Customers who bought hardware but never monitored, or cancelled years ago, still have your equipment on their wall.
Security play · Past customer upgrades
Win back and upgrade past security customers before someone else does.
Your past customers already let you into their homes, and many have systems that need a new communicator, more cameras, or smart locks. Spur takes your customer list, flags who cancelled and who sold, writes each a card about the upgrade that fits their install year, and mails it on a schedule.
Free forever plan · No card · 20 property searches a month
USPSFirst-Class
Brian Novak1604 S 167th AveOmaha, NE 68130Scan to book your upgrade check
Brian N. scanned your upgrade check card · 6 min ago
AI-written for this owner · Mailed in 2 days
Your listfrom your monitoring software, CRM, or a spreadsheet
Install yeardrives the upgrade each customer hears about
Moved?Spur flags owners who sold the house
The problem
Past customers are your best leads, and most dealers only call when they cancel.
Customers who want cameras or smart locks buy them online or from whoever advertises, not from the company that installed their system.
Some customers sold. Mailing them wastes postage and misses the new owner who inherited your hardware.
How it works
From list to mailbox in one workflow.
Five steps from an old customer list to upgrades and win-backs.
app.usespur.com
See it in Spur
A past customer upgrade list in Spur
Sample Omaha customers with their install year and next likely upgrade. Names are partly masked.
Your customer listInstalled 2010–2020Still owner-occupiedIncludes cancelled accounts
- Brian N.1604 S 167th AveInstalled 2014 · monitoredCommunicator check
- Laura & Steve M.17220 Frances StInstalled 2017 · monitoredCameras + locks
- Carl D.2311 S 180th StInstalled 2012 · cancelled 2021Win-back offer
- Megan R.16815 Pine StInstalled 2019 · install onlyMonitoring offer
- Sold: new owner1720 S 172nd CirInstalled 2015 · sold 2024Takeover card
AI draft for Brian N. · 1604 S 167th Ave
WE INSTALLED YOUR SYSTEM IN 2014. IT MAY NEED A NEW RADIO.
Hi Brian, thank you for being a customer for ten years. Many systems we installed around 2014 used a 3G cellular communicator to reach the monitoring center. The carriers shut those networks down in 2022.
We'll check your communicator for free and replace it if it's affected. While we're there, past customers get priority pricing on video doorbells, outdoor cameras, and smart locks that work in the same app.
Scan the code to pick a time.
Heartland Security · NE Lic. #24-0387 · (402) 555-0119
Sample data for illustration. Your results depend on your market and filters.
Playbook
How to upgrade and win back past security customers
A security company's customer list is its most valuable marketing asset. These homeowners already trusted you with their homes, your hardware is often still on their walls, and they're far cheaper to upgrade or win back than a new prospect is to win.
Use install year to pick the message. Systems from before about 2015 may have 2G or 3G communicators that stopped working when carriers shut those networks down, and a free check is a useful, honest reason to visit. Customers from the last five to eight years are good candidates for cameras, video doorbells, and smart locks. Install-only customers who never monitored can hear about a plan.
Win back cancelled accounts carefully. Find out why they left if you can. Price, a bad experience, or a move are the common reasons. A card that acknowledges they've been away and offers a free system test with no contract is more effective than a discount.
Clean the list. Customers who sold their homes shouldn't be mailed by name, but the new owner inherited your hardware and is an excellent takeover prospect. Spur flags addresses that have sold since the install.
Mail first, then call. Many older customer lists don't have documented consent for marketing calls or texts under the TCPA. A card lets the customer come back to you first.
Upgrades also protect your accounts. A customer whose system has failed quietly, or who buys cameras from someone else, is more likely to cancel monitoring or switch dealers. Regular, useful contact through upgrade checks and new-device offers keeps the relationship active and reduces attrition along with adding revenue.
Keep the offer honest. If a customer's system still communicates and works well, say so. A dealer who tells a customer they don't need anything earns more trust, and more future business, than one who pushes an upgrade every visit. Customers who feel well served are also the most likely to refer a neighbor.
9×return on a year of Spur Team from 4 upgrades and 3 win-backs
Your customer list is already paid for.
- Spur Team: $49/mo billed annually = $588/yr
- 800 past customers × 2 cards on Team at $0.94 each = $1,504
- 4 camera upgrades × $900 + 3 win-backs × $540/yr monitoring = $5,220, about 9× your subscription
Example math. Upgrade and win-back rates depend on your customer base and history. Run your own numbers →
One tool, not four
Spur vs. the usual customer follow-up
What you needThe usual waySpur
Upgrade card by install yearA call only when they cancel✓ Built in
Win-back offers to cancelled accountsSilence after cancellation✓ Built in
Sold homes flagged for takeoverMailing people who moved✓ Built in
Scans alert the service deskWaiting for them to call✓ Built in
Upgrades and win-backs trackedNo idea what came back✓ Built in
Past Customers by the numbers
Why older installs need attention
2022
the year major U.S. carriers shut down 3G, leaving some alarm panels unable to reach monitoring
Written consent
is generally required before marketing texts, so many old customer lists can't be texted
9×
return on a year of Spur Team from 4 upgrades and 3 win-backs
FAQ
Past security customer questions
How do alarm companies win back cancelled customers?
Mail them a card that acknowledges they've been away and offers a free system test with no contract. Avoid leading with a discount.
Do older alarm systems need upgrades?
Many systems installed before about 2015 used 2G or 3G communicators that stopped working when carriers shut those networks down. A free check tells the owner.
What upgrades should I offer past customers?
Communicator replacements for older systems, plus video doorbells, outdoor cameras, and smart locks that work in the same app.
Can I upload my customer list?
Yes. Export a CSV from your monitoring or CRM software, or a spreadsheet, and upload it. Spur matches addresses and flags sold homes.
Keep exploring
Related plays and guides
Start in minutes. No card required.
Bring past customers back, and keep them current.
Upload your customer list, let Spur write the right upgrade for each install year, and mail it on schedule. Free to start.
Upgrade my past customers — freeFree forever plan · No card · 20 property searches a month
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