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23
Aug 2010
Posted by Jason
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Monitoring Center operator saves the day

On Sunday, August 15, around 6 a.m., 91-year-old Luella Chamberlin from Arizona was awake and in her kitchen. As she started to prepare herself breakfast, she lost her footing and fell. It was a dire situation: she was alone, bleeding, and unable to get up. A feeling of panic began to overtake her, so she pressed the remote on her Monitronics monitored alarm system and hoped someone would help.

In our Dallas Monitoring Center, first-shift operator April Drayton had just started work when she intercepted Mrs. Chamberlin’s panic alarm. April accessed the two-way voice feature on the system and spoke with Mrs. Chamberlin, realizing immediately that an ambulance was needed. With the help of a colleague, April dispatched one within a minute.

April stayed on the line with Mrs. Chamberlin, calming and assuring her that help would soon be there. Within 10 minutes, the paramedics arrived and made a forced entry into the home. Once inside, they determined that Mrs. Chamberlin needed to be transported to a nearby hospital.

We checked in on Mrs. Chamberlin the next day–she had lost a lot of blood, but was safe and healing. “I got seven stitches in my head and I’m very weak,” she said. “[April] was so nice and polite. You don’t find them like that anymore. Thank you so much.”

Thank you, April, for your excellent work. You made a difference in a customer’s life.

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Posted in: Behind Our Doors, Home Security

15
Jul 2010
Posted by Leah
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Customer feedback: Kudos Monitronics

We heart our customers! And we really love it when they give us constructive feedback. Our customer Roy Spencer sent in this description of his recent experience.

“I want to express my deep appreciation for your wonderful services as an alarm company. I have to admit that when I signed up with Monitronics, I was leery; however, when a heating company was sawing an opening for a cold air return on my wall, the sawdust made the fire alarm go off. Because Monitronics couldn’t get through to my cell phone, they called my brother and a fire truck was there in minutes.

“An unfortunate but very real emergency occurred Thursday, July 8, 2010, after 11 p.m. when three men were attempting to break into my home because they thought I was not there. Thanks to my panic button on my remote, the alarm scared them off! I called 911 on my own, but Monitronics was on the ball.

“Thanks for being such an outstanding alarm company, giving us not only fantastic service, but also providing a vast amount of security for a reasonable cost during these difficult economic times. I have been telling my friends and acquaintances about your wonderful company. It is a pleasure to be part of the Monitronics family. Thank you once again.”

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Posted in: Home Security

07
Jul 2010
Posted by Leah
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Secure your home office and play it safe

Many people work at home these days and it has its advantages. There are a few special safety concerns that small, home-based businesses need to consider. This is especially imperative if you’ve got kids coming in and out of the space.

  • Obtain adequate liability insurance if customers, suppliers, or employees visit your home office and learn about your responsibilities to them.
  • If your office gets its own room, put in a deadbolt and use it.
  • If it’s sharp, pointy, or pinchy, keep it out of reach of children. This includes scissors, letter openers, paper shredders (unplug them), thumb tacks, paper cutters, and electric pencil sharpeners.
  • Install a monitored smoke alarm as part of your home security system and keep fire extinguishers handy.
  • Protect your home office and entire house with a monitored security system from Monitronics.
  • Check out the OSHA safety and health topics for specific workplace hazards.

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Posted in: Home Security

03
May 2010
Posted by Leah
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Dealers’ code of conduct exceeds expectations

door knockerMonitronics operates through a network of authorized dealers. In a nutshell, that means that they sell and install alarm systems and we monitor them with our award-winning  Central Station.

“Just who are these dealers and what can I expect?” you may ask yourself? Well, we snagged a few minutes of an expert’s time to find out. Bruce Mungiguerra, our VP of Field Services, is the man who oversees the quality of Monitronics dealers and he knows the process inside-out.

“When one of our authorized dealers knocks on your door, they are not only the face of their individual company name and brand, but also the face of Monitronics and you can expect certain things from them, like courtesy, honesty, and integrity,” he said. “They have been through some of the best training in the industry–I’ve got full confidence that they provide a great experience for our customers.”

Here are a few things you can count on:

  • Professional in-home security analysis, including an evaluation of the interior and exterior of the home.
  • Thorough sales presentation with a product demo and specifics of what each component will do to help protect the home.
  • Complete overview of the items included in your security package and what will take place when the technician arrives.
  • Explanation of the alarm monitoring agreement, terms, monthly monitoring rate, and any installation fees.
  • Professional installation, equipment training, and an overview of the system manual.
  • A home that is as clean as when the dealer arrived.
  • A dealer who is available to answer your questions after the sale and installation

If you don’t have a monitored alarm system from Monitronics, you can give us a call at 800-447-9239. We’ll get an authorized dealer out to your home to talk security, systems, and your peace of mind.

