3 Ways Your Customers Save with Surge Protection

Surge protection requires a small initial investment that, in return, avoids big unexpected costs down the road. This can be seen when a surge protector averts a network-wide disruption; or prevents a loss of data that could lead to a damaging liability judgement. Customers may have to spend money to save money, but the true ROI of surge protection becomes quickly apparent.

Educating your customers on the various ways surge protection can save them money gives you, the installer, an opportunity to create a positive customer experience and build your bill of materials.

Here are 3 ways your customers save when they invest in surge protection for their home or business:

Fire safety, HVAC, surveillance, point of sale, servers, access control, pump controllers, lighting, entertainment, and countless other systems rely on a variety of electronic devices to perform their necessary functions. Given that each of these systems is made up of potentially hundreds of end point devices, the financial investment to deploy such systems is significant. One damaging power surge has the potential to render these investments useless within seconds. Even worse, surges have the potential to travel through networked devices, taking out multiple systems at once.

Whole or partial system repair may be necessary with subsequent repair bills and labor costs. In instances where repair is not possible, surge damage necessitates entire system replacement, making simple power disruptions an expensive risk. Such repairs and replacements are often not covered by insurance policies or warranties, costing potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars out-of-pocket.

A thoughtful, layered application of surge protection devices (SPDs) is one of the few ways to prevent against the high costs associated with system repair or replacement. To really drive home the cost-benefit ratio for customers, the total cost of surge protection is typically less than the sales tax on the systems they protect. This means that surge protection only requires a small upfront investment to protect from larger expenses down the road.

From ensuring businesses stay up and running to keeping homes cool and connected, electronic systems play an important role in daily life. However, when just one of these systems experiences downtime due to a power surge or spike, the associated costs go beyond that of system repair/replacement. There are also many hidden and unforeseen costs associated with system downtime.

For example, a major vacation resort in Orlando failed to protect their fire alarm system with surge protection. Following a major power surge, the alarm system itself was badly damaged and the surge continued to travel to the emergency phones in the elevators and then into their control panels, ultimately causing equipment damage in excess of $250,000. However, that was only the beginning. To ensure the safety of the guests and employees while repairs were made, the resort was mandated under local fire code to maintain a “fire watch”, meaning a fire truck was stationed at their expense in their main parking area 24/7. In the 17 days it took to get the fire alarm system back up and running, this fire watch cost the resort an additional $61,000.

This is just one example of how system downtime affects a business’ bottom line. Many industries such as retail, entertainment, and hospitality rely heavily on electronic systems to deliver their essential services. When such businesses fail to perform their expected services, there is also a potential loss of reputation and customer trust that erodes profits. It’s these secondary costs that must be considered when calculating the total savings offered by surge protection.

For many industries, downtime is not an option. In these specific industries, such as hotels and casinos, the function of certain electrical systems is mandated. Businesses can be subject to fines and lawsuits if these systems are found to be not functioning properly. And in other industries, system downtime opens the opportunity for damaging liability judgements.

For example, downtime on a security system could result in missing video surveillance data with a corresponding increased risk for loss, damage, and liability. In a data center, downtime could result in the loss of critical customer or operational information. At a parking deck, the business and owner could both be successfully sued if the security cameras and access gates were experiencing downtime during an event that resulted in theft or bodily harm. Looking through this lens, surge protection seems like a no-brainer for organizations wishing to protect themselves from further loss.

The savings offered by surge protection is a win-win for both systems installers and their customers. Customers are protected from both long- and short-term expenses while the installer boosts their own bottom line with added sales though SPDs and an increase in customer confidence – and it all starts by working with the right provider.

DITEK offers a wide range of surge protection solutions for a variety of residential and business applications. Designed using the latest in surge protection technology for maximum performance and protection, models are available in a wide range of voltage configurations and protection modes to meet all of your project specification needs. DITEK’s solutions are made in the USA and backed by comprehensive warranties, making DITEK surge protection the ideal choice for electricians, installers, and their customers.

Contact us today to learn how you and your customers’ can benefit from DITEK Surge Protection.