Re: An ethical conundrum... Opinions welcome!

["Jim@xxxxxxx" <sales@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Nov 28, 2:04=A0am, Frank Olson
<use_the_email_li...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> We're hip deep in a major fire alarm system upgrade on two residential
> high-rise towers with an interconnected parkade. =A0The old fire alarm
> systems are being monitored by a company that obviously cares more for
> the RMR than they do for the safety of their customer. =A0There are no
> test signals programmed! =A0The service manager stated to me that test
> signals are an additional cost which the customer opted not to send.
> The company is charging the customer $22.00 a month for "basic" service.
> =A0 The communicators haven't been transmitting for over two years (that'=
s
> when the electrician removed them from the wall and placed them neatly
> in the corner of the electrical room). =A0The alarm company's invoice
> supposedly has a reminder to "test your system monthly" and this is all
> they're relying on! =A0The customer started refusing the invoices within
> three months of the panel's disconnection. =A0Granted, he didn't send the
> company a proper notice. =A0The company suspended service on both account=
s
> last year (November). =A0Are they entitled to two years billing or just
> one? =A0Should any professional alarm dealer even offer to monitor a fire
> alarm system without a daily test signal? =A0I shudder to think of the
> possible liability issues involved.

They're entitled to one year's billing since they suspended service.
As to monitoring, you already know the answer.  No test signal =3D major
liability problem.  If you own the CS and you want the account, try to
explain how important the test signal is.  If they won't budge and you
still want their business, do the test signals at no charge.  Explain
that you consider it important enough to their security as well as
yours that you will process daily test signals for free rather than
monitor it without them.  Even if the client doesn't give in and pay
the extra fee, he will respect your integrity for doing it.

Regards,
Robert L Bass
www.BassBurglarAlarms.com