Okay, my first review of Sterling has GOT to be a glowing one. I'll get into that in a minute…read more What's uncertain, though, is whether my first update months down the line will be as praise-filled. That's because I've only had their alarm system for two days. However, based on my initial experiences, and the interaction with the salesman and installer, I have to seriously tip my hat to Sterling.
A few points first off: Sterling is locally owned and operated. It's a Central Ohio company. Unlike so many other security companies, Sterling uses only in-house installers. They do not sub-contract. Furthermore, they own and operate their OWN monitoring service. That means when your alarm goes off, the signal is getting sent right across town to Hilliard, not to New Jersey.
And now, the real kicker. Unlike nearly every other monitoring service out there, Sterling STILL calls the cops when your alarm goes off. It's become an industry standard to call the owner first in the event of an alarm, and then ask whether you want the cops called or not. It's an effort to reduce false alarms, or rather, to waive responsibility from the company during false alarms. However, what it serves to do is cause for the crook to get away when you have an actual crime. Not so with Sterling. They don't call to confirm if you want the cops sent, they call to confirm if you shut the alarm off, to confirm a CANCEL!
Now for the personal stuff. Sterling, and a particular agent to boot, were recommended to me by my realtor. I did not realize Sterling still called the cops for alarms, so I assumed they operated like the rest of them. As a result, I shopped around for months trying to find a reliable subscription-free alarm system. I couldn't. Fast forward a few months and my house got broken into twice. I called up the salesman and explained the situation. I wanted an alarm, and quick.
I was scheduled for a sales consult the following morning, and pushed to the front of the install line because of the nature of the situation (an actual, active problem with crooks), and my install scheduled for Wednesday, just three days after making my initial call.
The salesman goes even further and refers me to some contacts of his for things I needed at the house. What amazing service!!
It's the same story for the installer. He was very punctual, very friendly, and very helpful. He told me ins and outs of the system, helped me understand things about the install that aren't pertinent to operating the system, but that I wanted to know, and advised on the best possible location for my control panel. Again, he also gave me contact info for an electrician he knows and swears by, and a handyman of whom he spoke very highly.
If the alarm performs as well as the employees do, then when I update down the line, it'll be another five-star rating.
