THE BUSINESS

John Bazyk is President and Chief Executive Officer of Command Corporation, a Connecticut-based integrator bringing intuitive security systems to home and small businesses throughout the Northeast. For the first 30+ years in business, Command Corporation served thousands of larger retail operations. About five years ago, Bazyk decided to diversify and acquire alarm companies with large residential and small-business customers in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

The new accounts require a different approach to security. Bazyk, an Alula Pro member, discusses why he chooses Alula products for his residential and small business customers.

Continue reading below or listen to John’s story

CONNECT+

Following the Advanced Lock and Alarm acquisition in New Hampshire and DAS in Massachusetts, Command Corporation inherited thousands of control panels from various manufacturers. The company needed a platform capable of working with virtually any system. Bazyk knows the Connect+ platform from Alula provides the highest degree of flexibility and customization. WHYCHOOSE ALULA? Increase profitability with simplified service fees that are easy for everyone to understand Delight customers with convenient app control of security and automation Save time and money with equipment that’s fast and easy to install Secured by www.commandco.com (800) 851-6012

“Using Connect+ systems and the Alula app, our customers control the full range of Alula products, including home automation, security sensors, and cameras,” says Bazyk. “The Connect+ panel enables our technicians to quickly take over new accounts without the need to rip and replace entire systems.”

Another Connect+ benefit is its ease of installation. In most cases, technicians are in and out of a home within an hour. Customers receive a wireless 5G-ready panel (preventing the need for replacement with the inevitable 4G sunset) capable of dual-path communications.

While in customers’ homes, Advanced Lock & Alarms’ commissioned technicians have a chance to sell cameras, Bazyk says. “It’s an easy sell because so little labor is involved in adding a Wi-Fi camera.”

BAT-CONNECT

In 2020 and 2021, Command Corporation saw significant supply chain issues with some of Alula’s competitors as the 3G sunset approached quickly. “We had thousands of sunset radios that needed replacement –fast,” Bazyk says.

He replaced all older radios with the universal 5G-ready Alula BAT-Connect communicator. “We had no trouble getting the units, and Alula’s $99 service credit helped us keep the replacement costs reasonable.”

Bazyk also likes the award-winning Alula App, which enables the end user to control home and small business security and automation systems from a single mobile phone app. The brandable app allows Command Corporation to remind users of their security dealer when they control their systems. The Alula Connect dealer portal also provides insights about how customers use their systems, which is valuable information for Bazyk in an everchanging technology-based business.

“It’s one platform for our technicians to deal with,” he says. “In most cases, we already have the programming information from the panels, as they are on our systems. And our customers are getting panel bus control through the Alula app, which they didn’t have before. That’s a huge deal.”

BAT-FIRE

Bazyk says Command Corporation installs BAT-Fire, a universal 5G-ready fire communicator, for many small business customers. “Alula built BAT-Fire correctly with two RJ phone jacks and two terminal blocks for the tip and ring dial capture. That makes installation faster. If a technician has a fire panel with an existing phone cord, he just plugs it in. If the panel lacks a cord, he uses the terminal blocks.” www.alula.comThe time needed to get BAT-Fire running on the Alula backend is also “very, very fast,” he says. “The BAT Fire works great to take over almost any commercial fire alarm panel.”

RMR

Recurring revenue is important for dealers, says Bazyk. Alula shows its understanding of RMR with simplified service pricing. “Alula’s competitors have convoluted pricing models, and it’s hard for technicians and salespeople to understand these complicated schedules. Alula has simple charges that everyone in our company can understand, making selling add-on services easier.  Also, we’re more profitable because we’re not being nickeled and dimed for every little feature from Alula.”

LITTLE THINGS

Bazyk has dealt with many manufacturers during his career. He appreciates the quality products that Alula builds, the ease of back-end programming and even the simple packaging. For example, Alula transmitters and sensors come preassembled –unlike some competitors –reducing installation time “exponentially.”

“Pulling transmitters out of the packaging that many of Alula’s competitors use, assembling them, and then dealing with the trash makes the installation time much longer than it should,” he says.

It’s also easy to train technicians on the Alula infrastructure. “Our technicians can fully install systems in two hours, no problem. You can do three or more installs a day at that rate.”

Bazyk recommends Alula for any residential and SMB dealer. “When you use Alula, you know everything works.”

Viva ISC West 2022

It’s an understatement to say conferences and tradeshows have changed during the pandemic. Still, we’re packing up our masks and hand sanitizer and heading to Las Vegas later this month (March 23-25) for one of our favorite events – ISC West. And we are looking forward to seeing you there.

If you don’t have your expo pass, here’s a free one on us. It’s a $150 value and it will give you access to the show floor and all the exhibits. You can find us in stand #8109. 

