You’re taking the first step to a newer, more efficient home! Congrats! With a few last checks, you’ll be on your way to seeing your smart home dreams come to life.
But how can you prepare for the most efficient smart home installation possible? With a Swarm Meeting of course! This essential meeting will act as the blueprint for the rest of the job. Below, we break down all components of a Swarm Meeting, and how to prepare for your smart home installation.
So, without further ado,
What Is A Swarm Meeting?
Swarm meetings are an affectionate name for project-kickoff meetings. The purpose of this meeting is to go through, step-by-step, the expectations of the client and what their project proposal and invoice show on their work order and to review the scope of work. Present at the Swarm Meeting is the client, the project manager, and sometimes the sales or the lead technician.
This is particularly critical when it comes to the time and materials for the job. The client will be provided an estimate for hours of work. This is a great time for the client to know exactly every individual who will be working on their job and understands each one’s role in the project.
Often, in custom integration, there can be a difference between what the client heard and what the salesman heard. There is a need to have clearly defined expectations. This makes certain that we as a custom integrator can do an amazing job and please the client 100 percent with no misunderstandings.
The result is a clear expectation on all sides of the project. The meeting also serves as the clear transition from sales to production. You can expect to have an estimated invoice for labor and materials.
What Will I Learn At A Swarm Meeting?
There are several bits of information included in this vital step. As stated in the above video, the project manager will sit down with you and go over several things.
This will include:
- The No Surprise Promise
- A promise of open and honest communication between Hive and the client. Includes a list of possible instances that could lead to an increase in price or time. More details are included here.
- A promise of open and honest communication between Hive and the client. Includes a list of possible instances that could lead to an increase in price or time. More details are included here.
- Service Plans
- Hive Care is our new proactive maintenance service, designed to help our clients with everything from system outages to yearly tune-ups. Our four unique plans will give you the peace of mind that Hive will care for your system long after we walk out the door.
- Hive Care is our new proactive maintenance service, designed to help our clients with everything from system outages to yearly tune-ups. Our four unique plans will give you the peace of mind that Hive will care for your system long after we walk out the door.
- Programming Selections
- Custom programming for your smart home system. Your project manager will make note of any special preset action you want for your system. This helps the integration move faster and smoother.
- Your Client Readiness Checklist
- A seamless list of simple tasks to prepare your home for your technician’s arrival.
- Payment Schedule
- When certain deposits are due at the beginning, middle, or end of the project.
Your main guide in this process will be your Client Readiness Checklist, which you can download here. This step-by-step guide includes steps such as; moving furniture, preparing your internet connection and tech rack, and programming preparation.
We also need to have all the passwords present for your various smart accounts. These might include:
Alexa, Amazon Prime, Apple ID, Pandora, Spotify, Hulu, Netflix, Google Assist, WiFi Passwords, Nest, etc.
What Happens Now?
With all the details hammered out, Hive can finally begin your installation! That means that all parts of your system will be ordered and shipped to our warehouse. Once all pieces have an estimated delivery date, one of our schedulers will contact you about beginning the project.
Should there be any delay in your order, our scheduler will contact you right away. Together, you’ll discuss a new start date and confirm any change orders. When every piece of your system arrives, our technicians will get right to work on installing your smart home system.
Any questions? Feel free to reach out to us through our contact page or by calling us at (813) 575-HIVE
Check out our Youtube Channel for behind the scene looks at job installations and other fun home automation.
