We have an epidemic in our industry. The epidemic is bad installations that result in unhappy consumers.
Why do you think products like Sonos, Ring, and Alexa have been so successful? Consumers are open to new products they perceive as “no-hassle” because they have been so frustrated with the CI industry over the past two decades. There have been way too many bad installations that result in consumers wanting “less” technology in their homes.
How did we get here? A low barrier of entry is the easy answer. Anyone can buy a van and call themselves an “AV Integrator”. It couldn’t be easier and less regulated. Hang your shingle and open an account at AVAD or Snap and you are good to go. In the three major markets of the US (Southern California, Southern Florida, and New York) there are 6,000-8,000 entities selling audio/video and control products. How many are really good? The answer is frightening, and everyday a great integrator loses a project to a far inferior competitor based on price.
Inevitably, these thousands of unqualified companies perform poorly and turn enthusiastic clients into tech-haters. And every architect, builder, and designer attached to the project experiences yet another bad technology outcome.
The Home Technology Association (HTA) was formed to prevent this.
Every great installer who cares about our industry should get HTA Certified and educate clients that not all installation firms are created equal… and there is only a pretty small percentage that meet the requirements of certification through superior tech skills, solid customer service, and a reputation for being an honest and fair company.
Once a client understands there is a standard in our industry, they feel good about spending a little more money to hire a company that has proven themselves to be top-tier.
Our industry is plagued with bad installations. Stand alongside the 140+ greatest companies in our industry (as of January 2019) to tell the world that quality matters and that consumers deserve excellent technology experiences. Get HTA Certified! Learn more and apply at https://htacertified.org