more comments on continuing charges after building burns down

 

May 16, 2011

 

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Hello Ken

Thank-you for keeping your perspective coming this way. Your approach to this industry is credible, succinct and valid. Admittedly I do gloss over some of this as it relates more to alarms rather than Locksmithing however this recent contribution from Mike Fletcher is a GEM! Mike obviously has a sense of humour and a good grip on sanity.

Thanks,

Ron McLennan, President,

British Columbia Association of Professional Locksmiths

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Ken,

Mike is correct, but taking this route is a way to win the battle but lose the war.

If a customer's house or business burns down he or she may be responsible for the balance of the monitoring contract, and the cost of the equipment and installation may be included in the monitoring, however, that is not how the customer will perceive it. In the customer's mind, being forced to pay for monitoring would be like being forced to continue to pay the electric bill, phone bill, or cable bill even though it would now be impossible to benefit from those services. If he or she is forced to pay for monitoring, family, friends, neighbors, and competitors will be informed, and their sympathy will not be for the alarm company.

The right choice may be to enforce the contract, but the wise choice would be to offer to work with the customer on designing and installing the alarm system for his or her next/new building.

Customers will lie to us about moving, sending in timely cancellations, and other issues, but it is easy to verify a fire.

Chris Allen

Bemidji, MN

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Ken

In regards to a building burning down, why wouldn't the insurance company pay for the balance of an alarm contract?

Alan Mills

*************** Response: It should if the sub insured it

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Ken

The people that ruined the industry were the ones that started this business of turning alarm companies into banks and finance companies that happen to sell alarms.

Charging for "monitoring" an alarm in a burnt down building...

Really? Silly.

David G. Breed