Did I Sign That

When I first meet people

They always ask…

So… what do you do…

 

We save companies money…

 

That normally gets a pretty positive response…

People like to save money…

 

Time for a quickie quiz…

 

How many of you have signed a contract…

Thought you got a good deal

And never looked at the paperwork again

 

Can I see a show of hands…

 

You…

Yea…. you over there

Is your hand up…

It looks like you wanted to put your hand up

 

Come on…

Admit it….we all have done it…

 

I believe that all of us are well intention-ed…

 

But… we just get busy

We are always putting out fires

 

The first thing we do with any new client

Is validate what are you currently paying

 

Are you paying the exact rate you actually signed for…

 

Believe it or not…

This is not always the case

 

I have clients tell me….

Yea… we signed a contract and they told me..

I was well below market prices

 

I am glad to hear that…

I hope you did get a great deal

But…

 

Do you mind if I see the contract…

And could we get a copy of your latest bill…

 

I can’t tell you how many times

We find that the client is being charged

More than what they had signed for

 

Note: there are times

That the state may approve an additional charge

Due to infrastructure upgrades

But this additional charge

Should be clearly noted on your bill

 

We always direct the client

To call the provider

And clarify…

Why are we paying this higher rate…

Our contract states we should be paying…

 

Guess what the response normally is…

 

Oh, we’re sorry

That was billed improperly

Let us correct that…

 

We can give you a credit

Or send you a refund

 

Our clients have received refunds for thousands of $$$

 

This is your money…

 

Don’t be afraid to ask for it back…

 

Always know what you are paying…

 

And if you are not sure

 

Give us a call

 

HBS leaves no stone unturned

In our search for savings

 

We find ways to save you money

 

 

Every Day is a Gift…

 

Thanks for the referrals

Where to Look

It is always nice to hear good things about our company

 

When I was on the other side of the table

Looking to make a major purchase or an upgrade

I always made it a point

To get as much information as possible

 

I was looking to see

Who would be the most qualified

To implement the program or vision

We looked to achieve

 

I never liked long winded explanations

Just give me the facts

 

When giving the presentation

Give an apple to apples comparison

 

That is the only way you can make an objective decision

 

If a presentation leads to more questions than answers

I found that disheartening

 

Why am I babbling about this…

 

Recently…I was delighted

When a client complimented HBS

On the completeness of our presentation

 

They went on to say…..

We interviewed another broker…

 Their presentation was confusing….

 Leaving more questions than answers….

 

They felt our proposal was self-explanatory

It provided all the information they needed to know

They liked our attention to detail

 

Our proposal also noted

What items were under contract

And their expiration dates

 

Our goal has always been…

Define the client’s needs…

Properly address the client’s needs…

Show value with our solution….

Build a relationship of trust with the client….

Continually educate our clients

 

Everything we do

Is done with the client’s best interest in mind

 

HBS has provided substantial savings

To many of the Delaware Valley’s

Most successful firms

 

Many were surprised to find savings from 20% up to 40% and more

 

Deregulated Energy…Communication…Unemployment Taxes…Sales Tax…Property Tax

 

How do we do it…

We know where to look

Grab That Phone

 Just how important is the phone to business?

 Many view it as a link to the outside world. 

 My Pop used to say, “Nothing starts until the phone starts ringing.”

 He and his brother owned Hutchinson Plumbing and

 Boy did the phone ring!

 When I first got out of college, I worked on the dispatch desk. The phones would start ringing the moment we walked in the door and would not stop until we locked the door behind us at the end of the day. Back in the early 70’s we were getting close to 300 calls a day. On top of that, I was also dispatching 4 service trucks. Walking out of the building at the end of the day, I would still hear the phones ringing in my ears. It usually took about an hour or so to unwind.

 The telecom industry has come a long way since the early 70’s.

 Back then; Bell Telephone was king of the copper.

 Pots (Plain Old Telephone Service) lines were your only option.

 With the deregulation of the Telecom Industry in 1996, competition was introduced to the market and the industry started to evolve. Instead of using copper to feed individual telephone lines, they introduced fiber and the whole market exploded. All of a sudden they were able to deliver 24 lines thru one fiber cable.

At the same time the Internet was being introduced to the public and providers were able to deliver both telephone service and Internet service thru one fiber connection.

As the industry continued to evolve, a number of individuals in research environments, both in educational and corporate institutions, took a serious interest in carrying voice and video over IP networks. This technology is commonly referred to today as VOIP and is, in simple terms, the process of breaking up audio or video into small chunks, transmitting those chunks over an IP network, and reassembling those chunks at the far end so that two people can communicate using audio and video. 

The problem with VOIP in the beginning was the inability to deliver Quality of Service (QOS). You would be talking to someone on the phone and they would be saying ” Hey I am speaking to you thru the Internet.” My response, “Yea I know” either there was an echo, delay , or the voice transmission was broken up or you heard a lot of static. This was one of the main issues that kept VOIP from being embraced by business. It just seemed too unprofessional to be able to exist in a business climate.

The major providers have now addressed this QOS problem by letting you ride their network. This has brought us to a whole new era called appropriately, Hosted VOIP.

Gone are the QOS issues and expanded are the services now available to the consumer:

-voicemail to email

-twinning (ringing both your phone and cell phone  simultaneously)

-HotDesking (make and receive calls using any OfficeSuite  phone on the network)

-outlook integration

-remote workers can be supported over an Internet connection.

 How old is your business telephone system?

If it is over 10 years old, you are limping and on borrowed time.

You may choose to keep limping.

Should you choose to look at a new telephone system, I would strongly recommend reviewing the opportunities available by choosing a Hosted VOIP system.

HBS represents all the major providers and we can schedule a demo of the various systems. Come and kick the tires and see how the telecom industry has evolved.

You no longer have to be afraid to answer the phone.

To learn more about Hosted VOIP products email george@hbsadvantage.com 

Visit us on the web www.hutchinsonbusinesssolutions.com