Posts Tagged ‘Relationship’

Conference calls because of a volcano?

Monday, May 10th, 2010

Okay, I have been in the conference call industry since 1995 and I have seen a lot of applications for conference calls.  There have also been events that have triggered the use of conference calls like 9/11, but I have to admit this is the first time I have seen an increase in conference calls because of a volcano.  But then the volcano in Iceland obviously caused a lot more interruptions than any other volcano in recent history.  And when travel is interrupted the use of conference calls goes up.  And it always seems that when people are forced to use conference calls and web conferencing because of an event they realize how easy the services are to use and how effective they can be at allowing you to have a distance meeting.

And why wait for a volcanic eruption to discover how conference calls can save you time, money and increase your productivity?  Businesses have discovered for a long time that using conference calls and web conferencing to replace some of your in person meetings is not just he practical thing to do but simply a good business decision.  Let’s face it, most meetings we have are not necessary to have in person.  You are simply communicating with people you know and sharing ideas, advancing a project or doing a presentation.  Unless you need to do something physically with the participants or desire to shake hands all of this can be done remotely.  And even as a staunch promoter of conference calls I understand that sometimes you need to get together with the other participants to build a relationship.  And doing that remotely is difficult if not impossible.  So, have your initial meeting in person, break some bread but then have the next meeting by way of a conference call or web conference.  All of the participants will be thankful of the time saved in getting together physically.

So, don’t wait for the volcano to make you try a conference call or a web conference.  It is time to incorporate distance meetings into your regular way of doing business.  And then if something happens that prevents your next inperson meeting you will not feel the impact.  You and your participants will be thankful for the conference calls!

 

Conference calls and web conferences can truly offer a reliable substitute for in person meetings.  I certainly agree that there is no substitute for sitting around a conference table together

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The Difference in Conference Call Services is Service

Tuesday, October 13th, 2009

Since I have been in the conference call service industry for over 14 years, I have tried to share some of my knowledge of what is behind the curtain at a conference call service company.  And there are a number of differences that you can and cannot see when you look at different conference call service companies.  But many times you will never feel the difference unless you have an issue with a conference call service company you may not notice if they have a back up system, etc.  What you can feel and should feel right from the start is service.

With the declining rates for conference calls many conference call companies are looking for ways to cut costs just like any other industry.  And in the conference call industry the two biggest expenses are the telecommunication costs and the cost of personnel.  Since the telecommunications costs are near the bottom, the only place to really save any money is on personnel.  The problem is that customers want a low rate but they also want to be able to talk to a person if they have questions or problems.  So, when a conference call company takes away a customers ability to talk to a person there is a definite drop in the level of service the customer receives.  That is why at Zip Conferencing I have refused to reduce the number of personnel that interface with the customer.  In fact, I continue to grow that staff in relationship to the number of customers because I am a customer myself and I know how much I value the availability of a human being when I have a question or problem.

Here at Zip Conferencing, there is a person available to speak to you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  And every account is assigned an Account Manager to help them with their conference calls.  That way each customer will have a positive experience and I believe the best way to build a business is through referrals.  How does the saying go?  Have a good customer experience and you will tell 3 people, but have a bad customer experience and you will tell 10 people.  So, the long term benefits of providing exceptional customer service in a conference call service company easily outweigh the short term economics of slashing personnel to attempt to improve profitability.

www.zipconferencing.com

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