Adventures in Telecom's Brave New World

Giving is the new Getting

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:38:00 -0700

Movember is upon us again, and half grown mustaches are everywhere.

This month, we are supporting this noble cause by growing mustaches in our office.

We’re also making a donation for each and every extension that we light up on our network this month.

So that’s all well and good, but it brings up the idea that maybe, just maybe, there’s a way that we can all be a part of something bigger simply by working with organizations that are committed to giving back.

I’m not suggesting that we should all quit our jobs and rush out to change the world - what I AM suggesting is that perhaps taking a moment to consider what you’re buying, and who you’re buying it from is a good idea. If these are everyday items that you need and use anyway, why not support a vendor that does something with your support?

To use our office as an example……. We buy water for the office, because we like nice, fresh, cold water - who doesn’t, right?

Well, not too long ago, I was introduced to the Earth Group (www.earthgroup.org)- who are the purveyors of (amongst other useful products) Earth Water.

For each and every bottle of water that Earth Group sells, they use the net proceeds to help children in impoverished areas get clean drinking water, and proper nutrition.

Now, (without getting all preachy) having known this, it became pretty clear to us that this was an initiative that we could EASILY get behind.

We were going to buy water from someone, because we wanted to drink water. Why not buy from a supplier that is doing something positive?

Whether it’s phones, water, or other day to day essentials, wouldn’t you like to know that simply by working with a company that supplies a product or service that you need anyway, you’re doing something to help better the world that we live in?

It could be something as simple as growing a mustache and supporting men’s health, and it could be as complicated as changing the lives of children in impoverished areas - but it’s something and your support helps companies do great things.

If giving is the new getting, why not get the satisfaction of knowing that you’re a part of the solution.

You can do this simply by making choices and supporting vendors that are committed to change.

Expanding voice beyond dialtone and desksets

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 17:07:05 -0600

This week, I pitched a project to a client that went beyond traditional voice services, but allowed us to keep a more human element in a marketing campaign.

The client - A builder who is looking to work with a specific (and forward minded) demographic has agreed to a pilot that would see the integration of voice and QR codes into their signage that would allow a user to scan one of their signs (or call the number listed below the QR code), and get site specific information via an interactive voice recording (IVR).

This solution is an excellent example of companies looking to move into the next wave of voice services that are offered by emerging communications companies (like Planet Telecom). Beyond just sending a client to a website, each recording is tailored to the specific site that the information is posted in front of - enabling a client to simply listen to the details - while taking in the beauty of the structure in person.

Part marketing play, part user-requested advertising, and part engagement strategy, the solution enables the client to deliver real-time information to an interested buyer who is sitting in front of a property, and will allow the prospective client to not only get the information they desire, but at their discretion (and through some neato telecom magic) they are also able to select an option that will connect them with a representative from the company directly - enabling a much higher level of engagement from both sides of the equation.

Should the prospective client want to listen to the information again, or even further the conversation at a later date - all that they have to do is hit redial on their mobile phone - essentially, ensuring that the builder is top of mind, and has a little piece of the prospective client’s mindshare long after they’ve left the site.

From the Builder’s perspective, their brand is being exposed in a unique and interesting way to more and more people, and, (should the prospective client wish to pursue a conversation), the builder is in contact with prospective clients much easier than ever before. As an added bonus (via the aforementioned telecom magic), they’re not required to be chained to a desk in order to do so.

This solution is completely scalable and allows the builder to track the success of the campaign in order to better understand what specific properties are attracting the most views, what time of day, and how long the typical client engagement session is. From this data, the client can better determine where to add additional services, what to promote about specific properties, and what geographical areas they should focus on to drive more traffic, or build more structures.

At Planet Telecom, we’re constantly looking at new and interesting ways to apply voice based technologies into a myriad of services that add value for clients, and solve unique problems.

As the landscape around all technology continues to evolve, there is more of a disconnect between people than ever before.

Maintaining the element of the human voice not only has the ability to connect us to each other in a powerful, dynamic way, it allows us to maintain a human element in an increasingly text based world.

Telecommuting - A reality or just another buzzword?

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 17:02:47 -0600

We all run into the same type of story from time to time….The one about the person who “packed it all up and moved to (insert awesome, sunny, trpoical place here) and never had to deal with winter again by using the internet as their portal back to their home base….”

It’s easy to be skeptical about this kind of story, but in reality - it’s not that far off the mark.

Today’s technologies really allow us to do what we do from virtually anywhere, and as real estate (specifically office space) continues to become more of a hinderance than a help, we will really see a major shift toward this kind of thinking.

Now, to be clear, I’m not sitting here saying that everyone is going to be practicing law from a hammock while sipping delicious beverages from a coconut - but I am saying that the technology exists to allow you to think about the word “office” a LOT differently, and that you won’t see “going to work” continue to be the commuter’s sport it used to be.

