Stryke Agent A Phony?

WAITSBURG - Stryke Alarm says there were company representatives in the Touchet Valley area recently when complaints about the employees' sales tactics spread throughout the community.

Dayton residents said the employee sounded as though he was peddling a scam in neighborhoods in Waitsburg and Dayton because he was misrepre- senting who he was and providing false informa- tion.

Stryke Alarm representa- tives say it is possible an imposter acting as a Stryke representative was giving false information, leading to the several complaints that caused Stryke's sales permit to be revoked in the city of Dayton.

After receiving a letter advising Stryke Alarm that their solicitation license for sales in Dayton would be discussed at the city council meeting, Stryke Alarm Human Resources Consultant Toni Schwartz said the company sent a re- sponse to refute the claims and take action against the employees who poten- tially caused problems in the area.

"Our methodology for marketing and selling is door-to-door has been very successful for us," Schwartz said. "People like to see, touch, feel the system and panel."

The company received information on the complaints, but the complaints did not include names of the salesmen, Schwartz said.

Because of this, the company is unable to take any action to remedy the issues.

The Stryke website has a representative verification link so anyone approached by a salesman can visit the site and verify that he or she is actually a representative of Stryke Alarm.

It is always possible that someone is taking advan- tage of the sales permit, Schwartz said, which is why the verification link is so important.

Schwartz said Stryke is sorry to lose business in Dayton, but that it is the city's prerogative to revoke the permit and that Stryke will respect that right.

She also said there are a lot of steps to make sure customers are satisfied. Those who did purchase Stryke alarm systems had to speak with a customer service representative over the phone to ensure the customer fully understood the terms and costs of the system.

At the council meeting on Aug. 13, Deputy City Clerk-Treasurer Debbie Hays said there had been no new complaints since the license was revoked earlier this month.

Since that meeting, there have been no new com- plaints, City Clerk-Treasur- er Trina Cole said.