Coronavirus Shuts Down ADT Door Knockers

By Brian Rhodes, Published Mar 26, 2020, 09:16am EDT (Info+)

Coronavirus has another victim - this time, alarm giant ADT has stopped all door to door sales.

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Door knockers are a critical but controversial element for home security sales. Even in the best of times, door knocking has been faced with criticism for misleading sales pitches.

Now, one of the incumbent's key advantages vs the DIY disruptors like Simplisafe and Ring is, at least, temporarily disrupted.

In this note, we examine the move, how this impacts ADT, what rival Vivint is doing, and the future of door knocking.

ADT's *********** ******

*** ******* ********* ** ********* ****-******** ***** *** ** ***********:

*** ** ******* *** ******** ** temporarily ******* *** ***********, ****-**-**** ***** practices.

Aggressive **** ******* *****

** ***** ****** $**** *** **** ******** ***** Systems!, ****-******* *********** ***** **** ******* earnings ** ***** **********-***** ********** ***** structure.

*** ******* ***** ****** '**** **** $5,000 * **** **** **** ********!'******* **** **** ** **** ***** per ****, *** ******** *** ********** ******* expected *********-********** ***** / ***********:

Continued ************ *****

** **** ** *** *** ******, ADT ** ******** ** ******** ****** employees *** *** ***********:

*** **** *** ********* ***% ** regular ************ *** ** ** *** weeks ** ****’** ******** ** ** quarantined *** ** *** *****-** *******.

*******, ******* ****-**-**** ***** *** ************ by ***********, '******* ************' ** ********* a ***** ********** ** **** ***** jobs ********* *** ****.

Salesmen ***** ******* **** ***

*** *********** *****, *** ****** ****** the **** ** ***** *** **** individual **** ******** *** ****** ***, frequently ** *** **** ***.

***** ******** *** *********** ******, ** amplifies *** **** **** ** ************ alarm *** ***** **** ******** ******** to *********, *** **** ******* ** sign *** ******** ** *** **** then ******** **** ****** ******** ******** homes ********** *******.

Door-To-Door ****

*********** *********** ******* ******** ********** *****, ********* ***** **** *** ******** to ********** ******, ***** *****, *** alarm ******* *********:

Elderly ******

*** ** ********* ******** '**** ****' *** ************* **** *** ** *** **** likely ** **** *** **** *** respond ** * ****-**-**** ***********.

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******* ********* *** **** *** ** a ***** ** ********** ** *****, older ****** *** * ***** *********** for ****-**-**** ***** *****, ********** ***** the ***** ********* ** *** *********** with ******** ******, *** *******, *** are ********* **** ********* **** ********* and **********.

Highly ********* ************* *****

****** ***********, **** *** ****** ***** precautions ** *****, *********, *** ******* living ***** ******* ********* *************.

*******, **** *** ***** *******, *** sensors *** ******* *** ********* ********* in ***** '*********' *****, ********* ******** and **** *********** *****:

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******* *********** ** ****** **********, ****** installers **** ***** ***** *** ****** in ************* ********* ******** ****** ********* following ***** ** '******* ** *****' and ****** ** ****.

Risk ** ***** *********

*** **** ** *** **** *** potential ***-*****, ******. ********* ******* ***** salespeople ** **** **** *** ****** themselves ** *********** ******** ****** ********* employee **** ** ****.

** *** ***** ****, **** ******** are ********* ******* ****** ** **** are ** * ***** **** ***** for ******* ************* ** ***** **** coronavirus.

Vivint ***** ***** **** ********

***** *** ** ******** ****, ****** is ******* *******. ******** ************ *** ************* *** *** *** ********** ****-**-**** sales ** * ********* *****.

*** ******* ********* '*****' ***** *** are ******** *** ******:

*** **** **** ****** ** **** home ******** **** ********** ******** **** as ******, ********** *** ********* *** will ***** *** ***** ** *** home **** ******** **** ****** *** installation.

*******, **** ** *** ******** *********, we *** ********* **** ** ******* in * *********** ****** ** *** accounts, *** *** ********* ******** ******** from ********* ********* *** ******* ********* could ****** * *** *******.

Industry ********

** ***** **** *** ***** ******** veterans, *** **** ** **** ***** they *** *********** ****** * ***** term ******, **** ******* **** ******** will *******.

