How to Choose a Security Company

Choosing the right security company is very crucial if you wish to protect your home or bussiness from threatening situations like an intrusion. With so many options out there, selecting the right company is a truly daunting task.

Furthermore, the majority of people lack even the basic knowledge when it comes to these companies. Their knowledge is either rudimentary or non-existent and thus anyone interested must do twice the research before signing a contract.

Below you will find 7 basic criteria you must take under consideration before signing a contract with a security provider. These criteria will help you avoid companies with certain problems, like:

• Lack of a proper control center
• Insufficient security personnel and/or vehicles
• Few (if any) vehicles for patrols and emergency cases
• Companies that offer poor quality alarm systems

Hopefully, after reading this article you will be more demanding in your needs and capable of chosing the proper company for the safety of your family or your business.

Your number one priority is to ask questions about the company’s main control center of operations. Here is where signals sent from individual alarm systems are sent, controlled and managed. Some important things to do:

• Ask to see the center in person
• Ask how many people are employed at the Centre and if it’s operational 24 hours a day
• Ask if it supports wireless communication via 3G or GPRS with the alarm system that will be installed. This is important if someone cuts the telephone line or if the network is down for technical reasons

Some companies will just assure you that the "center is excellent" without being willing to go into details. Due to operating costs and initial investment, security companies often have a rudimentary control center. Furthermore, certain companies do not have their own Control Center. They simply cooperate with other security companies to handle their customers' signals in order to cut their costs down. Are you sure that the cooperation of these two companies will be perfect when you need it? It’s better if you choose a company that has its own control center if you want the maximum safety for you and your belongings.

Ask each company if the employees are trained and certified. Today, the most reliable certification is given by the Electronic Security Association’s National Training School (NTS). People certified through NTS have gone through extensive training in electronic security.

Ideally, you want to choose an experienced company with a long history in the field. Some things you can ask include:

• How many years is the company operational
• How many customers does it have
• Large projects they have worked on
• The number, experience and expertise of employees

It’s true, just by signing to a security company the likelihood of becoming a target of burglars is greatly reduced. Still, the company must be ready at any time to get into “battle” to protect you and your property. And to do that, it needs adequate vehicles. A security company if requested should give you info about:

• The number of vehicles available
• Their equipment
• Security personnel who handle them

If you live in a large city and you find that a company has fewer than 20 vehicles then consider very carefully whether this amount is enough for routine patrols and emergency cases. If the vehicles are less than 10, it’s probably better if you look for another company.

Make sure to ask for samples from previous alarm installations.If you are worried about the final aesthetic result, ask how the installation of the security systems will be done and how the final result will look like.

Check the company on the local Better Business Bureau (BBB). See if the ratings are positive and if there have been any complaints.

You can also use search engines to check for negatives customer reviews that might be out there.

As you can see, price is the last item on the list. This is because price should be the last factor you should consider before choosing a security security company.

Yes, the price should meet your budget and yes you can try to negotiate to save some money. However, you should never sacrifice safety just for a better price!

After selecting a security company, read the proposed contract carefully.

Discuss any terms and address any questions you might have have with the company's representative. Be cautious and don't hesitate to leave the table if you feel "pressured" to sign.