Re: How many service techs?

["tourman" <robercampbell@xxxxxxxxx>]

I can definately see your point here. It's very satisfying to be good
at what you do and just as important, to be known to be good at what
you do. These days I get a lot of satisfaction when I hear clients say
they've heard good things about my service quality etc. Most people
only say the bad things and the good goes largely unsaid.

Early on, I did a number of the larger homes, but dollar for dollar, at
our acceptable rate structures around here, I found that it simply
wasn't worth the time to do them. A while ago, one of my customers came
to me with the plans for a 8000 square foot mansion he's building, and
asked me to quote the security system. To make a long story short,
after all was said and done, I turned the job down simply because for
what I would earn at the prices around here, the time and driving
involved for a full weeks work was simply spent better elsewhere. The
company that I recommended that did choose to do it, came in only
slightly higher than my quote, but they have a large staff and are
simply better able to do it than my company of two people. If I had
messed this up, or not given the level of service the client expected,
it would end up as a blight on my reputation.

Since that experience, I've learned to pick and choose the jobs
carefully. You can't be everything to everybody. Super large homes are
not in my market niche. Nor are commercial accounts.

There is also another side to this issue for me. Tax rates are such up
here that beyond a certain point, you end up virtually working for the
tax department rather than for yourself. I've backed off work because
of it to such an extent that I only do enough work to keep the company
running smoothly and pay my son's salary. With over 1000 accounts, the
monitoring revenue is such that one of my greatest challenges is to
keep Revenue Canada's greedy hands out of my pocket !  Once my son
takes on the business full time, he can decide how he wants to take it.
Me ? I'm going to take it easy and start to enjoy life more.....

RHC

Jim wrote:
> tourman wrote:
> > Your post leads me to believe something that I have suspected all
> > along. Full prices for systems in the US are considerably higher than
> > we charge or can get in Canada. I know that is a generalization, but
> > modifying a system for $2750 is about double what we can get for even a
> > large system hereabouts even starting from scatch. I doubt that even
> > ADT would charge those kinds of prices around here !
> >
> > I'd take that one too because the work would be well worth it at that
> > pricing level.
> >
> > RHC
> >
>
> I'm finding that in recent years that more jobs are falling into the
> $3000.00 and up range, just for security installs.  Then, on top of
> security there's the possibility that one or all of of the following
> things will be added ..... like ..... telephone, Cat5 LAN wiring, CATV,
> intercom telephone, whole house audio, and/or surround sound and
> entertainment system layout, setup and programing. Right now I've got
> one house (I have no idea what the house will be worth when it's
> finished) with 73 windows and 10 doors. In addtion to security, I'm
> doing all of the above. Total job $13,000.00 and there will be some
> overruns. Customer buys all the enterainment and audio hardware
> himself. Only equipment I supply is for security and possibly the whole
> house audio speakers.
>
> Another home that's in progress is a $3.5 million home ( pretty high
> price for around here, but it's not as big as the one above...... only
> 52 windows and 5 doors) where the builders alarm that came with the
> house, consisted of 5 door contacts, two PIR's, two keypads, one
> speaker on first floor in a 10,000 sq ft home. The homeowner told them
> not to install the panel and keypads. I'm adding detection on every
> window ( both wired and wireless) Doorbell intercom, various CATV and
> Cat5 LAN, telephone, whole house audio and surround sound and
> entertainment set up. I didn't have to break drywall up to this point
> but now they want the whole house audio speakers in the ceilings, so
> I've got no choice but to "notch" to get around the headers, to get to
> the ceiling bays.  Security will total about $5000.00, the rest of the
> job I'm pricing as I go. I figure it will land in the same price area
> as the one above. It's a "smaller" house but since construction is
> completed, there's lots more labor.
>
> I have to say, however, if it wasn't for the fact that I've got a
> sufficent number of accounts, at this stage, that these kind of jobs
> don't do much to add to the equity of my company. These people don't
> pay anymore per month for monitoring than someone with a $1000.00
> system. But the challenge is super and the prestege of being chosen to
> do these high end jobs, because of good referrals, is a great feeling.