Based on Home Star reviews I arranged for the installation of an alarm system with SafeTech. I am dissatisfied for the following reasons. The window sticker sends the caller to the administrative office rather than the monitoring centre. If someone observes a problem, they should have direct contact with monitoring. The administrative office keeps business hours so is useless outside this time. Similarly, you can not reach tech support on Sundays nor outside of fixed hours. If you live outside the metro area they do not have service personnel available. My request for service included one and one-half hour of travel time each way. When I asked to speak to a manager regarding the cancellation of my contract after two years because of the lack of service staff, they refused to speak to me. Finally I find their marketing plan offensive. I will quote from the email I received: "Write and send us a review about your experiences with SafeTech and if we use your review in our online marketing efforts you will receive a $20 Tim Horton Gift Certificate". The fact they can choose to exclude a review makes the whole process suspect.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $400.00
- What could this company do to improve their services?
- Any advice to offer fellow homeowners facing a similar project?
- Company Response
Hi Bruce
I was hoping to reach out to you prior to today to respond to you concerns with SafeTech.
Thank you for your patience. I understand that you have already spoken to Client Services and I suspect my position will be similar.
When we install a free alarm system and as in your case a free alarm with additional paid upgrades we require the client to enter into a three year monitoring term in order that SafeTech can recover the initial cost of installation.
Therefore SafeTech will need you to complete the three year monitoring agreement as agreed upon by both parties.
As far as service is concerned I believe SafeTech offers the best there is in the alarm business.
I do understand we are not perfect, no one is and if we failed in our efforts to service you in any way please accept my sincere apology.
The 24/7 ULC Listed Central Station that monitors your home is the largest in the country and monitors 300,000 homes and businesses that are across the country.
However, if you are not happy with their service I can move you to SafeTech’s very own ULC Listed central station is Etobicoke.
Every call is live answered and each operator has been with the company for at least 10 years and all are very well trained.
Even though our head office and technical support dept. is open Saturdays and during the week nightly until 8PM,
often service will still be answering calls and working past 9PM assisting clients.
We now at close forward our main telephone line to the SafeTech Central Monitoring Station which in turn can give clients the after hour support team direct number.
They as well can provide basic level alarm support to clients when required.
As far as service areas are concerned, SafeTech has clients in hundreds of municipalities across the country.
Outside the Golden Horse Shoe we often but not exclusively rely upon local alarm technicians to complete new installations, takeovers and service.
However in your case if a physical service call was required we would simply send one a tech living in the west end (i.e. Burlington) and he would be at your home in under 1 hour in regular traffic.
I understand the most recent problem you had was resolved by Jonathan over the phone. Mike made a mistake thinking he needed to send someone to your home to resolve the issue.
We have hundreds of monitored accounts in the Greater St. Catharines Area and Southern Ontario Wine Country region and SafeTech has no difficulty servicing them.
In summary, SafeTech provides service to your area, we work hard to service all our clients and your account will not be any exception.
Sincerely,
Sean O'Leary
President & CEO