We are closely monitoring the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), and we will update this page regularly to provide you with information regarding our ability to serve you during this unprecedented time.



COVID-19 Update: Message from SnapAV CEO, John Heyman

COVID-19 has been a global struggle but, despite the ongoing pandemic, we're happy to report that globally business is doing well; there are many signs that economic recovery is on the horizon and market trends bode well for our industry. New buildings are on the rise, interest rates are low, and our sales are trending higher than they were at this time last year. While we're not yet out of the woods, clearly your ability to adapt and continue to deliver incredible services to your customers is to be celebrated! We sincerely thank you for your continued support and the work we do together. You are our partners and the center of our existence as a company; you invest in us and we invest in you.

Please listen to the above message from SnapAV CEO, John Heyman, as he provides updates on:


Voice of the Pro
COVID-19: PPP Loan Follow Up & Adapting Your Business

Yesterday the U.S. Small Business Association resumed the processing of Payroll Protection Program (PPP) applications as an additional $310B of funding was approved. Banks are cautioning these new funds may also run out in mere days. Act quickly, follow up with lenders if you've already applied, perhaps re-apply. Learn from these two dealers' experiences. We also discuss how we can all better adapt for future business and how dealers have needed to reprioritize.

Thank you Travis Leo, Residential Systems, and Corey Leatherwood, HTS Carolinas.

Let us know what you would like to hear about next. Email comments and questions to [email protected] and [email protected]

Previous Episodes

Episode 5:
Zero-Contact Upgrades and the Sales Hustle

April 10, 2020

The wonderful advice from these U.K. dealers can be applied by any dealer, anywhere. They discuss shifting employee responsibilities to focus on follow-ups with past residential customers and finding projects where social distancing is possible. Rob shares how they have been shipping some products direct to customers and configuring remotely for “zero-touch upgrades”.

Episode 4:
COVID-19 Diving Into Financials

April 10, 2020

It's been two weeks since the stimulus bill was passed in the U.S. and one week since PPP loan applications could start being submitted. In episode 4, two integrators tell us about their experiences with loan applications, how they are diving deep into their financials and working with their banks and advisors to come up with solutions.

Episode 3:
COVID-19 Remote Support and Virtual Sales

April 6, 2020

Fantastic examples of how integrators are making the most out of this challenging situation and how they are adapting in order to maintain, and even grow their businesses. On a related note, be sure to check out our new COVID-19 Sales Toolkit and also learn what other dealers are doing to keep their customers and employees healthy and safe by reading this blog.


New Resources in the COVID-19 Sales Toolkit

Now is the time to have conversations with existing customers and prospects, to line-up projects for the future. Health and safety must be a priority, but many customers are struggling with inadequate networks, security concerns, and in desperate need of entertainment. Discover their pain points, discover what would make them happy, and share your expertise with them.

The COVID-19 Sales Toolkit:

  • Focuses on solutions that are relevant at this time
  • Includes a strategic Marketing Playbook
  • Has resources to train your sales team and technicians
  • Make recommendations to customers so you can ensure that your business thrives in the future
See Sales Toolkit

Scam Advisory

We’re in this together, that’s why it’s important to look out for each other. Spread the word and let friends and business partners know there are fraudsters looking to take advantage of the COVID-19 disruption.

We’ve heard reports of scammers posing as financial institutions and businesses in order to discover sensitive information and use it to place fraudulent orders on dealer accounts. We’ve also heard of scammers posing as clients to trick businesses in our industry. Don’t get caught in a scam.

SnapAV + Control4 Resources

If you have concerns about suspicious activity on your SnapAV, Control4, Triad, or Pakedge account, contact Customer Support.

SnapAV: 1-866-424-4489
Control4, Triad, Pakedge: 1-888-400-4072

5 Best Practices to Help Keep Your Information Safe

  1. Don’t use the same password for all your accounts. Use a variety of strong passwords.
  2. Have strong anti-virus and anti-malware protection. Also, think before you click on links or open shared documents. Ask yourself: Who sent it to you? Have you verified their business or identity yet? If it’s someone you know, is this something they would send you?
  3. Trusted employees should have their own login for vendor portals. Verify the user permission settings of your employees linked to your portal account. When an employee leaves your company, be sure to remove them from your accounts.
  4. Pay attention to automated notifications from companies with whom you do business and promptly follow up on unexpected or suspicious notifications.
  5. Don’t share personal information on unsecured sites and beware of social engineering. Verify that callers are who they say they are before sharing any sensitive information with them. Be cautious when taking phone orders, verify the identity of the customer/card holder. Don’t share too much personal information on social media (e.g. games, “fun” surveys), such information can be used to answer security questions.

