Most systems come with professional monitoring, where a remote station is alerted to any changes in your system. But some also offer self-monitoring, where you’ll personally be alerted via SMS text alerts, app notifications, or in-home alerts (like sirens, lights, etc.). Let’s talk more about the two types of monitoring and the benefits you get in choosing one over another. If something does go wrong, it’s in the hands of professionals trained to handle the situation. How freeing is that?! Now and again, you stumble across companies that charge less than $20 to watch your system (Ring or Cove, for example). But most of the time, you’re going to pay $30+, even $40+. That’s not even counting an alarm permit or any false alarms that you have to pay your city for. (No professional monitoring service is perfect. Sometimes the police get called to your home when they shouldn’t.) And let’s face it: when you go with professional monitoring, you give up a certain level of control. You leave your fate in the monitoring company’s hands. Not everyone wants to deal with a big-box company every month. Some people prefer to monitor their security systems on their own. Finally, if you’re self-monitoring, your system usually won’t be linked to your local police station. If your system goes off and it’s a false alarm, you won’t be slapped with a painful fine. When it comes to professional security, you want to make sure you get what you’re paying for. We suggest using a company with the following: Say you’re relying on a professional service to watch your security system, but it only has one monitoring center. What happens when that monitoring station goes out of commission because of a flood, or a fire, or a riot? You’re left hanging, that’s what happens. When a service has more than one monitoring center, someone will always be watching your home, even when one center is non-operational. Multiple language services Ever called into a service and been frustrated because the person on the other line didn’t speak your language very well? We have too. One way to potentially avoid that is to go with a provider that clearly states it has operators fluent in many languages. That way, you can request a transfer if you can’t understand the person you’re speaking with. Off-Shore Monitoring Some consumers don’t like it when companies use off-shore monitoring because they experience more language problems. In our experience, off-shore isn’t necessarily an indicator or guarantee of how fluent the operators are. Focus on the offered languages, not the monitoring center location. 24/7 customer service You’re essentially hiring someone else to manage your system, so it’s helpful to talk to them whenever something pops up. Enter 24/7 customer service. Any time you have a safety issue or even just a question, you can get it addressed right away. If professional alarm monitoring is an option for you, in most cases, we recommend going with that. Most home alarm systems offer one or the other. You don’t get a choice. But some systems (like Abode, and Ring Alarm) offer both. Here’s our take on it: you’re probably safe from prying eyes. Most companies decline to monitor video footage. It’s just too much work. The only company we know of that might be looking at your videos is Ring.1
