How Central Stations communicate with subscribers- Don't miss today's FREE webinar on How to Select a PERS Monitoring Center presented by Affiliated Monitoring - July 20, 2016

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HOW CENTRAL STATIONS COMMUNICATE WITH SUBSCRIBERS
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    Monitoring is the premier RMR for the alarm industry.  The costs are relatively fixed and once set up the central station does all the work.  It's the monitoring of the system that maintains the continuous relationship between dealer and subscriber.  It's the response to the monitoring that is the topic of today's article.  It's shocking how little attention is given to the communication process by all parties concerned, the subscriber, dealer and central station.  I've advocated for written response policies, and in fact added that provision to the Standard Form All in One Agreements.  The dealer is in the middle.  It should be the responsibility of the dealer to insist that the central station provide a written response policy and provide that policy to the subscriber.  The policy should address how every type of signal the system is programmed to send is handled by the central station.  
    It's not enough that industry regulators such as UL, FM, ETL and NFPA have specifications.  Not all types of signals may be addressed and not all guidelines may be followed, either because of intentional deviation by the central station or requests by the dealer or subscriber.  
    It's not until there is a loss that someone points the figure at the dealer and central station and wants to know "why it was done this way instead of that way".  The dealer and central station are left scrambling to explain the Activity Report and justify, hopefully, how signals were handled.
    Communicating with subscribers is challenging.  We can attribute this to technology which has progressed to the point where no one need be out of touch for even a moment.  We aren't waiting for the mail to arrive, or telegraph message to be delivered.  There's the phone, the one in the house or office and the one in our pocket.  We get our emails, texts and calls almost instantaneously when sent.  
    Are those who set industry standards and the AHJs who make and enforce the law keeping pace with the technology and changing mores of our highly mobile society?  Those in the central station business are of course acutely aware of this issue.  Here is a comment by Morgan Hertel of Rapid Response discussing the issue.
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    Technology is changing especially with communications. NFPA and UL have also recognized this and is slowly adapting to the new paradigms.
    Our job is to notify, calling people on the phone is not only slow and tedious but in my experience we only contact actual people on their cell phones about 30% of the time and are leaving messages on electronic voice mails which isn’t much different than sending an email, SMS or having an IVR leave a message. Certainly does not guarantee a positive contact by leaving messages
    While technology is radically increasing what seems to be decreasing is the subscribers ability to manage the systems. When calling people on cell phones and  70%  of the time not being able to reach them why would anyone want to continue to do this when other technologies are significantly more efficient  and effective. I can send out 10 emails or SMS messages in less than a second where it would take me 10 minutes to call 5 people and leave messages on their phones; calling people on a voice channel is going the way of the Dodo  bird.  For those subscribers that want to be woken up at night have them set up a custom notification for the sender that will wake them up. I think by having multiple ways to contact people we will find that methods like SMS and push notifications will dramatically increase the percentage of notifications and will also increase the speed in which its done
    The other part that is changing is that the consumers are changing, the newer generations in America want to be texted or have a push notifications , that’s their preference and we should acknowledge this and provide them what they want.
    What the central station can’t do and nor should we do is attempt to make the subscribers more responsible. Most of us  don’t own the buildings we protect and if the people on call lists choose to ignore calls, SMS, push notifications and emails there isn’t anything we can do about it, we can’t be the call list police. Subscribers must take the responsibility to make sure systems are maintained and repaired when necessary.
    Dealers should be following up on trouble and supervisory signals as a service related function and an opportunity to have a positive touch point with the customer vs a central station operator giving them the bad news that they have a problem with the alarm system (again) .
    It’s time to keep up with technology and options,  not run from it.
Morgan Hertel | VP of Technology and Innovation
Rapid Response Monitoring
www.rrms.com
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                                           PERS: SERIES - WEBINARS 
                              WEBINARS - ALL WEBINARS ARE FREE 
HOSTED and moderated by KEN KIRSCHENBAUM, ESQ.,  KIRSCHENBAUM & KIRSCHENBAUM

WEBINARS:  PERS:  Personal Emergency Response Service  / Medical Alert:   how and why you need to consider getting into that business  Everything you need to know and do to get started with PERS or grow your PERS business to a nationwide operation.  Presented by a leading PERS manufacturer, a central station specializing in PERS monitoring, attorneys who will address licensing and contract issues and telemarketing issues.  Sign up for each webinar separately.  These webinars are FREE.  You need to register in advance to reserve your spot [attendance is limited] and sign in a few minutes before each presentation.
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Title:  How to Select a PERS Monitoring Center
Date and time:  July  20, 2016  12 noon to 1 PM
Place:  your computer
Register here:  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5252919376200633603
Presented by:  Mike Zydor, Managing Director of Affiliated Monitoring www.affiliated.com
Topic:  Selecting the right monitoring center for your PERS business is a key to growth
Q&A:  Send your questions in advance to Mike Zydor at sales@affiliated.com
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Title:  Licensing and Contracting for your nationwide PERS operation
Date and time:  July  27, 2016  12 noon to 1 PM
Place:  your computer
Register here:  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5380922320883276803
Presented by:  Nationwide PERS Agreement presented by Jesse Kirschenbaum, Esq.  Licensing for Nationwide PERS operation presented by Gene Rosen, Esq. Moderator: Ken Kirschenbaum.

Topic:  Agreement and License needed for nationwide PERS operation. 

Q&A:  Send your questions in advance to Jesse Kirschenbaum at Jesse@KirschenbaumEsq.com.
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Title:  Telemarketing nationwide 
Date and time:  August 3, 2016  12 noon to 1 PM
Place:  your computer
Register here:  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3591740925073303811
Presented by:  Matthew Pitts, Director of Legal Compliance, Alliance Security, Rhode Island.
Topic:  state telemarketing licensing; Federal and State Do-Not-Call compliance and call scrubbing; current legislation including the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Telephone Sales Rule (TSR); vicarious liability and the use of sales affiliates; recent litigation trends. 
Q&A:  Send your questions in advance to mpitts@alliancesecurity.com.
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