News

Wickham Security customers were given a chance to air their views on the take-over of the company by the On Call Group during a day of informative sessions in Bromley.

On Call Group Chairman Michael Vry invited customers to drop-in sessions at the Bromley Court Hotel to discuss any concerns or reservations they might have since the former family-run business was absorbed into his group.

The move came as part of £8.2 million worth of acquisitions in the last 2-3 years.

The event was a huge success with around 30 customers attending – all who left understanding that On Call Group had had to step in to keep the business going after the former owners took a back seat due to retirement.

Micheal Vry, On Call chairman said: “The family who ran Wickham Security did a fantastic job and it is a business we were happy to take over.

“We realise there have been some concerns, as you would expect with the country’s fastest growing independent alarm company taking over a local concern, but we are listening, and we are here to help”.

Among the major issues raised were:

• The closure of the Wickham shop on Wickham High Street. It was explained that the shop was closing anyway due to rent increases by the landlord which the shop could not sustain amid a drop in profits.
• The need to upgrade some of the old Wickham systems due to the PSTN telephone network changes nationally.
• The visits by senior security advisors were necessary to check what systems people had and to ascertain that they had the correct level of security needed.
• Complaints that engineers were coming down from the Midlands. It was clarified all the Wickham engineers had been kept on, one had subsequently left, but the others were being supported by engineers from outside of the area.
• These engineers were based out of the Bromley Court Hotel to cover the huge scale of jobs in the area and this was bringing money into the local economy.
• Customers with issues needing maintenance or who had not yet been serviced were booked in so that those issues could be addressed as a matter of urgency.
• Any customers who had not had the welcome letter sent to all when On Call took over Wickham were asked to let the office now so that these could be resent.

Mr Vry added: “There are also teething issues when you acquire a new business – especially one so popular locally as Wickham is.

“There will be people who feel we did make mistakes when we took over and we hold up our hands if we didn’t do everything as people would have liked – but we are working hard to put these things right.

“Please talk to us if you have any concerns. Our offices and our phonelines are open and supported by our on call engineers 24 hours a day.”

With life finally getting somewhere near back to normal, many of us are starting to return to the office and travel more often. But when our homes are unoccupied, the risk of property crime increases, so now is a good time to review your home security and prevent burglary.

Installing a good quality, smart home alarm system is obviously a key step to deter a robber (with a visual box on the front and rear of the property acting as a vital deterrent). Our trained engineers can install a range of wireless systems to any property, giving you the freedom to control the alarm remotely from anywhere in the world via your smartphone. CCTV can also be a further option to add protection and peace of mind, as well as 24-hour monitoring should you require it.  

Alongside a Wickham security system, there are many other preventative steps that can be taken to improve home protection. Here are few common-sense tips to prevent burglary at home: 

• Front door security – make sure your front door is insurance compliant with a multi-point locking system (or a five-lever deadlock if a wooden door). Our specialist locksmith service can help with this if required.
• Window security – consider double-gazed windows with insurance compliant locks and make sure all windows are closed when you are out. 
• Install motion detector security lighting outside to prevent dark spaces where burglars can hide.  
• Make sure any side gates are closed and locked, and ensure all fencing is in place to prevent easy access to your garden.  
• Keep your lights on timers when you are away over night to give the impression someone is at home.
• Never leave ladders or tools outside – this could hand a potential burglar the resources they need to gain access to your home.

As a family-run business established 1986, we’ve helped hundreds of customers to protect their property, and have earned an outstanding reputation in the local area. Simply call, email or visit our walk-in shop to find out how we can help you.    

Home protection can be a daunting prospect for many homeowners, but modern security systems don’t have to involve complex wiring and disruption to your property.

Our smart home systems offer simple, wireless installation with minimal interference to your home – and it all starts with a free, no obligation visit from our qualified engineers.

Our friendly team will assess your property and recommend the best smart home security system for your needs. This will include an alarm system and potentially an internal and/or external CCTV system if required. There’s no pushy sales pitch, just honest advice.          

Our smart home alarms give you complete control over the system no matter where you are in the world. A simple app on your smartphone allows you to set and manage the system remotely. Should the alarm be triggered, an alert will be sent – giving you the option to silence the system, reset or take action. An additional CCTV feed directly to your smartphone gives you the added benefit to assess your property remotely so you can view the live situation and make an informed decision.    

If required, our smart home systems can also be programmed to call 24hr monitoring and police response, giving you complete peace of mind. And with monthly maintenance plans starting from just £10 a month, we offer an affordable way to keep your property safe without the worry of a costly breakdown. 

As a family-run business established 1986, we’ve helped hundreds of customers to protect their property, and have earned an outstanding reputation in the local area. Simply call, email or visit our walk-in shop to find out how we can help you.

If you have a Pyronix Enforcer Alarm and a Hikvision CCTV system, you can now access both systems through the same mobile app! This is a game changer in the industry. If your alarm gets activated you will immediately receive a push notification. You can then check your CCTV system through the same mobile app.

We are now fitting CCTV camera systems by Hikvision. Our most popular CCTV camera is called a Darkfighter. It has a specialised night vision infra red lens and is able to cope well with filming in the dark at night. Our engineers always do the neatest job possible when it comes to cable runs. We pride ourselves on providing the best possible service for all our customers.

Wickham Security has recently taken on a new engineer. With more engineers available at hand we endeavour to continue to deliver the best, most efficient service to our customers. Our lead time on new burglar alarm installations is currently 1 -2 weeks max. Call us today on 020 8777 8299 to arrange a free quotation. All our surveys are always carried out by our fully qualified engineers.

Here is a recent customer review following upgrades to an existing system that had very complicated wiring and obstacles to overcome…

“This was not straightforward, as the old wiring left a lot to be desired, but they persevered until the system was working perfectly. I would definitely recommend them.”

With the new Visonic-go App you can control your burglar alarm with your smart phone. As well as being able to set and unset the alarm, you will also receive a push notification in the event of an alarm activation. You can actually control what push notifications you would like to receive, so if you wanted to know when people are arming and disarming the alarm you can be notified. Our expert engineers will set it all up for you, give you a full working demo and then it’s over to you. Just don’t sack your cleaner if they’re leaving the job early because we might feel partially responsible!!

Dear Wickham Security

I just wanted to say a huge thank you for your AMAZING service whilst installing our alarm at Hayes Way last week… The service throughout was totally brilliant.. The Sales guy was lovely, without being pushy at all and the installation guy/team were brilliant all the way from beginning to end, with advice, help, etc

So much so, I recommended you to a family in Stanhope Grove who were recently broken into, last week – I do hope they’ve been in touch… I will continue to sing your praises and long may your success continue 🙂