I have worked installing security systems for 20 years, founded my own company, Crystal Security, eighteen years ago, inspected by the SSAIB for six years (sad loss of Charles Cookson, my inspector who died last year) – so I am aware of the security industry.
I always read with interest Mike Lynskey’s articles and mostly agree with his thoughts but sometimes feel he has been in an attic dragging cable behind him and worrying if he will make enough money this week to pay for his family.
However, my main point of writing is about the much talked about cowboys in this industry.
We are governed by ACPO who are police officers who have never installed an alarm system.
We are governed by the ABI who are insurance sales people, for heavens sake, and and I don’t think they have installed many alarm systems.
So should we establish an association of alarm installers to tell the police how to police or enforce the correct procedure to knock a door and sell an insurance policy?
Not yet exhausted, should we stay in the top echelon and come to the equipment manufacturers, find out what is wrong with their products and tell them?
They practice on us and we get the grief of the public (they call us cowboys).
How many of us have heard from the manufacturer “You’re the only installer in the UK who has had this problem”… only to find that your mate at XYZ alarms down the road has had the same problem?
I have been called out from a meal at a restaurant to attend a recently installed system (trying out a new panel). The customer could not turn it off. Faulty system. This was followed by two more of the same problem.
Ok, the products were replaced free of charge but when I asked what the problem is there was no answer. It’s a big secret. My customers think he is the cowboy.
If you take your car into a garage for repair and ask what’s wrong they don’t say “It’s a secret but it’ll cost GB pound 250 to put right”. So who are the real cowboys out there?
Chris Spencer, Proprietor, Crystal Security, 3 Cook Close, Perton Wolverhampton WV6 7TJ
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