Silent Partner broadcasts brand to residential users

MARSHALL, Va.--Silent Partner Security Systems launched an advertising campaign earlier this year that owner Sam Rogers anticipates will assist with the company's goal of tripling the size of its residential division by the end of 2005. The company, which has traditionally garnered most of its business from the commercial side of the market, decided to move forward with local newspaper and radio advertising in an effort to add residential customers to its current 80 percent commercial and 20 percent residential account base. "We definitely want to balance that out," Rogers said. Founded in 1990, the company focused on government and commercial installations for the first six years of operation and currently accounts for security installations at 200 buildings in the Washington area. Rogers said the company, which employs 15 people and maintains roughly 1,000 accounts, would occasionally complete residential installations by referral, but it wasn't a focus until it created a residential division in 1995. But even with the creation of the division, the company decided to continue to keep working solely through referrals for residential business, a policy that it still relies on today. "Calls coming in now are still 80 percent referral," Rogers said. "Those customers trust you already." But outside interest has increased since the campaign went into effect. "The phones are ringing off the hook right now for residential," he said. Rogers attributes the increased response to the company's reputation for delivering a high level of customer service. "People want better service," Rogers said. "We've been getting a lot of phone calls from customers very disappointed in other companies." He said the company is installing more video surveillance systems in residential dwellings, which he attributes to the company's 45-minute proximity to Washington and a long commute time for people who live in the suburbs of the city. "Camera systems make people more comfortable when they are not at home," Rogers said. Rogers explained that residents are familiar with security technologies since many work in the high-security atmosphere of Washington area. In addition to marketing, customers' exposure to the company's installed systems at places of employment also drives its residential business. "It has really helped strengthen our residential business and we like to see that."