The IQ Guidelines are the cornerstone of the IQ program. Each of the guidelines emphasizes quality control and places an emphasis on 3 aspects:
- Elements such as controls, job management, defined and well managed processes, performance and integrity criteria, and identification of records.
- Competence, such as knowledge, skills, experience, and qualifications
- Soft elements, such as personnel integrity, confidence, organizational culture, motivation, team spirit, and quality relationships.
This is the basic premise under which the seven segments of the Installation Quality Certification Program Guidelines were developed.
- Company Guidelines
- User Training Guidelines
- Employee Training Guidelines
- System Design Guidelines
- Equipment Guidelines
- Installation Guidelines
- Monitoring Guidelines
While much has been discussed concerning the false alarm reduction aspects of the guidelines – and they are important for your business and the industry, it’s important to note that each guideline also has sales and marketing benefits for your company. You can use each one to promote your company benefits to your prospective customers.
For instance, one of the IQ Guidelines states: All power consuming devices must be point identified
The basic reason for the guideline was by point identifying powered devices, technicians are able to identify specific devices which may require service due to dead or depleted batteries, or faulty standby power supplies.
Sounds simple and reasonable enough. But let’s take a look at how you can take advantage of explaining to your customer this guideline in a way that benefits them and promotes your company.
In plain words, tell them that point identification offers customers the ability to customize their respective system coverage, such as the perimeter, interior, day, night, selected areas, etc. Additionally, point identification helps minimize service and repair costs for the customer.
Another guideline states: Residential systems should report test codes a minimum of every seven days
The original reason for the guideline was to regularly schedule test codes to provide assurance that the system is properly connected to the PSTN.
On the marketing side, your customers should be reassured that should the system need to signal an emergency, it is capable of transmitting the message. Non-IQ systems rely on the factory programming which may or may not include this valuable feature.
Guideline: Review the IQ Checklist with the customer at the completion of the installation
The IQ checklist is the backbone of the IQ program. By reviewing the IQ checklist with the customer, the alarm company is assuring that all IQ measures have been properly followed and implemented.
But here is what you should tell your customer.
Each step on the checklist provides you with critical information on your systems’ properly installed components, and their related features and services. The checklist prevents simple oversight, and assures that you have been trained on the system operation. Not all alarm companies do this.
Guideline: Each zone must individually report to the monitoring station The basic reason for the guideline was that individual reporting of zones to the monitoring station provides the ability to respond to an alarm or service situations more precisely.
Your customers should know that individual reporting provides them with a level of unique identification that affords a more precise response from law enforcement or fire service to an emergency situation. This allows for response to a specific location, or area within the protected premise.
In a service or repair situation it affords the servicing technician more detail on the specific area, making repairs more precise and aids in ensuring that the problem is corrected the first time.
The bottom line is that companies that conduct themselves with high standards typically set a positive example for the industry. Companies which constantly seek ways to improve, typically provide customers reasons to use their services.
While guidelines themselves may seem a bit dry, is that IQ Certified companies can use the guidelines to set themselves apart from the competition and make the sale!
