Re: Takeover standards

[tourman <robercampbell@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Aug 16, 8:08 pm, Frank Olson <Use-the-email-
li...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> tourman wrote:
> > Point well taken. However, every alarm business does takeovers.
>
> Agreed.  For your information we "take over" a fair number of systems.
> 90% are DIY'er nightmares or professionally installed systems that have
> been "fat fingered" by the owner.

RHC: Now you seem to be contradicting yourself Frank. I got the
distinct impression from your last post that you felt your company was
above all that. Now you tell me that your company does take over
"nightmare systems" and messed up professional systems. I'm not trying
to be argumentative, but which is it ? And more to the point, why
would you even touch these problem systems ?
>
> > They
> > are a natural part of this industry where rates and service prices and
> > quality vary all over the map.
>
> A customer that's "shopping" for a better rate (or trying to get out of
> an existing contract because he's been offered a better rate by someone
> in the business of "take-overs) is a customer that I don't want.  I also
> have no respect for a company that actively pursues "cherry picking" and
> have never encouraged my sales guys to do it either.

RHC: Now you're confusing me even more. Why wouldn't any company look
for clean, trouble free, professionally installed systems to takeover
if they had the chance? If that's "cherry picking" then we obviously
don't have the same understanding of what that term means. That's
simply one way to work smarter rather than harder !! As for customers
trying to worm out of long term contracts, I honestly know nothing
about that because I don't ask them to sign those sorts of contracts.
>
>And with ADT being the biggest and the
>most expensive company around, migration from their ranks is to be
> expected in large numbers after contract terms are up.
>
> I know plenty of ADT and Chubb customers that have been their customers
> for years.  If the attrition rate is as high as you suggest, then
> someone at ADT in Ontario isn't doing their job.

RHC: I can't comment on Chubb at all, other than one instance where
they quoted a client of mine $1000 to partition an 864 (no kidding).
After we both stopped laughing, I did it for nothing in software !!
They also owe me money for unlocking some boards, and it's clear they
don't intend to pay, so we'll see what kind of service I give them
next round of boards.  As for ADT in Ontario, their prices are
ridiculous, their service is piss poor at worst, spotty at best, and
their customer rapport seems to be non - existent. Oh dear...did I
leave out their monitoring sucks....When their contracts are up, their
attrition rate must be horrible (it's a damn good thing they have long
term contracts or it seems to me they wouldn't keep their client base
for more than a few months..). To their credit, the majority of their
systems are usually well installed, which keeps my ongoing service
problems down.
>
> > A good quality
> > system takeover is a gift, and no company just walks away from it.
>
> A "good quality system takeover" is more than just a "gift", Bob.  The
> customers motives for presenting you with this "gift" must be more than
> "I want a better rate" though, otherwise he'll be doing the same thing
> again (only this time you'll be the one on the "short end").

RHC: Well I can't speak for others, but I have no trouble giving
decent service at low prices without holding a gun (er..long term
contract) to the client's head. My customers are in the drivers seat,
and that's exactly where they ought to be. I've NEVER lost a client
because he went elsewhere for service or lower cost reasons. I suppose
it will happen one day but not yet anyway. Besides, the only people
lower in cost than I am are The Monitoring Centre in Toronto at $10,
and they don't offer in-house  warranty or service to their customers.
So if a customer is stupid enough to leave to save $5 a month and give
up his warranty and my included service then so be it ! I would just
write that client off as a bit of a dim bulb and move on......:))
>
> > However, it is easy to buy yourself a bundle of trouble, and that is
> > what my question is about.
>
> It seems to me you already have a long list of things to watch out for.
>   Good topic!!  :-)

RHC: Yeah, I thought it was although it didn't generate much interest
it seems. But thanks for your responses.....oh, well ....back to
sleep....