Snap One, the entity originally founded as SnapAV, and a company whose motto is “Founded by integrators for integrators,” recently demonstrated how they strive to be a better partner by providing their dealers with some really solid and helpful advice. One of their appreciative dealers forwarded me an email he had received from the company containing useful information on how to protect his business from fraud.
See how Snap One sought to protect dealers from fraud
Dealers and integrators often tell me that they feel like manufacturers only reach out to them when they want them to buy something. While that might be a bit of an exaggeration, clearly when a West Coast integrator and long-time supporter of several Snap One brands received an email from the company with nothing more than a whole lot of good advice…it caught his attention.
In fact, it stood out so much that he forwarded it to me and told me that he really appreciated the fact that this wasn’t just some random marketing piece or sales special from Snap One. Rather, it was advice on how to protect his business. And while that was the message embodied in the email, the deeper underlying meaning of the email to this dealer was, They care about me as a dealer…
Recent Scams Targeting Custom Integrators to Avoid
Snap One’s email begins, “As your partner, we aim to help you grow your business and avoid disruptions. We have been made aware of recent scams targeting custom integrators and would like to help you avoid the financial loss caused by fraud.”
The email then goes on to list four “Red Flag” situations that may indicate a fraud attempt. They give you both the red flag and the action you should take to protect your business as you seek to verify whether it is, or is not, in fact, a fraud-in-progress.
When we heard about this new fraud scheme, we felt compelled to notify our partners in the hopes that we could help them avoid fraud.
Bike Howard, Snap One SVP of Digital Experience
The Four Red Flags That May Indicate a Fraud
Snap One identified four “red flags” indicating scenarios that may suggest that there is some kind of fraudulent activity taking place. These red flags are:
- Red Flag #1: High-quantity or high-value products needed quickly
- Red Flag #2: Suspicious shipping arrangements
- Red Flag #3: Purchases without installation
- Red Flag #4: Unauthorized forms of payment
For each of these red flag situations, the Snap One email offers simple, pragmatic action steps for integrators to take to determine whether the transaction is legitimate or fraudulent. For example, in the case of Red Flag #1 – high-quantity or high-value products needed quickly – the prescribed action is, “…confirm their identity through independent sources such as known referrals, online reviews, or trusted websites.”
Snap One Executive Explains What is Behind Initiatives Like This
I reached out to Snap One to get some more details on this program and spoke via email with Bike Howard, Snap One Senior Vice President of Digital Experience. She shared some of the background of Snap One’s relationship with its dealers, whom they refer to as their partners. Howard also noted that the company has created a culture where it constantly seeks to be viewed as a partner by its dealers…and not just another vendor.
A couple of years ago we started calling our integrators ‘partners’ to acknowledge our desire to be more than another vendor for our customers. We subsequently changed our name to Snap One, signifying our ongoing mission to make things simple for our partners (a snap), with the hope that we would become their one most trusted, most valuable partner. What started as a simple change has now created a culture where we are constantly looking for ways to earn the title ‘partner’ from integrators who are trying to build more successful businesses.
We also know how busy our partners are, and that a little work on our side can save time for literally thousands of our partners. When we heard about this new fraud scheme, we felt compelled to notify our partners in the hopes that we could help them avoid fraud. Another example of this thinking occurred at the height of COVID when we created the COVID toolkit, which was an attempt to help integrators navigate some of the new governmental and business challenges that COVID created. What will we do next? We’ll just have to wait and see, but our mission remains the same.
Bike Howard, Snap One Senior Vice President of Digital Experience
Value-Added Content That Can Be Quite Valuable
I like to applaud any brand that offers their dealers this kind of value-added content which can be really quite valuable. While some of these items in the Snap One email represent common sense, it is still really helpful to have them all consolidated in one easy-to-read place. I imagine we’ll see Snap One’s email on avoiding fraud printed out and posted on many office cork boards across the country for quick reference.
Well done, Snap One!
If you’d like to learn more about Snap One’s products and policies, contact your local sales representative, visit one of their local distribution centers, or see: snapone.com.
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