Guardian Home Technologies: Opportunity Knocks

McCauley says it can take between one week and six months to get a new builder live in the Guardian computer system, depending on how fast the builder wants to move.

Each builder is loaded into the Guardian computer system, which includes accounting, scheduling and a list of all available options the builder wishes to sell and the prices for each option.

The available options and the prices vary greatly based upon the builder's mark-up requirements. On that note, McCauley says some builders won't let Guardian sell flat-panel TVs because they can't get the mark-up they want on the product.

From Guardian's headquarters, a customer service rep contacts the homebuyer and sets up the consultation. During the appointment, a member of the home tech sales staff assists the buyer with the selection process. Customers can select from an array of options, ranging from basic "cookie-cutter" systems to highly customized product configurations.

The company has a dedicated sales and installation force for its home-tech business. Unlike Guardian's security sales and installation force which specializes in retrofit security systems, the home technologies team is trained to sell and install:

• Security
• Multiroom audio
• Home theater
• Home/office networks for new-home construction only

Guardian maintains one sales representative per 20 new rooftops and one technician per 10 new rooftops per month.

12-Step Sales & Installation Process

Prior to setting a sales appointment with the homebuyer, Guardian sends a package that includes an introductory welcome letter and a brochure, which details the home technology options available to them.

From there, the company uses its 12-step sales and installation process:

1. Builder communicates client information to Guardian's call center professionals, who set an appointment for Guardian's sales consultant
2. Guardian's sales consultant meets with the clients and assists them with their options selection process, usually about a one-hour meeting
3. The salesperson transmits those selections electronically to Guardian's Centralized Processing Department (CPD), using an on-site laptop
4. CPD submits the information to the builder for mortgage roll-in approval
5. Upon approval, the CPD transmits the selections electronically to Guardian's local operations team, which sets up a pre-wire date
6. Before pre-wire, the salesperson meets the client at home site to determine the location of products
7. The sales consultant submits final mark-out to Guardian's local installers
8. The pre-wire takes place
9. Guardian sends in a quality-control specialist (QCS) to inspect the pre-wire
10. Trim-out occurs
11. The QCS inspects the trim-out
12. Guardian sends out a Level III technician (after the homeowner has occupied the house) to install any final items, such as flat panels, that are susceptible to being stolen during construction. Guardian then powers up the system and conducts consumer training

Graham says the company is exploring future revenue-generating opportunities such as creating a business channel for retrofitting home technology products in existing homes, formulating a strategy to re-contact its existing customers for upgrades, and cross selling and installing more labor-intensive home-tech products to security-only clients.