June 1, 2011

 

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comments on continuing charges after building burns down

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Hi Ken,

Why not just suspend the monitoring obligation? This is a sales opportunity. Add it on later to another property the subscriber has. It could wind up as a two for one...

Thank You,

Arthur Davis

HOMEGUARD, Inc.

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Ken

This issue really isn’t that difficult folks…or shouldn’t be anyway. There’s no need to issue an immediate cut and dry decision on a subscriber whose home burns down. We’ve had this happen before. One family lost their son in a car accident then their home burnt down a month later. We still handled it the same way we always do because it shows sympathy while still reminding them about the contract.

In the event a structure is a total loss due to fire, we will normally call in our group of referral partners to help the family with any needs they have. If they move into an apartment, we install one of our temp systems (Lynx w/ cell + 2 PIRs) in the apartment and continue monitoring. The system sets up in 10 minutes and gives us a chance to make a personal visit with the family. We then stay in touch over the next 2-4 weeks and learn if they’re going to move to a new house or rebuild. We are then able to stay involved in the new project and install a new system (and get a new contract in the process). I normally bring a $100 VISA® card with me to the meeting/temp system install to help them with expenses/urgent needs.

You cannot buy this type of customer loyalty and referrals. And, to date, we have yet to lose a customer that has been in a fire. They feel taken care of and always sign the new contract. What’s the ROI on the $100? If you burn your relationship with this customer, what's it going to cost you to get another one? What’s it going to cost to undo the bad press? A lot more than $100 I’m sure.

David L. Myers

Myers Protection Services

Indianapolis, IN

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Should alarm co dump subscriber?

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if you have been charging anywhere near $1200.00 per month since 1992, you

can walk away from the equipment, the lease and the customer and still be miles ahead on this situation.

rfa

************ Yes, but you can also try and hang on to it.

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Florida Sales/Use Tax Law

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This is a short cut to a written response from the Florida Dept. of Revenue. to specific questions our company had about the applicability of Sales and Use tax for alarm system work in Florida.

Shortcut to: https://taxlaw.state.fl.us/view_search.aspx?r=00A058+%7BVIC+%23%5B%7D&filename=SUT_TAA1.ASK&orireg=service+calls+sales+tax&banner=2000-2002%0D%0A&files=+SUT+%7BAND%7D+TAA*+

 

Larry McDonald, GM

Commercial Fire

& Communications, Inc.