Overheard a neighbor telling their kid the alarm was just for show

I was running wire at a house last Tuesday and heard the dad say 'don't worry, that beeping is just to scare people off, it doesn't call anyone.' That made me rethink how I explain monitoring plans to clients - maybe I need to push the real response part harder. Anyone else run into homeowners who treat their system like a fake camera?

2 comments

2 Comments

emma_mitchell7d ago

My neighbor across the street has had an ADT sign in his yard for like 8 years and I know for a fact he stopped paying for monitoring after the first year. I wonder sometimes if half the people with security systems are just paying for the sticker. But honestly, is it really that big of a deal if people treat alarms like fake cameras? Most break-ins are smash and grab junkies who run off after a loud noise anyway. The real response part is nice and all but how often does it actually make a difference versus just the siren scaring someone off? I feel like we hype up the monitoring aspect way more than it deserves.

the_stella7d ago

Honestly never really thought about it like that before. Used to think most people just wanted the sticker or the sign to make themselves feel better. But hearing that dad brush it off like that, it makes me realize how many people probably don't even know what they're paying for each month. I'd probably start questioning my own service if I heard my neighbor treating their whole system like a prop. Kinda makes you wonder how many other people just see it as a bluff.