Industry Experts Answers: How have your sales or services changed since the start of COVID-19?”
Considering the increase in time spent at home in doors the last number of months, wellness solutions and Wi-Fi are two categories that we’re seeing a greater demand for, and we don’t expect that to slow down any time soon. With what a shock this has been to everyone’s lives, people want to be well-prepared for whatever the future holds and have the comfort of knowing their homes are safe, healthy, and running efficiently for them and their loved ones.
– Jan Vitrofsky, HEDSouth, Hollywood, FL
In the past, offering the ability to extend a client’s Wi-Fi throughout the home and yard was a tough sell. Since Covid-19, a client’s network has genuinely been put to the test, and due to the issues that they have uncovered, we have seen clients make the leap to more robust systems/products. Wi-Fi is no longer as invisible as it was in the past.
– Heather Sidorowicz, Southtown Audio Video, Hamburg, NY
Our remote-managed services have increased as a result. More people want us to service from a distance. We have really worked hard on our RMR service plans this year and last and have had great success. COVID has really obviated the need and relevance of our remote services plans to our clients and makes for a much easier conversation about it.
– George Harrison, Harrison Home Systems, Golden, CO
“We now adhere to a much stricter protocol than before when we meet clients in person. We have our folks call the client just before they arrive on site to ask if they are still comfortable for the work to be performed, our team wears all of the expected PPE, and we wipe down everything before leaving. We used to do much of the required paperwork on site, but that is all done electronically and remotely now. In general, we want to do everything possible to ensure the comfort, confidence, and safety of our clients.”
– Richard Millson, Millson Technologies, Vancouver, BC, Canada
If anything, more people are concentrating on improving things at their house, knowing more time is being spent there, and more importantly, they are seeing themselves possibly spending more time at home in the future. In a weird way, the pandemic has been good for our industry because people are allocating more resources to have a better experience at home.
– Greg Margolis, HomeTronics, Dallas, TX
We recognize that our clients will spend more time than ever in their home for at least the next year or two, so we’re leveraging our technology experience into health and wellness solutions. In our New Home Technology Solution, we feature the new AI-enabled bed from Bryte, home healthy indoor air quality solutions from Panasonic Cosmos, and hands-free control with bathroom and kitchen products from Kohler, and whole-house voice control from Josh.ai.
– Gordon van Zuiden, cyberManor, Los Gatos, CA
With people spending more time at home – conducting remote meetings and homeschooling – we’ve had quite a few clients bring us in to improve their home network and Wi-Fi. We’ve also had lots of requests to install streamers like Apple TV and Roku, so they could have more viewing options. We never had to close our doors because of the virus, but we took extra precautions such as having our techs wear masks and asking how many people will be in the home, how everyone is feeling, and requesting that homeowners basically leave our techs alone in the room/area where they are working so they aren’t exposed.
– John Sciacca, Custom Theater and Audio, Myrtle Beach, SC
“New construction work has been steady – really no change for that part of our business. We have seen a pretty large increase in small upgrade projects, from outdoor projects to network and existing TV/audio upgrade work. With clients being at home and paying more attention to their homes, we are getting calls to re-activate projects we’d previously archived or put on hold last year. The biggest challenge for my team has been getting to them fast enough for our clients!”
– JW Anderson, The Integrated Home, Charlotte, NC
Our strongest offering has been the Crestron Mercury video conference system. Many clients know they will be home for at least three more months and possibly seven or nine more. It is also highly likely that many companies will go to a more liberal work-from-home policy, long term, reducing their commercial real estate expense. That means lots of video conferencing and clients want something much better than the camera built into their laptop. We also have had a lot of demand for improved networking.
– Todd Anthony Puma, The Source Home Theater, Old Bridge, NJ
