Metra Home Theater's Smart Service

If you saw our ad in this month’s CEPRO, you saw our own Technical Support and Product Specialist Brent McCall featured as the figurehead for the Smart Support we provide our customers.  In fact, he is one part of an extensive package of smart support we provide.  Our Smart Support includes a designated tech support professional for our Spyclops product, a highly trained sales staff on the latest technology as well as Brent McCall providing Custom Integrator support.

Notice that Brent is described as the “Custom Integrator” tech support, not the Metra Custom Integrator Product support.  This is an important distinction because Metra Home Theater believes in supporting the CI – not just selling our products to the CI.  In other words, he will try to help no matter what the issue.  Brent is available to take your call from 8am-10pm*.  The asterisk is there because Brent will not answer his phone if he is at dinner with his wife or in his convertible Miata for obvious reasons. You can leave him a message and he will return your call promptly. 

Deanna Miller is tech support primarily for our Spyclops product line but provides tech support on all Metra Home Theater products.  She is available to answer any and all of your questions related to either installing or operating a Spyclops system in addition to being another tech resource for all of our products.  Deanna also assists in product development of the Spyclops line with her input coming from feedback she gets from the customers like you who she speaks with every day.  She is available Tuesday thru Friday 9-6:30 pm and Saturday 10-4:00 pm.

Our dedicated sales staff works hard on staying on top of the latest in technology.  Monthly meetings as well as constant access to our product development team keep our sales staff well-informed on all of the technology we offer.   We are very proud of the fact that our staff here at Metra Home Theater Group actually understands how our technology works.  We are not interested in the canned sales pitch telling a customer why our products are better than the competition.  Our staff spend time in the field routinely to meet with customers to stay connected with your technology needs.

Metra Home Theater Group, Brent McCall, Deanna Miller, and many others are here to support you, whether it’s a question on the latest in HDMI to installing a television mount, we’re standing by to help! Metra Home Theater Group remains dedicated to meeting the needs of a wide array of customers -- from Custom Integrators, to the Spyclops customer as well as the many other home theater brands we offer (and then some) which is why our Smart Support stands out from the competition.

Feedback From Las Vegas

Last week Jason and Bob were at the ISC WEST Show at the Sands in Las Vegas.  This is the first time Metra Home Theater Group has exhibited at this show and we featured our Spyclops line.  I hear the show went well and the booth looked fantastic.  When the staff returns, I like to ask a few standard questions to get a feel for a show and how it went, how to improve, etc. I email them the questions and they answer them within the first few days of being back in the office.   I work with some funny people and sometimes these answers make me laugh.  This was one of those times.  I decided to make it my ISE Show Wrap up post because it shows why we are such a tight group here at Metra Home Theater Group.  I hope you enjoy these as much as I did.

1. What did you learn at the show?  Las Vegas is just as hard on us Floridians in April as it is in January when we are there for CES.  When breaking down the booth we need to make sure our crates get there on time.  It’s difficult to work hard when your body is craving humidity.
2. What did you think about booth location?  I think by the time people got back to us, they had seen it all and they gave us a glance and turned around.  Still got some good leads in between nose bleeds.  Also, we need to make sure we do a nose check during the show.  Nose bleeds can happen at any time and scare people off no matter where we are located next year.
3. How many exhibitors were there?  Over 10000 and they all had big TVs in their booths.  We need big TVs next year to help draw in the crowds. 
4. What can we do to improve at the show next year?  Didn't you just ask that?  Well, big TVs are the way to go next year.  They catch the eye and will bring in traffic. Packing a humidifier in the crates so we are prepared for environment will also save us from multiple trips to the store after the show.
5. What was one positive from the show?  Break down goes really fast when you are ready to get home and breath the fresh Florida air full of humidity.

Metra Home Theater Group will showcase the Spyclops Surveillance Systems line, April 15 to 17, 2015 at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas, NV.

