Security Sales and Integration (SSI) Magazine released a story recently that discussed the strength of the electronic security market for integrators, and laid out challenges. When it comes to improving alarm management practices, two of those challenges stood out to us: 1) training, and 2) competition.
It’s always important to train your employees, particularly the technical side of our craft, so your installations are top-of-the-line. Quality training is a differentiator for your business. Better installations reduce the need for follow-up troubleshooting with customers, and reduce complaints. From SIAC’s perspective, the added bonus is better installations means fewer nuisance alarm activations. That’s also good for your customers and a selling point for your business. Invest in your training for all the right reasons.
Competition is another challenge we’d like to focus on. When you operate in a competitive environment, which is certainly the case in our industry, you must stand out in your own way. How is your business different/better than others? That’s where you find and keep customers. We believe that quality alarm management programs fit the bill.
Why? If you take care of alarm management issues (explain to customers how to safely operate their system, apply two-call confirmation at your monitoring center, use the best equipment in installations and train your people well), that becomes a selling point to prospective customers. Fewer unnecessary alarm activations mean fewer fines for customers. The inconvenience of dealing with alarms going off is minimized if you have a good alarm management program. In a competitive environment, that sets you apart.
Use your training and quality alarm management programs to set you apart from your competitors. For more tips, stop by our web site.