Home Security Company Overview: Brinks
If you are a fan of Westerns, the name Brinks will not be unfamiliar to you; this home security company has furnished security services to big business (primarily banks, governments and jewelers) for 160 years. It is a relative newcomer to the home security, and in fact the corporation’s Home Security division was recently spun off and separated from the parent company and is now its own independent publicly traded entity.
Brink’s Home Security Division was formed in 1983 with corporate offices in Irving, Texas and support services based in Knoxville, Tennessee. Currently, the company provides services to 1.3 million homes in North America. Services provided include burglar/intruder alerts, smoke and fire detection and carbon monoxide monitoring; system installation starts at under $50, making it a relative bargain; the company’s top-of-the-line home security system is currently priced at $155.
There are few customer complaints about Brink’s services, and most of these are directed not at the company itself but rather locally based dealers. Unlike many home security companies, Brink’s Home Security uses its own local dealerships, all of whom are employees of - and thus accountable to - the main office in Texas. These dealers have been screened and their personnel trained by Brinks. Most local authorized dealers are conscientious and dedicated to providing the best possible service, but as with any large organization, there are invariably a few “bad apples.” One Brinks employee recommends that prospective customers “research the local dealer to make sure they are behaving with professionalism and excellence.” If there are concerns, customers should contact the Brinks head office and inquire about the authorized dealer before committing to the purchase of a home security system.
According to independent sources, all Brinks monitoring centers are certified by Underwriter’s Laboratories and has been recognized for excellence in customer service by JD Power and Associates for the past five years.