Jason Lundell and Bob Pancari will be attending the ISC West Show in Las Vegas, NV this week.  This is the first time Metra Home Theater Group has attended this show and we are excited.   We have been in Vegas for other shows but they have been held in the HUGE convention center.  ISC West is held in the Sands.  We feel that the more intimate booth conditions will give future customers a more one-on-one experience. These conditions are where customers learn about our best feature - our award-winning staff which is why we are #MoreThanProducts.

But the show is about products and Spyclops product line will be featured at this show.  The line includes camera accessories, as well as DVRs and DVR kits designed to work with compatible power distribution systems.  There is, of course, a remote surveillance service with 24/7 access via Web browser or smart phone.  Specifically, the Spyclops line includes bullet indoor/outdoor security cameras; domestic dome style cameras; 16-, 8- and 4-channel DVRs; 5-, 9- and 18-way power distribution boxes and various security cable.  Metra’s three new DVRs feature full 960H recording capability on all channels. In addition to higher recording resolution, the new DVRs offer four sensor inputs with one alarm output, as well as upgraded hard drives that are designed for 24/7 use.

Metra Home Theater Group cannot talk about our Spyclops line without mentioning our tech support.  We have designated employee that answers our tech line to help with all of your Spyclops tech support issues.  Deanna Mann is here for something as simple and unplugging the RJ45 Ethernet Cable from the back of a DVR to adjusting the masking area to no blue boxes, she can help.  Deanna is an example of how dedicated to excellent customer service we are here at Metra Home Theater Group and why we are #MoreThanProducts.

If you are attending ISC West next week – stop by booth #29109 to see for yourself how we are there for our customers.

Welcome Changes to Metra Home Theater Group

Metra Home Theater Group has made some changes to continue providing our award winning customer services.

•                     Please welcome our new Northeast US Territory Manager, Bob Pancari.  Bob brings with him 15 years of sales experience. 

•                     We also have a new Regional West Coast Sales Representative, Zak Yarnell.  Zak has worked in the manufacturing industry for last 5 years and brings with him extensive sales and supply chain knowledge.

•                     Miranda Grantham has been promoted to National Sales Manager. 

•                     Jason Lundell has also been promoted to Southern U.S. Territory Manager and Product Specialist.

•                     Erika Baily has been transferred to the Southeast Region with Jason Lundell from the West Coast.

To stay informed on all the exciting things that Metra Home Theater Group does, follow us on social media.

What is 4K?

4K ready cables.  4K televisions.  The term “4K” is being thrown around a lot lately and does anyone really know what it means?  I recently tried to explain the importance of 4K and how it will impact everyone’s life one day over dinner with a group of friends.  I was met with “I just don’t get it” comments.  Undeterred, I went to work and started a conversation on what is the best way to educate the consumer on the importance of 4K.  Other co-workers have had similar conversations with their friends and family members. 

“What is this 4K I keep hearing about? Should I care? Is this something that should be important to me?”

“I understand that it is something to do with TVs, but does that mean I have to replace all my other gear to go with it – a new Blu-ray player, a new AV receiver, new Blu-rays, new set top boxes or even new cables?”

“Will I have to upgrade my subscriptions to services like Netflix?”

These are some of the questions that came up in our office during our discussion of how to educate customers on the importance of 4K.  These questions led me to this blog post and what needs to be addressed first.  Metra Home Theater Group needs to define what 4K is for our customers before anyone will understand why it is important.

THE DEFINITION OF 4K – stands for four times the resolution of a high definition 1080p TV picture to newer TVs.  The picture looks stunning, especially with 4K content.  The terms 4K and/ or Ultra High Definition (UHD) can be used interchangeably.  So if you are in the market for a new TV, purchase a 4K TV because 4K is coming and according to statistics released by Strategy Analytics, half of U.S. homes will have Ultra HD/4K TVs by 2020.