Additional Resources


UPDATED: Government Programs Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic

As part of our ongoing efforts to support our dealers, we want to help you stay informed about how new legislation related to the COVID-19 outbreak may impact your business. Below is a summary of these new programs, with links to more detailed overviews of each program.

How The “CARES Act” Economic Stimulus Package Impacts the Dealer Community

On March 27, 2020 the president signed into law the CARES Act to provide economic aid to individuals and businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The CARES Act has many new programs to help businesses like yours weather these difficult economic times. The program that would most likely have a significant impact on your business is the Paycheck Protection Program which is a forgivable loan that encourages you to retain employees and helps maintain operations. Starting April 3, 2020 small businesses and sole proprietorships can use this form and submit it to any Small Business Association approved lender.

More details on the CARES Act programs and how they apply to your business is available here and includes information regarding:

  • Forgivable loans for small businesses to be used to pay employees and cover other business expenses. These loans will be forgiven if the business meets certain conditions related to employee retention.
  • Additional $600 per week in unemployment benefits for laid off and furloughed workers.
  • Deferment of employer payroll taxes until 2021.
  • Tax credits for employers for employee retention.
  • Direct cash payments to individuals.

Government Funded Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Family

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act was signed into law on March 18, 2020. It requires employers with under 500 employees to provide 1) emergency paid sick leave and 2) emergency paid family leave for issues related to COVID-19.

As described in detail in the attached report, the emergency leave paid by employers under this law is fully refundable by the federal government within three months.

Business with fewer than 50 employees may apply for a waiver if the new programs would “jeopardize the viability of the business as a going concern.” The CARES Act, described above, also provides for advances to help small employers pay these costs (the details/process on how to receive an advance will be provided later by the Department of Labor).

More details about these mandated paid leave programs can be found here.

Small Business Loans and Grants Through the Disaster Loan Program

On Thursday, March 12th, the Small Business Administration announced that the “Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program” (EIDL) will be available for small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in states declared “disaster zones.” A full list of qualifying states is here.

The disaster loan program provides low-interest, long-term loans of up to $2 million to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could have been met had the disaster not occurred. The repayment terms are usually friendlier than otherwise available loans, and repayment terms are crafted to meet the needs and ability of the business.

The government has also provided for a $10,000 grant to be distributed within three days for companies that have applied for a disaster recovery loan. These grants act as advances on the requested loan of up to $10,000, and the SBA is required to distribute the funds within three days. Grants do not need to be repaid, even if the underlying loan request is denied.

These loans are separate from the forgivable loans available in the CARES Act described above.

More details are available through the Small Business Administration’s website, including how to apply, are available here.

We will continue to provide periodic updates on new developments in government policy that may impact our dealers.


UPDATED: Information Regarding Essential Business Operations

We have received inquiries regarding how dealers might respond to recent government restrictions, such as the shelter-in-place orders implemented in California and proposed in other states. In response, we would like to share our perspective on the topic of essential business operations.

Together, our industry provides products, services, and technologies that are essential in our communities. We know many of you provide critical support to essential businesses that deliver food, shelter, medical care, financial support and social services. Your services enable people to work from home while also supporting the safety and essential operation of residences in your communities – including networking, power, infrastructure, home security, lighting, and control. COVID-19 has caused dramatic and sudden changes to all our lives, including required social distancing and quarantine measures, but we understand that each of you may need to continue supporting your customers through the essential operations you perform.

We understand that many non-essential providers are being asked to stop services at this time. Given the critical nature of the support you provide, we anticipate many of you will be considered essential services and will be expected to continue operating. Only you and your legal counsel can determine whether you meet local guidelines for what is considered an essential business. Rest assured, we are working hard to ensure that our products continue to be available when you need them.

Resources

  • Analysis of government orders - Download the Analysis of Government “Essential Business” Exceptions, an informational review of various governmental “stay-at-home” orders and the “essential business” exceptions which may exempt dealers from closure during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • “Essential business letter” templates - In some locations where orders have been implemented, law enforcement may require proof that an organization and its employees are permitted to operate under the “Essential Business” orders. These templates cover many states and regions where orders are in place, and may be a helpful resource as you prepare “essential business” letters for your organization.
  • COVID-19 customer message templates - You may want to share your organization’s approach to COVID-19 with your customers. Important messages may include an overview of the essential products and services you provide and also highlight enhanced health and safety procedures. This template may provide helpful ideas as you prepare messages for your customers.

Keep Busy With Education Webinars and Certifications

Now is a great time to catch up on training. Level-up technical or sales skills by registering for our free webinars or watching past recordings. We’ve even curated a list of learning paths and training programs that were developed by our expert Technical Education Department.

Learn more

Business News and Changes

Inventory Update (June 26, 2020)

Currently 97% of all the products we offer are in stock in our warehouses and ready to be shipped as soon as your order, but 97% is not 100%. Please know we are working as efficiently as possible to replenish the products that are out of stock. Most supply issues should be resolved in the coming weeks. We will keep our website updated with the latest on these affected products.

Updated Hours of Operation for Customer Service and Tech Support

Effective Monday, May 18, SnapAV and Control4 Customer Service and Tech Support hours will be changed.

  • Updated hours are Monday-Friday, 9 AM to 7 PM ET
  • Visualint Virtual Technician support will operate from 9 AM to 6 PM ET

Our teams remain dedicated to serving you and your business through this time, and hope you'll continue to reach out to us with any questions, comments, or concerns.

Salt Lake City and Charlotte Warehouses Now Open for Will Call and Returns

Charlotte, NC

We are pleased to announce that the Charlotte warehouse is now open for will call and returns. To ensure the safety of you and our employees, we are following strict social distancing rules and implementing the following measures:

  • Upon arrival, please ring the doorbell, then proceed down the steps to dock door #07 for assistance. You will not be allowed in the building.
  • A SnapAV employee will meet you at the dock door to provide assistance.
  • After each customer interaction, a SnapAV employee will disinfect any surfaces and products that have been contacted.

Salt Lake City, UT

We are pleased to announce that the Salt Lake City warehouse is now open for will call and returns. To ensure the safety of you and our employees, we are following strict social distancing rules and implementing the following measures:

Will Call / Pick-up

  • Only one person is allowed in the waiting room at a time.
  • You will receive your order through the sliding window. If your order is not ready, please wait outside the building until you receive a phone call.
  • After each customer interaction, an employee will disinfect any surfaces that have been contacted.

Returns / Drop-off

  • Only one person is allowed in the waiting room at a time.
  • You will receive your order through the sliding window. If your order is not ready, please wait outside the building until you receive a phone call.
  • After each customer interaction, an employee will disinfect any surfaces that have been contacted.

Local Branch Operations

SnapAV Local branches across the United States are open, but operating in accordance with their respective state’s guidelines, with additional safety precautions put in place for you. Please click below for further information on local operations.

FedEx Shipping

FedEx has been deemed an “essential business”, which means they will continue delivering to areas with “stay home” / ”shelter in place” orders. FedEx is also exempt from the border travel restrictions, so we will continue to deliver to and from Canada and Mexico. However, there are some important changes to note:

  • Shippers must confirm that a consignee is available for delivery prior to shipment tender. Redelivery, storage and/or Return to Shipper charges may be applied, if applicable.
  • FedEx has suspended the signature requirement to minimize the spread of COVID-19 by minimizing physical interactions, but will verify recipient and record name.
  • See FedEx for up-to-date information.

As a reminder, for no additional charge you also have the option to have your orders held for pickup at any FedEx facility across the country.

Inventory and Supply Is Stable

While COVID-19 has affected product and component manufacturing in China, we are not currently experiencing significant supply chain constraints that would impact your orders. You can check our product pages at any time to view real-time stock status. We will continue monitoring this situation closely and inform you if we begin to experience significant inventory disruptions.


Our Employees

We are temporarily limiting non-essential business travel and many teams are working remotely

Our IT teams have diligently prepared us to work-from-home, and that’s exactly what we’re doing where we can. Our Dealer Satisfaction and Technical Support teams are set up at home to serve you.

Our salespeople are not in the field as you might be used to. But we’re still here to help! You’ll be hearing from us in other channels like calls/emails/texts.

We are committed to maintaining the service and support you expect from us while ensuring the health and safety of our global employees.