Continue reading »]]> Many dealers took advantage of the “RISK FREE” video monitoring / verification package that Response Center USA put together with CheckVideo, but a few (you know who you are) procrastinated and waited until after it expired.

Great News!  We have twisted some arms and CheckVideo has agreed to extend this exceptional offer.  Don’t wait any longer to see how you can cash in on monthly monitoring fees of $75 to $400 and up a month.

Don’t call and complain when you hear of other dealers making a killing with video analytic systems and you find that you waited too long again.  Click on the “RISK FREE Video RMR” tab above and then call JD for details.

Continue reading »]]> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                                        02 May 2012

Response Center USA Selects CheckVideo for Intelligent Remote Video Monitoring and Alarm Verification

Leading monitoring company integrates cloud-based solution with operations to offer enhanced video services

San Antonio, TX – April 30, 2012 – Response Center USA, one of the nation’s leading monitoring and response providers, announced today that it has integrated CheckVideo® with its monitoring operations. CheckVideo will expand Response Center USA’s menu of services offerings to include intelligent remote video monitoring and alarm verification.

CheckVideo “watches” video 24/7 for events of interest and sends critical, real-time alerts to Response Center USA, helping to reduce false alarms, shorten response times and stop crimes in progress.  Video alerts can be sent to email addresses and smartphones of authorized users, providing essential tools to facilitate greater on-site security and more apprehensions.  Because CheckVideo detects the presence of people and vehicles, not just motion, it dramatically reduces false alarms, benefiting end users as well as central station operations.

“CheckVideo adds the ‘we’re watching the bad guys break in’ capability to the customer’s ‘bad guys might have broken in’ technology”, said J.D. Benfer, president, Response Center USA. “It provides authorities with real-time, actionable information that helps prevent damage or loss.  By minimizing false alarms, CheckVideo also saves customers money in fines and monitoring fees, and allows our operators to focus on what’s really important.”

“Response Center USA is committed to providing exceptional service, and we’re pleased to partner with them to make CheckVideo available to their dealers,” said John Estrada, CEO, CheckVideo. “Our cost-effective, cloud-based solutions are designed to meet diverse customer needs, allowing Response Center USA dealers to maximize their addressable market and performance of their installations.”

With CheckVideo, Response Center USA can monitor virtually any indoor, outdoor or remote location.  In addition to security applications, CheckVideo enables monitoring of business operations, such as opening and closing times, shipping and receiving areas, and limited access areas. Installation at the customer site doesn’t require specialized IT skills, and configuration and management of the system is completed over the Web, keeping service calls to a minimum.

About Response Center USA

Response Center USA is a UL-listed, wholesale-only monitoring and response provider for security dealers nationwide. Response Center USA offers a range of services including video monitoring, video verification, video guard tours, 2-way audio for intrusion and fire alarm systems, and P.E.R.S Medical Alert 2-way audio.  For more information, visit www.rc-usa.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                                        CONTACT:

02 May 2012                                                                                    J.D. Benfer

Response Center USA

(866) 489-4105

jdbenfer@rc-usa.com

Continue reading »]]> The solution to problems you didn’t even know you had!

In case you weren’t aware:

• POTS lines are rapidly going away (without notice)
• Customers are cancelling home phones – unnecessary expense with everyone having cell phones nowadays (customers rarely tell you when they cancel lines)
• Vonage™ and Magic Jack™ are just two ways customers kill alarm reporting
• Remaining phone service is going over unpredictable I.P. switches and routers that no one has control over (even from the ‘big’ carriers)
• Many of your communicators aren’t reliable today – there will be more tomorrow
• The 2G cell network is rapidly going away too

Exclusive Response Center USA solution
to present and future VOIP problems is
Now RISK FREE !

The offer is simple.  Purchase your first RCic™ module before Feb. 29th and if you don’t want it (for any reason), simply return it within 60 days of purchase, for a full refund.  We will even monitor it for the 60 days for FREE.  It doesn’t get any better than that.

Introducing the RCic™
Response Center Internet Communicator

Convert Panels to Internet Reporting Easily

(no IT experience required)

Say goodbye to VOIP reporting problems, cancelled POTS and sunseting GSM problems – forever

Convert Any Client Panel to the Many Benefits of Internet Reporting With One Plug-in

An easy add-on sell to existing clients, and a competitive advantage for signing up new customers who don’t have copper-wire or reliable phone service. 

RCic^TM is our proprietary rock-solid internet connector for any Contact-ID-reporting alarm panel.  It comes to you pre-programmed, so you simply plug the panel’s phone output (ring & tip) into the RCic^TM.  Then plug the unit into the customers internet router or modem. Like magic, it’s now reporting over the internet to Response Center USA’s virtual server.

No panel re-programming is required, because the panel simply thinks it’s talking to the phone it was originally programmed to call.  We reassign a new account number in our virtual server, so you don’t have to change any panel programming.  Response Center USA even checks for a ‘heartbeat’ every 50 seconds for a new standard in supervised reliability.

