NOTICE: Sign up for our Webinars below. All Webinars are FREE. If you have topics you'd like to recommend please let me know and we will line up the experts for you.
****************************************************
comment on ECV
**************************************************
Ken
Mitch Cohen said in his response about ECV [June 5, 2013 article] – “where between 92 and 98% of all alarms are false” this is not true of “all alarms”. To make his comment correct would be to say that 92 to 98% of all dispatches are false. As an industry we should not confuse the issue that we sell, lease, service and monitor alarms and that activations result in a “request for response” to a local authority. As an industry we know that a small percentage of systems have false activations, the problem certainly does not come from 92 to 98% of the installed base. If that was true even Lee Jones and his far out comments would be right. So when we talk about percentages, let’s remember that by and large the 92 to 98% of the systems we install work perfectly and that while a small percentage of systems have false activations of those a large percentage are “false”.
Bart A. Didden
USA Central Station Alarm Corp.
******************************************************************************************************************
more comments on builder wanting to share in RMR [from May 28, 2013 article]
*****************************************************************************************************************
Ken
Sometimes new homeowners are reluctant to sign up for monitoring. Maybe you could look at this as an opportunity to have the builder sell your services. Most companies would pay commission to a salesperson. Why not offer the builder a commission if he can bring you a signed monitoring agreement (a Kirschenbaum agreement, of course)? He could make it part of the closing packet. That way, the homeowner is protected, you pick up more monitoring RMR, and builder gets what he wants.
Jonathan Frase
Memphis
******************
Ken
No need to get upset. He's proposing a business arrangement, so treat it like one.
If he wants to share in profits, he has to share in the risks and costs.
Ask him for a one million dollar insurance policy including E&O and completed operations.
Otherwise you can't cover him with your license.
Then ask him how much of the servicing he is willing to share.
When you get a call at 11:00 on a Saturday night that the alarm is showing a comm failure, ask him to cover the call.
After all it's part of the service you provide for your monthly fee.
Then explain that your pricing doesn't have commissions built into it, so it would have to be added to your normal fees.
You have no obligation to explain how you arrive at your selling price but give him a few costs that he didn't consider
Maybe he'll realize that it isn't the pot of gold he thinks it is.
I worked for a few builders and found that they will try to squeeze you dry.
Most of them want a price chart and want to add on whatever they want.
I guess that's ok, as long as they sign a salesperson's agreement but it does add some potential liability.
If they want to add RMR to your normal monthly and make a profit, let them. But limit them to a 1 year agreement.
and make sure they get paid as you get paid, not in advance. By the way, I would also ask for fingerprints and a background check.
By the end of that term, you will already have a relationship with the end user and will be able to take it over when they learn of your normal prices.
It's actually not taking it over, it's merely a reduction in price for signing a new 3 or 5 year agreement.
There's always at least one way to deal with greedy contractors.
And don't worry about pissing them off. In a year they'll have found someone they can squeeze more than they are squeezing you.
Mitch Cohen
Bric Security
**************************************************************************************
technical question
***************************************************************************************
Ken
I am fairly new to the admin and support for our company.
If we are replacing a fire/burg panel at a customer, is it required by code to add horns/strobes in each of the 4 bathrooms in the building? This building has about 50 employees, and we will have maybe 30 smokes, 6 heats, and 4 access doors. Not sure if the size of the building matters, or the number of employees. The local fire inspector says they do not have anything on this locally, but if the IBC or NFPA 72 requires it, they should be installed.
Can you clarify this for me please? Are they required, or suggested?
Thanks,
Charles S
*******************
Response
*******************
Anyone care to offer some advice?
****************************************************************************
Webinars:
1. June 13, 2013 12 noon EST Valuing your alarm business - traditional RMR valuation
This webinar will focus on valuing your RMR for various subscriber categories and services.
Panelists: Ken Kirschenbaum; Ron Davis; Dennis Stern; Jim Wooster; Barry Epstein
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4219161817504077312
2. June 27, 2013 12 noon EST Covering all your contractual needs with the All in One contracts
This webinar will focus on how the All in One contracts can build and protect your security and fire business.
Presented by Ken Kirschenbaum
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1368163351053061120
3. July 11, 2013 12 noon EST Valuing the non RMR security integration side of your business
This webinar will focus on how you arrive at valuation of the non RMR side of your business - the revenue you receive from sales and non contractual recurring revenue. EBITDA and Enterprise valuation explained so that you can determine if it applies to your business evaluation
Panelists: Barry Epstein; Mitch Reitman; Ray Lynn; Dennis Stern
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2021989040021715968
4. July 18, 2013 12 noon EST Selecting an E&O insurance carrier
This webinar will have a panel of insurance brokers will discuss Insurance Company underwriting considerations for determining if the carrier will offer to insure you and how it prices the policy. This webinar will enable you to better select an insurance company to insure your business.
Panelists: Bart Didden; Kelly Izzo; Alice Giacalone; Rick Gumbar;
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3478271300291063552
5. July 25, 2013 12 noon EST Defending claims
This webinar will focus on what you need to do when you become aware that your subscriber has suffered a loss and when you know of a claim against you. Other topics will include what to do when you get a reservation of rights letter, or denial of coverage letter, from your carrier.
Panelists: Ken Kirschenbaum; Bart Didden; Rick Gumbar; Dennis Stern
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3574596215465671424
6. August 1, 2013 12 noon EST Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is here
This webinar will focus on what you need to do to keep competitive. New technology and products
Panelists: Mark Fischer; Keith Jentoft; John Hoffe; David Roos; Jorge Hevia
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3760033249536659456
7. August 8, 2013 12 noon EST Marketing your security and fire alarm company
This webinar will focus on marketing ideas to promote your alarm business.
Panelists: Bob Maunsell; David Morgan; Bob Harris
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2508338217360211200