What Questions Should You Ask Your Home Automation Company?

No matter what technology project you have in mind, you deserve the best service and performance possible. The way to get that isn't to search for the most well-known or expensive brands but to find the ideal home automation company to work with. Employing the right partner from the start will result in a bespoke, high-performance technology solution for your Canton, GA home.

Researching companies can be a dreadful task—dig deep enough, and you'll find a negative review about anyone. Though focusing your search on the highest-ranked companies based on reviews is a great idea, you can narrow those down further by asking the right questions in your initial consultation. As you read this blog, you’ll find questions that address every part of your smart home experience—from installation to ongoing support.

SEE MORE: 5 Home Automation Ideas for Your Vacation Home 

What Type of Solutions Do They Offer?

Instead of focusing on brands, you should ask about specific features (voice control, custom scenes, remote access) and solutions (home theaters, lighting control). A trusted home automation company will likely offer the brands you need anyways or will be able to advise you on ones they know work best. Lastly, don't forget about scope. For example, if you live in a large estate, don't work with a company that focuses on retrofit apartment installations. And if you want more than one solution or feature, make sure they can take care of all of them to limit the number of companies working on your home.

What Certifications Do They Have?

It’s easy for companies to make lofty claims about their experience and knowledge, so how do you know who to trust? First, explore their website to find out if they have any industry-specific certifications. GHT Group, for example, lists its credentials on its company page. These include CEDIA, Polycom and THX certifications.

Also, consider if they are official dealers and at what status. Dealer status is usually assigned based on the level of training and the number of installations or sales. This means the higher the dealer status, the more experience the home automation company has with that particular product or service. You can verify that a company is a dealer by looking through dealer directories on the manufacturers’ websites.

Can You Look at Pictures of Previous Projects? 

How would their technology solutions look in your home? Project photos are a great way to get a better feel for the company. You can check their website for photo galleries, but it’s also a good idea to ask them directly for more. Home automation companies will likely have more examples they keep offline due to privacy concerns but would happily show potential clients.

Explore what technology they’ve installed in the past and how they blend it into clients’ homes. Also, check for rack photos. AV racks hold many of your components and are the endpoint for much of your wiring. Do they have clean, organized racks to show you? These past project photos are also a great way to address the scope question mentioned above. Look at the type of properties they've worked on before to see how they compare to yours.

What Support Do They Offer After Installation? 

Home automation companies also differ significantly in the way they approach support and maintenance. Some smaller companies focus solely on the installation then leave homeowners to figure out their systems independently. On the other hand, GHT Group offers ongoing support and maintenance on your home automation system. As premier dealers, they also receive prioritized service from their manufacturing partners to easily resolve issues and save you the trouble of directly dealing with customer support.

Do you want to get started on your dream smart home project? Reach out to the experts at GHT Group by giving us a call, filling out our contact form or chatting with us below. You can also interact with the best in home automation, high-end audio, and more firsthand at our Marietta showroom.