We’ve put together what we think is a great combo of new products, demos, giveaways and surprises. Here’s why you’ll want to visit with us.

• If you sign up now for a demo (here) you’ll be entered to win a new BAT-Fire communicator or a Connect+ Premium Security Kit. We’ll be giving one of each away to two lucky attendees.

• Register for a meeting, visit us and you’ll walk away with a $5 Starbucks card to purchase your favorite beverage, muffin or bagel.

• You’ll be one of the first people to get a look at our sleek new Slimline Touchpad PRO and our new high-definition cameras. 

• We’ll also show our recently launched universal fire communicator, the BAT-Fire.

In addition to all of this, you’ll get the chance to meet the Alula team, ask questions and provide us with feedback. We’re looking forward to seeing everybody face-to-face, or mask-to-mask as the case may be.

Marketing offers dealers powerful tools to gain new customers and expand services to existing clientele. It doesn’t have to cost much (if anything), except for some planning and time.

In this multi-part blog, I’ll look at different ways to make a positive impression on homeowners and renters throughout your service area. I know some of our dealers are already running successful multi-media marketing programs. Others are a little more hesitant, but there are opportunities for everyone.

 

Educate Existing Customers

Don’t overlook your existing customer base. These people are already on your radar. Make sure they know all the services you can provide and outline the benefits of those services. Each contact is an opportunity to educate them about home security and evolving smart home services. This takes a little finesse. There is a fine line between providing valuable information and overselling.

One way to walk that line is to develop a virtual flyer that can be emailed with an invoice or the more traditional approach of leaving behind a one-page handout. This lets customers look over the offered products and services and reach out with questions.

Also, remember we can help you customize the Alula app and Slimline Touchpad with your own logo. It means every time your customer uses the app, they will associate it with you and your business.

 

Word-of-Mouth

Looking for new customers? One of the first places to find them is through your existing customers. Word-of-mouth is one of the most powerful marketing tools available. And there are ways you can make it easier for your current customers to spread the word.

One of the best ways to get recommendations from your customer base is by providing excellent service. That seems obvious, but sometimes it’s easy to take your eye off the ball. Apple, Trader Joe’s, Nordstrom and Rackspace have made their reputations off superior customer service. Make sure great customer service is baked into your process. Emphasize it in your trainings and make it a key part of your job evaluations. Customer service should be top of mind for everyone in your workplace – from the person answering the phone to the sales team and the owner or general manager. Look at each customer as a walking advertisement for your business. Building a quality reputation is like money in the bank.

 

Incentives   

Make it even easier for your customers to recommend you by offering a cash reward or discount on monthly services for each referral. 

And while we’re talking about incentives don’t forget your employees. Offer a bonus for anyone bringing in new business. That means the sales team and anyone from installers to office support staff. Recognize team members who are helping you grow.

 

Up Your Community Profile

Take a higher profile in the community you serve. People like to support their local businesses. Let them know who you are by working in their neighborhoods. Ask your team to pick a good community cause and donate time. Work with schools, youth organizations, houses of worship or charities in the area. 

Food drives, park/beach clean-ups and school repair events can up your profile in the community, and they’re also great team-building and feel-good activities for your employees. Put on your company logo shirts and remember to take lots of photos. They can be used for office decorations, newsletters, social media, and even the local newspaper. We’ll talk about this more in the second blog of our marketing series. 

Sponsorships & donations are another way to become more well known in the community. Youth sports teams and school fundraisers are inexpensive ways to get your name in front of more people in the area. 

These are just a few ideas just to get you started. I’m sure you’ll think of many more projects appropriate for your community. 

Next up, we’ll look at websites and social media.

When you’re troubleshooting operational problems with one or more customer systems, the immediate need is systematically eliminating the variables.  Is there trouble with the device you’re working with, the customers’ internet connections or with Alula‘s service platform?

Ron Long, Alula’s Chief Experience Officer, understands the need for quick problem resolutions. That’s why Alula recently developed a Service Status page, enabling dealers to immediately ensure all Alula services are fully operational and eliminate a variable from the troubleshooting equation. 

“We want to provide visibility and transparency of our operations,” he said. “Now, when dealers encounter a problem, they can go to our website and immediately see if there is an incident in progress, planned maintenance or software updates that might impact service.”

Dealers have access to the new site 24/7, and once subscribed, they choose to receive notifications via text message or email when interruptions occur. Any member of a dealer’s team may subscribe. 

Long said, “Planned, impactful maintenance events are posted in advance. If unexpected events occur, we will post planned corrective steps and provide an anticipated time for when services are expected to resume.”

The Alula Service Status is broken down into functional component groups that span all dealers, including signal relay, video and cellular services, notifications, AlulaConnect, and mobile applications. API services are shown for dealers using them for custom integrations and enterprise services, such as email and voice services, to interact with customers. Service history and availability figures are shown for each component.

