I chose another company over Boca Tech about 5 years ago trying to save a few dollars, and it was one of the worst decisions I have ever made. I have now paid out about 50% more than Boca Tech’s original proposal and my family has lived through years of pain.
This is a long article, but if you have found your way here it might be because you are frustrated with a Home Technology system that has failed to deliver what was promised. So, please take the time to read this article – we think you will be glad you did
A lack of standards.
The proliferation of technology in the home means that the “Smart Home” or the integrated technology industry has grown extremely quickly.
Unlike other more established trades in the luxury home construction market like plumbing, electrical, security, air conditioning, etc. integration technology has been extremely fast moving; as such, it has few recognized standards and even fewer barriers to enter the industry.
The problem is that anyone can call themselves a home technology integrator. They can open an account with a distributor and start designing and installing systems, regardless of their experience, training, or any thought to long-term commitment and customer service.
This is a photo of the main equipment room from one of our Rescue Projects. This client paid the original “AV Guy” over $100,000 for this system. They then paid Boca Tech $30,000 to make it actually work right. That was over two years ago – we still look after this client today as they continue to perfect their system, making the house exactly the way they wanted.
The lack of standards is compounded by the fact that home technology integration is, by a very wide margin, the most complex and diverse trade involved in the construction of a modern luxury home.
Home Technology Integrators need a deep understanding of almost every facet of the home, covering a huge scope of products and technologies. This includes electrical and lighting design, network and WiFi, heating and cooling, security and fire alarm systems, CCTV, home cinema, media rooms, audio and video distribution, room acoustics, motorized shading, general building and finishing techniques, gate automation, custom furniture, and much more. No other trade touches and controls as many different parts of a home as the technology integrator.
Add to this the normal stresses and strains of running a business and it’s easy to see why almost all home technology startup businesses fail in the first 3-5 years. We have been here in the Boca Raton area for over 20 years now.
As a result of these issues, barely a day passes that we do not receive an inquiry from a frustrated homeowner; exasperated by their current integrator and/or system.
Typical complaints include:
What we refer to as a “Rescue Project” often requires a significant additional investment by the homeowner to get their system to the point where it provides the value that was originally promised. We cannot take ownership of (or support) a project unless we bring it up to our standards. Otherwise, we cannot guarantee a good experience from the system and that would reflect badly on us and the industry as a whole.
The size, scope, and nature of a “Rescue Project” can vary greatly and because of that it is extremely difficult to provide a cost estimate for a particular system without embarking on a systematic process to decipher the current state of the system. What we can say from our twenty plus years of experience is that it can end up being 20-80% of the original cost to repair the system.
We will now outline how the process normally works based on a 5,000 sq ft luxury home.
First, we will book two technicians for a full day to walk the entire property. They will test and document the functionality of the system as well as what equipment is being used along with its age. We need to be sure of the system’s current state before we can start any repairs.
Based on our example of a 5,000 sq ft home, this will typically take a full day and cost $1,500. It is very important that the homeowner is there during this step so we can understand the key frustrations and pain points that they have found over their years of use. Often home technology problems are intermittent in nature, so having the insight of the homeowner will help us to make sure all of the issues are addressed.
During this initial visit we will operate the system exactly as the homeowner has been, we will not adjust any equipment or modify any programming. We will just try to use the system as intended and document the functionality and problems with the system.
Back at our showroom in Boca Raton we will create a report of what we found, outlining the general state of the system and highlighting the issues we found. We will then create a proposal showing what the products and costs will be to repair the problems. We will also suggest any upgrades and updates that will provide value and facilitate what you want your system to do.
We will then work with the homeowner to agree on what needs to be carried out to get the system up and running properly as well as beginning the on-boarding to our White Glove status for ongoing support.
Once the system is in a state that we can fully support, we can begin the on-boarding process, this will likely take a day or two. During this time, we will get the system added to our monitoring service and take photos of all the equipment to make notes that will be useful for the ongoing support of the system. We will also hand over all of the contact information that you will need in order to access our support team going forward. The on-boarding cost is about $1,500.
In summary, the total fees to assess and integrate a “rescued” system in a typical 5,000 sq ft home is about $5,000. To complete the rescue project, you would also have the actual cost of the additional equipment and the work necessary to get the system working properly.
I hope this helps explain why taking over a system that has been installed by another integrator is not as simple as it might seem. It is not our intent to be the bearer of bad news, quite the opposite. We are very much a positive company that loves to say “yes” but having had over 20 years of experience on this kind of work we have found that this is the only realistic and pragmatic approach to getting you to home technology happiness.
Now that you understand the importance of partnering with an experienced system integrator like Boca Tech and Automation (BTA) for project takeovers, it’s time to take the next step. Contact us today to get started on bringing your vision to life.
