In this 15th edition of our annual Quest for Quality Awards, CE Pro readers voted on their manufacturers whose service areas give dealers a winning hand in 2025. Spanning three award tiers spread across 14 manufacturer categories, the awards aim to give insight into who is working best behind the scenes when it comes to supporting integrators.
As in other years, this year’s awards were purely based on feedback from integrators, with said integrators even being given an opportunity to list specifically what make these manufacturers worthy of praise in their eyes. Some of those verbatim comments are included here in addition to winning suppliers’ responses about why they think their services stand out.
The 2025 Quest for Quality Award Winners: Manufacturers
Consumer-Facing Website
Platinum: Lutron
“Best site, training, and support.” —Reader comment
Gold: Coastal Source
“We believe that enhancing the outdoor living experience is about evoking a vision, not just detailing great products and systems. Our consumer website is crafted to inspire — showing potential in every image and narrative, while inviting visitors to imagine the possibilities. It’s designed to spark curiosity and set the stage for our dealers to guide consumers on a transformative journey.” —Franco D’Ascanio, Founder/CEO
Silver: Sonos
Customer Service/General Communication
Platinum: Portal.io
“Customer service isn’t some separate department. It’s just how we do things. Need a quick answer? We’ve got you. Stuck on something? Let’s hop on a screenshare. Curious about a feature? Check out this YouTube video. Winning this award again is huge for us because it comes from the people who matter most: dealers. We’re not just here to fix issues; we’re here to make your lives easier. And knowing that you feel that support? That’s what makes this win so meaningful.” —Josh Willits, COO
Gold: ADI | Snap One
“At ADI | Snap One, our customers come first. We’re proud to provide them with quick, easy, and efficient support across our diverse product categories — anytime, anywhere. Going forward as a combined business, we’re excited to provide our customers with more enhanced local support and expertise as we continue to invest in our product portfolio and deliver an exceptional customer experience at all touchpoints.” —Ryan Marsh, SVP & Chief Revenue Officer
Silver: Lutron
“Lutron continues to invest significantly in our sales programs, marketing tools, online presence, and training resources to ensure our dealers have the resources they need to successfully market, sell, and install Lutron products and solutions. We are honored to have our efforts recognized by our customers with five Quest for Quality Awards.” —Ben Bard, Vice President, Luxury Residential Business
Dealer Program/Incentives
Platinum: Sony
“The key to Sony’s success with our dealer services in the CI channel has been simplicity and consistency. While we are always listening and looking for ways to improve our support and innovate, the underlying structure of our programs and our dedication to the channel remains steady year after year.” —Jeff Goldstein, Head of CI Channel
Gold: Coastal Source
“Our dealer programs are built on a foundation of shared success. By aligning our objectives with those of our dealers, we empower them with robust incentives and aggressive demo programs that translate into high on-site engagement and industry-leading close ratios. This collaborative spirit fuels growth and cements lasting partnerships.” —Franco D’Ascanio, Founder/CEO
Silver: DMF Lighting
“We stand behind our dealers with the DMF Promise — Guaranteed Reliability, Guaranteed Compatibility, and Guaranteed Support. We ensure our products meet the highest performance standards, backed by an industry-leading warranty and universal dimming compatibility. But our commitment goes beyond products — we provide direct access to DMF engineers for real-time technical support, ensuring dealers have the expertise they need at every stage of a project. Through our co-marketing dealer program and complimentary VITAL Affiliate Membership, we invest in our dealers’ success by equipping them with targeted marketing campaigns, business growth strategies, and exclusive training resources.” —Mike Libman, Sales Vice President – Custom Integrators
Dealer Protection Policies
Platinum: Russound
“While our products are known for delivering unmatched audio quality, what sets Russound apart is our dedication to providing support for our installers. The Russound Certified Installer (RCI) program protects our dealers from any unauthorized Internet reselling, ensuring secure profit margins, fairness, and long-term success. RCI has over 16,000 members, all of which help keep our ecosystem thriving. Russound remains committed to fostering dealer relationships and providing the best possible support. Here’s to continued success together!” —Charlie Porritt, CEO
Gold: Sony
“Sony has a great customer service department and is always willing to help.” —Reader comment
Silver: Nice
“We’re committed to safeguarding our dealers and ensuring a premium experience for end-customers. By authorizing only trusted dealers, we maintain pricing integrity and prevent unauthorized reselling, creating a balanced market that helps our partners succeed.” —Jeff Costello, VP of Sales
Kudos: KEF