Given the option, people will emphatically say that they would WAY rather not have to “report to the office” for work, and having worked from home myself for a good chunk of time - I must say, the pros surrounding it are as bountiful as the coconut beverages in those stories we’ve heard.

Employees that work from home frequently put in more hours, are far less likely to exploit a sick day policy, report significantly better work/life balance, are less of a drag on the group benefits plan, are proven to be far more effective in their jobs, and are less likely to leave their current employer.

If nothing else, because they work from home, they aren’t pissed off by the other commuternauts that they have to deal with before they even get to work, allowing them to keep a productive headspace from minute one.

It’s been proven time and time again that happy employees are more productive employees.

Companies that offer employees the ability to work remotely can expect to save on costs for things like office space, hardware refreshes, parking, and are also able to do their part for the environment - simply because there aren’t people commuting to the office. (See our post “Feeling guilty about the environment - telecommute”)

With simple, and readily available VPN and remote desktop technologies, as well as communications strategies like Planet Telecom’s Compello IP Centrex services, almost any organization can quickly, easily, and cost effectively deploy a remote worker strategy. These solutions offer the employee the ability to have virtual office presence - they’re on the same network for data via the VPN, and their phones (actual phones, by the way - not just software based phones) carry their local numbers, extensions and features no matter where they are.

For example, we have users who have local Edmonton numbers, but are living (and working) in Panama. They’re able to manage their work days, communicate with their clients (who are here in Edmonton) and to those clients it’s no different than if they were sitting here in Edmonton chained to a desk.

While you might not be deploying a program to get your workforce to the beach, you can certainly examine the benefits of allowing them to work remotely on a semi regular basis.

They’ll be happier, healthier, more productive, and if nothing else your organization could easily save enough to spring for some coconut beverages on your next corporate retreat.

If this all sounds great to you - why not drop us a line? We can most certainly help you out with a remote worker strategy, and can walk you through deploying an IP based communications solution that will allow you to start saving in no time.

Our toll free number is 1-866-296-7771 - we hope to hear from you soon!

Planet Telecom - It’s just BETTER.

Old Tech - New Techniques for Hackers

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:48:33 -0600

An article came through my inbox today about a lawyer’s office in the United States that had over $20,000.00 in charges from their phone systems being hacked and pirated for voice traffic.

While I’ve heard of this before (even locally), this article really stuck, and brought up a great point that few organizations really consider (mainly because a lot of them don’t know that this is possible!)

Older, legacy hardware isn’t just hard to find replacements for, or expensive to fix when it inevitably breaks, it’s potentially a security risk.

And in today’s day and age, this is pretty understandable. We have moved light years forward in all technology in the last 10 years - for everything from computers, network infrastructure, mobile devices and cloud based technology. Is it really any wonder that older, outdated legacy hardware is an easy target for tech savvy criminals?

Moving to a hosted solution can not only mitigate these potential security risks by taking your communications off site and placing it in a secure, managed area, it also moves the liability away from your infrastructure, having the provider become responsible to maintain security on the network - by people who are experts in network design and maintenance.

As well, the feature set, scalability and maneuverability of a modern platform can improve the end user experience dramatically, and allow for an organization to best leverage their human assets in a more modern way.

Here’s a link to the article if you’d like to read it.

http://spectrum.ieee.org/riskfactor/telecom/security/business-phone-or-bank-account-hacked-its-your-toaster?utm_source=feedburner

Long Term Contracts? How about Nooooo…..

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 15:31:46 -0600

Here’s the thing that pretty much will sum up everything that I’m about to write (and one of the mantras that we live by here at Planet Telecom):

Unless you’re looking to amortize hardware or price, If you do your job and take care of your clients the way that you should, as an organization, you shouldn’t EVER need to have a long term contract.

We firmly believe that doing our job, and delivering a peerless level of service is what keeps our clients as our clients.

You wouldn’t believe the amount of long term contracts that we run into in our line of work - it’s really silly…. These long term contracts are written when the client has their own hardware that the service provider doesn’t maintain, support, or help with in any way. (Yep - that’s extra - and if your hardware dies on you -oh well, you’re still in contract, so you have to buy new stuff on your own)

I certainly haven’t come across a long term contract that was in favour of the client, in fact, for the most part - it’s quite the opposite.

The long term contracts are written most of the time with a 5 year term that may gain the client a “loyalty” incentive of less than 5%….. Seriously. For every $100.00 a client spends, they get $5.00 or less? Wow - way to make it worth everyone’s time (I realize that the written word doesn’t communicate tone very well - so to be clear -that last statement is dripping in sarcasm….)

