"Locally owned" shows up on a lot of websites. Some of the companies that claim it actually are. Some are dealers for a national brand wearing local paint. A few just took the label off a competitor's ad. Since I get asked how to tell the difference, here is the checklist I would give a friend if they were shopping for an alarm company in Oklahoma, whether they end up with us or not.
1. Ask for their Oklahoma license number
Every legitimate Oklahoma alarm installer has a state license. Ours is #433681. If the sales rep cannot rattle the number off, that is a real flag. Licensing means the company is actually registered, insured, and accountable to the state.
2. Find the owner's name
On our About page, you will find my name and the story of how SoSmart started. If a company's website hides who owns it behind a stock photo, ask why. Local accountability only works when there is a local person accountable.
3. Look them up on BBB
A local company with an A+ BBB rating and an accredited profile has been around long enough to rack up reviews and respond to them. The rating matters less than whether the company actually replies to complaints. Scroll through the history.
4. Ask who answers the phone at 9 p.m.
A real local company will tell you. Some route after hours calls to the owner. Some (including us) route to an on call technician. A dealer for a national brand routes to a national call center and calls it local. There is a difference.
5. Ask where the monitoring happens
Almost no local alarm company runs its own monitoring center, and that is fine. What matters is that the monitoring is UL-listed and, ideally, TMA 5 Diamond rated, and that the installer and the monitor have a real working relationship. Ask how a dispatch actually works. You should get a confident, specific answer.
6. Read the contract
Three things to look for:
- Length. Is it month to month, or a multi year commitment?
- Early termination. If you leave in month 13, what do you owe?
- Price increases. Can they raise your monthly, when, and by how much?
A good local company can and should explain those three things in plain English in under two minutes.
7. Ask about warranty
We offer a lifetime warranty on residential sensors as long as you are monitored with us. You will not find that at the national brands. A warranty that matches the lifetime of the relationship is a real statement about how long a company expects you to stick around.
8. Walk the property with them
A quote built from a phone call is a guess. A quote built from walking the property is an answer. Every SoSmart quote is in person and free. If a company will not come look at your home, they are not really selling you anything specific.
9. Ask what they would not install
This is my favorite trick question. A good local installer has products they refuse to touch because the product is not up to their standard. If you hear "we install whatever you want", the company is optimizing for the sale, not for your outcome.
10. Trust your read of the person on the other side of the table
Most of our customers tell me they picked SoSmart because the technician did not feel like a salesman. That is on purpose. We hire for temperament first, and we pay our team well enough that they do not need to push equipment you do not need.
Bottom line
If the company checks out on this list, you have probably found a good partner. If the company we happen to be checks out for you too, we would love to earn your business. Either way, you will be safer having done your homework.
Arlen Speakman, Owner, SoSmart Security