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Posted in: Business Security, Home Security, Industry Happenings

26
Oct 2009
Posted by Leah
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What is security? Keeping my kids safe

What is security: Keeping my kids safe

North Texas resident Kristine Soto started using Monitronics long before she had children, but their arrival has given new purpose to her monitored alarm system. We asked her to explain what security means to her now. These are her words.

“When we moved into our house, it already had an alarm system in place, and we chose to use Monitronics to monitor it about five years ago, almost six.  We really haven’t had any problem. When I leave a window open they are quick to call!

“But that was before we had children. What is important to me is keeping my family safe from predators and burglars. I have two boys who are four and three and they’re not old enough to say no to somebody if that person comes up with candy or special treats. They don’t really know the whole ‘say no to strangers’ thing. We don’t want anybody walking into our house and the alarm keeps that from happening.

Another big concern is fire. The kids are interested in matches now because they’ve seen me light the candle and seen me put the matches away. I have had to move them from the drawer where I kept them, but what if they found the matches and took them upstairs and were playing with them? This is why it’s so important to us that our smoke detectors are monitored. It just doesn’t take long for kids to figure things out. Our alarm system keeps us safe in a lot of ways.“

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Posted in: Home Security, What Is Security?

14
Oct 2009
Posted by Leah
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Burglars may talk, but your house won’t

Yesterday, we tweeted about a great article called “13 Things a Burglar Won’t Tell You.” It’s a funny take on the burglar mindset, with points like, “Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier” and “Here’s a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids’ rooms.”

Author Michelle Crouch even has eight more things a burglar won’t tell you on her blog. We love that one of the sources is convicted burglars in North Carolina, Oregon, California, and Kentucky. Jackpot!

The response to our tweet was big and we’ve been thinking about the whole premise of Michelle’s article. We’re a company that offers monitored security systems and the first thing people think of is protecting themselves from break-ins. But only a small percentage of home emergencies are actually burglaries. A monitored security system offers protection against so much more. So we played with Michelle’s original thought and came up with a few things your home knows, but won’t tell you. That is, unless you have a Monitronics monitored alarm system.

10 things your home won’t tell you, but an alarm will

1. Your teenager just got into the liquor cabinet and is mixing crème de menthe and soda with his chemistry lab partner.

2. Your telephone line has just been cut by someone sneaking around the side of your house. We offer wireless monitoring of your system.

3. That cheap space heater in the bedroom is starting to overheat and is producing smoke. But not enough to reach the one detector you put up years ago in the den. (Does that thing even have a battery?)

4. Your mother has not opened her medicine cabinet today and that means she has not taken her medication.

5. The reason you feel so sleepy lately is because there’s a growing amount of carbon monoxide in your bedroom.

6. Your fifth grader just got home from school and is playing inside safely. You don’t have to worry.

7.   Neighborhood kids just hit a home run over your fence and shattered your glass back door.

8.  Your aging father slipped and fell in the bathroom an hour ago and doesn’t have any way to let paramedics know because he’s not wearing a medical pendant.

9. The door to the gun cabinet just was opened, but the only person home is your teenage son.

10. Your babysitter is outside, talking to her boyfriend, while your six year old cuts her brother’s hair. With video monitoring, you could be watching this on your smartphone.

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Posted in: Home Security

13
Oct 2009
Posted by Leah
1 comment

Tuesday tips for preventing crime: Golden rule

If there’s a golden rule of crime prevention, it’s this: Make yourself a difficult target!

It’s not necessary to have the most secure home in the country, just the most secure home on the block.  Criminals who burglarize homes are looking for quick, easy scores, not challenges.

Unlike the sophisticated criminals who are often portrayed in the movies, most home invasions are crimes in which the items taken are small, portable, untraceable items like iPods, video game systems, jewelry, collectibles, and other items that are easily converted into cash.

Fortunately, by following the home security tips listed below, you can make your house unattractive to home burglars and send them looking elsewhere for an easier opportunity. That’s why the home security experts at Monitronics want to remind you of practical, common sense steps you can take to protect your home and your belongings this fall.

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Posted in: Tuesday tip