Altronix: A company built on culture and values

Great service and customer support builds business and corporate culture, writes Alan Forman, President, Altronix Corp.

Altronix was established with the vision to design and manufacture better power products and peripherals with added features and higher reliability for professional security applications.

We accomplished this goal with the continued development of best-in-breed products that gave us the confidence to offer the industry’s first lifetime warranty.

During the last 40 years, Altronix has continued to build on this vision by placing the customer first and giving back to the global community.

This philosophy has proven to be successful in building a unique corporate culture at Altronix.

Altronix’s network of reseller partners has continued to expand over the years both domestically and internationally, with Altronix product placements in numerous mission-critical security systems around the world – from SMBs and high end residential installations to multinational organisations throughout North America, EMEA, LATAM and APAC.

Some of these deployments are at the world’s most prominent public and private venues, ranging from the Panama Canal to the Super Bowl, the Pentagon, Andrews Airforce Base, King Khalid International Airport, the Kennedy Space Center and at many leading corporations and data centres.

Based on years of knowledge and the collective experience of our team, Altronix has remained relevant by meeting existing and emerging challenges within our industry.

We do this by keeping our finger on the pulse of the industry through active participation in organisations like SIA and ASIS and many of the regional security and alarm associations as well as through engagement with reseller partners, end users and technology partners.

By listening to the needs and wants of professionals, Altronix remains focused on creating solutions for longstanding and emerging challenges.

Customer service and satisfaction plays a critical role in our daily business operations and are top priorities at Altronix.

We pride ourselves on personalised customer support, from experienced personnel who are trained and knowledgeable and maintain a relentless dedication to helping customers resolve their technical challenges in the field.

Altronix’s sales team are experts on system applications to ensure that the best products are selected to serve each customers’ specific project.

In fact, according to research done by Frederick Reichheld of Bain & Company, increasing customer retention rates by just 5% can increase profits by as much as 95%, which is a strong incentive to make customer support a key component of your sales strategy.

Looking at the same sales precepts from a slightly different perspective, a customer survey conducted by Salesforce revealed that almost two thirds of the recipients believe:

• Customers expect companies to understand their needs and expectations
• It is easier than ever before for customers to take their business elsewhere
• Customers will terminate a business relationship due to poor customer service

In this new age of instant customer satisfaction and social media, the need for B2B companies to deliver great customer support is more important than ever before.

It builds brand image, customer loyalty and sets the foundation for future sales and revenue.

On the flipside, bad customer support can cause irreparable harm to your brand, often lingering online long after an issue comes to light and has been addressed.

Establishing strong customer support typically leads to higher customer satisfaction, loyalty, organic-based marketing and long term revenue generation.

The bottom line is that a great customer support program helps establish a foundation for great customer journeys.

As is the case in many B2B tech sectors, channel partners are most often responsible for the initial design and deployment of professional security and surveillance systems.

These systems typically employ products and accessories from suppliers they are familiar with, so they can easily install and troubleshoot issues with a high level of confidence.

However, when it comes to post-sales support and service, the manufacturers may be better equipped to deal with specific nuances that are application-specific. Here’s a few reasons how this pertains to Altronix’s customer support initiative:

Direct accessibility

Although Altronix sells through channel partners, staying in touch with customers and making it as easy as possible for them to get the resources they need is very important.

This is accomplished through multiple touchpoints including online troubleshooting tools, live phone or chat assistance, how-to videos and FAQs – resources that can also help customers solve issues on their own when possible.

Such measures can ensure critical systems remain up and running and at optimal levels. 

Certified training

It is critical that reseller partners are trained and certified to ensure the best possible installation and operation of all products and system components.

Extending training and certification to on-site system operators and technical personnel provides a high level of confidence, convenience and cost-savings, knowing they have the resources to deal with potential issues that may lead to downtime.

This is valuable for power and data distribution products that impact continued operation 24/7.   

Parts and replacement programs

Even the best products and components can fail if not installed properly or without providing a clear indication as to why the failure occurred.

When such instances arise and technical support personnel cannot immediately troubleshoot the issue, having replacement products and parts available is imperative and has been a proven way to win over a customer’s confidence at Altronix.

The faster we can get replacement products into the hands of the site installer or an on-site technician to remedy the problem, the more it will be appreciated – and not forgotten.

Pre-sale support

Great customer support at Altronix starts at the onset of a relationship.

Assisting with system design and integration challenges, special product and software needs helps drive new sales and establish long and mutually beneficial customer relationship.

The bottom line is that a satisfied customer most often turns into a repeat customer – and repeat customers provide the best use cases to help secure new customers.

This is the customer cycle we look to achieve with every customer engagement.

All of this has helped to establish an outstanding corporate culture at Altronix built on core principles and values that bind our entire ecosystem together as a very cohesive and productive team.

The tenure of our team is testimony to Altronix being a great place to work. Our passion, vision and interdisciplinary skills contribute to our sustained growth and success.

Since Altronix’s inception, my partner and I have shared the vision and desire to care for the wellbeing and welfare of the Altronix family.

Our success has also enabled us to give back to the industry as well as society by providing philanthropy for many important causes both domestically and across the globe.

Our goal is to continue this tradition for years to come, built on a foundation of superior products, extreme customer satisfaction and a great corporate culture.