How to Drive 'Em Crazy

After years in the industry, I am beginning to see a pattern of things that drive alarm installers to the brink of insanity.  I thought these should be compiled, sorted and organized and then printed for the general public, to perhaps reduce the frequency of such burdensome occurences.  I have tried to exclude those issues that just reflect an installer or service person in a bad mood, being a baby.  So, here is a partial list.
1.  When the sales person asks what kind of telephone line you have, there are basically four answers: no phone line (in which case you will have to buy an additional piece of equipment for communications to the alarm monitoring facility); POTS line, which is the traditional phone line with carrier voltage on the line; VOIP, which is provided by cable companies and other internet providers; and satelite phone (which will also require you to purchase additional equipment.  The installer will be frustrated if the phone line is not what they expected.
2.  Clutter.  Depending where you want the control panel to be placed, you may need to clean out a closet, or a path in the basement.  In cases where the system will be wired into the home, the installer will need access to a large portion of the basement.  They are not furniture movers, so be sure to provide access to device locations, too.
3.  No one likes to work in an attic, though many will if they have to.  If a system will have to be wired through your attic, please consider allowing the installer to place a wireless system in the home.  (See earlier blog entry for wireless vs. hard wired debate)
4.  Of course your children and pets are precious, and everyone would prefer to play with lego or throw a ball to the dog than work.  It's just that those activities don't pay well for the person who is there to install your alarm system.
5.  Installers are trained to install devices where they will do the most good.  Most of the time, they will consult with you where the issue is purely aesthetic, such as keypad and control panel locations.  Even then, there may be some compromise required.

I don't even know if these are the top five, but certainly effect the job of the installer and could have consequences in how you feel at the end of the installation.  It's a partnership of form and function that they installer and home or business owner must balance.