When deciding to procure surveillance for your home or business it can be a daunting task to undertake yourself. For most people the best route to take is to hire a surveillance installer to help design, purchase, and install the system for them. This can help you get the best system that will be customized to your needs, rather than using a pre-packaged kit. When hiring a surveillance installer however, there are some things you should know when dealing with them.
Have Ideas of Your Own
Most surveillance installers will be more than happy to design and install the system for you and make all the decisions themselves. This could leave you with a system that doesn’t accomplish what you want it to, or does more than you need it to. So when you first decide to get surveillance, start looking around and getting ideas of exactly what you want the system to accomplish. Do you have specific trouble areas? Do you need indoor or outdoor cameras, or both? Do you want to be able to watch the cameras at night? Do you want to remotely access your surveillance system over the internet or on your Smartphone? These are some of the basic questions you will want to answer to yourself before you even meet with a professional.
Do a Walkthrough
When inquiring about surveillance installers, have them come to your property and do a walkthrough. This is where you can discuss your ideas, and they can give you advice on what they think will work in your situation. During this walkthrough don’t be afraid to ask questions and give opinions. By working with the surveillance installer and having input of your own, you are ensuring that the system will cover your wants and needs, and the installer will have a better idea of what you want done.
Instead of just giving the go ahead after a walkthrough, ask the installer for a quote of estimated costs. When they give you the quote, take some time to think it over and make sure you didn’t forget any key components you want covered.
Get Multiple Quotes
A good way to make sure you’re getting the best bang for your buck is to get multiple quotes and go on a couple different walkthroughs with different surveillance installers. Now you will have a number of different options to choose from when it comes to pricing and equipment. Additionally you may discover new or better features you can get for your system that you didn’t think of with the other installers.
Furthermore this is a good way to judge and get an idea of the professionalism each installer has. If one of them shows up late or seems to have a sloppy demeanor when dealing with you, they may not be the best choice. So having a chance to get to know your potential installers can be a good thing as well.
It should be noted that some installers will charge you a consultation fee for the walkthrough. If this is financially concerning to you, you can always ask the installer what they charge before they come and do a walkthrough.
By following these simple yet effect steps you are greatly raising the probability that you will end up with a good installer and have a surveillance system for your home or business that meets your applications needs and leaves you feeling good about your decision.
