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It is easy to be overwhelmed by the number of alarm companies in phone book or internet listings for many cities. The reason is that home security is a rapidly growing business enterprise. More and more people are installing security systems for both home and business. But with so many companies, it can be difficult to choose the right alarm company for your needs.
Following a logical process of investigation will get you the answers you need to the questions you want to ask. The following outline will help you follow a very popular set of steps to decision-making.
Think About What You Want and Need
Some alarm companies offer more services and more devices than others. Thinking about your needs will help you rule out a few of the companies on the list. What kind of alarms do you need? Do you want a lot of noise, or immediate notification of the authorities, or both? Are you more concerned about particular parts of your property?
Who are you trying to protect, and from what? Who makes up your household? Are there children, infants, teens, someone with a disability, or elderly parents or grandparents? Do you have a lot of valuable items in your home?
What do you want the alarm companies to do when an intruder is detected? Do you want to immediately notify emergency services (police, fire)? Do you want to have alarms sound or remain silent? Do you want the alarms to trigger an alert to you or your neighbors?
Decide Which Alarm Companies to Interview
Ask friends, relatives, co-workers and neighbors who have alarm systems which alarm companies they used. Find out how satisfied they are with the service. Check with your insurance company to get recommendations and to confirm how an alarm system installation will affect the cost of your insurance. Get in touch with the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association and ask for a list of member companies in your area. Compare this information and begin to narrow down the list to those you like best.
Check out each company you are considering by checking with the Better Business Bureau, police department, state licensing bureau and other consumer information and protection agencies in your area. If you discover that a complaint has been filed against one of the alarm companies, take the time to see how the issue was resolved. Sometimes you can learn a great deal about a company by analyzing how they handle problems and complaints.
Do you want to focus on local and locally monitored alarm companies or national businesses? Do the companies offer equivalent equipment and equivalent monitoring and notification?
Interview the Three to Five Alarm Companies
This interview is critical. It is your opportunity to ask all of the questions you want. You can also evaluate the kind of company that would hire the representative sitting in your living room. It will be easier to compare later if you try to ask the same questions, worded the same way, of each person. Use this time to determine how each of the alarm companies would or could meet your specific needs. Ask when installation can be completed. Also compare the monitoring available through each company.
Next determine which of the specialized equipment (medicine cabinet alarms, for example) and services (when the kids come home from school) are available from each of the alarm companies. Compare the costs for these services.
Ask to see proof of licensing, certification, insurance and bonding for each company. Find out how employees are screened. Ask if all installers are appropriately trained, certified and bonded.
Choose the Best of the Alarm Companies for Your Needs
Review all of the information you have gathered and compare it with your needs. Narrow down your list of companies.
Compare pricing and pricing for each of the services you need. Remove from your list any alarm companies you cannot afford. Keep in mind the rule of thumb that similar services and devices should carry similar prices. If any company has extremely high or extremely low pricing, ask why. Compare warranties. Finally, think about your impression of the company and your level of comfort with having company employees in your home.
By following these steps, the process should lead you to a clear choice between the various alarm companies. Then schedule installation, read the contract carefully, and have the system installed. The last step in any security installation is to immediately change all codes and passwords when the installer leaves your home.
Following a logical process of investigation will get you the answers you need to the questions you want to ask. The following outline will help you follow a very popular set of steps to decision-making.
Think About What You Want and Need
Some alarm companies offer more services and more devices than others. Thinking about your needs will help you rule out a few of the companies on the list. What kind of alarms do you need? Do you want a lot of noise, or immediate notification of the authorities, or both? Are you more concerned about particular parts of your property?
Who are you trying to protect, and from what? Who makes up your household? Are there children, infants, teens, someone with a disability, or elderly parents or grandparents? Do you have a lot of valuable items in your home?
What do you want the alarm companies to do when an intruder is detected? Do you want to immediately notify emergency services (police, fire)? Do you want to have alarms sound or remain silent? Do you want the alarms to trigger an alert to you or your neighbors?
Decide Which Alarm Companies to Interview
Ask friends, relatives, co-workers and neighbors who have alarm systems which alarm companies they used. Find out how satisfied they are with the service. Check with your insurance company to get recommendations and to confirm how an alarm system installation will affect the cost of your insurance. Get in touch with the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association and ask for a list of member companies in your area. Compare this information and begin to narrow down the list to those you like best.
Check out each company you are considering by checking with the Better Business Bureau, police department, state licensing bureau and other consumer information and protection agencies in your area. If you discover that a complaint has been filed against one of the alarm companies, take the time to see how the issue was resolved. Sometimes you can learn a great deal about a company by analyzing how they handle problems and complaints.
Do you want to focus on local and locally monitored alarm companies or national businesses? Do the companies offer equivalent equipment and equivalent monitoring and notification?
Interview the Three to Five Alarm Companies
This interview is critical. It is your opportunity to ask all of the questions you want. You can also evaluate the kind of company that would hire the representative sitting in your living room. It will be easier to compare later if you try to ask the same questions, worded the same way, of each person. Use this time to determine how each of the alarm companies would or could meet your specific needs. Ask when installation can be completed. Also compare the monitoring available through each company.
Next determine which of the specialized equipment (medicine cabinet alarms, for example) and services (when the kids come home from school) are available from each of the alarm companies. Compare the costs for these services.
Ask to see proof of licensing, certification, insurance and bonding for each company. Find out how employees are screened. Ask if all installers are appropriately trained, certified and bonded.
Choose the Best of the Alarm Companies for Your Needs
Review all of the information you have gathered and compare it with your needs. Narrow down your list of companies.
Compare pricing and pricing for each of the services you need. Remove from your list any alarm companies you cannot afford. Keep in mind the rule of thumb that similar services and devices should carry similar prices. If any company has extremely high or extremely low pricing, ask why. Compare warranties. Finally, think about your impression of the company and your level of comfort with having company employees in your home.
By following these steps, the process should lead you to a clear choice between the various alarm companies. Then schedule installation, read the contract carefully, and have the system installed. The last step in any security installation is to immediately change all codes and passwords when the installer leaves your home.
About the Author:
Todd Cavanaugh is a ten-year security alarm company business owner. His company installs home and business monitored security systems, 24-hour surveillance cameras, access control systems and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. For more information, see his recommendations on how to choose alarm companies.
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