Dealer/Integrator Website
Platinum: Portal.io
“Winning Platinum again for Dealer Website is a huge honor because at Portal, the web experience IS the product. Every design choice, every update, every innovation is driven by a single goal: to remove friction and help dealers run their businesses better. This award reaffirms that dedication, and we’re grateful to our dealers for recognizing the effort we put into making Portal the best in the industry.” —Josh Willits, COO
Gold: ADI | Snap One
“One of our key priorities as a business is creating a seamless shopping experience for our customers. We’re committed to enhancing our digital presence with an intuitive website that makes shopping, product comparison, and decision-making faster and easier than ever, saving customers valuable time and resources.” —Ryan Marsh, SVP & Chief Revenue Officer
Silver: Coastal Source
“Right from the start, we recognized that our dealers’ success depended on having the right tools at their fingertips. Our fully integrated, resource-rich dealer website was created to simplify processes and provide a wealth of essential information. Continuous investment in its design and functionality ensures that our dealers always have immediate access to the support and resources they need.” —Franco D’Ascanio, Founder/CEO
Lead Generation
Platinum: URC
“Since launching its automation platform, URC’s Marketing Team has directed over 7,500 leads to our high-performing dealers. Built on a unique automation platform with proprietary development, end-user journeys connect service provider with need, whether residential or commercial, and check-in throughout the decision, installation and post-installation phases. My team and I share this award with our internal partners and especially our field sales teammates who enable our dealer community. We are humbled and looking forward to aiding our dealers in capture new opportunities.” —Ron Pence, Marketing Lead
Gold: Lutron
“Lutron Support is miles ahead of others, they dive in depth to provide solutions not only for you… they want to understand issues.” —Reader comment
Silver: Russound
“One of the advantages of Russound’s tenure in the industry is that many of our leads come directly from long-time end-users who trust and follow our brand. Our customers own systems from every generation and reach out to us for the latest products and upgrades. We often receive inquiries from individuals who have moved into new homes and are seeking a local Russound dealer. These leads are then forwarded to our dealers in the RCI program, making it a great benefit to being a Russound dealer. We understand and value our customers, and that value is passed on through the entire network.” —Charlie Porritt, CEO
RMR Support Programs
Platinum: OneVision Resources
“We provide a turnkey solution empowering integrators to deliver and monetize on exceptional client service. Extending well beyond just a remote support help desk, OneVision offers a comprehensive system that empowers integrators to manage their entire service operation as well as design, market, sell, and manage recurring service plans with ease. All of our solutions are delivered as a seamless extension of the integrator’s business, allowing them to preserve their brand identity and direct client relationships while we work tirelessly behind the scenes. Plus, we’re vendor-agnostic, meaning integrators have complete freedom to work with the hardware brands that best fit their clients, knowing we’ll support them every step of the way. Our approach is all about making the delivery of premium support services simple, scalable, and tailored to each integrator’s needs.” —Jason Griffing, Director of Product, OneVision Resources
Gold: Alarm.com
Silver: Nice
“Nice has a number of backend support programs that provide dealers with options to bill their customers and create RMR opportunities. These programs are built into our product features. This is just part of our customer-centric approach to working with our partners to help them succeed in the market.” —Jeff Shaw, Vice President of Product Management
Sales/Marketing Assistance
Platinum: Lutron
“1. Introducing a new site for Luxury residential representation; 2. Informing dealers of product changes and launches before everyone else; 3. Providing social media packages and assets for dealers to promote their collaboration with Lutron.” —Reader comment
Gold: Coastal Source
“At Coastal Source, we understand that even the best systems need the spotlight. Our commitment to excellence extends to providing our dealers with sophisticated, beautifully crafted marketing assets tailored to their clients’ needs. Our project design services elevate presentations to an art form, enabling our partners to stand out from the crowd.” —Franco D’Ascanio, Founder/CEO
Silver: KEF
Kudos: IC Realtime
Shipping Policies (non-warranty related)
Platinum: ADI | Snap One
“Our flexible shipping options make it simple for customers to order, track, receive, and return products both online and in our stores. We offer thousands of items across the ADI and Snap One categories in stock every day and available for same-day delivery or convenient store pickup. And as we continue implementing our cross-sell strategy, products are becoming more available to customers across the stores. Our goal is to make the product acquisition process as smooth and efficient as possible, so customers can stay focused on what matters most — completing projects and signing new ones.” —Ryan Marsh, SVP & Chief Revenue Officer
