This is a true story…
A few days ago I was scrolling through Facebook and I saw a friend of mine post about how they got a great deal on someone to come and mount their TV, unfortunately they included a picture. The TV was UPSIDE down and only about 6” from the ceiling. EEK! My husband and I got a good laugh out of it but then we started talking about how many companies are out there doing this same thing all the time. They lead people to believe that they are a legitimate company by using pictures from the internet and then taking (a lot of) their money and completely butchering the job! If you are in the market for an A/V upgrade or install we hope you will take the time to read these tips and tricks for hiring an integrator.
Certifications
This is probably the most black and white way to compare integrators and determine if a company is reliable. The easiest way to do this is to ask for a list or check their website. Most integrators have their certifications and affiliations on their website but if not, feel free to ask! Research the different certifications, their validity and difficulty to obtain them. Your integrator should be a member of an educational program like Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association (CEDIA). There are a lot of other great associations that your integrator can be a part of too, just make sure you are researching the organization and checking to see what their requirements for membership are.
Experience
Ask how long the company has been in business. You want to make sure you are working with a company that will continue to be around to service and upgrade your system. Ask about the team members. Questions like, how much experience the technicians have and how many members are on the service team will allow you to figure out how well the company will be able to serve you. Ask the integrator about recent projects they have completed and what types of technology they installed. I have included some questions below to get you started.
Tell me the last time something on a job didn’t go as planned. What was done to solve the problem?
Tell me about a design challenge that your team had to overcome. How did you come up with the solution?
Tell me about the last job that was completed by your team.
Do you recommend one particular control system or does it depend on the job?
Questions like these don’t have set answers and will allow you to get a feel for the knowledge of your integrator and get to know their personality.
References
For whatever reason, many people don’t ask for references. This is always the first thing I do when I am looking to hire someone. I always ask for two or three references and I specifically ask for them to be jobs completed in the last few months. That way I know I am getting a true sample of the integrators recent work and I am not just talking to their “biggest fans”. You can also take this one step further and ask for contractor references too. Builders, architects and other trade professionals can be a great asset when determining the validity of a custom integrator.
Office
If you are hiring an integrator to design and install an expensive and intricate custom AV system, someone working out of their home garage may not be the right person for the job. You need to know that you can trust your integrator with your money and time and that they have ample resources to be able to prep, build and install your system. Most integrators who operate on the caliber that you are looking for will have showrooms or design centers where you can go and touch, see and experience the technology that they offer.
Why Millennium Systems Design?
If you are in the market to hire a custom integrator we hope that the information provided in this blog has helped guide you in the right direction. If you are in the Central Florida area, we would love to have the opportunity to be your integrator. We are CEDIA certified as well as members of HTA and the Master Custom Builder Association. Our technicians are CCP, CTS, CEDIA COI, CEDIA ESC-D, CEDIA ESC-T, DMC-E, EAVA and OSHA certified and we have an experienced Crestron programer on staff. Millennium Systems Design has been in business for over 20 years in the Central Florida area and all of our business is referral based. We would love for you to come and visit us at our design center in Orlando, near Holy Land. You can take a tour and view our two complete client experience centers where you can explore different control systems to see which you prefer or take a seat and experience our custom Dolby Atmos theater. We hope to have the opportunity to work with you in the future!