“We have redundant systems, so when we have a service platform event, over 99.9% of the time it’s completely invisible to end-users and the dealers,” said Long. “We’ll use this site only for events impacting operations. Unfortunately, they do happen on very rare occasions.”

Rather than being added to the AlulaConnect platform, the Service Status page is an external site. If the AlulaConnect portal is unavailable, the status page will still help dealers locate potential causes and let them know Alula is aware of a problem and working to resolve it. 

Long indicated that dealers were enthusiastic after previewing the site. 

“Our customers expect a high level of transparency from Alula,” he said. “We see the Alula Service Status page as another way to maintain and increase the level of trust we’ve developed by working closely with our dealer community.”

Visit the Alula Service Status page for more information about subscribing or visit AlulaConnect.

 

As a dealer/integrator there are two ways to look at the 3G Sunset. The first is to view it as the arduous task of contacting each customer, convincing them the absolute necessity of upgrading and spending precious time and resources completing equipment swaps.

The other way of looking at it is to see it as an opportunity. And yes, that word is way overused in today’s buzzword ladened marketing talk, but in this case it’s true. First, it gives you a solid reason to talk with your customers. That’s not something to be taken for granted. Every time you talk with a customer you get the chance to learn more about them, what they need and how you can help them. In other words, it’s a chance to sell your products and services.

Many of your customers don’t know what the jump from 3G to 4G/5G can do for them. You need to make sure they understand it gives them a faster, more flexible and secure network, capable of handling additional data. It makes their home smarter and a smart home is safer, more convenient and efficient. 

The pandemic has people looking to upgrade their homes

The pandemic and lockdowns kept a lot of people at home and in their houses. That has prompted many to look at making their surroundings more comfortable and appealing. Several surveys show more people in the U.S. are spending money on home improvements and that spending is expected to continue through the next year.

So, here are some smart home features you can offer you customers as they upgrade to 4G/5G with the Alula BAT-Connect:

• Video doorbells
• Security cameras
• Door lock control
• Lighting control
• Air-conditioning and thermostat control
• Garage door status and control

Tips for upselling 

The next question is how to sell these additional services and we have some tips from our own marketing team at Alula and some of our dealer/integrators leading the way. 

Offer discounts and deals – Some of our dealer/integrator partners have found this to be very successful. Your team is going to be in the customer’s home for the 4G/5G upgrade, so discounting certain equipment add-ons saves money and increases your RMR. Alula is also helping with a $99 service credit on all our panels and communicators.

Free consultation – Offer a free consultation with each 4G/5G upgrade. That way a sales rep can walk the customer through the options available explaining the benefits of added services.

Make everyone a salesperson – Incentivize your entire team. Your field technicians are often your best salespeople. Set up a bonus plan for anyone in the organization who makes a sale. 

Extend contracts – Some dealer/integrators have found this to be a great time to not only sell new services, but also to extend existing contracts.

Upgrading all 3G communicators by the end of February is a big hill to climb, but it can also be a way to boost business and increase RMR. Keep an eye out for more tips from us.

Meet BAT-Fire, Alula’s new dual-path fire alarm control panel communicator. Designed to reduce an integrators’ service times, while presenting new RMR opportunities. 

BAT-Fire wasn’t rushed to market. We spent time designing BAT-Fire to meet the needs of a proven, mature and established market. Because of this input, BAT-Fire offers features that help reduce the total cost of ownership and the complexity of fire communicator installations.

Easy configuration and installation

BAT-Fire offers easy configuration and support of all fire alarm control panels (FACPs) using dial-capture to report Contact ID signals or flexible inputs for interfacing with dialer-less FACPs. Simply connect the communicator via its dual Tip & Ring Dial Capture, configure the panel and the system is ready to go. 

Skip the next cellular sunset

Seasoned integrators know about the time and expense required to upgrade a communicator for each new generation of cellular service. The new UL-approved communicator’s CAT-M1 technology is 5G-ready, meaning you can skip the inevitable 4G sunset. 

Designed with RMR in mind

BAT-Fire was built with RMR in mind. The device’s four programmable inputs/outputs enable monitoring of auxiliary building systems like HVAC and sprinkler flow control –  possible sources of additional RMR.

A fire alarm communicator is critical for any building’s life safety systems and the new BAT-Fire is ready for the long haul. It builds on Alula’s history of award-winning products and services and comes with an industry-best five-year warranty. 

You’ll find BAT-Fire available now through security and electrical distributors that carry Alula products. 

Learn more at alula.com/bat-fire

Any successful product-based company understands the value of customer service before and after a sale. The way a customer service team handles assistance calls, delivering timely, attentive and thorough advice, reflects the entire company. Quality service builds a loyal following willing to share their experiences, often becoming a significant sales asset. 

