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October 2016 www.SecurityInfoWatch.com / Security Dealer & Integrator 47 Outside players such as telcos also are not required to undergo training before they perform installations, Graham adds. Access the full IQ Certification Guide- lines at www.iqcertification.org/guidelines.html. When you look at the IQ guidelines, you also start to realize how they can help an alarm dealer's bottom line. If you take the time to install and configure sys- tems correctly, then give the customers the necessary amount of training, it means less wasted time. "Higher-quality installations result in fewer false alarms, but they also allow dealers to spend less time servicing existing accounts and more time pursuing new customers," Graham says. "Our dealers need to be as efficient as possible, and IQ puts them in a posi- tion to get the most out of their resources." Improving Relations with Law Enforcement e sheer volume of false alarms and the resources devoted to them by law enforcement are staggering. Here are some of the stats: • Los Angeles reports that approximately 11 per- cent of its police resources are wasted on false alarms. • Phoenix spent the equivalent of $3.4 million in resources on false alarms in 2012. Police spent 17,644 hours answering 35,288 false alarm calls. • Atlanta responded to 65,000 alarm system acti- vations in 2012 — 95 percent of which were either false alarms or alarms that were cancelled en route. With each call taking an average of 20 to 30 minutes, the equivalent of 8 to 12 officers were dedicated to responding to false alarms. Numbers like those are the reason why municipal- ities have begun fining homeowners or security com- panies for false alarms, or have occasionally ceased responding to burglar alarms entirely. One of the benefits of IQ Certification for a mon- itoring station is the requirement of Enhanced Call Verification (ECV) — in which a central station oper- ator places two calls in an attempt to verify the reason for the alarm before dispatching. In 2013, Monitron- ics was lauded for working with the Charlotte-Meck- lenburg area of North Carolina to reduce dispatches to an impressive 18.5 percent. Being known as an IQ Certified dealer — and emphasizing the use of ECV in monitoring — is a great way to establish a rapport with local law enforcement. By making sure that local officials understand that your company is doing everything possible to keep false alarms to a minimum, it creates the foundation for a cooperative relationship. "As an industry, we constantly battle the perception that we are a driver of negativity and labor costs for public safety agen- cies," Graham says. "IQ certification allows dealers to change that perception by putting forth the idea that we are paying attention to quality and other factors that help reduce false alarms." Sales Differentiator ere is no doubt that IQ Certification makes a difference through increased efficiency, but there is another bottom-line benefit — by displaying the IQ Certification logo, it is an easy way to let a cus- tomer know that an alarm dealer offers a level of quality greater than many of the giant companies whose businesses involve more than just security and home automation. at can be a positive factor in the closing process for your sales reps. "Dealers aren't just facing competition from each other, but from outside the industry," Graham says. "If you present yourself as a quality provider by explaining what IQ Certification means, you are selling to the customer based on the value of dealing with someone who understands security, and not someone who adds it as part of a bundle." ■ » Robert Ogle is a communications specialist at Monitronics Security. To request more information about the company, visit www.securityinfowatch.com/10216127. 918-622-4357 • 800-879-1438 • Fax: 918-663-8897 3025 S. 116 E. Ave. • Tulsa, OK 74129-5223 www.monitoringamerica.com info@monitoringamerica.com NOW Only $72.00 The World's Smallest 3G/4G Communicator Only $3.00 per month! Includes Interactive Regularly $99.95 Mini GSM Radio Interacti ve Cellular Alarm Communicator Request Request information: www.SecurityInfoWatch.com/10490593 information: Request information: www.SecurityInfoWatch.com/10490593 www.SecurityInfoWatch.com/10490593 Request information: www.SecurityInfoWatch.com/10490593