5 Radical New Ways How CCTV Service/Repair Changes Retail Business By Security Expert Ken Rhule

www.focusmicro.com

Has this ever happened to you? You are having a problem with your security system and call your provider to schedule a service call. The technician shows up only to find out they do not have the right part to fix it, or that they do not have the skill set to fix the problem. This usually means they will have to come back tomorrow or the next day, or even dispatch a different repair person to get the problem taken care of.

How do you minimize these problems, and more importantly the costs? My experience at FocusMicro has taught me five radical new ways that you can save your business money on CCTV service and repair charges :

1. GPS Vehicle Tracking – When an integrator invests in GPS tracking equipment for their Service and Installation vehicles they are making a sound investment. GPS tracking can allow a service dispatcher to locate the nearest vehicle in proximity to a newly logged service call, the closer the service vehicle the better. Having installed GPS vehicle tracking your company can increase customer satisfaction, reduce costs, increase efficiency, streamline operations, and increase profits, thus facilitating the kinds of savings that directly help your bottom line. GPS vehicle tracking saves time and money for both the service company and the client. Companies that implement tracking will see instant benefits.

GPS vehicle tracking provides important information, including but not limited to:

• Time spent at each service call.

• Poor or unsafe driving habits.

• Identification and elimination of excessive idle time.

• Determining more efficient travel routes.

• Driving speed to determine if the driver is being conscious of laws and fuel efficiencies.

• Ability to identify and re-route the closest service vehicle when there is an urgent need.

2. Live Inventory Control – Managing inventory in real time on all vehicles provides a more efficient streamlined method of tracking and billing for parts used on a service call. Portable inventory is historically loosely managed in the service industries. Loss of inventory and waste creates unnecessary expense for both the service company and the client. The addition of onboard real-time inventory tracking tightens the control of what´s on hand and what´s been used, and also aids the dispatcher in determining which van to send out to a call.

3. Flat Rate for Service Nationally –Benefits your national customers with a fixed agreed upon rate for service no matter where the service call is located in the country. Customers can count on a service call to cost a certain amount based on the agreed upon rate. When a customer signs a maintenance agreement they should also get a guaranteed onsite response time from the integrator. The benefit to the integrator is that they have a client dedicated to only use their services anywhere in the nation for their specific product lines.

4. Computer A+ Level Technicians – Having a technical staff that has a higher level of computer and software training can be an enormous advantage in today´s security business. Field technicians must be educated to IT industry standards and be capable of resolving computer technology and video surveillance failures including hardware defects, operating system glitches, security system viruses and obsolete internet security systems. With the increasing level of Video Surveillance becoming "net-centric" and with IT department involvement in security installations, it is imperative to have a staff that understands and communicates appropriately in the IT environment.

5. Preventative Maintenance – Customers should ensure they have comprehensive preventative maintenance agreements set up with their integrator. Typically a technician will gather all of the information about the site during the PM site visit and will provide a detailed report to the client base upon his inspection. If there are any deficiencies they will be discussed and addressed upon completion of the site visit and then the technician can advise the client as to the corrective actions that need to take place in order to repair the problem(s), most efficiently while he is still on-site and with the van inventory he carries.

Technology alone is not the key but the people and processes are what make the difference. In FocusMicro I have tried to develop one of the finest service teams in the business. From the call center, help desk or technicians in the field each person plays an important role in delivering you customer satisfaction…and service with a smile.

If you´d like to start saving money today give FocusMicro a call at 1-800-524-3090

www.focusmicro.com