Message from the President:
By: Robert Few, President & CEO
Employee Appreciation Day is next week on March 5th, so I thought I would take this opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of employee appreciation. It can be hard to make time for programs that recognize our teams; however, I urge you to take a look at what you have in place and see if it could use a refresh or if you need to start from scratch maybe some of the ideas below will help.

Here at GMS we take the building and nurturing of our company culture very seriously and we have instituted many employee appreciation programs and benefits to aid in this effort. We want every interaction with GMS to be positive and that starts before we even hire team members. We are conscious of the interview process and want to ensure that even if we don’t hire someone that we have still made a positive impression on them.

Once we hire a team member we have taken great care in building out a fantastic onboarding process with many activities that make our team members feel valued from their first day. When they start, we provide them with an in-depth introduction to our industry and specifically GMS. Our owners also meet with every new team member to personally provide information about the history of GMS and give the team members the opportunity to ask them questions and learn more about the organization.

We also ensure that new team members get time with all of our department heads so they are able to establish direct relationships right away. We want all of our team members to be empowered and have the tools they need to take care of our dealer partners from the start.  Once they have completed our training they also receive the GMS Swag Bag. It comes with a GMS logoed water bottle, blanket, pens, a face mask, logoed polo and a “Get Out of Jail Free” card. This makes them feel like they are really part of the team from the very beginning and gives them a sense of pride to work with GMS.

Our employee appreciation doesn’t stop once team members complete their training. We have a plethora of programs and benefits that all of our team members get to take advantage of throughout the year. Everyone receives a Birthday Day Off along with other Holidays, including a floating holiday to use when it is convenient for them. We have developed multiple awards programs including our Annual President’s Awards, Employee of the Month Awards, and Special Awards for going above and beyond when handling actual alarms and alarms that result in apprehensions.

We have recently instituted an Employee Action Committee that is tasked with keeping us ahead of the curve on perks and benefits that we can provide to our team along with planning special events and activities that fuel team spirit within GMS. These programs take time to implement and require ongoing management, but they are fantastic ways to build employee engagement, retention and at the end of the day result in increased productivity and attaining our goals as a team!

At GMS we cross-train our team members which have tremendous benefits, but it doesn’t end there. We have also developed “A Day in the Life” program that enables team members to go and sit with other employees in areas of the business that they have an interest in exploring. This helps provide them with a glimpse into what those positions entail and is great for helping to create career path opportunities in the direction that the employees want to take within our business.

If you know me, you probably know that I firmly believe in mentorship. I have been involved in multiple mentorship programs over the last decade, and I have brought that experience with me to set up a Mentorship Program within GMS as well. The benefits of mentorship programs extend to both mentors and mentees and the results are off the charts when done right.

We also ensure that our team members have the time they need to tap into our industry associations, events, and professional development opportunities. They are able to create valuable connections and continue building more knowledge that benefits them personally and us as an organization.

If you want to learn more about any of the employee appreciation programs we have set up and best practices around how we manage them, please feel free to reach out to me anytime. I would love to help you get effective programs set up within your business as well. As always, we are here to help you with creating the most success within your business as possible!
 
Robert Few - President & CEO
General Monitoring Services
(201) 838-0091
What’s New with GMS
What is Employee Engagement?
By: Sarah Deluca, Human Resources
Employee Engagement represents the enthusiasm your employees display and the emotional connection they have to your company. Creating a culture rooted in transparency and kindness will provide a positive and healthy work environment for your employees to flourish.

With current reports showing that over two-thirds of employees are contemplating leaving their jobs, we need to ask ourselves, what are we doing to engage with our workforce actively? Those findings attribute to a lack of recognition, appreciation, and positive interactions.
 
Establishing recognition programs and offering performance-based incentives are an easy start but don’t be afraid to experiment. Some action plans or programs may not work but, showing your employees that you are willing to experiment for the sake of their health and happiness can help to boost morale throughout your organization.

What are the benefits of having Engaged Employees?
Actively engaged employees are shown to have increased productivity levels, decreases in absences, and have a more positive outlook on things. You will inevitably have higher customer service levels when employees support your company’s mission and vision. Your employees will have longer tenures, develop foundations of institutional knowledge, and embody the confidence to help them and your business thrive.

How can I increase my organization's Employee Engagement?
The outcome is ultimately determined by your organization’s actions, predominantly when those actions are driven by leadership. It is essential that you have leaders in place that align with the goals and values outlined in your company's mission statement. This is a two-way process, and if you want your employees to be engaged in your company, you need to engage with your employees. Listen to what drives your employees and take actionable steps to improve their work-life harmony.

