A stable, reliable home network is the foundation of every home technology we offer at Modern Home Systems (La Jolla, CA). Without it, the performance of streaming AV, surveillance cameras, and a home automation system can be compromised. We’d rather a client allocate less of his budget on speakers and amplifiers, for example, applying it instead to a more expensive, higher performance networking system. We stress this fact every time we meet with a client and leverage our message by selling best-in-class, enterprise-grade networking components, and installing them so that every part of a home is fully covered. We won’t settle for anything less — doing so would be a huge disservice to our clients. We want the system to serve their needs well into the future so they won’t need to call us two years later to update the network.
Despite the importance we place on the home network, it’s often a tough sell — unless you can relate it to a client’s pain points and explain how a network can eliminate them. Constant buffering when streaming music? A high-quality network can fix that. Finicky Internet connections? Swapping your antiquated equipment for a new, technologically advanced system can stop this headache. We stress these and other points to our clients, many of whom thought paying their ISP for faster service would remedy all issues. It’s then that they realize that performance does, in fact, hinge on the quality of the equipment inside their home; not the speed coming from outside.
Today, the best components utilize Wi-Fi 6 technology, so it’s what we recommend to all of our clients — both new and existing. It’s also the reason we sell exclusively networking solutions from Access Networks. They make the industry’s first Wi-Fi 6 certified enterprise-grade wireless access point tailored for the residential market. We can install the Access Networks A750 WAP into any home with no concern about dealing with problems later.
For each client we determine exactly how many A750s, switches, and routers to configure and install by clearly identifying the size, scope, and user expectations up-front. Our remote management software lets us keep a constant eye on any changes implemented to the networks of our current customers. We can see when new devices join the network and gauge if upgrades are needed, and, recently, it’s helped us develop solutions to help clients work, learn, engage, and communicate more effectively and efficiently during the COVID19 crisis.
As kids started to be homeschooled and adults set up home offices, home networks became strained…and our customers noticed it. Calls from many of our existing customers started to come in asking for our help — as mentioned previously, even better service from their ISP wasn’t helping matters. Based on our installation documentation, understanding of our clients, and remote diagnostic capabilities, we specify new components to alleviate the strain. The challenge, of course, is how to install the updated system, as state regulations prohibit us from going inside clients’ homes. Our solution: For each client who requests it, we configure a complete system at our shop, deliver it to their doorstep, then walk them through the installation via Facetime. It’s a very plug-and-play process that we’ve been able to easily implement at our normal rate of $125-$150 an hour for each of the eight clients who have purchased a new networking system.
To promote this service, we launched a direct mail campaign. The mailer assures our current base of customers that the difficulties they’ve been experiencing with Wi-Fi and the internet are normal due to high Wi-Fi activity, and explains how we can safely tackle the problem. Since launching this program, we received our first call ever from a client who said, “Thank you for upgrading our network.” We feel grateful to be able to offer our clients a valuable service and to generate the necessary cashflow to support our company.
