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Notice:  Contract updates and "sale"


    Welcome back to work on the first working day of the year, though many of you may be reading this while still on vacation.  To help you along with 2015 New Year resolutions, the Standard Form Agreements have been updated and it's time for you to update your forms.  Changes were made as recently as third week in December.  Only the All in One forms will be updated at no charge.  If you purchased an All in One on or after June 1, 2014 you are entitled to a FREE UPDATE.  If you purchased an All in One between January 1, 2014 and May 30, 2014 your update is half price.  If you don't have the All in One forms. or if purchased in 2013 or earlier get the most current form before January 8, 2015 and receive $100 off each All in One form and $25 off the Disclaimer Notice.  Call our Contract Administrator Eileen Wagda at 516 747 6700 x 312 to arrange the discounted price.  If ordering for the first time please go to www.alarmcontracts.com to place your order and take the discount when completing the order form.
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Another Notice:  I am planning a few webinars that will be announced shortly.  A well known alarm expert will be presenting on a number of liability topics involving design, installation and services, important to alarm company owners, operation managers, technicians, insurance brokers and claims representatives.  Watch for the scheduled announcement.
    Another webinar will present on topic of alarm salesman perception.
    Yet another webinar will be How a small alarm company can get big.  I am looking for a few panelists for this one.  Anyone interested please give me a call.  I promise to do most of the work.
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QUESTION: LAWN SIGNS - PROTECTION VS. DETECTION
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 Ken,
    After Reading some recent articles you have posted [referring to the ADT class action article], I've questioned something I've been doing for a while.  The difference between protection and detection is what caught my eye.  Our lawn signs and decals have the following verbiage 
    "Warning Protected by ATi - Electronic Security"
Because I use the word "protected" does this create a liability?
Of course, we are using your All in One residential contract so the only place the word protected exists is on the lawn sign and window decals.
    Thank you very much for your time,
Dan
ATi
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RESPONSE
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    I think the use of the word "protected" or "protection" or something similar on a lawn sign or decal is acceptable.  Arguably both the lawn sign and decal are themselves providing some from of deterrence against crime.  The Standard All in One will definitely provide "protection".  Hope that doesn't sound like a guarantee.  
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MORE ON ZMICROTECH FROM DEC 11 2014 ARTICLE
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Ken
    Zmicrotech Dec 11 2014
    Can you ask Mike Macdonald to email me? He's the one that commented about zmicrotech. I would love to chat with him. We used that software for years. (Notice the word "used" is past tense) 
Donnetta
donnetta@securityoneinc.com
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Ken
    With regard to Mike MacDonald and Z Micro, What a bunch of Poop...!!
    I have been using Z Microtech software since the early 90's.  ALL Software programs have bugs, however, they have ALWAYS been very responsive to questions, comments and revisions when bugs or issues were found.  I run the Alarm and Pursuit software every day, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  I also have just over....well lets just say I have thousands of accounts.  I run the software on our central station mainframe with many workstations. NO problems.!!  
    Maybe your computers don't like that northern climate over the border, A
Mike
CSS
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RE: REPAIR OBLIGATION / WILL THE STANDARD CONTRACTS CURE YOUR MEDICAL CONDITION? 
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Ken 
    With regard to repair issues........While we can't force a customer to properly maintain their onsite equipment, (motion blocked, broken contact, constantly bypassing a point) one thing we do have control over is the communicators ability to report a trouble or bypass conditions and perform a daily test. Almost all of the industry has the communicator built into the control equipment. Program the communicator for these conditions and any other your contracted to perform.  Constant bypass or failure to receive a test signal tells you something.  These are customer service problems that need imminent attention. Contact the customer and schedule service. If you can't make contact or the customer doesn't return your calls, make sure you log all your calls.  This process continues each day until service is scheduled and the problem is resolved. If the customer has a break in, fire or whatever, you did your job and your records will show you performed what was contracted or went beyond what was expected. (under such conditions the customer will never remember the system needing service and if it did, why you didn't respond)
    We have chased customers for weeks to rectify a condition they didn't feel was important until they finally said stop calling and just fix it. End result...... system back up and running and in most cases became a paid service call.
John W. Yusza, Jr
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Ken –
    I have two scenarios.
#1 – customer has a detection device that needs service and doesn’t want to pay for the repair.
#2 – customer’s radio is alive and well but there is a problem with the control panel somewhere and we are no longer getting weekly tests. I spoke with the customer 2 months ago and he said he was out of town and would call me. Follow up calls don’t get answered.
    Thoughts on this? Should we terminate monitoring?
John Romero
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RESPONSE
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    You should notify the subscriber of the alarm condition. in writing, and preserve the notice.  If you have remote access to the system you can change the keypad readout to read "no testing signals" or "system needs service".  Be sure to make notation in the subscriber's file when you change the readout.  I wouldn't terminate monitoring and I would continue to accept and demand payment.  If the sub stops paying then you can terminate and commence collection efforts.  Your All in One Agreement spells out your responsibilities and you should be familiar with the contract terms.  The contract also clearly specifies your rights, including the right to get paid and do something about it when you're not paid
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