Lock, stock...out of stock!

Why is it that every time a rep from a manufacturer calls on us to promote a new product, we are all subject to the 'sales pitch'?

You know what I mean … "Our product is better than the competition, we have a high standard of design and manufacturer, a five year warranty, prompt delivery through our distributors" etc etc

I always pick up on this "high standard of design" as I believe most manufacturers have a pre-conceived perception of what the industry requires.

In most cases they approach installers when the product is ready for BETA testing … and beyond the point of any major amendments.

Surely designing control apparatus should have industry participation?

Manufactures' targeting too specific
I recently asked these questions at a presentation to security systems manufacturers and distributors organised by Security installer and its sister magazine Security Management Today. My main purpose was to enlighten both groups as to my own experiences.

Today's manufacturers appear to give precedent to targeting products for a specific market, rather than providing a multi-application product such as the old KJ Bentley Alpha CPU range.

This was one of the best microprocessor based CPUs ever. It spanned from 2, 2-4, 6-30 zones and beyond. One PCB and two zone ADDA Modules were common to the whole range, the only variations were the keypads and front covers.

It was a proper engineer's CPU with a lot of workspace, hinged trays for remote signalling and ADDA zone storage. The CPU could be used in all environments from small domestics to large industrial sites.

We recently received a repair that took three months. It must have been complicated ... or forgotten!

This meant that the engineer's van stock was multi-functional and much more manageable.

So manufacturers … whatever happened to good old multi-funtional products such as this? Why don't you speak to installers to ascertain our needs?

My next concern is with warranties. Most warranty repairs are expedited through distributors and my question is to them.

Why does collection start a mysterious chain of events which sees stock disappear from your stores, and one day – no one knows when – suddenly reappear, without any outside contact or progress reports?

We recently received a warranty repair which took three months! It must have been complicated … or was it forgotten by the distributor or the manufacturer? That's when the buck starts being passed.

I believe that manufacturers should be aware of the origin of warranty repairs and, upon receipt, should email or fax an estimated repair time and, if it's delayed, a progress report. After sales service is more important than successfully selling the product.

In the main, most distributors operate a next day delivery service, that enables installers to maintain a manageable stock holding. Unfortunately when orders are placed with most distributors, unsatisfied items are not discovered until the delivery arrives, and you play 'Hunt The Missing Items'. Usually the items which are missing are for installation the next day and in the most inconvenient location!

Additional costs to installers
The knock on effects are that the installer incurs additional costs trying to locate the items from another source and the installation is incomplete, which in most cases leads to end user dissatisfaction.

Installers’ advice is sought only after the product is beyond the point of any major amendments

This can only be attributed to inadequate IT, poor administration or a case of "Forget customer service, we're below target". Take your pick Training provided by manufacturers is another interesting area. Just how effective is it?

The area sales rep, who tends to use the training session as a sales tool, undertakes most manufacturer training. It usually lacks depth and evaluation.

Quite often training for a sophisticated CPU will be completed within a couple of hours, which, undoubtedly, results in technicians and engineers calling the help-line resulting in the obligatory customer complaints ... "Your engineer spent most of the time on the telephone because he did not know what he was doing".

I occasionally sit in on manufacturer training sessions and observe the "nodding dog syndrome" – that is when the trainer says, "Do you all understand that?"

Oh of course they do ... no one wants to ask a question and be branded the class idiot! This situation should now be addressed, by the new guidelines for manufacturer training for security systems produced by the Education Training Forum. (If you missed it, turn back to page 10 ... Ed)

The document has been open for comment from the industry for six months from April 2 2001 after which the guidelines will be submitted to be adopted as a Code of Practice.

Copies of the guidelines can be obtained from Josie Hoskins at SITO. Ring 01905-20004.