AlarmScot

That actully makes me feel sick. I never drink tea from Domestic Clients anymore as sometimes they offer you cup of tea and the cup is dirty. Good Commercial Client I go to Always offer Tea/Coffee and wee biscuit or fruit.

I guess they get discount or they go to Tesco & ASDA at end of day and buy the reduce to clear flowers

They once covered a Security Company up here in Glasgow. I think today is about UK Parking Companies. Which in Scotland we never had Clamper issues as its illegal anyway.

In contract with Virgin anyway but would of done it.

OMG minerva 80 takes me back to my days of a ADT Trainee.

I don't think the flowers or tool kit are expensive but its only for New Installs but if you think of how much profit you are making on each install? A Small token on gift does get noticed by customers. Just look at what companies do to try and get you to join them as a customer. Today I got a call from a Utility Provider giving me £100 vouchers for switching my Broadband and Line Rental!

The Girlfriend or the Henry?

OMG did not know that about Henry but mines is good, It safely locked up in my van. I even bring it into my flat to 'hoover' but got to admit they are good 'sucking' power and even better than the other half

We have the good old henry. Blue Shoes - They Blue Protection Shoes. Yea we have mats, Were meant to lay a mat which say 'Its Okay XXXSecurity have arrived' The Sales Team make notes of if its a Women or Bloke. I think blokes get Chocolates or a Tool kit. For example I known Flowers and Chocolates being delivered as that what my mate got when he got us to install his stuff. His Wife got Flowers and He got Chocolates

I don't personally buy the flowers but they get sent from the florist. PSE - They also remind them of what date and timeslot we are expected to be at there property so example 'X will be with you on Monday 9th June between 3pm and 6pm but we text you with a 1 hour window' Some our clients are older who easily forget that we are coming. The company does the flowers and etc as it to create a word of mouth as they say 'Oh I got my alarm fitted and they gave me flowers' before you know it they have told 1 person who spread that personal recommendation on.

Nah our boss does not shout but if you enter the office, He be first to offer you a cup of tea and then point to the kettle.

So this is a really good question to anybody starting up or currently in business. How much do you value your customers? I got asked this at a recent company Customer Service Training. Other small things our company does with customers is stuff like. Day before new install they get a call from somebody in call centre to say 'Welcome to XXX Security Company, I hear X is coming out to install this job for you. Do you have any questions or special requests you like the Engineer to show you?' + After Install happens they get a call asking them how everything went and etc. Which is basically feedback. On the day of install the customer also gets Flowers send to them from us which I think is really nice. Then the customer gets Text messages when we are heading to there job on New Installs and Service Jobs Plus we are expected to call customer by name and explain to them what I am here to do and how long I am going to be. Plus we lay mats on area we work and blue shoes and we tidy as we go which means hoovering as were drilling and etc. I know some of you would not be able to do it but do you guys have any Unique little Customer Service Tips which you think is good and anything you learn from the past on what NOT to do.

My boss puts that on his emails. Also if somebody says 'But Why do we have do it' His normal reply is 'Coz I am the boss and I am telling you!' but he seriously tell you why it happening. I don't follow you. My wee head is working overtime.

I don't know the ins and outs of the alarm but it was something to do with they were not happy that it reached there requirements. I have installed loads of them since as its cable free and they pay like £10 a month for 12 months! Yea like if I had fitted the lock wrong or not good enough but the councils have there own spec and requirements like we need respond to there lock jobs within 4 hours. We could get 'Eviction Job' which means its a 30min response and are often the best. I would say that you should have the BASIC requirements but should and want to go better standards than the 'Requirements' As who wants just Okay stuff would you not rather have FANTASTIC stuff!

I have not a clue. To be honest I just accepted it as I get paid a bit more. Our company has stupid job titles. Like our Apprentices are not called Apprentices but called Trainee Safety and Security Engineers and that is due to our company does not take part in the Goverment Apprenticeship scheme and to be honest they get paid £7.50 per hour! and rises every year! Maybe you could tell me what difference between a Technician and Engineer is then?