Gold: Sonance
“Year after year, shipment after shipment, our belief in how Authentic Partnerships inform how we do business. CE Pro’s repeated Partner recognition serves to validate our strategic investments across inventory management, logistics optimization, Inside Sales support, and margin-enhancing freight programs. By deliberately aligning our supply chain architecture with our Partner’s business objectives, we transform our team into a seamless extension of their operations — elevating logistics from a potential challenge into a measurable competitive advantage.” —Jason Sloan, Chief Revenue Officer
Silver: AVPro Edge
“Our investment in engineering, sales, and warehouse infrastructure helps us maintain inventory levels in order to achieve same-day shipping for orders placed before 2 p.m., and our central location helps us efficiently reach dealers in all corners of the U.S. market — usually in two days. This is all part of AVPro’s commitment to be the best AV signal distribution and control products and services company on the planet.” —Tom Devine, Director of Marketing
Social Media Presence
Platinum: Sonos
Gold: Coastal Source
“Storytelling is at the heart of our brand. With an active and engaging social media presence, we share compelling case studies and success stories that highlight both the Coastal Source experience and the outstanding projects of our dealers. This dynamic dialogue not only celebrates our work but also amplifies the reach of our partners, reinforcing our shared commitment to excellence.” —Franco D’Ascanio, Founder/CEO
Silver: Sony
Kudos: Josh.ai
“By working closely with our installation partners, we take pride in creating engaging content for our social channels that showcases groundbreaking projects and transformative user experiences. In addition to sharing community-driven content, we love keeping our audience up to date on our latest products and features while providing insightful tutorials for effortless interactions with Josh.ai. Your support drives us, and we’re excited to continue inspiring and engaging our community with meaningful content.” —Casey Levy-Tulloch, Director of Business Development
Software (CRM and Back-office)
Platinum: Portal.io
“It feels like we repeat ourselves every year, but the winning formula doesn’t need to change. Great tech starts with relentless focus on user experience. Our obsession with simplicity and ease of use means Dealers don’t often need help, but when they do, we’re there with real answers from real people. Whether it’s through live chat, screen shares, or our helpful videos, we’re here to make dealers’ lives easier. This award isn’t just about the tech; it’s about the people. It reflects the strong relationships we build with our dealers.” —Josh Willits, COO
Gold: D-Tools
“D-Tools is all about building top-notch software, but at the end of the day, our customers’ success is what matters most. Our dedicated customer success team — 25 strong — works tirelessly to make sure you’re fully trained and getting the most out of our software. Winning a 2025 Quest for Quality Award (our ninth consecutive year!) is a huge honor and a testament to our team’s hard work and the impact they’re making for the businesses that rely on D-Tools. We’re grateful for the opportunity to support our customers — keep the feedback coming!” — Randy Stearns, CEO
Silver: OneVision Resources
“Our software suite, ProVision, was designed from the ground up to help integrators streamline and scale their service operations. By centralizing all inbound support requests into a single, conversational interface, ProVision simplifies day-to-day service delivery while maintaining the personalized touch clients expect. Its integrated CRM tools allow integrators to manage client relationships end-to-end, ensuring no detail falls through the cracks. ProVision also features seamless integration with our RMR marketing and sales tools, giving integrators everything they need to not only manage service but also grow recurring revenue — all in one unified platform.” —Jason Griffing, Director of Product, OneVision
Technical Support
Platinum: ADI | Snap One
“Our team combines the best of both companies to improve our technical expertise, operational efficiencies and innovation pipelines, ensuring faster delivery and leading solutions. We go above and beyond to assist customers wherever and whenever they need it. Whether it’s by phone, chat, or in person, we’re proud to offer competent and effective support dedicated to resolving issues quickly and easily so our customers can get back to running their businesses. As a combined business, we’re excited to have even more technical skills and support resources to offer than ever before.” —Ryan Marsh, SVP & Chief Revenue Officer
Gold: Nice
“Our tech support team, with an average tenure of over 10 years, is a cornerstone of our service excellence. By leveraging deep market expertise and close collaboration with quality, engineering, and product management, we deliver rapid, first-call resolutions that empower our partners to provide exceptional service to their customers.”
