PART 1
Always Judge a Book via it is Cover
1.) Appearances
One of the primary signs and symptoms that a CCTV employer may be hassle is bad personal look. When you meet with the owner or any consultant (installer, salesperson, and many others) of a CCTV business enterprise, how properly (or poorly) is that this person dressed? If it is the owner or shop clerk of the employer, is this person well attired or does it appear like they just climbed out of a chimney (well, maybe not that horrific however you get the concept)? I recognize in my opinion, whilst someone arrives at my domestic to do a contracting process (landscaping, concrete, electrical, etc) I anticipate them to appear a positive manner and to now not appear a positive manner. I understand the proprietor of a now defunct CCTV business enterprise that met with the owner of a trucking agency for a CCTV installation. This changed into a assembly among the 2 heads of agencies and the final step earlier than the agreement was signed. This changed into most effective a $forty,000 job so it turned into no large deal, proper? Against my robust recommendation to dress for the event, he arrived at the assembly in shorts, a polo and pair of New Balance sportcipo.info shoes (he was on his manner to every other process he became completing). Can you bet what befell? He did NOT get the job. He refused to get dressed in a business-like way and misplaced a $40,000 install (in 2004 greenbacks) because he arrived looking like he was on vacation. The backside line is this: if a person arrived at my commercial enterprise to speak about a process and that they did no longer look quite expert I would NOT do business with them. Would you?
Tools/Vehicles/Attire
· Tools. Are they shoddy? Do they’ve filthy or broken system? I might even pass to date as to pay attention to how they deal with them and how they may be prepared on their truck or van.
· Vehicle. Is the proprietor’s/salesclerk’s/installer’s vehicle, truck or van beat-up and/or rusted out? Is it lettered? I realize that everyone has to begin somewhere and might not have the nicest truck or van with the excellent (or any) lettering and images. But, if they are using some junk vehicle that is prepared to fall apart and now not properly-looked after, you might want to reconsider.
· Dress. I currently noticed a man in a C-keep that become blanketed in paint head-to-toe. He gave the impression of a taking walks, speakme Pollock masterpiece. Now, maybe he had a absolutely awful day. Maybe those were his handiest paintings garments (caution). But the bottom line is I could now not want this guy doing a paint task for me. Why? He’s messy and I don’t want that at my home or commercial enterprise. Also, he doesn’t care how he gives himself to his or his boss’ customers (and his boss does not care, either). What form of task do you observed you will grow to be with? My uniforms? Spring/Summer-camouflage shipment shorts and t-shirts with big employer brand. Fall/Winter-camo shipment pants and lengthy sleeve organisation t-shirts/sweatshirts. They don’t ought to be the high-quality or the most steeply-priced, but they have to be coordinated, the business enterprise call visible and nicely-stored (I.E. Smooth).
· Spoken Word. How properly do they present themselves verbally? This tells me lots proper from the start.
How a CCTV business owner, shop clerk and/or installer affords himself, speaks, looks after his vehicle, tools, device, website (below) or even commercial enterprise playing cards is a good indicator of the way properly he’ll take care of your process. Before, throughout and after. There are usually exceptions to the rules. Just ensure you can stay with them.
2.) Company Website
How many people take a look at out or consider a employer’s website before they do commercial enterprise with them? I do. Whenever I am on-line searching for a product or service, the very first component I search for is the layout, typos, layout, clean contact information, and many others. I do not anticipate each business enterprise to have the maximum high-priced 500 web page internet site that fees a fortune. Actually it’s the opposite. But if it would not display effectively, has overlapping textual content and photographs, pages are missing or no longer exist, touch information isn’t easy to find or there is just a PO Box number or it simply plain looks like crap, I leave and appearance some other place.
3.) Inquiry Response Time
I found out early on (read: the hard manner) that every time I desired to join up with a corporation for a new services or products I had to ask masses of questions and test them, too. I additionally knew that I couldn’t be in business for myself without having the identical kind of protection internet in area. I spent 12 months of my life testing many distinctive DVRs and the producer’s customer support, tech support, product flexibility, phone and e mail reaction instances, tech information and know-how earlier than I settled at the current products I even have set up in my domestic and in my consumer’s organizations. Why do all this? Because I want my customers to have the exceptional viable CCTV system and enjoy possible. When you call or send an e mail to me, if I don’t answer immediately, I will go back them as soon as I can. In the uncommon instance that certainly one of my customers has an problem that I cannot manage, I want to recognize that my providers are going to be there for me immediately. This is the way I do commercial enterprise, that is the manner I expect others to do business with me and also you have to search for the identical in the CCTV enterprise you intend to hire or purchase from.
Customer Support. How exact is it? Are the customer support human beings pleasant, courteous and willing to help you with any questions, info or assist you want? Do they switch you round or no longer return cellphone calls and/or emails?
· Tech Support. How correct is this? Are the tech assist human beings informed? Are they willing to exit in their manner to help you troubleshoot and/or restore your problem(s)? And in the event that they cannot in my opinion, will they find the individual that can? In brief, do they know what they are talking approximately? One of the largest deciding elements on whether or not or not I will do enterprise with any tech orientated employer is how the tech department speaks to me. Do they speak down to me because they suppose they may be “technically superior” to me or do they use quite a few “techno babble” assuming I cannot understand them?
· Warranty/Guarantee. There IS a assure, sure? Unfortunately maximum warranties anymore for some thing are typically 1 12 months and this includes CCTV equipment and isn’t always very amazing. A right DVR may be very sophisticated equipment and should be sponsored up for some years at least. What is the manufacture terrified of? Get this in writing.
· Response Times. As discussed above, you want to know how lengthy it takes to answer the smartphone (in the event that they answer in any respect), return smartphone calls, solution or reply to emails and how long does it take? It is just a be counted of professionalism and just exact business.
You higher recognise all of these things earlier than you do business with any CCTV organisation or you could recognize too late that to procure scammed, ripped off and taken advantage of and the handiest aspect they ever cared about became your cash. How do you locate these things out when you are buying round? Call. Send an electronic mail. Ask these (and greater) questions.
4.) No Office
If the CCTV corporation you find in the phonebook or on the net and are taking into account paying to shield you and your enterprise has not anything more than a mobile cellphone or a put up workplace box, do not deliver them your money. You can name the Better Business Bureau and the state licensing bureau to peer if there are any complaints against them. A CCTV business enterprise must have an office someplace, despite the fact that it is a room in his home and references at a local bank and debts with neighborhood providers. Many six and 7 determine a 12 months organizations supplying all products and services are operated proper out of the owner’s domestic. I have a home workplace for business and a storage workshop for all my product testing, set-up and configuration that I wouldn’t surrender for the sector. Make positive there is a respectable physical area wherein they do enterprise from.
5.) The Low, Low Offer
There’s some scams that shady CCTV installers strive to tug. Here’s one: whilst you are reviewing fees and one of the salespeople/installers says he’ll come up with a “special low fee” that you should keep mystery, move on at once. The “secret rate” is both:
(a) way lower than it ought to be and this guy is going to do only a few of the paintings earlier than skipping city,
-or-
(b) manner better than it have to be and he wants to keep you from comparing it to others.
Either manner, whilst some business enterprise starts offevolved gambling games like this it is due to the fact they need to “do you a prefer” and you need to get out of there brief. The handiest desire you will get is getting ripped off.
The same is true for a quote that is available in manner below the others. For instance, you get three fees and a couple of of them are round $6,000.00 and one is $three,200.00, for instance. The low-bidding contractor is:
