By the Stars: What Content Analysis Reveals About Home Security Reviews

Of the nearly 21,000 verified home security reviews posted to Best Company between January 2017 and February 2021, approximately 15.99 percent were one-star reviews; 4.85 were two stars; 7.40 percent were three stars; 18.37 percent were four stars; and 53.40 percent were five stars.

While this breakdown may reveal only a superficial glance at the overall home security customer experience, analyzing the content of the reviews themselves unearths some very important motivations of customers who leave a given star rating.

1-star reviews: False alarms and lengthy contracts

More than 3,000 home security customers left a one-star review for their respective provider — though a significant portion of them wished they could “give zero stars,” or even negative stars if they could. And they expressed their discontent in a number of ways: “This is the worst company I have ever had to deal with.” “Do not sign a contract with this company.” “I would not recommend this company to anyone.”

But once you look past the hyperbole and extreme rhetoric, you get to some of the real, tangible reasons why customers rated these companies so poorly, and the reasons fall into three main buckets:

“Goes off in the middle of the night.”

One of the most frequent home security complaints among the one-star reviews is the alarm system going off “in the middle of the night,” and often for no reason:

Home security systems can go off in the middle of the night for numerous reasons: low battery on system components, signal interruption, defective equipment, or improper installation. But false alarms alone are not the reason for the one-star review; it’s the lack of company support following the false alarm. 

Some customers complained they were unable to speak to a human customer service representative after a false alarm, while others were relegated to exchanging emails with the company without coming to a swift resolution.

“I am stuck in a five-year contract.”

The other chief complaint among the one-star group revolves around the lengthy contracts offered by some home security providers:

The prevailing sentiment of these one-star reviews is the feeling that the customer was deceived into signing a long-term home security contract that was not overtly discussed during the initial sales pitch. Long home security contracts are often accompanied by lower monthly rates or low upfront costs.

“I have been trying to cancel my service.”

Secondary to the contract issues many home security customers face, is a home security provider’s inflexible cancellation policy. Roughly a third of one-star reviews (approximately 1,000 reviews) mention issues with canceling their home security services:

The consensus among one-star reviewers is that home security companies intentionally make the cancellation process difficult; in short, they often describe the home security company’s cancellation policy as the following:

• Unclear — terms of cancellation are not easy to find on the service contract, company website, or through customer service.
• Complicated — cancellation often involved multiple phone calls and redirects to different departments, and physical forms that must be mailed.
• Time-Consuming — cancellation may take several days or even weeks to be fulfilled, and only if proper protocol is followed.
• Unreliable — automatic payments may still be withdrawn during the cancellation period, and if the right department is not notified, they may continue indefinitely.

2-star reviews: Hours on hold

While the one-star review acts as the repository for all the anger and vitriol a customer can possibly direct at a given establishment, the two-star review is often more measured, but just as damning as their one-star counterparts. Most two-star reviewers tend to acknowledge some positive attributes about the company, but find themselves unable to look past the glaring flaws that led them to leave a review in the first place (e.g., “the equipment is good, but the service is bad.”). And although fewer home security customers left a two-star rating than a one-star rating, the content of their reviews revealed some important trends:

“I have spent hours on the phone.”

More than 100 two-star reviewers mentioned troubles with contacting customer service over the phone either reach tech support or ask a policy question:

Customer service remains one of the most important assets of any retail industry, home security included. A recent article by Hubspot identified customer service as the deciding factor for 73 percent of customers when it comes to brand loyalty. The article also mentions the need for businesses to move in an omnichannel direction by providing multiple ways for customers to contact them (e.g. phone and video calls, live chat, and social media).

3-star reviews: Sales? Great! Follow-through? Meh.

Three-star reviewers are an interesting group because the three-star rating is subject to the widest variance in interpretation. For example, one three-star review describes the company as “Very good. Quick efficient service. There when I need them,” while another three-star review for the same company attests that the “sales and installation was horrible and deceiving.” But the majority of three-star reviews express lukewarm feelings toward the companies, calling various stages of the sales, installation, and monitoring process as simply “okay,” “alright,” or even “mediocre.”

“My doorbell camera works maybe half the time.”

Three-star reviewers, in general, seem to appreciate various aspects of the home security experience; many laud the sales team for being friendly and customer service for being helpful; however, a significant portion of three-star reviews identify issues with the equipment itself:

“They could have better follow-up.”

Other customers complained about poor follow-through:

4-star reviews: Suggestions, not complaints

Four-star reviewers generally approve of the home security companies they do business with — with minor caveats. The group is second only to five-star reviews in terms of volume (almost 4,000 strong), and represent one of the most informative groups for the home security industry because unlike the one- and two-star reviewers, most four-star reviewers are offering suggestions rather than complaints.

“I like this security system, except . . .”

Not surprisingly, four-star reviewers have good things to say about their home security provider; but many reviews offer specific ways in which the security system (or company at large) could be improved:

5-star reviews: The simple things

More than half the home security reviews posted to Best Company gave companies a five-star rating. The main reasons? Cheap prices? Fancy new equipment? While those factors definitely resonate with all home security customers regardless of star rating, the main reasons customers give home security companies a five-star rating include responsive customer service, and easy-to-use security systems.

“The system is easy to use.”

It may seem like an over-simplification, but making a home security system easy to navigate is one of the most effective ways for providers to secure customer loyalty:

“Great customer service!”

As mentioned before, excellent customer service should be at the forefront of every home security company’s mission statement:

No two home security companies are the same (that’s why we rank them), and some security providers are so large, that two customers of the same company can have completely different experiences from one another. But based on the reviews, customers searching for the best home security company for them should look for the following qualities:

1. Knowledgeable staff that can explain the home security system in simple terms
2. Intuitive home security technology that anyone can learn to use
3. Transparent contract and policy terms, especially cancellation and moving policies
4. A listening ear that applies customer suggestions to create a better product

To find the best home security company in your state, visit our home security home page!