COPS Monitoring Bulletin Newsletter #30

These former alarm company owners are uniquely positioned to identify with your needs and teach you how COPS Monitoring can help your business grow Charlie Crenshaw brings over 40 years in the electronic security industry, including various sales and management positions with companies such as Ademco/Sontrix, ADT, and Smith Alarm Systems. In 1987, Charlie left his VP position at Smith in Dallas, Texas to purchase and run his own alarm company in Austin. He remained CEO of Crenshaw Alarm until 1994 when he sold to the Alert Centre in Colorado to pursue other opportunities. In 2001, Charlie re-established Crenshaw Alarm and has been running it as a successful company for the past 14 years. He was also appointed by Gov. Rick Perry and continues to serve as a commissioner on the Texas Private Security Board. Born in Austin, Charlie attended the University of Texas at Austin on an athletic scholarship. Charlie still resides in Austin, Texas with his wife Julie and he looks forward to using his extensive experience helping COPS' alarm dealers in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. Charlie Crenshaw • Charlie lettered 3 years on the UT baseball team and competed 3 times in the College World Series. • Ben Crenshaw, Hall of Fame pro golfer and two-time Masters Champion, is Charlie’s brother. Interesting Personal Facts: Ernie Gambone began his career in the security industry in 1973 as an installer apprentice at Robinson Alarm Company, which was one of the largest providers of alarm systems in the Philadelphia area. For more than 20 years, Ernie worked hard acquiring extensive experience in installation, service, central stations, and ultimately served as Robinson’s Operations Manager. Ernie was recruited by a large beverage distributor in 1994 where he worked for four years as an Operations Manager to oversee procurement, warehouse operations, logistics, distribution, and fleet management. In 1998, Ernie returned to the alarm industry, starting Sera Security with a mission to provide good old-fashioned service. For more than 13 years, Ernie nurtured Sera into a successful company with loyal and satisfied customers. He eventually moved away from Sera to turn his sights toward new challenges. Ernie lives in Southampton, Pennsylvania with his wife of 37 years and is excited to help dealers in the Northeast. Ernie Gambone • Ernie loves animals. He was involved in dog training at a local pet store, and has volunteered his time at an animal rescue in Bucks County, Pennsylvania where he was fortunate to adopt a retired thoroughbred horse named Santina's Gold, now affectionately called 'Mocha'. Interesting Personal Facts: Did you miss something? Electronic versions of past issues of the Bulletin are available online at: copsmonitoring.com/bulletin COPS WELCOMES TWO INDUSTRY VETERANS TO OUR TEAM REDUCE FALSE DISPATCHES Don't you hate when the police show upwhile you're testing an account? This tip just might save the day! We recommend training your technicians to always send a low-priority signal such as power failure, zone trouble, or lowbattery before sending high- priority alarms or keypad emergencies such as panic, medical, and fire. This way, if your technician forgets to place the account on test, sending signals won't result in an unnecessary dispatch! It will also prevent false dispatches on the wrong customer in the event the account number was accidentally programmed incorrectly. IMPROVECUSTOMER SATISFACTIONBY LOGGINGLOWPRIORITY SIGNALSATNIGHT Calling in the middle of the night for AC loss, low battery, or other trouble signals might frustrate some of your customers. Did you know you can have low priority signals LOGGED IN for residential and/or commercial customers between certain time frames? Then, at a more reasonable hour, your service department can call them to schedule a service call. Prevent upset customers and provide better service by contacting Dealer Support and asking to "Log Low Priority Signals By Time Frame for My Dealer Number." Logged signals can be viewed or downloaded on MPower in the "Dealer Action Required Report." HOT TIPS! You can speak with Ernie or Charlie by calling 800.367.2677. To reach the COPS account executive dedicated to your state, please contact Betty Hudson at 800.367.2677 x 1256 or visit copsmonitoring.com/contact