Competing Against Stanley

By IPVM Team, Published Aug 01, 2017, 09:16am EDT

110+ integrators told us how often they compete against Stanley Convergent Security Solutions (not to be confused with Convergint), and how threatened they felt by them.

 

*** ** *******' ***** ********* ************* ** * *** years ***, **** ** our *********** **** ** they ******* **** ******* at ***** **** ** the ****. *********** **** us **** *******'* ********** pricing ***** **** *** bids, *** ************** ******* and **** *****-***** ******* and ******* ***** **** win ***** ********* **** eventually. **** *********** **** us **** **** *** to ******* ****** **** bid ******* ****. 

Stanley ****** **** *******

*********** **** ** **** customers' ********** ***** *******'* slow ** ********** ******* helps **** *******. 

  • "**** ***** ******** ******* according ** *** *********.
  • "** ******** *** **** said ******** **** ***** them. ***** ******* *** service **** *** *******."
  • "** **** ***** **** a *** ******* *******. The ******* *** *** the ******* *** *** able ** ****** **** in * ****** *******."
  • "***** ** **** ** to ***** ******* ** acquire ******* ******* ** us ** ******* **** do *** **** *** staff ** ******** ******* these *********."
  • "******, ** **** ***** over **** ***** ***** there ******* ** ************** on *** **** *****."
  • "*********** *** **** **** make **** ******** **** are ********* ** *** industry. ** **** *** to **** ** *** integration **** ***** *** Security *****, ****, ******, Etc **** ***** *** do ****, ** ***** not **** ** **. Louis. ***** ******* ** very ****."
  • "**** ** *** **** a ***** ****** ** they ******** **** ******* as *****."
  • "**** **** * **** reputation ** ******* ** their ******* & *******."
  • "******* *** ** ***** big ********* **** ****** focus ** ******* *** service ** * *****. Not **** * *** good ****** ** *** company."
  • "******** ******** ** **** they *** ************."

Stanley *** ************** ********

*******'* ************** *** ********** style lead ** ******** ** the ***** **** *********** can *******. **** ******** examples ** **** *******:

  • "* **** ***** ****** to **** ****** ***** and **** **** ** one ***** ** **** what **** *** ***** there."
  • "**** *** *** **** positioned ** ******* ** projects **** ******* * high ****** ** ***********."
  • "****** *** **** ***** office *** ******** **** organizational ******** *** ** have *** **** *********** in ****** *****."
  • "*'** ***** **** ******* about ****** ****** **** can't ** ***."
  • "******* *** * ********** of ****** **** *** salesmen *** *** ********* technicians. *** **** ***********."
  • "********* ** ******* *** job. *** **** ** installation *** ******* ***** the ****."
  • "*** ***** ********** ***'* seem ** ** **** involved ** **** ***** long **** ************."
  • "********* ** *** ****** if **** *** **** or ***? ************ ****** branches ** ****** **** and ******* ** ****."
  • "******* ** ********** ** that **** ******* *** better **** ****** *** same ********** **** ********* regarding **** ******* ** work *** *******."
  • "**** ******* *** ****** than ****** *** **** complaints **** ********* ********* poor ******* ** **** and *******."

Stanley **** ************ 

***** ** * ****** motivator, *** *********** **** ******* wins ******** **** *** by ************ *** ***********. Some *********** ********* **** leasing ******* ******* ** selling **** ******** ***** Stanley ***** *** ******* prices. *********** **** **** that ******* ********* **** change ****** ** *** low *** ***** *** up ******* ** *********, which *** ********* **** to **********, ****** ** easier ** **** ***** customers **** *****. 

  • "**** *** ******** *** most ********** ** ******* and ** ** *** always *** ******* ****."
  • "******* ******** **** "***** it ****" ******* **** can."
  • "**** **** ***** ***** and *** ******* **** us ** *****."
  • "**** **** ** **** when **** **** ********* that ****** ** ***** entire ******* ** *********."
  • "**** *** **** ** compete **** ****** **** are ******* * ******."
  • "* **** ***** **** horror ******* ***** ******* with **** ******-***** ****."
  • "** **** *** ******* competing ******* ******* **** when ******* ** ****** due ** ***** ********** for ******* ****** ****** at *** **** ** a ***."

Stanley **** **** ** ***** ****

*******, **** *********** ********** Stanley's *** ** **************:

  • "**** ****'* ****** * company *** ****? ************** everywhere **** **** ** work."
  • "** ** **** *** work *** ****."
  • "**** *********** *** *** Stanley ****** **** ******* with **** ********."
  • "** ******* ********* **** have ********** ** ** service ***** ********* ******* they ******'* *** ** the ***** ***** ******."
  • "**** **** ** *** a *** ** **** so **** *** **** to ******* ****."

