President’s Message
By Robert Few
Hello everyone! Sometimes it all comes together. Jessica Lambert, Central Station Manager, and I sat down earlier this year to set goals and a leadership path for the GMS operation. We discussed the employee experience, customer satisfaction, accountability, and the importance of our three pillars: Kindness, Respect, and Trust.
Since that day back in January, our pillars have come to life at GMS! Our service levels are up (almost 70%), our leadership team is strengthening, and our overall employee morale has climbed to new levels. I am so proud of how much Jessica has taken charge of the operation, worked to develop leadership within her team, empowered ownership of the shifts, defined reporting, and overall guidance. It is because of all of these things that I am so excited to announce that Jessica Lambert has been promoted to Director of Monitoring Operations!
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Here is a little more about Jessica:
Jessica’s career started in 2007 in the alarm industry as an alarm dispatcher. She quickly developed an admiration for her new role and dedicated herself to learning and growing professionally. By 2010, she took the opportunity to work for General Monitoring Services doing the very same thing she grew to love and respect at a previous employer. Jessica quickly moved up the ranks at GMS. She has spent the past 8 out of 10 years at GMS as a Supervisor where she was most recently serving as the Central Station Manager. Some of her accomplishments have been designing the department's customer service metrics system for quality control, restructuring the company’s training program, and working closely with other department heads with respect to the company’s core mission and values. The greatest highlight of her career has been the increase in service levels for the central station by almost 70 percent in just under a year as Central Station Manager.
Jessica is a visionary, whose focus and time are spent always looking to improve her department for the overall success of the company. Her own personal success relies on her department's success. Jessica spearheaded her department's mission that she is passionate about instilling in her team. The monitoring operations mission states the following “Our mission is to deliver well trusted and respected monitoring service by providing a swift, responsive, positive and professional experience to customers, and making sure their needs are met in a manner that reflects positively on the business”.
Please join me in congratulating Jessica on an amazing job!
Robert Few - President & CEO
General Monitoring Services
(201) 838-0091
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We are here for You!
By: Ken Gresty, Business Development
Last month I wrote about “Thinking Outside the Box” and mentioned there are multiple revenue-generating offerings that you may have never thought about.
More than likely you have thought about some offerings, and maybe currently you are pondering what you can do to increase your RMR - but you’re just not sure if you’re “comfortable” doing so regardless of what is available.
We all prefer to be in a bit of our own “comfort zone” yet being a business owner or manager you know there are always varying levels of risks and opportunities that come with owning or managing a successful business that you are faced with daily and it can sometimes feel overwhelming.
Risks are one thing, opportunities are yet another. In most cases, they go hand in hand. Risk has to be fully embraced and understood, this goes without saying. Opportunities also have to be fully embraced and understood before you take on the “risks” that comes with most opportunities.
When you plan or alter your goals in doing business, especially in today’s economic and social business environment, you need to seek out plenty of resources to assist you in making solid decisions. GMS would like to make sure you know we are here to be one of those valuable resources.
No one source can be the “Holy Grail” in my opinion, not even GMS! We can however provide you with knowledge and understanding of all the services GMS stands ready to provide you and in addition, introduce you to various vetted Industry Professionals that focus specifically on a multitude of Business and Technology related fields associated with running your business successfully.
Please, never hesitate to call or email me to set a time to review more specifics on what Services GMS has to offer to help increase your RMR and or any other need where we may be a solid valuable resource for you and your Company.
Ken Gresty -Business Development
General Monitoring Services
(855) 299-1845
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Help us, Help you!
The One thing an Alarm Company can do to Support Central Station Efficiency
By: Jessica Lambert, Director of Monitoring Operations
“How?”, you ask: By routinely reviewing your signal handling instructions.
At GMS, our operators are trained on how to follow your specific needs through your signal handling instructions.
Our experience with some instructions is that they are either outdated or can be too complex. Typically, outdated instructions are not discovered until we have been contacted by your office questioning why an operator has taken certain actions on an alarm. By this time, it is unfortunately too late.
The customer is not happy, you are not happy, and the operator feels awful. It is recommended for any business that procedures be routinely reviewed to ensure accuracy, consistency, and efficiency, so we ask that you, our partner, review your notes routinely to help keep us at GMS as updated and efficient as possible.
For complex note instructions, we ask that you review them, then discuss with your team (or with us, we do not mind a good conversation and would love to consult with you), before implementing them.
One thing to note here is that our operators can handle anything! However, we find that complex instructions often take away from our true focus and nature. With complex instructions, the operator must critique and validate every action carefully before moving to the next action. We understand that there are some things that must stand as they are, and we are here at your service.
We are ultimately asking that you review instructions requiring additional steps above the standard alarm processing. For example, if an operator has to call the premise twice, then contact authorities, then call all RP’s twice (imagine 5 responsible party’s that don’t answer…yikes!), one operator may have to spend more than 12 minutes processing one alarm event.
Efficiency is effectiveness and effectiveness for a central station is measured by accuracy and responsiveness. As the article states, we need your help! By routinely reviewing your signaling instructions, it will help us stay up to date and aligned with current procedures which will eliminate errors and enhance our productivity for you.