Eventually, customers will have to purchase a new Blu-ray player and Blu-ray movies, but they are not available for purchase yet.  Most UHD TVs are Smart TVs which means you can watch UHD/4K content using Netflix or Amazon.  In addition, receivers older than six months may not support the UHD content.  Meaning, if you want to see UHD/4K content on your new TVs, you will need an updated receiver.  As the standard moves toward UHD, cables that support UHD content will have to be used in conjunction with your components.  Investing in UHD/4K ready cables will be necessary at this time.

The best advice that Metra Home Theater Group can give you at this moment is the following:  if purchasing a new TV and you plan on having it for 3 years, get 4K Smart TV and the UHD cables needed.  Start making the investment so you are prepared when 4K/UHD becomes the standard. 

ISE 2015

Our staff leaves this weekend for the ISE show in Amsterdam, NL.  Put our booth # 7-R165 on your schedule.

Customer Service - Metra's Key to Success

Metra Home Theater Group is a leading source of electronics accessories for over 65 years, and this longevity is greatly due to the manufacturer’s investment in taking the time to understand the needs of residential integrators. We believe that customer service and technical support includes professional troubleshooting and brainstorming installation questions right alongside the customers. Product manager Brent McCall—who picks up the customer service line from 8 am to 10 pm seven days a week—understands that integrators need to both comprehend the installation inside and out as well as look great in front of their client. McCall, who has been in the industry since 1978, is comfortable taking application specific questions, working out contingencies, or even flow charting the system to take an overhead view and find the best solution. Metra Home Theater Group excels at customer service because their team appreciates the opportunity to discuss the many facets of technology. 

We are a Residential Systems Stellar Service Award winner due to this dedication to customer service.  Congratulations to all the staff on receiving this award.  The entire staff’s dedication to customer service is what makes Metra Home Theater Group stand out from the competition.

CES 2015 Wrap Up

Whew!  CES 2015 was a whirlwind of excitement and it set the tone for 2015.  The booth was the best one yet.  Professional booth builders were shocked to learn we build our own booth. Some booths built by professional booth builders did not look as great.  Our booth got some attention at CES which lead to a great way to kick off 2015. 

In addition to a fantastic looking booth, our product 4K Ready HDMI Cables won an award from TWICE.  It is always exciting to win an award during a show.  We would like to give a big thank you to the judges for the TWICE Picks Award for bestowing this honor on our new cables.  

CES is held in Las Vegas every year and every year the staff suffers because of the environment change. Going from gorgeous Daytona Beach, Florida to dessert-dry Nevada is a blow to the sinuses.  If the staff does not get sick at the show, we get sick upon return.  This year most of the staff stayed healthy while in Las Vegas and got to do some of the wacky, tourist attractions in their down time.  Here is a picture of staffers at Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum.

Currently, everyone is back in the office after an annual post-show visit to the physician for medicine.  This is a step in the right direction!  Next year’s goal is to stay healthy during and after CES.

It is now back to work!

Customer Service: Our Edge Over the Competition

Have you ever purchased a product and got home or to the job site and found that you have issues but can’t get support? Then you call the help line only to get a computer or even worse some foreign help center? 

This is one example of how Metra Home Theater Group stands out from the pack when it comes to customer support.  We have (GASP!) live people in our office that answer the phones, one of which is our head tech and product guy Brent McCall.  Brent has been in the electronics industry for 40+ years playing every role from sales and support, to product design and installation.  He is an important part of the exemplary customer service that Metra Home Theater Group provides to its customers.

Brent provides extended hours tech support for Metra Home Theater Group’s customers.  In addition to seven day a week tech support, he follows several online forums to offer help for all brands.  At this year’s CEDIA Show in Denver, one of our customers had wonderful things to say about our products and Brent.  See her video here.  Brent was recently featured in December CEPro’s Magazine article recognizing the unsung heroes of the custom electronics industry.  Brent is just one part of the sales and support team that makes us different.

If you are attending CES 2015 in Vegas January 6 – 9^th, put booth #12434 on your agenda.

Come see for yourself why people call Metra Home Theater Group for custom integration and retail electronic needs.