A Clean Bell Box! This might seem a small insignificant point, but if you think about it, it is incredibly important! This is what Attention To Detail (ATD) is all about!

When we install alarm systems we place a highly visible branded bell box (they haven’t contained bells for sometime but old habits die hard) usually in a prominent position on the outside of your property.

There is a school of thought that says, why bother? – No one ever pays attention to alarms! This might be true for some members of the public, but there is one particular group who are very aware of them and they most certainly do pay attention to them…… This is the criminal fraternity.

It is this group we want to make aware as these are the criminals who are looking to gain entry into your property and steal your possessions causing damage, distress and fear in the process!

The Police will advise you that visible deterrents significantly reduce the risk of a burglaries taking place.

We have just been notified by one of clients, who was burgled BEFORE we installed their alarm of the following very interesting fact. On subsequent capture, the person that burgled them admitted that he selected their property because it didn’t have a bell box on view!  This anecdotal evidence is fully supported by our own accumulated statistical data. Analysis of our data, collected over 10 years of trading, and accounting for more than 2000 years of burglar alarm use, indicates that it could reduce the risk of being burgled by several orders of magnitude. So this elevates this insignificant item to one of the most important assets in an alarm system, and is why we like to take proper care of them for our clients!

Does the bell box stand out and clearly identify the property it is helping to protect? It is no use tucking it out of site around the corner, or not thinking about its location at all. Clearly, if a client is adamant that they do not want it on the front of their house, we will acquiesce to their request, after explaining the pitfalls of such a decision.

Is it kept clean? This is where we believe that we are totally different from even our professional competitors, as we include a regular check of its appearance and cleaning of the bell box as part of our scheduled maintenance activities. If we apply this level of Attention To Detail (ATD) to the bell box, can you imagine how much effort we put into all the other aspects of the systems we install?

Is it branded? An unbranded bell box, is often the sign of an amateur or DIY installation and this may be an indication that the system does not work properly. Also it is clear that the installer has no desire to advertise their installation and subsequent responsibilities to the home owner. An anonymous bell box that rings for hours on end (which by the way is illegal as it contravenes local byelaws and could end up resulting in the system being deactivated by the local council) is unlikely to result in bad publicity for the installing company. We take great pride in our installations and if the system ever malfunctions we are on call to put it right. It is not in our interests to have one of our bell boxes creating a nuisance and causing distress to the owner and their neighbours.

There are some companies that think it is ok just to install dummy bell boxes, because it is cheaper than having to install an active one. Once again, I would argue it that this diminishes the effectiveness of both the alarm system and need for the alarm company to avoid the negative impact of false alarms on their reputation.

So remember GuardHome applies the same rigorous levels of Attention To Detail (ATD) (not to be confused with any other variation of these letters) to all aspects of our work and this means that your GuardHome system has been designed to protect you, your family, your home and possessions effectively. It will be installed and maintained with this objective in mind, which is why we check the physical appearance of your bell box and clean it as necessary to maintain its deterrent value.

So let me ask you this very simple question? When was the last time your alarm company demonstrated ATD and cleaned your bell box?