A brief apology on behalf of specialist industries everywhere

I often have moments where I realise how confusing this industry must look from the outside.

The latest case came as I flicked through the Retailers Crime Prevention Toolkit from the National Business Crime Centre. Not my first dance with the document, may I add.

But it reminded me that in the midst of all their sensible, practical advice… there is a reference to the use of smoke screens. Which is amusing for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, obviously, because Smoke Screen is our company name. A handy, non-deliberate plug given that’s not specifically what they’re referring to. They’re using it as a catch-all of sorts to encompass devices that obscure visibility and disorientate intruders.

And secondly… NBCC isn’t really talking about smoke at all.

It’s talking about security fog. (Or at least it should be!)

Our product hasn’t actually used smoke for years. It’s thermally generated security fog.

But everybody calls it smoke. Including us, sometimes.

Confused yet? Don’t worry. It gets worse.

One of our competitors is called Smoke Cloak®. They don’t use smoke either. More fog.

Then you’ve got products marketed as security fog systems which are actually pyrotechnic devices (i.e. they are using smoke). Those things are altogether different. They’re essentially fireworks.

From a retailer’s perspective, though, how on earth are you supposed to know that? You’re busy running a business. You’ve got staff issues, suppliers, stock deliveries, rising costs, crime, customers, and approximately three hundred and twelve other things demanding your attention. You’re not sat there of an evening comparing fog generation methods for fun. Nor should you be.

What convenience store owner in their right mind is going to be crystal clear on the nuances of what they need from a ‘smoke screen’ machine when the basics of the language aren’t all that clear?

The more I think about it, the more sympathy I have for end users.

If my boiler broke tomorrow, I’d know I wanted hot water. I wouldn’t have the faintest idea which specific component had failed. That’s somebody else’s expertise.

Security products are no different.

Jack recently came across a user manual for one of the lower-end pyrotechnic systems on the market. The list of caveats was so expansive it became entertaining. Keep away from valuable artwork. Keep away from antiques. Keep away from food. Keep away from drink. Avoid placing certain items in the path of the device. Be mindful of this. Take precautions around that.

By the end of it I found myself thinking: “What exactly are we protecting here then?”

Now, I don’t want to turn this into a hit piece on pyrotechnic products. But it does go to show… the devil is always in the detail. And most customers just don’t have time to delve that deep.

Which is why relationships matter so much in our industry. From day one we try to help retailers, banks, business owners and facilities teams navigate a landscape of overlapping terms and remarkably similar-looking claims.

I’ve worked in this industry for decades and I occasionally need reminding what something is called. Imagine trying to make sense of it for the first time!

So I suppose this is a very small apology on behalf of specialist industries everywhere.

Yes, the terminology can be confusing. Yes, several products appear to do similar things.
And yes, we perhaps can do more to make life easier for consumers in that sense.

The good news is… more often than not, end users don’t need to know absolutely everything.

They just need somebody willing to explain it without making them feel daft for asking.

Which, when you think about it, is probably how all good relationships start.