Common Crestron Issues: Over Promising and Over Designing

In the years since we started GMI Automation we have seen many Crestron systems deployed by other integrators fail to live up to the expectations of the end user. As we’ve discussed in this blog these issues could be anything from improper coding to inadequate wiring and everything in between. Sadly, more often than not, the failure arises before an engineer has even arrived on the job site and before a single line of code has been written.

Be it lack of knowledge of a job’s true scope, or a misunderstanding of the capabilities of the control component itself, many Crestron systems fail to deliver the desired effect because the integrator fails to properly consult the customer and in turn design the system properly. This lack of proper consultation can take many forms and today we will be discussing two of the most prevalent – Over promising features that are beyond the integrators capabilities, and over designing a system beyond the customer’s true needs.

Over promising and under delivering is unfortunately an all too common issue throughout the service industry. Vendors and contractors will frequently promise their customers an experience that they simply cannot provide, leading to disappointed and unhappy clients.  In the world of Crestron automation, this typically takes the form of saying “yes” to all of a customer’s requests, regardless of an integrator’s experience level.

Typically customers will go into a consultation having certain ideas about what a Crestron system is capable of, and it is the automation professional’s job to be honest with the customer about their own capabilities. It is important to dig deeper and find out what the customer might not want, as well as to be honest when a request is beyond their capabilities, possibly necessitating additional vendors on the site.

Over-designing Crestron control system is another common issue for integrators. Crestron systems are so powerful and customizable that they are capable of almost anything. This makes it very tempting to over design a system in the early stages.  Inexperienced integrators will often ignore a customer’s needs in favor of designing a system, that while powerful, is beyond the customer’s needs. Adding this level of unneeded complexity can leave a client without the knowledge and confidence they need to use the system to their desired level, and potentially can cause a customer to ignore their system entirely.

GMI takes care to adequately consult our customers on the scope of the project, taking their needs and concerns into account. We aren’t afraid to use our expertise and ask second level questions about how the system will be used and by whom. This allows us to listen and attune ourselves to what the client requires before designing just another out-of-the-box, overly complicated automation system.

Are you unhappy with a consultation you’ve received from a home automation integrator? Contact us today and learn how we can help take your luxury home to the next level.

Craig Metzger
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