KEN KIRSCHENBAUM, ESQ
ALARM - SECURITY INDUSTRY LEGAL EMAIL NEWSLETTER / THE ALARM EXCHANGE
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comment on grace period / Comment on life-time warranty / two new webinars announced
April 25, 2020
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Title: Do-It-Together is better than Do-It-Yourself
When: April 28, 2020 at 12 PM ET
Description: Postponed or canceled installs? Learn how to leverage technology to provide technician-assisted, self-installed systems; products that make it possible, how marketing strategy to bring in leads, and how your techs can provide remote support from the safety of their homes
Presented by: Jake Voll, President, SS&SI Dealer Network. www.ssandsi.com jake@ssandsi.com 866-364-0030
Hosted by: Ken Kirschenbaum, Esq.
Who should attend: Owners, general managers, sales and service managers, sales personnel and tech support
Register Herehttps://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/470346191906645773 
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TitleIs NICET certification for me?
When: April 29, 2020 12 PM ET
Description: Is NICET certification right for your company? We will explore the accreditations, what states and agencies require them; how to apply for and take the exam, finalize the application and maintain your certification. 
Presented by: Peter Goldring, Principal consultant of Peter M. Goldring Consulting LLC. GoldringProtection.com pmgoldring.com 516-640-1410
. Peter holds NICET IV Fire Alarm accreditation and has 36 years of experience with engineered fire alarms. He holds FDNY Smoke Detector Maintenance, Service and Inspection, Auxiliary Radio Communication Systems and Expeditor Certificates of Fitness and is a volunteer firefighter in Monmouth County, NJ 
Hosted by: Ken Kirschenbaum,Esq
Who should attend:  Owners, managers, senior techs and those interested in NICET credentials
Register Herehttps://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/662194478345225228
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Comment on grace period suggestion from article on April 10, 2020
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Ken
            I'd like to comment on grace period suggestion from article on April 10, 2020
            We decided when this first broke that we had to do something for our customers.  We put in place a free month of service each month for anyone who turns in a copy of their SC State Unemployment Check.  An electronic copy of the deposit will work.  We have had very few actual requests but many "Hats Off" from customers that appreciated our concern for others during this time of national crisis.  One lady from New York who has a beach house here actually called and said she wished her home based alarm company showed concern like that for its customers.  She asked us to come to New York and take over her alarm.  New York is too fast and furious for South Carolina natives.
            We also suspended billing to restaurants and bars that are forced to be closed or can only do take out. More of them declined it than accepted it. But all of them appreciated it.   Bar and restaurant owners are like lawyers, they fight each other in business every day but party together after court.  In the last 2 weeks we have taken over 8 restaurants because of it.  All installation costs have been deferred for 6 months after the governor says they can re-open.
            We did this because of the situation our friends (our customers) have been forced into.  In South Carolina we might be 1st in Drunk Driving and 50th in education rankings but we take care of our recurring income customers.
            We have over 17,000 accounts and operate our own central station and the impact has been less than $5,000, but the feeling of doing the right thing is PRICELESS.
Sincerely we are,
Washing our Hands in Beautiful South Carolina
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Response
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            That's a great story for the alarm industry; humanitarian and sound business.  Anyone have anything that beats this?
            No doubt there are plenty of hard luck stories out there and there are going to be a lot more.  When the stay at home orders are lifted I'm sure many businesses will not be re-opening; many residential subscribers will have lost their job and many suffered severe financial setback and may not recover without the protection from a bankruptcy filing.  Be on the lookout for those filings.  You will be faced with deciding which of your customers are deserving of leniency and forgiveness, as well as continued service.   
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Comment on life-time warranty
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Ken,
            I am inclined to offer a lifetime workmanship warranty.  What do you think?   How will this affect the All-in-One contracts?
     Thank you for your services – You do a great job.
ANONYMOUS
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Response
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            The only affect your policy of life-time warranty may have on the All in One agreements is that you won't be able to afford updates.  
            The All in One has a 90 warranty for commercial and one year warranty for residential.  
            You can change the warranty period for "life of the contract, including renewal terms".  Or, you can check the Repair Service Plan and put in zero for the RMR.  
            I suppose by "workmanship warranty" you mean labor, not equipment.  Just make that clear when you offer the plan and hopefully there won't be confusion whether a repair is required because of labor or equipment.  
            The next issue that comes to my mind is if you're going to charge for the equipment [and there will probably be very few labor only issues, especially if equipment is not covered], what will the mark-up be for the equipment?  Free labor but 100% mark-up?  Or free labor and equipment at actual cost?  Also, how long before every service call will require change of equipment when maybe an hour or so of programming will render the equipment functional?
            Be careful balancing your concern for subscriber satisfaction and the expense to your company.
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Reaching K&K during the lockdown
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     During this crisis the most efficient way to reach our attorneys is via email.  You can also call and if not picked up, leave a message and your call will be returned promptly.
    Here are a few departments to contact directly:
alarm / security / pers / fire department:  Ken - Ken@Kirschenbaumesq.com or call and leave a message with return number at 516 747 6700 x 301
health care professionals:  Jennifer Kirschenbaum,Esq 516 747 6700 x 302; jennifer@kirschenbaumesq.com
Alarm contracts:
  Eileen Wagda 516 747 6700 x 312​
Alarm licensing:  Alison Gallup,Esq 516 747 6700 x 317  AGallup@Kirschenbaumesq.com; or Eileen Wagda, Licensing Administrator, 516 747 6700 x 312  EWagda@Kirschenbaumesq.com
Employment issues:  Kieran Bastible 516 747 6700 x 315  kbastible@kirschenbaumesq.com; or Jennifer Kirschenbaum,Esq
Concierge Alarm Clients have full access through our Concierge Program Coordinator, Stacy Spector, Esq  516 747 6700 x 304 or SSpector@Kirschenbaumesq.com 
Collections:  [courts are shut down at this time, so don't expect much progress.  We will however continue to prepare papers on our end so that we will be ready when the courts normalize]  Kathleen Lampert  516 747 6700 x 319  KLampert@Kirschenbaumesq.com
Pending litigation:  Caroline Wallet,Esq  CWallett@Kirschenbaumesq.com  516 747 6700 x 305 and Maureen Biel,Esq 516 747 6700 x 303  MBeil@Kirschenbaumesq,com
Bankruptcy and debt collection issues:  Steve Sheinwald,Esq  516 747 6700 x 309 SSheinwald@Kirschenbaumesq.com or Scott Dillon,Esq  516 747 6700 x 318

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CONCIERGE LAWYER SERVICE PROGRAM FOR THE ALARM INDUSTRY
You can check out the program and sign up here: https://www.kirschenbaumesq.com/page/concierge or contact our Program Coordinator Stacy Spector, Esq at 516 747 6700 x 304.
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Ken Kirschenbaum,Esq
Kirschenbaum & Kirschenbaum PC
Attorneys at Law
200 Garden City Plaza
Garden City, NY 11530
516 747 6700 x 301
ken@kirschenbaumesq.com
www.KirschenbaumEsq.com