Super-simple, super-quick, this low-cost solution gives you and your clients full 2-way internet benefits, including 2-way voice (over the internet) if you need it. 

Call or email for more information on exactly how RCic^TM can help build your business.

Continue reading »]]> You can now save time with our SmartPhone APP. It’s now easy to: put accounts on & off TEST – check history – email reports – get maps to your customers address – auto dialing, and more right from your Smart Phone. No charge for dealer access!

We also can provide you with a Subscriber based SmartPhone APP that you can offer your customers to increase Your RMR.  No hardware for you to install – just ask us to set it up and start billing your customer(s) for a Value Added service.

Works on iPhone, Blackberry, and Android phones.

Call for details or click here

Continue reading »]]> Tap into VIDEO MONITORING RMR – RISK FREE

Dramatically increasing your R.M.R. has never been easier!  Customers will gladly pay for the benefits they receive from this revolutionary, intelligent video surveillance and alarm verification solution.  How many of your average systems will you have to sell and install to make the same reoccurring revenue?  Can your system “Watch” exterior cameras and respond to outside vandalism, thefts, and break-ins before they occur?

Your best initial prospects are your existing customers (especially those that already have cameras). Easy to sell, install and set-up.  And Response Center USA brings you an exclusive 60 day RISK FREE offer to try it out without risking a cent.  It doesn’t get any better than that.  But this is a limited time offer*, so don’t miss this opportunity to grow your business.

Be sure to check out our exclusive RISK FREE internet monitoring (that virtually eliminates VOIP problems) and our RISK FREE medical alert package while you are there.  We do so much more than just dispatch!

Resolve to do something positive for your company’s growth and future.  Call us today.

Click here for Printable PDF file: CheckVideo RC-USA RISK FREE PromoOffer

Continue reading »]]>

Monitoring Matters

Sales Pitch Tips for Alarm Companies

The growth of Internet sales and door-knocking campaigns have caused some traditional alarm dealers to resort to a faster, less comprehensive sales pitch. Consequently, many dealers are missing out on additional revenue after straying away from presenting a more holistic sales conversation that would highlight additional services, technologies and accompanied monitoring. ©iStockhoto.com/Jacob Wackerhousen

Many arguments or debates could be started on how the electronic security industry has changed during the past two or three decades. Consider the advances to hardware, software, communications channels and services, just to name a few.

Another vast area that has changed is the methods in which security and especially home burglar alarm systems are marketed and sold. For the veterans of the industry, we remember when home security barely had any type of marketing presence. Now we see television, newspaper, magazine, billboard, online and other mediums constantly pitching home security.

In addition, some of the fastest growing alarm companies have skipped right over traditional marketing methods and resolved that knocking on doors produces the best results. All in all things have changed significantly. Although this may be true, many security professionals believe certain fundamentals should never be lost.

It seems the rapid pace of Internet sales and door-knocking campaigns have caused some traditional alarm dealers to resort to a faster, less comprehensive sales pitch. Some have gone from the comprehensive in-home sales presentation to a fast-and-furious pitched attempt at a power close.

Tell a Holistic Story to the Client

The residential security channel has room for the wide variety of life-safety offerings and dealer business models that exist today. That said I am concerned a good many traditional dealers — even those with the desire to maintain clients with comprehensive systems and that consider securing all openings and areas of a home — are really starting to miss out.

This is because they have strayed away from telling the entire story to their perspective clients. It is essential for a presentation be complete, including the in-home demonstration as well as bringing the central station into the sale. To illustrate this point, dealers who utilized two-way audio verification demonstrations have experienced an increase in their closing ratios.

With all the great strides made in new technologies, dealers have such great opportunities nowadays to demonstrate services such as Web access, smartphone access and control, and remote video, among others.

Consumers long for valuable information, especially when it comes to areas where they are not highly educated. Although security has grown and consumers are more educated than in the past, they are not up on a lot of the new technology. This presents the greatest opportunity for the dealers who are willing to take the time to explain what is available, and possible.

This is a great value when presenting to new users and especially when presenting to existing or experienced users. The experienced user is looking for new reasons to make a security decision. This will put you ahead of the competition, especially when the competition is not offering a comprehensive presentation and demonstration.

In short, times are not exactly the best.  I don’t believe anyone likes to leave “money on the table.” Quality leads and new sales are hard to come by. It is crucial that we do all we can in a professional manner when in front of a potential client. The tools and services are available; don’t forget to utilize them during every sales presentation. I am sure you will find it brings you more sales that yield greater margins.

Peter Giacalone is president of Giacalone Associates, an independent security consulting firm.

Author Bios

Peter Giacalone is president of Giacalone Associates LLC, an independent security consulting firm providing strategic marketing, operational and sales support planning and structuring to central stations, manufacturers and dealers. He can be contacted at (201) 394-5536 or peter@petergiacalone.com.