Because trailer alarm systems are complicated, the best way to do this, if you're not an electrical expert, is with a quick call to the manufacturer.  It would be a mistake to expect any alarm technician, or even one of the manufacturer's authorized distributors, to be able to properly install or diagnose and resolve a problem with your new trailer alarm system without assistance from the manufacturer.  All trailer alarm systems are different, and they aren't all designed optimally, so you need to go straight to the source.

     Unfortunately, not all companies understand the importance of good customer service.  With one time expenditures and big ticket items, like a trailer alarm system, some companies just want to make the sale and be done with it.  They are just out to make a profit, or to make a living, instead of seeing their product as something good that contributes to an essential need of society.  As such, they may be willing to hang their customers out to dry and give the product and industry a bad name.

     That's the purpose of this section.  We want to promote and facilitate the success of the trailer alarm companies that have great customer support, and are concerned about their customers and the safety of their trailers.  We will stick to the basics, but if you would like more information, we would be glad to address additional questions you may have.

1.  They don't answer the phone, return calls, reply to letters or email.  It's hard to believe but true.  This is not a friendly company.  They use Caller ID and screen every communication they receive.  They are selective about responding to voicemail.  If it has to do with a prospective sale, they may return your call, but they would prefer to force you into an online order.  They may also return a call to a distributor, once several messages are left.  The only reliable way to get a response, we have found, is to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau or Pennsylvania Attorney General, in which case you can expect them to respond promptly and feign innocence and surprise.

2.  They are easily offended.  There are only two persons handling incoming communication:  Maureen Shive, the office manager, and Jack Landis, the owner.  Upon your initial inquiry and purchase, you may get lucky enough to have one of them respond.  But if you call too often, express any indication of concern or difficulty, or make what they consider to be an unreasonable request, that's the last you will hear from them.  Here is part of the last official communication we had from Mr. Landis, over two years ago and only two weeks after our purchase of their trailer alarm system:

3.  They don't have designated or qualified tech support.  We give them credit for having a tech support email address on their web site, but that's it.  There is no one at this company that fully understands their alarm system and is responsible for handling tech support inquiries.  The engineers that originally designed it became so disillusioned with the company that they left and started their own company, Supervision Security.  So even if you are lucky enough to get a response to your question, don't expect an answer.  With what limited response we received from Trailer Dog, we encountered so many failures in diagnosis that we ultimately had to have their system replaced.

4.  They have extremely high distributor turnover.   When you don't have satisfied customers, you can't expect to have satisfied distributors either.  Successful, competent companies are not going to represent a product that produces no sales at all or at best, predominantly disgruntled customers.  That's what has happened with Trailer Dog.  Their list of authorized distributors has shrunk to a handful over the last couple years, and experienced almost 100% turnover.  The several companies we dealt with to quote, purchase, install, or troubleshoot our Trailer Dog system no longer represent that company.  So if you buy a Trailer Dog system, it is not reasonable to expect continued support from that distributor over time.

1.  They always answer the phone. and return phone calls.  Supervision has a dedicated and courteous receptionist in the office answering the phone.  Although everyone isn't always in the office, you can usually reach one of the three main company representatives on the first call, and they are each interesting in and capable of helping out.  Also, voice mail messages are almost always returned promptly.

2.  They have qualified technical support.  Everybody I've talked to at Supervision understands their alarm system and can answer technical questions and diagnose problems over the phone.  I dealt predominantly with Mark Oldhouser, their sales manager, and he walked me through installation of my own system, although I don't have an electrical background.  He also successully troubleshooted a couple installation snafus I ran into. 

3.  They go above and beyond the call.  I ran into major problems with my Trailer Dog alarm system and needed to get another one.  Supervision Security custom built an alarm to fit my current set up, so that all I had to do was screw in the new circuit board and connect the wires.  They also priced it lower for me than their normal, complete system.  Later, when I discovered a problem with the Trailer Dog door switches, Supervision sent out news ones to me overnight mail at no charge.  I'm not saying you're going to get a bargain by buying their system, but they will make an effort to understand your situation, and once you commit to them, they will do whatever they can to make the installation process successful.

4.  It is a growing company, and they have a growing distributor network.  Supervision is very proactive in their marketing and sales efforts.  They attend all the major trailer and RV shows and are working hard to expand their share of the trailer alarm market.  If you run into problems with their alarm down the line, you don't have to worry about them not being around or not having a distributor in your area to service your system.