Re: Interesting

[Jim <alarminex@xxxxxxx>]

On Dec 24, 3:47=A0pm, nick markowitz <nmarkow...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> On Dec 24, 11:33=A0am, tourman <robercampb...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Dec 24, 11:00=A0am, Jim <alarmi...@xxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > > On Dec 24, 10:08=A0am, tourman <robercampb...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > > > On Dec 23, 7:57=A0pm, Jim <alarmi...@xxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > > > > On Dec 23, 6:02=A0pm, nick markowitz <nmarkow...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote=
:
>
> > > > > > Thats why he is working for some one else I know plenty of hack=
s out
> > > > > > there and they have such a line of bull shit and people believe=
 them
> > > > > > that there experts.-
>
> > > > > Just my opinion on this and can't back it up but I think that bec=
ause
> > > > > the public mostly knows very little to nothing about alarm system=
s ...
> > > > > that what ever the guy that they "like" the best does on the job,=
 it's
> > > > > considered what is normal for an alarm installation. So ... under
> > > > > normal conditions, if the installer is just one of those "good en=
ough"
> > > > > types, that's what the customer gets and thinks that there isn't =
any
> > > > > better. And/or they think that anything more than that is "overki=
ll".
> > > > > It could be that it's just a "justification reflex" by the custom=
er to
> > > > > convince themselves that they made the right decision by getting =
the
> > > > > "free" system .... I don't know. =A0How many people have you come=
 across
> > > > > that have bought into the "free" alarm scam who think that they
> > > > > actually have a viable alarm system? =A0Mostly all ... in my expe=
rience.
> > > > > Many believe that what I offer them is way beyond what is necessa=
ry to
> > > > > qualify as a worth while system. It's that experience that convin=
ced
> > > > > me years ago that I didn't need to try to compete with the "Free"
> > > > > alarm companies. They're selling to a market that would never see=
k out
> > > > > someone like me to install a vialble system to begin with. They'r=
e
> > > > > just not the people who would ever be my customers in the first
> > > > > place.
>
> > > > RHC: Right on the money ! Also there is a large group of people who
> > > > don't research anything and simply buy into the latest BS on TV.
> > > > Alarmforce customers fit that bill to a tee ! Every time I see thei=
r
> > > > ads, I want to upchuck. But such is life; there will always be a
> > > > significant minority of people who make bad choices, even when give=
n
> > > > the option to spend a bit more and get a LOT more. You've got to
> > > > wonder why they believe that any company can do the works for $25
> > > > monthly,no equipment costs.....hell, if that was so, don't they thi=
nk
> > > > that everyone would be doing it ??????
>
> > > > > Another example is .... when I'm called in by one of my customers
> > > > > who's moved into another home with a previously installed system.=
 Big
> > > > > commercial magnetic contacts on all the doors and windows. Expose=
d
> > > > > twisted pair wire stapled up the sides of the molding. Motion
> > > > > detectors mounted only where there's easy wire access, even if th=
ey're
> > > > > looking directly at windows or air vents. The customer is always =
torn
> > > > > between having to almost completely rewire the place or living wi=
th it
> > > > > as is .... knowing that it could look like the system I installed=
 in
> > > > > the previous home. If they choose "as is" I do it but =A0... grit=
 my
> > > > > teeth all the while and make sure that it's documented in the pap=
er
> > > > > work. The only thing that pisses me off is that some day, someone=
 is
> > > > > going to come into the job and think that " I " did it !!!!!!!!!!
>
> > > > > Maybe I should put little notes inside motion =A0and smoke deteco=
tors
> > > > > and attached to the wires in places that only another installer w=
ould
> > > > > look.
>
> > > > > "Pssst, I didn't install this!"
>
> > > > RHC: Yeah, one of the reasons I've pretty much stopped doing
> > > > takeovers. The amount of shoddy quality installation work out there=
 is
> > > > proportionally large, and growing. When people ask me why I refuse
> > > > their requests when everyone else is fighting for their business, I
> > > > simply ask them...why would I want to take over responsibility for =
a
> > > > crappy, problem plagued system for a few bucks a month ?? They they
> > > > usually get it. Too bad some of the alarm companies never do...it's
> > > > all about money
>
> > > > It doesn't bother me now like it used to when I first started in th=
is
> > > > business. A fool and their money are soon parted ! I give them the
> > > > information; they have the choice to take it or not. So be it....do=
n't
> > > > lose any sleep over it !
>
> > > I've got one coming up after the holidays.
>
> > > The daughter and new son in law of a customer I've had for over 25
> > > years just moved into a house with a previously installed alarm
> > > system. It's got an ADT system using a Honeywell panel. I did a brief
> > > survey and determined that there had been another system installed,
> > > probably about 15 to 20 years prior to the ADT system, that ADT added
> > > on to. The double hung windows have the double spring loaded contacts
> > > with glass shock sensors on both top and bottom. These are just
> > > trouble in the making without even thinking about it. The main thing =
I
> > > noticed however is that some of the windows have wireless transmitter=
s
> > > on them as well as the double take-off's. I'm thinking that these
> > > windows have wiring problems and ADT just put transmitters on them
> > > rather than trouble shoot the problem.
>
> > > Anyway, I told them ( by the way, they're both doctors) that I'd have
> > > to charge them $75.00 an hour for a maximum of four hours to do a
> > > detailed survey of the home and wiring to determine how much it was
> > > going to cost to upgrade the system. They accepted that. So, we're
> > > gonna see exactly what's going on and find out how far they're willin=
g
> > > to go to make it good. Huge house. Got to be 15K sq ft. Probably a $3=
k
> > > job if they go the limit. They also want some audio and TV work
> > > done .... so ...... add another minimum$1K or maybe more ...
> > > so ....... here we go, into the new year with a bang.
>
> > > Retire ....... ? How the hell can I retire with challanges like this
> > > that keep coming my way? I figure I'll end it when they find me
> > > slumped over the top of my ladder with my screw driver in one hand, a
> > > motion detector in the other and a big smile on my face. Maybe even
> > > with a "stiffy" to boot :-)
>
> > RHC: Hehe.....you're like me....don't know when to quit....but when
> > work is fun and not a chore, why quit !
>
> > The house you talk about will probably pay for all the hassle you're
> > going to get with that crappy system install, with all the other stuff
> > going in. Personally, I would walk from that job but that's just me. I
> > don't do all the other things you do, so I would be a poor fit anyway.
> > Hope it works out ok for you...
>
> We had ass hole consumers around here bought the hole line and sinker
> about the free alarms and where given certificates they could give to
> relatives for free systems and really thought they where doing
> something special for them when my mom heard this from one of her
> friends she couldn't stop laughing all day.
> One of those Vivant ass holes was around this summer and tried to tell
> my parents how superior there wireless crap was to the hard wired
> system I installed for them few years back =A0which has alarmnet and all
> the toys and they laughed at that salesman as well.-