So, when was the last time you reviewed your signal instructions? If it has been longer than a year, then now is a great time for another review. We are here to help!
If you need help with reviewing your current instructions, understanding current best practices, or looking for efficiency solutions please do not hesitate to contact me or Richard Drew Vice President GMS Dealer Relations.
Jessica Lambert - Director of Monitoring Operations
General Monitoring Services
(855) 623-2289
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GMS Staff Achievements and Appreciation |
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Employee of the Month
We are excited to celebrate our September Employee of the Month, Joshua Hendrix! Joshua has been with GMS for seven months and during that time he has brought a positive energy to his shift, encouraging coworkers and helping any chance that he can. We appreciate you, Joshua!
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Anniversary Mentions
Let's continue the celebrations with our GMS employees who are celebrating anniversaries this month.
Our dynamic Data Entry Department is celebrating Diana (1 year) and Sia (5 years)! Thank You both for all of your hard work.
Our CFO extraordinaire, Evelyn Schuman celebrated 33 years with GMS on September 1st. WOW!!! Thank You, Evelyn, for your continued dedication. GMS is lucky to have you.
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Industry Insider Insights |
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Finding a Company to Acquire
By: Jim Wooster, Jr., Alarm Financial Services, Inc.
In the previous GMS Newsletter, we announced a series of articles that will appear in the next several issues outlining the many aspects of making an acquisition and financing that acquisition using the recurring monthly revenue (“RMR”) accounts as collateral.
This article focuses on a step that seems obvious, finding a company to acquire. But many dealers we speak with don’t know where to start. They often expect the seller will find them. The answer to how you find a company to acquire is, any way you can! Ask GMS to let you know if any of their dealers are getting ready to retire. Offer the people working the counters at ADI or Anixter 50-yard line seats for their local NFL team if they introduce you to a dealer and you end up making the acquisition. Seriously, why wouldn’t you make this offer? Get creative and get the word out.
Reach out to a broker. Many of our industry’s best brokers advertise in trade publications like Security Systems News and SDM, or in-state alarm association publications like The Mirror. Tell your insurance provider. Speak to industry lenders like Alarm Financial Services. We hear about dealers who are thinking of selling through our many contacts in the industry and we will keep an eye out for opportunities.
Give thought to what kind of accounts you are interested in acquiring. Residential? Commercial? A mix? What about geography? Are you trying to fill in your current service area or expand into a new city? A very important consideration is the number of accounts. A good rule of thumb is not to try to acquire more accounts than you currently have, otherwise, you may face challenges both operationally and financially managing such a big merger. Are you looking for just accounts or also employees?
And perhaps most important, be patient. It does not make sense to do an acquisition just for the sake of it. You will be investing valuable time and money. But when the right opportunity comes along, be ready to jump on it. One of the keys is to start getting financing lined up ahead of time.
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3G Sunset Concerns? The MiNi02-LTE communicator supports virtually any intrusion alarm system supporting Ademco ContactID and SIA through digital outputs (PGMs), serial port, or a Dial capture interface.
The most 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 normally would and you are set to go!
The MiNi02-LTE automatically switches between network carrier providers to stay always connected, 2 Built-in World SIM chips. In case of connection loss, the MiNi02-LTE will send an SMS Alarm Event. "Rock-Solid" Low Pricing!
Call us today at (855) 299-1845 or email us for more information on how you can get take advantage of the MiNi02-LTE
The MiNi02-LTE is conveniently purchased directly through GMS
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Are you Efficiently using the Tools Available to you?
Are you, your Technicians and Office Staff utilizing GMS’s FREE “My Central Connect” Desktop and Mobile App. powered by Stages™ ?
You can check your account base at a glance, manage alarm equipment testing process, and access key account information. You can also search for accounts, configure the site information (including zones/points), call or email contacts, place accounts On/Off test, review recent alarm history and test results, acknowledge notifications, all from GMS’s “My Central Connect”.
If you are not already using GMS’s “My Central Connect” to quickly access and manage your account base with GMS either via Desktop or Mobile App. we would love to assist you to get started, if you are already using it and would like some tips on how to utilize it to your advantage further, we would also love to assist you with any enhanced training or questions you may require.
Call us today at (855) 299-1845 to discuss your specific requirements or email us for more information on how GMS’s “My Central Connect” can benefit you to better manage your account base more efficiently.
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Industry News and Tips Links |
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The new normal has created more lone workers than ever – They need to be protected
As the pandemic continues, companies are exploring new ways to cope with mandated and voluntary restrictions to their operations. One way businesses are keeping costs under control is by utilizing more lone workers for various shifts and customer interactions. While this has helped trim costs, it has also exposed lone workers to greater risks.
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State of the Market: Fire Alarms 2020
The fire alarm industry experienced another good year, full of further adoption of technological and code changes, along with self-created opportunities to increase revenue.
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Top 5 Challenges and Threats to Retail Risks
The continuing pandemic and economic rollercoaster are formidable issues for loss prevention professionals.
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5 Video Security Challenges to Tackle Before Students Return to Campus
While students, staff, and faculty are still primarily engaged in virtual learning, educational institutions can use the current situation as an opportunity to evaluate and enhance video surveillance technologies on campus.
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Silly Criminal Video of the Month |
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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. |
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