What are we doing wrong when ordering video surveillance? TOP-7 mistakes

Let’s be honest the curtain of the video surveillance market is just opening for the Russian user. Mass distribution of video monitoring is observed only in the segment of large business and the public sector level. Accordingly, the most ignorant category of potential customers are individuals and small businesses. However, any customer is subject to a number of common mistakes. Let’s talk about them.

How to approach the issue of ordering correctly?

Installation of a video surveillance system, due to the technical complexity of the issue, requires experts’ intervention and involves financial and other costs.

A competent approach to this issue implies the active participation of the customer at all stages, namely:

• definition of the goals and objectives of video surveillance;
• choice of the specialist;
• selection of the type of system (analogue, cloud) and a set of equipment;
• design and calculation stage. Read the article “Video Surveillance Project. Everything you need to know“;
• approval of the budget with the customer;
• installation;
• system testing;
• signing of the acceptance certificate of the performed work.

TOP-7 usual customer mistakes

To avoid disappointment and unnecessary financial costs, consider the list of the most common mistakes when ordering video surveillance.

There are no meaningful goals

A mistake when ordering a video monitoring system # 1 is the lack of customer’s meaningful goals and objectives.

Answer the questions:

• Why and what do I need video surveillance for?
• Is the need for video monitoring constant or temporary?

Select a video surveillance target from the list:

• ensuring the physical safety of people, objects and/or valuable assets remotely or in real-time;
• detection of offenders;
• observation of children, elderly relatives, pets;
• supervision of work processes;
• investigation of incidents and collection of evidence for the court;
• collecting marketing data;
• identification (of human faces and/or car licence number plates;
• other individual goals.

The lack of a clear goal leads to overpayments for unnecessary equipment options and the inability to obtain the planned result.

Copying

Ordering video surveillance is as easy as shelling peas, but you need to give up imitation:

• “Put me cameras like a neighbour/godfather/brother. Everything works fine for him. I don’t need anything complicated, connect the camcorder to the TV ” – one of the most common statements of private customers;
• “Set up cameras like in a similar store/restaurant/warehouse” – you can often hear from representatives of small and medium-sized businesses.

This approach does not consider the purpose of video surveillance, the specifics of the facility, and, accordingly, cannot give a 100% return on investment.

Unjustified expectations

Here we can talk about such unjustified expectations as:

• I will put one budget camera bought in the Chinese market and get quality surveillance. Debunking of the myth is in the article “9 reasons why you shouldn’t buy video surveillance on AliExpress“;
• I will install the whole system myself. Traditional video surveillance, the installation of which is carried out without the participation of professionals, will not work perfectly. It is a fact. Read how to kill the video monitoring system during installation here;
• I expect from the camcorder the image like on the TV. Video materials from cameras are always lower quality rather than TV picture;
• I will buy a camera with batteries, and I do not need wires. Read about how to correctly organize the operation of video equipment without electricity in the article “Can video cameras work without electricity? TOP-3 solutions“;
• I will buy and install a hidden surveillance camera. Few people know that this is a direct path to criminal punishment. Details are in the article “Wireless micro camera for covert video surveillance.”

Disregard of modern technology

Most often, if a customer or his friends have used a video monitoring system in the past and are not aware of modern surveillance methods, they choose analogue systems.

Read the article “What should you not expect from legacy video monitoring systems?” and make the right choice in favour of cloud services.

Excessive savings

In the event of a budget lack, the average customer tries to save on the equipment quality and squeeze a discount from the seller.

This approach can lead to a decrease in the efficiency of the system.

The correct solution would be to split the order into stages, paying in instalments.

Lack of control

Even if you order turnkey video surveillance, all stages of production imply your active participation, up to the signing of the acceptance certificate of the performed work. At each stage, it is necessary to monitor the quality. Lack of control is unacceptable.

Installed … and then what?

The common mistake of customers is the lack of thoughts and funds for:

• future development of the system;
• regular maintenance. To not go broke on the service, read the article “Maintenance of video surveillance systems. Seven rules of saving“;
• unscheduled repair and replacement of system elements;
• hardware and software updates.

Be prepared that any part of the system may fail and require replacement/repair, budget the amount for maintenance.

Alternative of 2021 

If ordering a surveillance system is alien to you, you should pay attention to the Faceter cloud service, which can operate using two mobile devices or IP cameras.

You don’t need any additional hardware.

It is enough to download a free mobile application on two smartphones, one of which is installed in the surveillance area (as a camera), and the other is taken with you and used as a monitor.

Details are on the website https://faceter.cam/en.

Results

Not to get frustrated and avoid money-wasting, prepare to order a video monitoring system (for home and/or business) in advance. Start by planning and setting goals. Select a provider based on recommendations and online ratings. Participate at every stage of the fixing. Do not pay for the order 100% before the end of the work. Consider the TOP 7 common mistakes that we have prepared especially for you.