Victim of a recent hailstorm more brazen than this area has seen in decades, my doorbell has been continuously abuzz by what local construction companies call storm chasers. Of course they are looking for work, and who isn’t? But I hope the security alarm industry never acts in this manner. They’ve come from across the Midwest and more…one from Missouri and another from Texas! I’m not quite sure how they handle the business—they must sub it out to some of the below minimum wage workers prevalent in the Chicago area—who need work too and I understand that as well. But how can I trust a company that I know will only leave me with the distant memory of their license plate when the job is done? I’m sorry, but I can’t. And I say all this because you as the local, reputable, law-abiding, community focused security and systems integrators have a real opportunity to learn from this how to focus your business. It’s the local companies who did come a-knocking that I really liked (several I had called from references) because of what they had to say. The one young man talked about how his mother owned the business (of course he’ll say that to a woman but it’s smart) and also espoused the fact that they are family run and have employees on the payroll and not just subcontractors. He talked about how they work with the insurance company so I don’t have to handle any of the hassle of getting the job done. He talked about how they back up their work and won’t disappear after the job is done.Now that’s the company I want to deal with--one that knows their intrinsic value and what they bring to the table--the company focused on being the best it can be…and better…every single day. I have a kinship with this industry. I’ve seen it grow and prosper thanks to all the small businesses it’s comprised of (small according to the big scheme of things). The people are really entrepreneurs and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. And I know you won’t stoop to the levels of storm or ambulance chasers. – Deborah L. O’Mara, Security Dealer & Integrator magazine
