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DOES SUBSCRIBER FORM CONTRACT ADD VALUE TO YOUR BUSINESS FROM JUNE 12, 2015 ARTICLE
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Ken,
About your response to "Slowly dying in FLA", you responded to his question with two issues, he asked about the value of his business and does a the lack of an typical industry contract still add value.
Besides your answer to the value question you said a lot about the risk, but you used to many words. I am using just as many words but try this point by point approach on how "Slowly dying in FLA", or every other reader can loose their company-
- It only takes one grossly negligent act on your or your employees part to lose your company WITH an approved contract, to loose your company
- It only takes one simple or regular negligent act on your or your employees part, TOGETHER with a lousy Judge, a sympathetic jury, a lousy set of facts and WITH an industry approved contract, to loose your company
- It only takes one lazy or inexperienced defense council, coupled with an unknowing or uncaring insurance carrier who does not understand OUR industry that does not provide the best defense WITH an industry approved contract, to loose your company
- It only takes one account that you install, or service, or monitor WITHOUT an industry approved contract, REGARDLESS of your actions or inaction to loose your company
I fail to see the value this "huge regional customer" brings.
Remember, if your alarm company is dealt a decision beyond your insurance policy limits, the difference comes from your business assets which is all you have.
BTW, my success rate on claims WITHOUT a contract is not close to my nearly perfect success rate when I have a contract from www.alarmcontracts.com , even a 15 or 20 year old KK contract is better than nothing.
Bart A. Didden, Executive Claims Manager
Security America Risk Retention Group - SARRG
Security America Risk Purchasing Group LLC - SARPG
877-872-1266
bdidden@securityamericarrg.com
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QUESTION: FIRE ALL IN ONE - FORMATING AND EXECUTION ISSUES
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Ken
We’re using the “Standard Fire Alarm Sales, Monitoring, Inspection and Service Agreement” and I was wondering if,
- We need to use legal size paper or the regular 8.5 X 11” is good, and
- if the customer doesn’t receive a double sided copy, does s/he need to sign on both pages (and if so, where do we have them sign on the second page) or is the signature on the first page enough?
All the best,
Hershey Brown
Global Fire Prevention
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RESPONSE
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There is no requirement that the Standard Commercial Fire All in One be formated on 8.5 x 14 paper. You can use 8.5 x 11, electronic and any other size paper. However, when you purchased the Standard Form Agreement we gave it to you with readable font and any specific font size or placement for particular provisions were also provided. You should not change that. Don't assume that we decided to place a paragraph where we did, or had some font in bold or caps just as a matter of style. We were complying with law in your jurisdiction.
Your agreement forms can be double sided, printing on both sides, and of course can be more than one page. You don't have to have every page signed, and you can have pages that appear after the signature on the first or other page. When you have a signature on the front page and print in the reverse side or multiple pages that follow the signature, you must take care that your agreement clearly references the additional terms and pages on the signature page. We provide that wording when we prepare and send you the Standard Forms.
You making changes to the Standard Form Agreements [especially without clearing those changes with my office] is like me calling my alarm company to let them know I'll be opening up my alarm panel to move around the wiring so it works like I'd like it to. The analogy is good because in both cases it won't work.
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