All Services One Company – The good, the bad and the ugly!
For many property owners, site managers, facility providers or block management companies there may well be multiple items within the Fire & Security bracket that need servicing. The most frequent are listed below: –
- Fire Alarm
- Emergency Lighting
- AOV (automatic opening vents)
- Disabled Refuge
- Fire Extinguishers
- Intruder Alarm
- Closed Circuit Television
- Access Control
- Nurse Call
Here we will look at the pros and cons of choosing one company to carry out multiple services.
Pro’s
Normally a company will provide an economy of scale if offering multiple services at one site. It is in their interest to do so as they do not have attendance fees if they can carry out multiple services in one visit. That may mean lower annual fees.
The engineering and the administration team of the service company build up a working knowledge of the site, the systems and the site team. This can be invaluable as relationships in any business setting are important.
The service company will go the extra mile to ensure good service as they will not want to lose 5 contracts in one go if the client is dissatisfied.
The agreement should be mutually beneficial so that both parties feel they are winning from the arrangement.
Con’s
Unless the customer has previously engaged contractors to service the systems they have no reference point to know whether they are getting a good deal or a bad deal, a good service or a poor service.
If the client wants to terminate then they may struggle to find a comparable company to take on all services and then there is the hassle of getting say 5 disciplines handed over to an incoming contractor.
Not all companies are as good at servicing different systems, so for example a fire alarm provider who specialises in Fire Systems but offers to service CCTV may not be as competent as a CCTV specialist.
Conclusion
There is no right and wrong here, it is often a great idea to employ one company to look after all systems. There is a cost saving and relationship building is easier as you will engage with one single company more often than dealing with several companies. Be clear when setting up a contract that it is a relationship and both of you want it to work. Schedule in performance check points from day one.
It is important to check that the companies hold relevant qualifications for operating in both Fire and Security, check BAFE, SSAIB and NSI websites or ask to see their certification. Ask for references from people in a similar circumstance to you.
