As we head into peak summer construction season, many of our dealers are still trying to figure out how to recover from the dismal winter we had. I wanted to remind you of a powerful tool that Potter offers which can help you win more fire alarm projects and add profitability to your service department. This tool is easy to use and costs you nothing; it eliminates your risk and can be implemented immediately without any training.

The tool is Potter's exclusive 5 year warranty on all of our fire and sprinkler alarm products.

Many dealers look at a manufacturer's warranty as a statement of quality. The longer the warranty, the more confidence the manufacturer has in their equipment. While this is true, there is an abundance of ways a warranty can generate additional installation and service revenue for your business.

More than likely, your competitors are offering a 1 to 3 year warranty on a new fire alarm installation. The length of time varies by project requirements, market conditions, manufacturer, and dealer preference. Many dealers lump both labor and parts together in a single warranty statement such as "year parts and labor."

I would encourage all of you to consider, if you haven't already, a separate parts and separate labor warranty. How many more new fire alarm projects could you land if you offered a 5 year parts, and 1 year labor warranty? There is very little additional risk on your end thanks to Potter's 5 year equipment warranty, and your end user will find tremendous value in knowing that they will not have to worry about equipment replacement costs for 5 years. You will have a better chance of landing that project and may even find you can charge slightly more for this added benefit. If you need help selling this to your end user, just give the customer some examples concerning replacement costs for a control panel or annunciator from the brand your competitor is using with the lesser warranty!

For those of you that work with electrical engineering firms and assist them in writing specifications, I would encourage you to speak with them about requiring a 5 year parts warranty on new installations. The engineer will appreciate this as it allows them to take better care of the end user by ensuring a higher quality system with lower service costs. This will also give you an advantage at bid time, knowing that Potter has you covered for the 5 year warranty period. Your competitors that represent equipment with lesser warranties will have to add cost or assume additional risk on the job.

If your company offers service agreements, there are dozens of ways to use a 5 year warranty to lower your risk as well as your cost. This can be achieved by implementing a multi-year agreement that is beneficial to both you and your customer. How about a 5 year test and inspection agreement that includes parts replacement? This differentiates you from your competitors who offer a year by year test and inspection only. It also provides you with 5 years of guaranteed revenue, and gives the end user additional peace of mind in a way that is cost-effective for you. Margins can be higher since your service offering is differentiated from your competitors, and you don't have to include labor to replace the parts which further lowers your risk.

Do you have a creative idea on how to use Potter's 5 year warranty to generate additional revenue? Please click here and let us know, we'd love to hear from you!

As always, please feel free to contact myself or any of our Regional Managers if you would like more information on how to use Potter's 5 year warranty to your advantage, or for any other Potter information you might need.

I would like to thank you for your continued support of Potter equipment and systems as we look forward to a warm and prosperous spring and summer!