Comments (12)

Undisclosed Manufacturer #1

08/02/17 02:59pm

We hear the same thing about Stanley. We're a small company in Florida. The one time I remember going directly head to head with them was to upgrade cameras at a nice condo association. I proposed a system to upgrade from analog to all IP. Stanley ended up winning it, but I learned later they sold them all analog cameras for almost the same price! I never understood why that happened, but we were not allowed to present the Board, only to the Property Manager. I suspected collusion somewhere on the Board.

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Scott Gerrels

IPVMU Certified | 08/04/17 04:02pm

I'm sorry, I worked for 3 years at Stanley - I have to laugh at the giving it away part.  As a salesperson, I struggled immensely with our pricing because we priced and marked up ourselves out of competition so often it hurt.  Was thrilled to leave them, they are their own worst enemy.   The parts about lacking in service I can definitely see, Stanley inevitably will get in its own way.

 

The only way Stanley could beat out another company on price was by mistake.

 

I'd like to add that Stanley is going to differ from branch to branch - but all suffer from being forced to rely on subs to do the main part of their work.  So do Tyco, Simplex, Convergint, and other big integrators.

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Undisclosed Manufacturer #1

In reply to Scott Gerrels | 08/04/17 05:57pm

I have to laugh at the giving it away part.

That struck me as odd, too, given the one experience I had with them, selling an analog system for the same price as a 2MP all IP solution. But I only had that one experience to go on.

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Undisclosed Integrator #2

08/04/17 10:14pm

Does anyone else never compete against these large conglomerates?  It's not that we're pursuing small scale work either.  Tyco/Simplex/JCI is the only one I have ever competed against and even that was rare.  I can only speculate that the fairly strong union presence is a deterrent.

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Scott Gerrels

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #2 | 08/07/17 06:10pm

Tyco, Stanley, Convergint are not union and do not really play well in that environment.

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Undisclosed Integrator #6

In reply to Scott Gerrels | 12/31/18 11:31pm

Tyco has union techs in BC. Canada.

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Undisclosed #3

In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #6 | 01/01/19 06:06am

Informative, however not the same wage or ball of wax here in the SF bay area. The local Stanley office has diminished here in the bay area in terms of customers reoccurring contracts, jobs bid/won. Bay area Stanley has been beaten down for the last 3 years with no upside on the Horizon. 

The new BA integrator is netronix, for now. However most of their workforce sits at home and has a team effort of zero integration amongst themselves. Where did these guys come from? A bunch of random people from G4S, Niscayah, Adesta, Northland Controls, Stanley, JCI and Siemens just to name a few(RFI, lol).

Is Netronix or Stanley original? No, just a group of guys with titles, egos and ambitions of the grand crusade, yet making big money.

Bay area veterans? Security by Design, Catalyst, Comtel, TeeCom and a few veteran trunk slammers that got bought out by ASG/ADT(recent).

Stanley still has enough RMR accounts to feed off of, however new account growth by the local office is null.

Overall Stanley hardware such as Dewalt is very profitable but when it comes to Stanley B.A.S.I.S acs, Stanley HUGS, Eyelock, StanleyPAC or Aeroscout it is a mix and match of entities bought and resold with a back bone of those that remained to support those product lines until a soon bitter end.

A few years back Stanley CA(aka corporate, back east) wacked/reconstructed all the departments and workforces in EMEA and South America. The people that did performed the hands on firing are no longer at Stanley.

Last, I like their tape measures and camping thermos, Dewalt drills are still legit. I still use my laser tape measure and walking into a safeway grocery store the sliding doors seem to still somehow work.

The End (rant) from a very broken Bay Area security scene.

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Undisclosed Manufacturer #1

In reply to Undisclosed #3 | 01/02/19 01:35pm

Great insight, thanks!

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Undisclosed Integrator #4

In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #2 | 08/08/17 02:01pm

I used to think this, until we hired a few people that used to work at the big shops and realized they beat us out a few times that leads just went cold, and that we beat them a few times.

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Undisclosed #3

08/07/17 06:29pm

Sales and Estimating philosophy is drummed up by all their legacy tool department SME. Just follow the trail on LinkedIn and you will know who is who from the golden goose to the board of directors. If you want a good laugh, invite Stanley to your RFP, it is the same template used everywhere.

Good Luck Stanley, stick with making hammers.

 

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Undisclosed Integrator #5

01/25/18 02:55pm

Does Stanley use Mercury controllers in their latest access control systems?  Also, is there a "usualu" brand of intrusion that they install, i.e. DMP for small systems?

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Brian Rhodes

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #5 | 01/25/18 03:11pm

I'll ask Stanley these questions are report here when they respond.

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