Pro Home Systems

Provides Integration and Control to High-End Customers

By Greg Howard

Ordinary people buy off-the-shelf stereo components and enjoy the cute pops and crackles from their rear speakers. And there's nothing wrong with that: It's what keeps Circuit City and The Good Guys in business. But dyed-in-the-wool audiophiles want more than the literal bells and whistles. They want an experience - and Tom George, owner of Pro Home Systems in Oakland, is dedicated to delivering that experience to each and every one of his customers.

"What we bring to the table can be summed up in two words: integration and control," George explains. "That's the difference between selling individual component parts and selling an experience. We fit our technology to meet the needs - even the lifestyle - of our customers, and then we make sure that they understand how to take full advantage of it."

Services range from state-of-the-art projectors, surround processors and loudspeakers to high-impact HDTV and fiber optics installations that deliver the thrill of being inside a brand-new movie theater. Pro Home Systems can work with an individual room, or turn an entire house into a technological powerhouse.

Giving this degree of power to the customer is no mean feat in an increasingly complicated, high-tech world that confounds even experienced audio buyers.

"Products have become more difficult to just buy and use," George says. "In the old days, you attached a CD player to a stereo receiver using four wires. Now, with a surround-sound processor, you can plug in 30 wires. The technology is great, but it's not user-friendly."

The result can be that a consumer splashes out thousands of dollars for equipment, gets frustrated, and abandons it. "The saddest thing for us is when we encounter high-end audiophiles who aren't using what they bought. It's simply no fun for them, because it's too difficult to use. By integrating the technology and giving our customers complete control over their systems, we're able to make sure that audio stays fun."

To achieve the delicate synthesis of lifestyle and audio experience, people building their homes will often invite Pro Home Systems into the process. George's team works closely with architects and builders to ensure that customers get the system they want at the same time their houses are constructed.

"We definitely know how to work with architects and builders. In some respects it's best for us if we can be there from the very beginning and start from blueprints. But we can also retrofit according to the owner's wishes."

Individual systems begin at $5,000, but Pro Home Systems offers a level of expertise and customization that can cause the price tag to soar as high as half-a-million. It sounds expensive, but the result is a true home experience that would make the Jetsons feel envious. "For that kind of money we'd network an entire house," George explains. "We'd give the customer the ability to control their lights, their pool, their spa and all of their audio and video. Touch panels and plasma screens all around the house would pro- vide consistent points of access."

It's safe to say that one doesn't get into this kind of business unless one has a serious, even monumental passion for audio technology. "I've been an audiophile all my life. I've played music since I was 10 years old."

As a hobbyist, George was a loyal customer of Pro Home Systems long before he considered becoming its owner. "I had shopped every high-end audio store in the Bay Area before finding it. I felt it was the only place that wanted to understand my needs rather than just sell me pieces of equipment."

But then an acquaintance called me and said the company was going to close its doors. "I decided I couldn't let that happen. Even though I was involved in another business at the time, I put some money into Pro Home Systems in order to keep it alive. Two years later, I sold my other business and decided to turn my hobby into a professional as well as personal passion."

As owner, George continues the tradition that he remembers from his days on the other end of the counter: Meeting the customer's needs. "We don't even talk budget until we understand what the customer truly wants, and then we advise them accordingly."

As always, though, the most important factor in the equation is the fun. "Running this business is a chance to share my passion with people who feel the same way I do about music. That's why I love it."

prohomesystems.com

February 2005 Builder Architect Edition Issue

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