To engage with our GMS employees, we have implemented a Mentorship Program, Employee of the Month Program, Employee Action Group, and Customized Training Programs.
GMS Staff Achievements and Appreciation
Happy One-Year Anniversary to Joshua Hendrix. This past year, Josh has been named Employee of the Month, promoted to Advanced Operator, and helped kick off our Mentorship Program as GMS’s first mentee. Josh is an integral part of the graveyard shift’s success. Thank you, Josh, for your hard work and dedication to the GMS team!
Industry Insider Insights
Merging Your Acquired RMR accounts into GMS
General Monitoring Services, Inc.
This article is the 6th and final article of our six-part series outlining the many aspects of making an acquisition and financing that acquisition using your recurring monthly revenue (“RMR”) accounts as collateral. The previous article was titled, “Managing a successful acquisition after the deal is done,” authored by Jim Wooster of AFS.

Whether you are the Buyer or the Seller of RMR monitored accounts, one thing is constant and very important to both the Buyer and the Seller: the customers’ experience and perception of the transition. If you’re the Seller, you more than likely started from scratch and built your company on exceptional customer service, trust, and many long hours dedicated to making and keeping your business successful. If you’re the Buyer, you certainly want to make sure the customer has a great first impression.

At GMS, we have the depth and experience to assist both the Buyer and the Seller in a smooth and exceptional experience. GMS has established proven steps and action plans that we follow, allowing both the Buyer and Seller to feel comfortable knowing they are in good hands. 

Suppose your accounts are brought into GMS for the first time or simply a “merge” of accounts from one company to another that we already serve. In that case, GMS’s highly skilled and seasoned conversion team conducts a full in-depth, deep-dive review process well beyond just the basics.
Technology Partner Updates
Are you using GMS’s Proactive Video
Monitoring Solutions to its fullest?
Try Alarm.com Visual Verification
Did you know that GMS offers Visual Verification in conjunction with Alarm.com video? By taking advantage of Visual Verification, GMS can temporarily access customer images, live video, and video clips during an alarm. This information can help the operator assess whether the alarm requires an emergency response, reducing costly false alarms, and promoting more rapid response for visually verified alarms. 

Here's how it works: 
 When the alarm signal is passed directly into GMS’s monitoring station software, it includes a link to the Visual Verification interface that can be accessed by the operator with one click - meaning that the right call is made faster and easier. You and your customers can select which of their video and imaging devices GMS operators can access during alarm events. Devices excluded from Visual Verification can never be accessed by monitoring station operators, providing your customers with privacy control while using this feature.
 
To learn more, attend the upcoming webinar on Alarm.com Visual Verification Hosted by GMS on March 11 2021 at 9:00 AM PST
On this webinar, we will discuss:

  • How Alarm.com's Commercial Cameras will increase your RMR
  • How Visual Verification differentiates you from competitors
  • Tangible next steps on setting up visual verification with GMS

Visit GMS and read more about this fantastic offering. 
M2M 5G LTE Alarm Communicators
M2M LTE communicators support virtually any intrusion alarm system supporting Ademco ContactID and SIA through digital outputs (PGMs), serial port, or a Dial capture interface.

The universal form of connectivity is the Dial Capture interface - simply connect Ring and Tip, + and - power to the Alarm Panel and configure the Alarm Panel as you usually would, and you are all set to go!

The MN02-LTE-M-AV series communicator automatically switches between network carrier providers to stay always connected, 2 Built-in World SIM chips. "Rock-Solid" Low Pricing!

  • Network Redundancy
  • Quick & Easy Installation
  • Works with Any Intruder Alarm System
  • Smartphone APP
  • Low, Monthly Rate

Call us today at (855) 299-1845 or email us for more information on
M2M Services MN02-LTE Communicators. “Simplicity Applied.”
Industry News and Tips Links
State of the Market: Video Surveillance in 2021
Innovation in video solutions accelerated in 2020, and the future of the market may look even brighter than it did before the pandemic.
2021 RMR Deep Dive: Recurring Revenue Keeps Industry on Top During Pandemic
Seldom has “cash is king” held more water than during these pandemic times. The least scathed security firms tend to be those with revenue streams that enabled them to save or have money on hand for this mother of all rainy days.
Report: Video surveillance market poised for strong rebound in wake of Covid
New research from Memoori predicts industry growth will be influenced by the evolution of tech, geopolitical challenges.
Average Frame Rate Video Surveillance Statistics 2021
The average frame rate doubled between 2011 and 2019 but, new IPVM statistics show it has stagnated since.
Silly Criminal Video of the Month
Referral Program
Current and Active Dealer Partners will receive up to $1,000.00 in the form of an invoice credit for referring a new dealer to GMS for Monitoring Service Solutions.
Monitoring Solutions