With all the stories of carbon monoxide (CO) tragedies, your customers are likely becoming more aware of the dangers of CO. Likewise, the numerous stories of tragedies averted by CO detection have proven that CO detectors save lives. As a result, many of your customers are probably already interested in obtaining CO detection.

Here are five reasons why you should be their provider and three reasons why your customers will want to buy CO detection from you.

Why You Should Provide CO Detection

1) Capitalize on an expanding market.

As public awareness grows, new local, state and national legislation for CO detection is being adopted. For example, recent CO poisoning tragedies in Colorado were the impetus for passing CO legislation in that state. More than half of the U.S. states already have CO legislation. Several more have legislation pending. (System Sensor keeps an ongoing legislation tally at www.systemsensor.com/co.)

One thing all this new legislation means for you is that CO detection is a growing market with a built-in customer base. Many of your customers are required now or will likely soon be required to have CO protection. Why shouldn’t you be their provider? With a CO offering, you can differentiate yourself from your competition with an additional service offering while increasing your commission and providing needed life safety protection for your customers.

2) Build longer-term relationships and extend your revenue stream.

Another big reason to offer CO detection is that customers who subscribe to fire protection monitoring are less likely to cancel their security monitoring service. The same is likely to be true for CO detection services. So if you sell CO detection as part of your overall security offering, this can result in less customer attrition and longer-term recurring monthly revenue for you.

3) Gain referrals as a life safety expert and grow your income stream.

While your customers are becoming more educated about the dangers of CO in their homes, they may not be aware that monitoring options are available. In fact, it’s likely that they believe retail detectors are their only option. By providing expertise around life safety solutions and legislation that your competition can’t and offering a CO detection solution, you can gain customer trust and build your business through recommendations to their friends and family.

4) Win jobs over your competition.

With a CO detection option, you can differentiate yourself from your competition with a solid product and service offering while increasing your commission.

5) CO detector guidelines are more clearly defined than ever.

The revised 2009 edition of NFPA 720 is a complete rewrite of the CO detection standard. It provides you with information on detector installation, placement, testing and maintenance, and off-premise signal transmission for both commercial and residential occupancies. So you now have the guidance you need to enter confidently into this growing market and provide your customers with the highest level of CO protection available. (System Sensor also offers a free Applications Guide for system-connected CO detectors that you can access at www.systemsensor.com/co.)

Why Your Customers Will Buy CO Detection from You

1) CO protection saves lives!

This is the obvious selling point for CO detection. Your customers may have heard about some of the recent CO tragedies, but what they may not have heard is how CO detectors are already saving lives. The most common factor with CO tragedies is there are no operational CO detection devices installed in the occupancy. But all across America, CO detectors are averting tragedies in schools, office buildings and homes.

For your customers, CO detection can provide peace of mind against the “silent killer” of carbon monoxide. There is no other way to protect against it.

2) System-connected detectors provide more protection.

One of the biggest reasons that your customers should be getting their CO protection from you is that monitored detection connected to the security or fire system provides a much higher level of protection than stand-alone retail detectors. Specifically, you can offer 24/7 central station monitoring capabilities that protect your customers when they cannot respond to a local alarm for any reason (i.e., they are not home, they are sleeping or they are already suffering from the effects of CO poisoning). Also, system-connected devices can be monitored to provide proactive maintenance to ensure that CO detectors are providing constant protection with no system downtime due to damage, the end-of-life of the CO cell, or technical and mechanical problems.

3) Many of your customers are already required to have CO protection.

More and more states are requiring CO detection. To meet these requirements, many of your customers are going to get CO protection from somewhere. Service providers who already offer fire and/or security monitoring capabilities are uniquely positioned to provide customers with comprehensive, monitored CO protection services, while ensuring that CO detection is properly installed and maintained.

In addition, if the CO legislation is new in your area, many of your customers may be unaware that they must have CO detection. You can educate them on the laws for your area, while offering them an excellent solution for meeting their CO requirements.

Tags: Carbon monoxide, Guidelines

Posted in Carbon Monoxide Detection, Guidelines, Winter 2009

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