Ron Long, Alula’s vice president of operations and customer experience, and his 20-member team recognize the importance of their work. And they’ve set a high bar for themselves, aiming to settle all requests for service with a single contact.

“We’re pretty proud of the service we provide in the marketplace,” says Ron. “We take every piece of feedback and use it to coach our teams to make the overall service experience better and better for our customers,” says Ron. “Our target for resolving issues in one customer contact is 95% and we’ve surpassed that target every quarter going back to 2019’s Q2.”

He said Alula’s technical support team members handle about 170 calls a day in their Customer Solutions Center. At any given moment, there may be as many as 40 active product and service calls underway. A typical call has the team on the phone assisting a service professional with an on location with a homeowner.

“We have a lot of support material available across our website and Partner Training Portal that is always available,” says Ron. “But we’re still there to lend a hand if and when a problem arises during an installation.”

Although virtually all calls received at the Customer Solutions Center come from dealer partners, Ron remembers one standout call from an end user of an Alula system. The person had trouble getting the Alula mobile app to arm and disarm the home’s system successfully. It took a while to figure out why it wasn’t working.

“It turns out they had somehow managed to launch the app in our demo mode and it’s very realistic,” he says. “It will show you all the capabilities and features of the app, but in that mode, it will never interact with a home system.”

Ron joined the company 5 ½ years ago as part of the original leadership team that merged two companies to form Alula. He credits much of his success to his team, including Emilio Estevez, who leads the Customer Solutions Team; the Order Management and Regional Account Management team headed by Eric Finkler; and Customer Success Managers Keli Falls, Ryan Matznick and Chris Bartholomew. 

Ron is happy to make himself available to Alula partners through his email, ron.long@alula.com, or by phone at 832-668-0385. He says he also frequently visits the Alula Professional Dealers and Installers Facebook forum and is available via his LinkedIn site.

Alula recently launched its Builder Program to help meet the increasing demands of homeowners for the comfort, convenience and security of a professionally installed integrated solution when they buy a new home. We recently spoke to Brian Motheral, general manager of Republic Elite Integration, a leading Northern California dealer and advisor on the formation of the Alula Builder Program, to gain his insights on how the program benefits dealers and integrators.

Homeowners expect functionality and control

He said consumer expectations have changed with the average price of a new home topping $800,000 in his area. 

“For that price, the average buyer expects some basic functionality and control over their home,” he said. “I always use the analogy of a car. You wouldn’t buy one today without Bluetooth and a navigation system. It took time for some builders to understand the concept, but they have come around. These systems changed builders’ marketing. Now, they’re quick to say their new projects are smart-home ready.”

When Motheral talks to builders, he reminds them they’re already putting locks, thermostats and garage door openers in their new homes.  The cost of turning these into smart devices is relatively inexpensive. Motheral estimates a basic home automation package costs about $500 – maybe adding a couple of dollars per month over a typical 30-year loan.

He said installing home automation systems into new homes still isn’t a large portion of Republic Elite’s revenue – most new home business still involves pulling wire and related activities. But he sees that changing as he works with larger and more nationwide homebuilders.

“We want any builder, especially a national developer, to make home automation systems a standard in every single home,” Motheral said. “We want to install as many of these as we can. We never lose money on an install – the builder is paying for it.”

How Alula helps

The Alula Builder program also presents opportunities for Motheral’s team to boost RMR. Republic Elite dispatches service techs to set up the Alula app and power up the system as the homebuyers move in. 

“The builders love the extra white-glove attention we provide,” he said. “That visit also gives us a chance to ask homeowners if they want a camera in the backyard, extra contacts on all doors and windows and monitoring.”

Motheral said monitoring home security and interactive services represent potential RMR. To hook new homeowners on the value of these offerings, he works with Alula to provide a free year of interactive services. 

“This is an area where Alula stepped up for us,” he said. “The Builder Program gives me the flexibility to determine what I want that trial period to be. At the end of the year, I’d guess up to 80% of the homeowners say, ‘Hey, wait a second. I still want to be able to control my home.’ We tell them we can make it happen, but there’s a monthly fee for that.”

Sleek design provides excellent aesthetics 

Motheral also gives Alula credit for designing a modular system that easily enables the addition of video doorbells, cameras and additional sensors. He said he adds as much as homeowners want to the Alula platform.  It’s more customizable and cost-effective than other platforms on the market, and he praised Alula for building sophisticated devices not resembling a child’s toy, like some other manufacturers’ offerings.

Among its many other benefits, the Alula Builder Program offers model home discounts, remote service activation and an optional Asset Protection Plan for during-construction coverage. The program is open to all Alula dealers. For more information, visit https://alula.com/builder/.