It was internal tests with our training and development officer. Basically. 1) Giving good customer service - The normal Always smiling, Showing ID, explaining what I be doing and how long I roughly be. (Company has a long list on it from laying matts down to hovering up all worked areas and etc. 2) Using correct tools and equipment for the job - Was given a host of faults and problems and was expected to know where to look and fix the fault. As the company has a First Fix is Last Fix Policy. which is where we should never have to return to site again and fix the same fault. It is just to much hassle. You should just do it automatically for me just coz you like me

You got to remember my company dumped the SSAIB badge as they were not happy about a new alarm which we are fitting in homes and small offices as its wireless and not the 'normal' type. I think housing inspectors set there own standards which must come from some Standard. Again I have not the clue what ISO we got but I am sure we get audited. I must admit most customers do not have a clue what all the standards we have means. I do remember one client did say 'All your certificates just tell me you can tick a box' which she had a very valid point.

Oh Yes I remember you said that in a forum about SIA speaking. To be honest, Its just I CBA getting copy of my ID, Company Details and etc. As I am not here on a official capacity but more a personal as like to see whats going on in the industry. I am a Safety & Security Engineer is my fancy work title. Used to be Technician but passed some tests and become a 'Engineer' unsure on the whole difference apart from now I work alone half time

Oh yes. My first job was with a Well known Security Company who had every badge but did we hell follow the code. We were told that if we followed the rules and regs it cost more and the company know that if they left the NSI & SSIAB would be worse off than them. Like we have ISO Standards which does mean we get checked and we do a lot council jobs which means councils housing inspectors often check our work and some of them will pull us up for smallest of things. But did make me chuckle when a women told me about what a Other Installer said to her about how her alarm was not 'legal and compliant' as were not SSAIB badged but we are as I know we got NSI badged to offer Response stuff. The guy did quote her about £750 to replace system which make it 'legal' however I have not a clue who it was but the quote sheet did make it look like it was a small company as they had a Home Address as the company office address.

I have not a clue what system you use. But is it a Bit Paper and Filling Cabinet? Oh it also assigns us jobs when were outside without office ever having to speak to us. Just a Magic BEEP *NEW JOB* *AUTO ACCEPT* means you been given a new job. As they say 'You get paid from leaving house to returning to the house' = They get their money from us. Its like stuff in the vans we got. We have a system which watches Fuel, Cameras and My General Driving. Which it looks at how I break and change gear and then scores you on how eco you are in driving style. It is spooky amount stuff you get in field.

Its called on Computers CRM which is just a Industry Term. For Customer Resource Management or Customer Relationship Management. Its a Microsoft Dynamics Software but I think its been bespoke made as not just us that use it but Heating Guys and stuff uses it too. It must speak to loads of system as it sends text messages to customers saying 'Your Engineer today is X' Then when we log off our job and go onto theirs, its sends a Text messaging saying 'Hi, X is just leaving s/he last job and be with you in X mins' which it uses a Maping system to work out how long it take plus acts as part our Remote Working Rules.

We have a really fancy software. As engineers we carry PDA which carry the jobs and then office can add or remove jobs from us as were on the road. Then we carry Laptops which has ever alarm manual we every maintain and install plus all customer information for each job we go to.

Hi, Could be a few things A) Dirty on the camera Lens (Saw it happen before and will see it again) which could cause Ghost image B) Could be the Cables (Fault or bend in cable could of damaged the smaller cables inside to cause fault) C) DVR - Could be. Best bet I saw is to connect the CCTV into a stand alone system or even a Mini CCTV monitor. Do you know what type of connector they are? BNC, USB, BRW connections.

I know our company has upset a lot of the local installer companies and even finding out that some Smaller Guys tells Clients that we are not compliant or as we don't have a SSAIB badge means we don't have high standards but our clients even Home Customers trust us as we are a brand which they know within the local area anyway and I don't work for ADT or etc. I would 100% say to survive in business is if your clients are wanting X then you need to start offering X to make money.

Ah, I wonder maybe thats why response team have SIA for the 'Response Centre' I take it you need sia for monitoring alarms.