SSA has been chosen from a field of nearly a dozen security companies (including local and national firms) to provide an intrusion alarm for Frost. This was based partly on their extreme lowball offer, but mostly on the rep’s knowledge of our needs and how their system would take care of us. SSA has also been extremely helpful, staying in touch with me throughout the project.

After the door contacts (recessed, of course), motion detectors, microwave emitters, 72-hour battery backup, and cellular link, our price came in about 30% lower than our next closest price and about 65% lower than another company’s “Millertime Special”. Unfortunately, our keypad won’t be as massively cool as the one Select was going to use, but I’m also not getting CyberLights on the dancefloor.

What I’ve learned from this experience:

• If a vendor answers his business line “Hello, Miller Time!”, that’s a good sign that he won’t be giving you a good deal.
• If you hear and see beer cans hit the ground when said vendor gets out of his car, that too is a good sign that he won’t be giving you a good deal.
• If said vendor answers every question with “Let me tell you a story”, that is a sign that he is hoping to be paid in beer. Preferably, MGD.
• DMP is a company.
• ADT often provides initial quotes that are about 3x what their final quote will be. That’s correct; their final quote is 3x lower than their initial quote. I did not get that backwards.
• Frost will probably not be open in time for ArtsFest.