Summer has officially arrived: the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the door-to-door salespeople are making their rounds. Door-to-door sales is one of the oldest businesses in the book, and for good reason; they are very successful.
Unfortunately, many door-to-door salesmen have a tendency to mislead their intended customers, giving honest companies a bad rap. This is especially true for the home security industry.
You want to make sure that your home will always be safe. Whether you’re going away for a weekend or extended vacation, or you just want to feel secure while your kids are at home, you can easily get security with an alarm system, right? Perhaps not, if you purchase your system from a door-to-door alarm system salesman. They are usually offering a cheap product at a steep price.
During the summers, several home security companies hire temporary workers, typically students who are home visiting, to canvas neighborhoods and try to sell homeowners on low-end home monitoring systems with high prices. Most of the time, these temporary salesmen receive high commissions on their sales, which causes many of them to use aggressive and misleading sales pitches. Some of the most common tactics include:
- Whether it is a true statement or a false one, they might tell you that your neighbors just purchased a system and that you could get the same deal if you purchase the same system right then.
- On the contrary, they may say that they chose your house specifically, for one reason or another, and that they are giving you a special deal that they aren’t offering to anyone else. But chances are very high that they gave the exact same spiel to your neighbors.
- The salesman might say that your system is out of date or that your current home security company is going out of business. You can fact check that with a quick phone call.
- Urgency is a giveaway of a scam. If they say the deal is only valid today or that the offer will expire soon, they are pressuring you. Don’t fall for it. As with any other important purchase, you should get at least three competing quotes before deciding. They are trying to get you to make an impulse purchase, and rope you into an overpriced contract as quickly as possible.
- Some door-to-door salesmen may even have maps detailing an increase in crime in the area. They may attempt to manipulate you with an elaborate hypothetical in which your child has a run-in with a home intruder. The shadiest dealings reportedly involve companies calling your home and acting as law enforcement with a phony notification of increased criminal activity in your area. Scare tactics are a red flag. If they are preying on your insecurities, they are desperate, and likely dishonest.
Not all door-to-door salesmen are dishonest. Generally you should know what to expect when a sales representative arrives. A good sales rep will identify himself and be able to show proper licensing. In fact, if he works for a reputable company, he will most likely be a veteran employee, not just a temp.
If your home is being monitored by a reputable company, they will communicate things like when upgrades are due and will maintain a relationship with you built upon integrity, not fear-mongering. Any respectable company would not dare make a customer feel uncomfortable at their own home. That is the exact opposite of what a security company is supposed to do. SafeTouch hopes that this reminder about how business should not be conducted will keep you from dealing with pushy salespeople this summer.
SafeTouch is the largest independent security company in the nation, and our fast response times coupled with cutting edge security technology guarantee our reliability. If you want to ensure that you are always dealing with a dependable company, you can reach us at 888.895.SAFE (7233) or online.