Re: Need help for Engineering Management project

["Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

"Robert L Bass" <no-sales-spam@bassburglaralarms> wrote in message
news:WYCdnUIRFbfW0pbbnZ2dnUVZ_r2onZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> "Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:wpadnZeDzLtZb5fbnZ2dnUVZ_hKdnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxx
> > "Robert L Bass" <no-sales-spam@bassburglaralarms> wrote in message
> > news:x4Gdnbfo_O9PmpfbnZ2dnUVZ_hqdnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >> > Apple's success with the Ipod will make
> >> > them look very attractive to someone like
> >> > Brinks or Slomin who want to increase
> >> > their market share...
> >>
> >> Speaking from years of experience in the
> >> electronic security field, I hope not.  Those
> >> are two of the worst companies a homeowner
> >> could hire to "protect" anything.
> >
> >
> > http://www.sdmmag.com/SDM/Protected/Files/Images/sdm100_2004_08.jpg
> >
> > The admittedly out of date lists the top
> > residential security providers and
> > their # of users:
>
> SDM is a trade magazine with no subscription fee.
> Care to guess who pays for it?  That said, I read
> SDM as soon as it comes to my door each month.
> There are always articles on new products which
> I often add to my websites.

Ok, let's see your numbers on the breakdown.

> > ADT            4M
> > Brink's         800K
> > Monitronics 377K
> > Slomin's      187K
>
> The lists only indicate the number of clients
> they monitor. and the revenue they have.  It
> says nothing about quality (or lack thereof).
> Furthermore, no one verifies the data.  SDM
> accepts whatever the companies say.

OK, let's see your numbers on breakdown. (-:

> > ADT is sitting pretty with a combined base
> > larger than their three largest competitors.
>
> There are two "flavors" of ADT.  First is
> ADT corporate which usually does good
> work.  They have the muscle and skill to
> handle jobs most competitors can't do.
> By and large their installations are very
> professional.

That 1 million number was residential-only.  I believe, though, the
commercial numbers are quite similar.

> Then there are the so-called ADT "authorized
> dealers."  These are independent contractors
> who use ADT's name while installing mostly
> crap.

I thought it was all UL certified ADT-branded panelsr.  Mine panel's pretty
sturdy and so was the one that preceded it.

> Thet advertise "free" systems but to
> obtain the free system the homeowner must
> sign a multi-year monitoring agreement at
> two, three or more times the going rate.  The
> contracts renew automatically unless cancelled
> 30 to 90 days (depends on the dealer) before
> expiration.  Getting out of it is only slightly
> more difficult than breaching a vontract with
> Lucifer.

Seems to me you're now supporting what I said a few messages back:

> "In wide use" doesn't mean "excellent" of even "good" by default.

although you took great exception with it as applied to PDFs.  Flip!


> Many of these companies have been sued
> by attorneys general in various states,
> including Florida where I live, for false and
> misleading advertising.  The ads are illegal
> here yet numerous "authorized dealers" still
> use them.

So?  MS engaged in bundling contracts that propelled them to the top of the
heap.  That's just business.  Try canceling some cell phone contracts
without penalty or difficulty.  Or unsubscribing from AOL - they've signed
consent decrees to stop the renewal scams.  You'd think if ADT were so evil
and incompetent, police departments would refuse to deal with their
emergency calls.  Yet both the cops and the ADT guys come like a shot when
my ADT alarm goes off.  Only once did it go off when it wasn't supposed to
because of a too-sensitive PIR in the very beginning, right after the
initial installation.  They fixed that free as well as the change to 10
digit numbers, which took them two tries to get right.

> To make matters worse, almost invariably
> the systems sold by these dealers are
> so poorly designed and installed that they
> offer little or no protection.

And yet they have more customers than all the others combined, it seems.
Why do you think people put up with such horrible service?  Why do insurance
companies still give ADT customers breaks on rates if they are such
failures?  Are you sure your previous and perhaps current competitive
position with them hasn't colored your opinion?

> > I didn't do the math but it seems like...
>
> Sadly, ADT did the math a few decades
> ago and realized that there is far more
> profit to be had by installing tiny, nearly
> useless systems in a couple of hours
> than by designing and properly installing
> comprehensive security.  The result is
> an industry driven entirely by price
> with reckless disregard for the security
> of the clients who depend on it.

If ADT were truly engaged in a nationwide campaign involving "reckless
disregard" (a very serious legal charge, BTW, because it opens the door for
punitive damages) there would be evidence of suits galore.  I couldn't find
any cases against ADT that made such an allegation but I didn't look very
hard.  I am sure with 1,000,000 customers that they have been sued and
charged with reckless disregard.  You're in business.  You know you can't
make everyone happy all the time.

> There are still good, honest dealers in
> the security industry.  I like to believe
> that most are decent people who want
> to give fair value for a fair price.  The
> problem is that greedy corporate
> giants have made it very difficult for
> all but the smallest independent dealers
> to succeed offering anything remotely
> resembling real security.

The success of ADT leads me to believe the people look for a
well-established name when selecting a security system.  I also believe,
that by experience, they do as little to disrupt a house as possible when
installing a system because it's cheaper and most customers like it that
way.  They sent two young men to put in my system and they did a credible
job.  ADT always responds to my alarms, as do the police.  Could they have
done better?  Sure.  But they did well enough.

--
Bobby G.