Most alarm companies install, monitor and service various types of alarm systems. Subscribers are residential and commercial. The usual transaction is sell to residential and lease to commercial subscribers.
Home owners will want to own the equipment, not lease it. For residential transactions you will need a sales contract, monitoring contract and service contract.
The sales contract covers the design, installation and warranty work.
The monitoring contract covers monitoring service and service of the communication software. As pointed out in numerous articles, this contract is not the same as the one provided by your Central Station. This is your monitoring contract with your subscriber. It details your responsibility and
relationship with the subscriber, and it is the contract that you will rely on if sued, if you have to sue the subscriber, or if you sell you business or subscriber accounts.
The service contract covers you for service work beyond the warranty work. Keep in mind that if your subscriber suffers a loss and you have performed any service, unless the cause of the loss is known, you are likely to be sued for design, installation, monitoring and service of the system. Only
the service contract will cover you for service. The service contract provides for either periodic payments by the subscriber or per call payments, so that you and the subscriber can decide which method you prefer. Also, when you sell your subscriber accounts only the periodic payment contracts will add value to your business.
The residential package is 3 contracts, and they are separate. Those of you who are reluctant to have separate contracts will appreciate the separation when you see that separate contracts are easier to use and explain, especially when you are not providing all 3 services, sales, monitoring and service. I do have an "all in one" contract but it is not front and back like all the other contracts. The lay out is 3 pages and I suggest that you print it in booklet form if you insist on this contract. (It has to be specially ordered since it is not on the order form on my website Alarm Contracts .]
For commercial subscribers you should be leasing, and will require the lease contract. Commercial customers are use to leasing and the write offs are more advantageous. From your perspective you need to learn how to market and sell the commercial lease. You will get the same amount of money on the installation as you would on the sale, and your monthly charge will be higher.
You will also have more control over the account since you will continue to own the equipment. See prior articles on the best way to present the commercial lease option to your customer. Alarm Articles
All contract are front and back with the hand written insertions and signature on the front only. All contracts will be mailed, hard copy, and emailed to you in WordPerfect format (unless other arrangements are made).
When you purchase the 4 basics, sales, monitoring, service (or the all in one) and lease, all other contracts ordered at the same time are half price.