it hit 5pm they started bitching about it being
dinner time and how he should be done. I left my office, drove to the
house, packed the job up, and walked out. They still call to complain
about the hole but tough shit. I'm not in business to deal with clowns
like that.
I also have an indignant stooge who bounced a check for a bill 6 months
past due. He will hate the next year or so of collection efforts. His
credit will be destroyed and I will be smiling.

> Jim and I disagree on business practices, same as you and I, but he
> chooses to take it down to levels that are childish insults. I haven't
> the time or inclination to bother with foul mouthed people like that in
> real life, so why bother here !! My death wish is a poorly worded
> figure of speech, not to be taken literally (unless you happen to be
> ADT ...:)) I guess I was totally flabbergasted that anyone could say
> that and actually mean it when we heard that RLB was sick ! Maybe a bit
> of that poor taste rubbed off on me for a moment..... <

Way too much talk of death in here lately. I'm the first to admit I am
responsible for turmoil here but there comes a time when you cross the
line between fighting with someone and wishing death on that person.
It's never been a secret that Robert Bass and I won't be exchanging
holiday cards. We've spent the last 8 years antagonizing each other
over our differences. Tons of nasty shit has been exchanged. I don't
agree with his business practices, and I don't agree with his penchant
for finding new participants for a flame fest, but I also don't agree
with the people that are cheering on his death or his cheering on their
deaths. I've commented on what he must look like post-chemo, and I
still think it was a funny comment, but I'm not upset that he survived.

Robert has played dirty pool for a very long time here, and there will
never be a solution so long as he pokes away and they poke back, but to
wish death on someone over a newsgroup war is heinous. It was just as
heinous when he discussed others here getting their heads kicked in (or
whatever he used to describe his wish for their demise to be).
Now he is no more dropping dead than I am quitting cursing so I am
certain after a few more months he'll start jabbing away at people
again but all of that aside I wholeheartedly disagree with ANYONE from
ASA wishing death on anyone else from ASA, Bass included. I personally
think the place would be boring without the flames.

It's also no secret that Jim is someone who I enjoy talking to so it
pissed me off when you wished death on him.
Like everyone else involved I don't give a shit who agrees with me and
who doesn't. Big surprise there. Popular opinion has never factored
into any decisons I've made in my life and it won't start factoring in
now.
Think about this for a second. When the biggest foul-mouthed, bigoted,
egotistical, obnoxious asshole in here tries to encourage the
employment of high morals and reason there's gotta be something fucked
up going on. It's like Bizzaro world.

> Rump monkey ??..... that's a new one ... <

Nah that's an old one I dusted off for this special occassion.