I put out a newsletter to all my accounts and have warned them for
some time now about the "door knockers". I had one family a number of
years ago when this "door knocker" thing just started, who had to move
out of state for employment purposes and they left my name with the
new owners. the new owners called me and I went out to see them to
explain how the system worked and (supposedly) sign them  up for
monitoring. When they heard it was $22.00 per month they thought that
was high because they were only paying $18.00 at their old house (in
another state) But ..... they scheduled me to come back in a week to
hook them up and do a few modifications and repairs that they wanted.
I scheduled them and tried to call to confirm the day before the
service call but couldn't get through, left a message on the machine
and got no return phone call. I showed up next day at the scheduled
time and she told me that some guy had come around last week who said
he could hook them to cental without a phone line and do the
modifications for free. So she went with him. I asked how much per
month and she said nothing, I said ..... you're kidding .... right?
She said no. I asked her if she had signed any papers. She said yes.
Didn't it say how much it was per month on the paper work? She said
not that she saw, but the guy said it was free. Didn't you find that a
little hard to believe? He said they were doing a promotion in the
area.

Welll ..... I just walked away from that. I can't imagine what her
husband did to her when they got their first $50.00 per month
monitoring bill and tried to cancel the contract. And the three day
cancellation period had already past by the time that I got there.  I
was only pissed because I didn't have anything to do for the rest of
the afternoon but it was kind of OK because I had a smile on for the
rest of the day, just thinking about it.  And ...... she wasn't even
blond.