for free still here !

[Spike]

Hey RHC,

Henderson is now offering the same lifetime warranty you do: free service;
probably just a gel every 3 years or so but nonetheless, don't you have
expenses? Why are you guys doing that? People are willing to pay for good
service, why would you offer to work for free? That RMR really worth THAT
much?

 

[RH.Campbell]

Mike, I firmly believe you have to look long term in this business. What
goes around comes around ! I'm not doing service for free strictly speaking;
I'm simply making an investment of sorts in the future.

I am now up to 700 accounts (and climbing far too fast...) and I still have
very little service. With my son doing all the installs, I actually wish
there was MORE service to do besides paperwork. There are some rules I run
my business by and I don't abort those rules simply for the sake of a few
short term dollars. One of those rules is I provide my clients with an
absolute guarantee of no troubles with their system (however caused). If
these systems are installed well they give almost no troubles anyway. This
is a SERVICE business; your customers will stay with you no matter what if
you treat them well (and yes, this is true, with or without service costs
layered on....)

Let me give you an example. I had a customer the other day that had a pipe
burst in the basement and it flooded out her Power 832. I replaced it and
didn't charge her a cent, although we both agreed that it was certainly well
within my rights to charge her. She was absolutely amazed by this, and has
since sent me four clients who have deliberately chosen my company (at much
greater up front cost over competitors) simply because of what I had done
for her. What goes around comes around !

I've also looked at increasing my monitoring rates by $5 up to the average
of $20. However, when I did the math, it would increase my yearly income by
$50,000 at a minimum, and I would end up giving the government $35, 000 more
of that in taxes. Screw them; I prefer to leave it with my customers by way
of a lower monthly fee....

Greg Harmison is the Business Development Manager of Henderson Security, a
good friend, and the guy that helped me enter the business. He and I have
had long talks about this business, in all it's particulars. I would like to
think I may have influenced them in some small way in their decision to go
that route. Although they have severe overheads, they still decided
correctly that was the way to go for their customers. So if they can do it,
why can't others (including me, with almost no overheads to speak of....)
Hell... I just bought a nice colour laser printer for the business ! I
figure spend it on equipment or give it to the government.......

However, I make no apologies to those other local competitors who resent my
low monthly rates without a long term contract, and truly no cost service
for clients ! Frankly, I'm tired of all the sharks and money hungry dealers
in this business. I believe we need to start thinking of our customer first
and our pocketbooks second (within reason of course....) To them I say, "If
you can't stand the heat, then get the hell out of the kitchen !!!"

Or better yet, let them go join the ADT dealer program; they deserve each
other......

RHC

 

[RH.Campbell]

Mike, my apologies ! My previous reply was meant to go to you personally,
not to be posted on the newsgroup.....finger troubles..

RHC

 

[Spike]

It must be the electronics that are better these days but I just don't see
how you guys write this off so easily. Overhead, Scmoverhead, service calls
mean vehicle and time; we all have that. I would guestimate at least a call
per year per account, no? Moves, batteries, telco issues, whatever and what
2 hrs per call? That's 1400 hours or can this be right? half the friggin'
year on service calls? I like the tax angle though, interesting but why not
get that new chevy truck ssr (or something like that), Kodiak has one, what
a beaute!

 

[Spike]

he does go on so...>

Or better yet, let them go join the ADT dealer program; they deserve each
other......

RHC

Looks like that guy on Cyrville is packing it in.

 

[RH.Campbell]

A call per year per account is quite high. I actually wish it was that high;
i'd get to see my clients again more often. I average about 10 service calls
a month and it's usually to change door or window contacts or replace a
battery. Since I no longer install, I have piles of time on my hand, and I'm
actually looking for things to do. I've started helping people with their
telco problems and their networking problems more and more, so this gets me
out of the house now. Plus, I'm looking to expand my little panel unlocking
sideline more, so I have a few ideas in that regard. I've also started
building computers for other dealer friends of mine who are not computer
literate, so that should keep me busy.

Your calculations are a little amiss Mike ! It's nowhere near what you
calculate.

PS: Are you getting any leads from the link on my website ?

RHC

 

[Spike]

A call per year per account is quite high.

Burgs are easier to maintain.

I actually wish it was that high;
i'd get to see my clients again more often. I average about 10 service calls
a month and it's usually to change door or window contacts or replace a
battery.

You still didn't admit it'd be more fun in an SSR

Since I no longer install, I have piles of time on my hand, and I'm

actually looking for things to do. I've started helping people with their
telco problems and their networking problems more and more, so this gets me
out of the house now. Plus, I'm looking to expand my little panel unlocking
sideline more, so I have a few ideas in that regard. I've also started
building computers for other dealer friends of mine who are not computer
literate, so that should keep me busy.

