Software For Alarm Companies: Little Differences Matter!

Four black gears with question marks in the middle. The largest gear on the right has a lightbulb instead of a question mark.

A question for our security dealer friends–do you agree with this statement? “Your security company is just like any other contractor business.” Nearly all our customers would shout: “NO WAY! Our business is unique!” Cornerstone has served this industry for over 21 years, and we completely agree. In fact, our business probably wouldn’t exist if…

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Vacation? Stay-cation? No-cation?

Image of a family in the kitchen. In the foreground there is a mother and son looking at a laptop. In the background there is a father and son cooking a meal.

We hope you enjoyed July 4th, especially in a year when most fireworks, parades, and celebrations were canceled. For most people, July and August are vacation season. This year, most of us will need to settle for some version of a stay-cation. Wikipedia defines a stay-cation as “a period in which an individual or family…

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QuickBooks vs. Alarm Company Software: What’s Best for You?

Person putting a blue puzzle piece into a puzzle. The puzzle is backlit.

If your security company mainly uses QuickBooks to manage your subscriber accounts and jobs, you’ve probably asked this question: “Would we be better off with more industry-specialized software?” The answer depends on your company’s situation, and how much friction you are encountering while trying to use QuickBooks to manage things. It’s possible, maybe likely, that…

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Covid Quiet Time: A Silver Lining?

Desk with a laptop, coffee cup, glasses and medical mask on it.

As we navigate this really tough stretch of the Covid crisis, can we at least look for a silver lining? Nearly all of our security dealers have told us that their service and installation work is way down. Many have had to reduce hours or even lay off staff members. There’s just not much work…

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Cornerstone Integrates with Formstack

People putting business puzzle pieces together

Cornerstone Billing Solutions is excited to announce a new eSignature integration with Formstack!    Designed with industry support in mind, Formstack created an efficient, easy to use eSignature solution. Conceived with strict security and compliance at the forefront, Formstack Sign helps companies of all sizes and industries be more agile and save money.    With this…

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Top Tips to Help Security Companies Improve Business

Business growth has to be built on solid financial understanding.

With two months left in the year, it is a good time to review your operational processes. Examine your business with a critical eye to determine that you are not only doing the right things but doing them in the right way. If you are behind on the technology curve, this is the year to…

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How Customer Service Impacts Attrition

Activating your security alarm

This month we have been focusing on security alarm customers. We have discussed the impact of customer service , how to retain customers and how to manage difficult customers. In today’s post we address how customer experience can impact attrition, turning a potential loss into a win-win for you and the customer. According to the US Census…

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Don’t Get Angry, Get Smart – Dealing with Difficult Customers

managing difficult customers

One of the most challenging tasks to deal with in business is handling difficult customers and situations. Whether these customers are angry, frustrated, or simply demanding, it’s hard to be calm, maintain a professional attitude and not get defensive. An old phrase we hear over and over in business is “the customer is always right.”…

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5 Communication Tips to Keep Security Alarm Customers!

Think long term. It costs more to attract new security alarm customers than retain current ones. In fact, an often quoted statistic indicates that  it is 5-10 times more expensive to acquire a new customer than it is to keep a current one. Your customers are the reason you’re still in business. While it’s important to acquire new…

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