End User Purchases Hikvision Himself, Wants Integrators To Do Install Only, Interested?

Maybe he's actually recruiting for his installation company?

Not interested in quoting install, but would do it for time and materials.  I had a guy I actually know call me a few months back to install a 8 channel Qsee in his warehouse, even my techs wouldn't touch it as side work.

Seems like this came from this IPVM discussion....

Internal Expert

I had the same "opportunity" from an end user - he was buying all cameras and NVR's for multiple buildings.  My response was to demonstrate the value of an installation warranty, which was $2,500 in additional cost.  You're end user is not going to climb up a ladder to troubleshoot and fix / replace a camera.  He's certainly not going to RMA the thing back to the manufacturer and wait a couple weeks for a replacement and then have to get back up on the ladder.  He'd much rather make a phone call and have someone take care of it relatively quickly with no issues.  A properly worded value letter leveraging an installation warranty should allow your customer to see things a bit more clearly.

Yes, and they've been expanding for the past 3 years since.

Whoever actually said yes should sign up to be an Amazon installer.  This is their model exactly.

There is only one way to do profitably which is to nickel and dime everything into a change orders or T&M.  Every connector missing, every cable support, every label becomes billable.  IMO I would have to be extraordinarily desperate for work to keep my crews busy to even contemplate this.  It is unlikely to end well for one party or ther other unless the sole motivating factors are not polar opposites.  Keeping a customer happy and making decent margin are essentially impossible to do in this scenario.  Pick one or the other.

LOL usually I would say no. But just yesterday we received a call to install some night owl cameras that were removed from the previous home and being installed in a new home. I saw the house on Google Earth, real simple 2 story house on all sides, no grade. I figured how hard to run 16 cables through an attic and mount all cameras to an eave.

All of our other prospects/clients are starting to say a nasty number "2018".... 

So to add a couple days of production, I quoted it and the guy took it. We certainly won't make a killing but should do OK and keep the guys working.

I thought about giving these jobs to my guys as side work but was worried about that. They may decide one day they can go on their own, what if they get hurt, and is the customer going to expect me to warranty it later.

One way or another, I think I am going to learn a lesson here... 

In Hong Kong, there are rules from the government to limit end-user to install the security system by there own.

I am sure about other country about the limitation of installation, design and maintenance for security system. But we do face some challenge that some small company don't have the license and install the system for the user. And, we require to educate the end-user it is a MUST to require professional installation. Some of you might see the license sample of HONG KONG.