We should be doing this e-mail, I'm surprised we haven't been told.
I put together a nice little raid system here in an antec case, all quiet
stuff. What a treat not to listen to the whine of these damn things. The
raid set-up is worth the effort too (hope it works

Your calculations are a little amiss Mike ! It's nowhere near what you
calculate.

It is for my kind of client I'd guess, Bob, those transmitters get banged
around, taken off site, lost, those sorts of things. I have the diallers
call in daily as well (it surprises me how much telco stuff I catch) Funny
how labour intensive this wireless stuff is eh?

PS: Are you getting any leads from the link on my website ?

I almost always ask how they came to call and many are my modest web page
but they get the web page from the yellow pages most of the time, go figure.
In fact, I don't think I've got a single querry from my banner on your site,
funny eh?
Glad I'm not paying for it ))

 

[RH.Campbell]

Mike: You still didn't admit it'd be more fun in an SSR

RHC: Yeah, I guess that would be more fun....))

Mike: We should be doing this e-mail, I'm surprised we haven't been told.

I put together a nice little raid system here in an antec case, all quiet
stuff. What a treat not to listen to the whine of these damn things. The
raid set-up is worth the effort too (hope it works

RHC: Yeah, I'm surprised not one comment pro or con ! This thread got
started by me accidently, but what the hell, it's better than some of the
stuff flying around on the ng. And frankly, after 10 years if I was doing it
all wrong, I'd certainly know by now so bottom line, I don't give a sh*t
what any other company thinks. Frankly, selling the way they do just means
more phone calls coming my way. Their loss is my gain !!...or rather my
son's gain....

I have Raid 0 in my new Eurocom Mirage 870 laptop and it is nice for
redundancy.....

Mike: It is for my kind of client I'd guess, Bob, those transmitters get
banged
around, taken off site, lost, those sorts of things. I have the diallers
call in daily as well (it surprises me how much telco stuff I catch) Funny
how labour intensive this wireless stuff is eh?

RHC: Carefull Mike ! If Wireless Willy (aka Belgium Paul) hears you, we'll
have a mountain of techno babble and other rubbish coming at us....) But
to answer your comment, I have more service troubles on the DSC wireless I
have out there than almost everything else. I've stopped selling their
products totally until they get their quality control act together. So far
the Paradox wireless has proven bulletproof, but only time will really tell
the story on that....

RHC: Are you getting any leads from the link on my website ?

Mike: I almost always ask how they came to call and many are my modest web
page
but they get the web page from the yellow pages most of the time, go
figure.
In fact, I don't think I've got a single querry from my banner on your
site,
funny eh?
Glad I'm not paying for it ))

RHC: Surprised to hear that ! I get about 30 local hits a day on average and
I know a lot do go to my partners site from mine, and he does get business
from the link. You're on the same page so they ARE seeing your banner. Might
be your market is too narrow for it to work much in the general security
market...

PS: Still holding that cold beer for you....)

RHC

 

[RH.Campbell]

Yup !!! And if I was charging the national average of $24.95, think how much
I could be making......

Of course, then I would be out in the street getting "down and dirty"
fighting tooth and nail with all the rest of the companies......

But I'm happy....

RHC

 

[Mike Dupre]

I'd say it's more like about a third to a fourth that much. Most
accounts
only need battery replacement once every three to five years. If do
careful
work you won't need to revisit most accounts at all other than when they
want an upgrade because they've added a room or they're moving. Many
firms
now issue replacement batteries by UPS, eliminating even those service
few
calls. I always preferred to visit for battery R&R so I cound do a
complete
checkup of the system. YMMV.


An hour to one and a half should do for a complete checkup, test
everything,
R&R the battery, etc.


With 700 accounts that would average less than 300 hours per year.
Reselling monitoring at around $15 a month when it costs about $6 makes a
return of better than $75,000 for 300 hours of service calls. Not too
shabby, wouldn't you say?

No, I wouldn't say that at all. Far too simplistic which is probably why
you don't do it any more. That 75K has to cover a lot more than 300 hours
of service calls. If you or he don't think you're worth it, good on ya...
maybe the pope is looking for a few more saints. God bless.

 

[RH.Campbell]

Thank you Mike. I DO feel blessed....life is good, my health is good, my
business is VERY profitable, and I still get enjoyment out of helping people
with their security problems. RLB may not have the numbers exactly right,
but he IS correct on all other counts....

And frankly, I don't give a rats ass what the whole rest of the world thinks
about the so called "value" of their service. Mine goes with the monthly
they pay me each and every month for an all inclusive "worry free" package
for my clients, and the takeover calls keep comin'
in........))))...(heading off in a few minutes to do another......)

RHC

 

[spike]

Bass makes me a little snippy, Bob. I apologize for that pope crack.
I just think you're selling yourself short is all, but that's really none
of my business.

 

[Frank Olson]

Naah. You start out that way.

Keep asking for civility and then posting more snide comments. It makes it
clear what you're all about, friend.