Nightmare call out

[antinode]

Got called to a system yesterday afternoon just before finish time, customer said it was false activating on Zone 4, which he said was the garage door (for the record, this system is a take over). Fair enough, probably a faulty contact, damaged cable or loose connection I thought. Got my meter out, tested the contact, seemed fine. Gave it a sharp tap with my terminal but the reading did'nt budge. Twisted the zone pair out at the panel end and metered the cable, which turned out to be OK. I walk tested the panel, and zone 4 and 5 are showing as open?! CHecked the cable list and zone 4 is the BACK DOOR contact, not the garage door as I had been told ( ) and zone 5 is the kitchen passive. Metered the cable and found the contact to be faulty so I changed it, and it worked fine after. CHecked the PIR and cable to it, which were both fine. Now I'm getting a bit worried. It's 5 pm and I'm a bit tired. I try linking out zone 5 on the panel, and it's still showing as open. Faulty panel (head engineer agrees) I say no problem, I can change it. Nip back to the shop for a replace ment panel and get back at around 6 pm to make a start on it. I should be away for 8 I think... I was still going at 8, and did'nt finish until 9:30. The cable list was wrong and i spent an hour just metering cables and labeling them. The final kick in the teeth was that most of the cables were too short to reach the connections so I spent another hour extending them The customer was fine about it, but after 4 hours stuck in an under stairs cupboard, I won't be going back there in a hurry!

[Mavrick_001]

Customers on a Friday night.... you needs um.... pmsl... only joking we all love you really guys!!!!

[whistle]

Went to a callout once in manchester after an alarm and now stuck O/C, on arival i check the log and note the zone number (9500) but no zone list or spec. Chub gard says its this pir on the 1st floor so i take his word for it ( big mistake) replace the detector after extending the cable as cable entry on bottom of new detector. Go back to panel do all paper work put in walk test still showing open ??? so back up to detector lid off and leave a tamper on it WRONG ZONE so left it as i was not putting the old one back had a walk round to try and find the zone NOTE the chub man had been on site 2 hours waiting for me, i find the cause a fire door smashed in and 20 computers missing LOL

Never take notice of muppet key holders

[gla.ssfp]

I went to one that had load of pc's taken

finally proved the gaurds had not been part setting the system when on duty as they didnt even know how to do it !!!

[Tony Heath]

I was asked by a neighbour to check their panel which keeps bleeping.

Went round but no faults found.Did a walk test to prove the zones matched

their piece of paper and was informed this was the same bleeping sound they

had been hearing.Was informed there was no indication on the panel when bleeping was heard.The next day the same again.Went to check and found the

smoke detector above the panel required the battery replacing.

Two months later I received a call from another site,'The RKP on the landing keeps bleeping'.Advised to change the battery in the smoke detector and to ring back if bleeping returns.Nine months later -No call-.

[Zak]

I was asked by a neighbour to check their panel which keeps bleeping.

Went round but no faults found.Did a walk test to prove the zones matched

their piece of paper and was informed this was the same bleeping sound they

had been hearing.Was informed there was no indication on the panel when bleeping was heard.The next day the same again.Went to check and found the

smoke detector above the panel required the battery replacing.

Two months later I received a call from another site,'The RKP on the landing keeps bleeping'.Advised to change the battery in the smoke detector and to ring back if bleeping returns.Nine months later -No call-.

63205[/snapback]

That happens with infrequent regularity with us. Irate clients complaining about the incessant beeping on the system. Luckily we know the sounds our systems make so not many actual call-outs. One client called and I could hear the system in the background to the effect of "my battery needs changing". After assuring the customer that our alarm systems don't speak we figured it out

[Guest]

I was asked by a neighbour to check their panel which keeps bleeping.

Went round but no faults found.Did a walk test to prove the zones matched

their piece of paper and was informed this was the same bleeping sound they

had been hearing.Was informed there was no indication on the panel when bleeping was heard.The next day the same again.Went to check and found the

smoke detector above the panel required the battery replacing.

Two months later I received a call from another site,'The RKP on the landing keeps bleeping'.Advised to change the battery in the smoke detector and to ring back if bleeping returns.Nine months later -No call-.

63205[/snapback]

I had the same in one kindergarden where firepanel was next to KP. Few months later they called me and again i am searching the fault. Second time when i was just powering down the system i realised it is the F****** firepanel beeping.

[Guest Dingle]

I had the same in one kindergarden where firepanel was next to KP. Few months later they called me and again i am searching the fault. Second time when i was just powering down the system i realised it is the F****** firepanel beeping.

63243[/snapback]

Speaking as a Monotoring Station operator, you'd be amazed at the number of customers who can't tell a fire bell from a security bell. Or those who wonder what those little red buttons are for under the desk, and push them "just to see what happens", and then can't find the key...

You have my sympathies, as customer error and/or beligerance is a major factor in unnecessary callouts for you fellas. But spare a thought for those of us who have to try and get them to admit to user error in the first place, even though they believe themselves to be infallible.

[Chris Teague]

You have my sympathies, as customer error and/or beligerance is a major factor in unnecessary callouts for you fellas. But spare a thought for those of us who have to try and get them to admit to user error in the first place, even though they believe themselves to be infallible.

I always tend to feel much better as I'm preparing the invoice for such wasted call outs, especially when some can't be bothered to make the suggested battery checks

PS: - Welcome to the forums Dingle

[The Arab]

I also had a call out to a customer that had been advised by office to check there smoke detector,swore blind they didn't have one so opened 9600 end box for them (thats in cupboard under the stairs) to see that there was nothing inside it that could bleep,just at that "bleep"that's the noise he says didn't come from in here though but sounded close so he has a look on the shelf at the back to find a smoke detector that he had got free from a garage ages ago do you think it's this as it goes bleep in his hand