“I was looking through a coupon mailer and that’s how I discovered Mulholland Brand.  This was at the start of the COVID epidemic—February [sic 2020],” Eric said. After speaking with the reps at Mulholland Brand, Eric did what he usually does when considering a new vendor. He vetted them on Yelp. “I’m good at smelling B.S. in Yelp reviews,” he said. “There are a lot of scammy contractors out there.  But what I noticed was there were a ton of happy, authentic reviews and Mulholland Brand had a high star rating, so that definitely made me feel more confident, and this was a job I needed done right.” 

Avi Ben David (Mulholland Brand’s CEO) came to do an initial security audit of the property.  He came in proper PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) to take some initial measurements around the home perimeter.   

“I watched him work,” Eric said. “I could tell Avi operated as a security professional, not just a contractor, which is critically important to the reason I needed a gate. He took very detailed measurements and I’m not good at understanding schematics, but he was very good at breaking down a plan for me in pictures and in layman’s terms.  It was educational and he never pressured me or tried to up-sell me.  He educated me on materials. For my needs, Avi broke down the options and he didn’t hold me to a decision that night.  That helped boost my confidence.” 

“We believe educating customers empowers them to make the right decisions,” says Avi.  “Security is now an important part of homeownership.  Empowering homeowners with knowledge isn’t something we get paid to do, but it’s part of what motivates us in our business.  Helping people feel comfortable in their homes plays a critical role in why our customers leave us such great reviews.”

Break-ins are unfortunately a growing issue in 2020. Career criminals are becoming savvier navigating around the laws and growing more cavalier, ignoring alarms and cameras. Eric told us, “My next-door neighbor had her home broken into twice.  Same with the woman who lives around the corner. Once when she was home, but just walking her dog, which means they were casing her and saw an opportunity to go in.” 

Homeowners are fighting back, layering multiple security units around their properties.  Along with alarms and cameras, gates and hedges are springing up around town. Eric noticed this.  “Just walking through the neighborhood, my neighbors are responding by putting up gates, hedges, and some places look like fortresses right now.”  That’s when he realized—he needed a security gate.

Avi’s security audit of Eric’s property produced a solution that fit with Eric’s schedule and budget by restricting access to the home front entrance. We can make any intruder’s access difficult to the point that no one would attempt it. By blocking off the front of his property from the street, the rest of his property would be a genuine challenge for intruders to access.  

For the gate material, Eric decided on aluminum which offered a beautiful modern look, weather resistance, and requires little maintenance. Eric had Mulholland treat the gate with a powder coat finish that matched the color of his home exterior to spec.  Eric even chose a silent, chainless motor to open and close the gate.

The gate would operate to the width of his driveway.  Also, due to the unique shape of his property perimeter, hedges would be installed along the posts of the gate to to add an extra layer of deterrence and privacy.

A customizable timer would help allow cars to navigate in and out of the property. Timed loops and photocells ensure no accidental closures would pose any risk to vehicles, pedestrians, or animals.

Mulholland outfitted the gate with a high-end video doorbell (The DoorBird) at the front entrance, alerting Eric via his smartphone about any visitors. Through the smartphone, Eric could remotely monitor his property, allow guests to enter with convenience, and keep solicitors and strangers from wandering onto his property.  

The gate is powered by a low-voltage system to ensure that his video intercom would never require a battery change. Coupled with his existing 3 camera setup, Eric could finally relax when he leaves the house.  The gate had the bonus of keeping solicitors off of Eric’s property.  The recommended solution doesn’t only boost his security— It boosts his property value.

Homeowners are sometimes nervous and afraid to ask questions, especially during the COVID-19 epidemic.  Friendly company representatives that address your needs and empower you with knowledge are critical.  “I am not a trusting person, especially with vendors.  Once I signed with Avi, I had no second thoughts.  My intuition told me this guy will not screw me.  The service started after I gave a deposit. The rep I spoke with, Liz, walked me through the steps over the phone.  You pay in milestones along the way—during fabrication, then a last fee,” Eric said.

Sometimes, when multiple contractors are working simultaneously on a property, miscommunications can arise.  In Eric’s case, the contractors installing the hedge realized they needed to perform out-of-scope work on-site for trenches to lay a conduit— A task which they could perform at an additional cost of $500.  

Eric mentioned, “It was frustrating because I thought the fee they were requesting was excessive.  When Mulholland Brand’s crew heard about the holdup with the hedge guys, Avi covered the cost.  I didn’t know, but my contract with Mulholland Brand covered third party charges.  I would have never have realized that, but Avi volunteered this without having to. And this kind of honesty in business— you don’t see it often. I was also raised concern that I wanted a tighter fitting between my hedges.  They addressed my concerns and were graceful about it.”

“Before they started the job, I had a lot of concerns about the project, partially because of horrible experiences with past contractors.  I worried they’d blow a gas line or cut power. It was frightening having four strangers showing up at your property, running wires around your perimeter.  I knew in principle what they were doing, so projects like this require a lot of trust— which they earned,” Eric said.  

When doing construction on your property and gauging satisfaction, customers don’t just focus on the end result, they care about the process itself.  One can make a lasting impression on customers when respect is a part of company culture.  

“It blew me away because for one, everyone I spoke to at Mulholland Brand spoke fondly of Avi, and I liked the way they operated with each other and the respect they showed me. I have nothing bad to say. I can’t recommend them enough— the dedication, etc.  If you look at their reviews on Yelp, I’m not alone here, and I can tell those are real reviews.  I would recommend these guys wholeheartedly the entire time.”

Here is what Eric has to say:

“I love the result.  And it most definitely made my property value increase. The property grounds look amazing.  It makes the house stand out less too, which was important for me.

“I felt so good about working with Avi.  He’s like a quarterback of security.  It was like watching a seasoned conductor do his thing. He just knew exactly what to do and what I needed. You could see it. This wasn’t his first rodeo and I can see he ran his business like I ran mine.  You do right by clients, not think about how much you can get out of them.  I had no worries.

 “What’s great about Avi is that his origins are in security and gates.  Gates were an outgrowth of security.  You want a person building you a gate that knows security.  You don’t just want a gate.  There’s a lot of considerations that go into building around a perimeter of a home.”

“Not to mention, I love the intercom system they installed.  It came with the gate for free. It works a lot better than my old Ring system. The video footage is much clearer and crisper.”