Re: Brinks & Broadview Takeovers

["Robert L Bass" <Sales@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"G. Morgan" wrote:
>
> No, not enough said.  What would you consider "long term"?

Anything longer than 2 years or with an automatic renewal lasting more than
one year at a time.

> A company can only prove it's resale value with the contracts.  Why would a
> prospective account buyer snap up contracts that are only month 2 month?

I understand your concerns and the value to the dealer of longer term
contracts.  Thinking about it, I guess what bothers me most is not so much the
initial term as the use of long (i.e., more than 30-day) advance notice
clauses.  We all know that most consumers don't think about notifying a
service provider that they intend to cancel until they receive their monthly
bill.  By requiring 60 or 90 days' notice of intent to cancel, alarm companies
can easily thwart the consumer's intent to go elsewhere.  Good alarm companies
will let an unhappy client leave.  The worst ones will try every trick in the
book to force him to keep paying.  This was one of the many issues that
brought the AG up against ABC in CT years ago.

The reality is, if your service is good and your price is reasonable, very few
clients will walk at the end of the contract.  They'll gladly renew when
notified it's time to do so.  But if you (that's a generic "you") treat them
like crap and you overcharge for services, they will want to leave.  So who
does the long notification period really protect?  Only the worst members of
the trade -- the guys you and I would like to see go out of business.

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

==============================>
Bass Home Electronics
DIY Alarm and Home Automation Store
http://www.bassburglaralarms.com
Sales & Service 941-870-2310
Fax 941-870-3252
==============================>