Security Advisors have to adapt to new technologies and know what users are asking of them.
by Modesto Miguez*
Security Advisors must learn to stand firm in front of the client in different situations, without losing the attitude of service that is what favors the sustained development of the business.
Assistance and its causes
At the time of signing the contract, the correct thing is that the scope of the guarantee is specified, and especially things are not covered by it, according to the ISO-IRAM Procedure. If there is a third-party intervention, if there is a false alarm that deserves the immediate assistance of a technician to make a repair that solves its cause, or if a person makes a mistake in the use of the alarm system (unless the malfunction has been explained), the warranty will not cover the Assistance that is made.
That is why Point 3 (Registrations) within Branch A of the Procedure is so important, because it requires explaining everything necessary to each of the people who will use the alarm system.
The intervention of third parties can be the legitimate entry by a person who has a key but was not initially a user of the system, or the neighbor who came in to water the plants or feed a pet. Visits and operations generated by situations of this type that are out of warranty must be charged.
24-hour technicians
You may think that what is expressed in the previous paragraph is excessively demanding... How will an error of use charge? But if it is clarified in advance, it should be charged the same because all the costs are paid by someone, sooner or later.
When those things are overlooked and no action is taken, the quality of service begins to have losses since there will be no resources to have Technicians available 24 hours a day to attend to urgent services.
A clear example would be if a real event of alarm happens, you must have a person on duty or passive guard with the mobile phone, to, even if it is, to be able to call the client at the moment and ask him if he needs help, if everything is in order in the place, if the system was destroyed, etc.
It is important to have a 24-hour Emergency Technician to repair a system from an owner who is not at home or on vacation, because otherwise it can be repaired and the owner has to return, the service will be interrupted. The solution to this problem is to offer a key service so that the technician or the company can access.
In such a case, not only was the equipment and the client's sense of security ruined, but his vacation was also ruined and he will lose his rest time. What better than to have On-Call Technicians to attend to these emergencies? It is not necessary for that Technician to be awake, alert and vigilant: he can rest and have the mobile phone on his light table; and if there are three or four Technicians they can become one day on call each and keep the phone at hand the corresponding night. Thus, there should be no problems, since if they do the maintenance according to the procedure, they will usually be able to sleep all night calmly.
If you call them at dawn because there was a false alarm, you must go and solve it at the moment to show the customer that you really have a service behind it, and not just a company that charges you a Subscription in exchange for an illusion of security.
Good service after assistance
If the repair is done on the spot (at two in the morning, for example) it is under warranty, it is the responsibility of the company whether your system works or not.
If that person recommends it, they can also give you a discount on the next service or attention. If you are not recommended, the next time you make a mistake immediately send the technician to solve the problem and charge you for the technical (Emergency) visit. But if you are a good customer, give him special attention, and that will surprise you.
In this sense, every event has a continuity: if it is a false alarm product of the company, it fixes it to have customers that work correctly; and if it is a false alarm of the client, it is charged to have it as a source of income. Thus, people learn and will not make mistakes again: they will not give the key to anyone; it will not make modifications of the place or alter the conditions of the proper functioning of the system, so as not to generate false alarms. Why? Because people learn by the most sensitive organ they have, which is the pocket.
It is important that each of the people who use the system receive from the Advisor the instructions and suggestions for the correct use of the system, because there are all the precautions that determine the scope of the guarantee. And if we manage to make everything work better than the client expects, we will have exceeded their expectations.
Exceptions and recommendations
By giving the client special treatment with the exceptions, he will be able to comment on it as a personal achievement to his friends. But they will not have the right to claim them for themselves, so it is important to clarify that exceptions are not a normal part of the service.
Some exceptions might be to give you a service, or to get and install a sensor that you need to add but can't afford, such as a kindness or attention. But it has to be clear that it is something extraordinary.
And whenever something is given away it is in exchange for something, because nobody gives anything away in this world. And people know that. You can say, "I make this exception because you recommended me, and so you made it possible for me to continue working. Because that money that large companies earn for brochures, advertising, television, marketing, social networks, search engine positioning and so on, I invest in training my people, in training myself, and in offering good quality elements. My service doesn't have a marketing component, it's itself the service you receive."
There are techniques to apply in regular surveys, which one should do at least once a year and one of them is when reviewing the systems to do maintenance you have to know how to listen to the client, it is a golden rule that many companies do not take advantage of as a strategy.
The negotiation of service and prices that can be arranged with the users is the full requirement to tell you the quality of what you can take advantage of, since as a company we have to be better than the competition by offering something different that makes the person feel safe all the time.
* Modesto Miguez is a Specialist in comprehensive security and alarm monitoring. Teacher. Founder of the monitoreo.com group, writer and lecturer. He currently provides permanent advice in 300 monitoring and security companies throughout Latin America and Europe. Contact [email protected]