—Greg Hancock, Senior Director of Technical Support Operations
Silver: URC
“URC builds technical support from the dealer perspective. We research and anticipate questions and proactively publish solutions. URC’s Tech Support Team is exceptionally focused on ensuring that all our dealers fully comprehend and can quickly install our control and automation solutions. This commitment is core to our brand, our products and especially to our support team members. It is a testament to their expertise and dedication which they exemplify every day. We are energized for continued and shared success.” —Russ Hoffman, VP Training and Technical Support
Kudos: iPoint
“We live and breathe our motto: Realize success through the success of others. We’re not just here to help; we’re here to ensure that every integrator shines brightly. With world-class support that’s second to none, we’re all about making sure you succeed. The proof? Just look at the phenomenal results our community members achieve.” —Shannon Tores, Director of Business Success
Training Programs
Platinum: Lutron
“For more than six decades, they’ve been dedicated to providing world-class service — from training and marketing resources to tech support and customer care.” —Reader comment
Gold: Crestron
“We put a huge emphasis on education because we know that well-trained dealers and integrators are the key to delivering exceptional smart home experiences. What sets our training programs apart is our hands-on approach to instructor-led courses, the flexibility of on-demand resources, and our dedication to ensuring that our partners stay ahead in the evolving industry. This award is especially meaningful because it comes from our dealers and integrators — their trust drives us to continue to invest in the programs that help them succeed.” —Michael Short, Senior Director of Marketing Operations and Residential
Silver: DMF Lighting
“Training is at the core of the DMF Brand Promise. We understand that our dealers’ success is directly tied to their ability to confidently specify and install our products. That’s why we’ve developed a comprehensive training program that includes monthly onboarding for new dealers, covering Lighting 101, the business of lighting, and in-depth DMF product education. We also provide specialized training on our latest innovations, including the new PhaseX digitally tunable white light solution and Artafex Linear. Additionally, our CEU-certified courses help dealers and design-build professionals deepen their understanding of lighting design principles, fixture quality, and techniques to enhance residential environments. By investing in virtual, on-demand and in-person education, we empower our partners to deliver exceptional lighting experiences and grow their businesses with confidence.” —Mike Libman, Sales Vice President – Custom Integrators
Warranty Policies
Platinum: Nice
“Our warranty policies are designed to keep projects on track for our partners. We promote proactive troubleshooting to reduce returns and delays, and when warranty claims arise, our quick processing — with options like field destruction and advance replacements — ensures our partners can maintain project momentum and customer trust.”
—Senthoor Navaratnam, Chief Product Officer
Gold: Sonance
“This award celebrates our belief that Authentic Partnership requires commitment well beyond the sale. We love to transform potential service challenges into strategic opportunities to demonstrate exceptional care for end-users. We believe this care equips our integration partners with the confidence and creative latitude they need to deliver truly differentiated experiences in an increasingly competitive marketplace.” —Jason Sloan, Chief Revenue Officer
Silver: Origin Acoustics
“Standing behind our products isn’t just a promise; it’s a reflection of the confidence we have in the craftsmanship, durability, and performance of our products. Our limited lifetime warranty covers architectural speakers, built for lasting performance and reliability. Select Ambisonic Systems speakers and Origin PRO amplifiers are backed by a five-year warranty. Whether it’s residential or commercial, indoors or outdoors, our solutions are built to perform, and our warranties ensure peace of mind for years to come.” —Jill Escol, Director of Marketing