*** ********** *** ********* ****** *********** of **** ********:

* ***** *** *** ************, **** most ***** *************, ** **** ** get ********* **** ******** ****. **** ADT *** ***** **** ******** [*********** impact] ** **** *********.

**** ******** **** ******* **** ** the **** ******* *** ****** ********. These ********* **** ** **** ** door (*** *****’* * *** ** them) *** ***** **** ******. * team ** * ** * **** can **** *,*** ** *,*** ******** a ****. **’* *** ******** *** to *** ********. ** **** ** the ***** ********* ****’* ***** $** in *******.

... ** *** ***** **** **** before ***-*** * ***** ****’** *** be **** ** ****** **** ******** by ****. ** **** **** ***** preseason **** ** *** *** **** down ******* ****** ***** ***** **** won’t ** ***** *** *** ********** the **** ***** ** *** *** I ***** **’** ** **** *** them.

*** ******* **** ****-**-**** ***** ****** Coronavirus ** '*************', *** **** *** real ***** ** ** ******** ******** that ******* ****** *** ********:

* ******* **** ***'* **** *** two-fold. ********* *** ***** *** ************* at * **** **** ***** *** social **********. *** *'* *** ****'** less ******* ***** ********* *********** **** they *** ***** *** ********** ** these *** ******** ********** *** ** the ******** ******.

***** **** ******* *** *** ******* and ***-******* *** ******* *** **** right ***.

*** ** ***'* ** *** ****** on *** ***** **** ***** ***** programs. **'* ***** ** ** *** attrition **** **** ****** **** *** worsening ******** ******.

***** **** ******* *** ****** *****-**. Hate ** *** **** ** ******* look ****...

* ** ******* *** ***** ***** will ** ** *** ***** ** come, *** ** **** *** **** dealers *** ***** **** **** ******** bite *** ****.

Outlawing ****-**-**** ******* *****

*** ******** ******** ** ****-**-**** ***** is *** ******* ** **** ****** regardless (*.*.,*** ******,****), *** ******** ***** ****** *** local ************* ***** **** ******** *** practice ** ******** ** *********** (*.*.:*******,************** **** ******).

Challenge ****** **** *** ***

*********** ********* *** ******** *** *** already **** ****** ** *** *******'* stock *** ****** **** ******* ***** going **** ****** ** *** ***** of ****:

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** *** ****** **** **** ******** is ******* ***, ***'* ******** ***** increase.

ADT *********** *******

*** ***** *** ** ******** (** not) ******* ** **** *** ******** impact ** *********** **. ** ** only ******* ** * ***** ***** and ***** ******** ******* ***** **** year, **** **** ****** *** ** a ******* *** ***.

*** ** *********** ****** ******-**** ******** about ******** ********* ** ***'* **** and / ** * ****** *********, this ***** ******* ********* *** ** their *** ****** ********** ***** **********.

****

Comments (6)

Undisclosed #1

IPVMU Certified | 03/27/20 01:06am

For residential sales, the person making the sale is often the same individual that installs the system too, frequently on the same day.

While normally not problematic itself, it amplifies the risk that an asymptomatic alarm rep would have extended exposure to customers...

still, one individual is better than two, no?

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Terrence Harless

03/30/20 01:25pm

Great, now they are going to blow up the Nextdoor app more than they already do.

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Mark Selent

IPVMU Certified | 04/08/20 03:41am

I've been in homes when they come knocking and still try and make the sale. In theory I don't mind door to door sales but it's often combined with aggressive sales tactics and murky explanations of the cost.

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Undisclosed End User #2

04/08/20 09:12pm

Incredibly, i had an Evolution rep (rebranded alarm.com sales, best i could tell from a distance) knock on my door last week.

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John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Undisclosed End User #2 | 04/08/20 09:24pm

Hug It Out GIF - SNL Bro Hug - Discover & Share GIFs

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John Honovich

IPVM | 05/10/20 11:39am

ADT says they are starting to resume in door knocking in certain regions on their Q1 investor's call:

The door-to-door sales, we suspended relatively early in the process. We have started to unwind the suspension of door-to-door in markets where shelter-in-place has been easing. It is most important in our dealer organization. They use door-to-door in a more prevalent way than indirect and it’s somewhat important in the SMB market for direct as well. So it’s been suspended, it’s starting to unwind. The unwinding started about a week or so ago and we’re taking it market-by-market and open it up again.

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