Security Sales & Integration October 2021 - 24

Alarm Management
Saluting Schmidt
Security Pro
14 PDQ BEST
PRACTICES
1. Advertising, sales
literature provide realistic
expectation of alarm
response
2. Salespeople explain
permitting requirements,
fees and fi nes
3. Use of Enhanced Call
Confi rmation (ECC,
formerly ECV)
4. Contact customers after
every false alarm
5. Track worst false alarm
off enders and take action
if needed
6. Instruct customer on
verifi cation process and
keep call lists updated
7. Ongoing communications
with customers
8. Installers have minimum
NTS Level I or II training
or equivalent
9. In-house training must
be led by credentialed
instructors
10. Customers thoroughly
instructed on all system
operations
11. Checklists used for
installers and customers
12. Unique or additional
initiatives (e.g. video
verifi cation)
13. Development of strong
working relationship with
local law enforcement
14. Properly calculating and
actively reducing false
dispatch rate
Schmidt sends mobile-friendly electronic surveys to customers to gain feedback for installations,
service and inspections. Based on results, management acts to work toward constant improvement.
24
Security Sales & Integration OCTOBER 2021
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customer service team to monitor and review
the alarms. Th ey address what caused an alarm
and identify if additional training is needed or a
service call is required to address a performance
issue. Protocol and standards is the responsibility
of the management team. Company leadership
evaluates solutions to ensure we are off ering the
optimal equipment to our customers. Additionally,
management holds the team accountable to
the standards of operation that we have in place
for customer satisfaction.
What modifi cations of the plan had to be
made along the way? What are some areas
you would still like to see improvement?
Ken Zahn: We identifi ed that a higher value
needed to be placed on customer training than
it had been given in the past. It was an area that
needed more attention and we created a process
to ensure all customers receive adequate training.
Th is involved us dedicating a trainer to all
new customers and making sure existing customers
have access to training resources, such
as quick-start guides, training videos, help desk
support and onsite training if needed.
How costly of an undertaking was it; how
did you budget and what is the ROI?
Zahn: We didn't incur signifi cant upfront costs
other than additional time spent internally and
with customers that will be recouped in customer
satisfaction, customer longevity and reducing
false alarms. Th e reduction in false dispatches
creates community goodwill, which supports
our reputation as a security leader in our market.
How diffi cult was it to get Schmidt's
personnel to conform to the policies
and procedures?
Christin Dingess: Once we talked through the
" why " we were putting more of a focus on training
and reducing false dispatches it wasn't very
diffi cult. We provided resources for our technicians
that supported the initiative and generated
more buy-in. We developed quick-start guides
for all our standard products so the customer has
comprehensive information at their fi ngertips
to know how to operate their new technology.
Th is made it easier for the technicians to provide
training as they had a step-by-step process to follow
and leave-behind materials to help the customer
after the installation and initial training.
How do you coordinate eff orts between
your installation/service and wholesale
monitoring provider? What does each
side bring to the table?
Troy Bright: Schmidt Security Pro partners
with CMS to provide the central station monitoring
services. CMS provides several tools that
help our team manage false dispatches.
Th ese include CMS' Compass software that
provides a dealer " dashboard " that includes critical
real-time information to our internal team

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Security Sales & Integration October 2021

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