Then, their rep gets the option of disappearing - so if they’re experiencing less than adequate service, or are looking to move to a solution that is better suited for their needs, they are told that they have to pay a penalty (which more often than not is simply paying your monthly service for the remaining months in one lump sum……sounds fair to me considering their “loyalty” got them $5.00 or less for every $100.00 spent….Uhm, nooooo…..) Oh, and by the way, if you don’t cancel, some of these contracts will auto-renew for a term of up to 3 years! Seriously.

At the end of the day, scare tactics, threats and penalties don’t keep clients, service does. If you corner a client with this kind of tactic, eventually, they’re just going to leave eventually. And then they’re going to tell everyone they can about what a terrible experience they’ve just had.

We believe that delivering on your promises, and offering a peerless level of client service is what keeps clients. And if they aren’t satisfied with our offering, and feel like they can find better service with another provider - they’re not shackled to us as a vendor….Because really, we want happy clients that want to work with us, not clients who have to work with us because of a contract.

Does your communications provider give you that option?

If not, when your contract is up - maybe you should consider working with someone who does.

You say You want a revolution? Well, ya know….

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:01:07 -0600

This week we met with a prospective client and did some work on their site that was outside of what would be considered “the norm”.

In our business, we have to jump through a LOT of hoops, and get around a proverbial mountain of potential technical issues - which a lot of clients can take for granted.

For every “WOW - you can actually do that?” that we get - there’s always 5 people who don’t really “get it” and “just want dialtone for less”.

The organization has some relatively standard needs, and has been a real treat to work with (No, seriously - they’re awesome) - but what really stuck out for me this week was how they were impressed that we would spend the time on their site working with their network in order to ensure that they could test (yes, we are allowing them to test too - also outside the norm!) in a proper environment.

A lot of other companies wouldn’t spend the time to ensure that the client’s network was set up correctly - they’d just expect (or worse- demand) it, and the client alluded to as much.

So - back to the revolution reference here. It’s not only about a revolution in the way that companies support their clients or try to bring them on as clients - it’s also about time that we all got to see clients like the one I’m referring to.

It’s a revolution from a service perspective, both given and received. This client gave us the space and support to work so that we have the ability to do perform to our full potential, and as a result, they are going to be able to perform the tests in a proper environment - and give it a real push.

While we always strive to offer revolutionary service - especially for a communications company - this week’s experience with our prospective client showed us that the revolution is possibly starting to be reciprocated - and there are organizations out there that realize that if you work with your vendor - we ALL get more accomplished.

Yeah, we all wanna change the world - but in our little sphere of influence, this is how we start.

The stories that you're told

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 16:55:00 -0600

This week we had a LOT of meetings.

Far more than normal actually - and I must say - meeting with the clients and prospective clients has been a real blast!

I love getting out and meeting with our market - what an interesting world we live in. The business world is chalk full of unique needs and concerns - and yet these are the things that are generally go on quietly behind the scenes, while commerce chugs along.

Even more interesting are the stories that these businesses have - the ones that you’d never hear about unless you were there - their triumphs against all odds, their tenacity, and their commitment to winning with hard work and commitment. Ask any business owner - They’ll surprise you with what they’ve been through!

I met a client at an organization that has been through some really serious ups and downs, the type that was completely beyond their control, and yet - they have never had a gap in the service that they provide their client base (Admirable!), a retailer that has weathered multiple recessions and has continued to be really profitable, even amongst economic downturns - (Their secret? Offer peerless customer service and a well chosen selection of superior products….Alas -The Boutique Model), and a very lucrative financial services organization that was happy to have us on board as a vendor, and just let us do what we do best - because we solved issues for them and delivered on what we said we would…..(Imagine that - from a communications company!)

This week we were faced with getting really creative to develop some solutions that solved some pretty unique problems -some married yesterday’s hardware with today’s technology, some required some creative problem solving and hoop-jumping, while some were just all about making the numbers work.

We do this happily -because we believe that as a company, we’re building our own stories.

Stories that we’ll look forward to sitting down and sharing with our clients in the future - comparing notes (and battle wounds) and maybe even having a laugh over a coffee.

Every time one of our people walk through the door of a client both new, old, and prospective - we hope that we’re going to hear a new story, and we look forward to hearing yours.

The Boutique Model - Why don't we apply it to EVERYTHING?

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 17:10:50 -0600

I was recently asked by one of my team how a gigantic company cannot manage to provide even satisfactory customer service?

I didn’t have an answer for him…… I can speculate that it could be a function of size - that the people who are calling the shots end up having to make broad, sweeping decisions that affect each client differently, or perhaps it could be that it’s really hard to keep their fingers on the pulse of the ever changing client experience landscape - maybe they flat out just don’t care because clients will continue to pay anyway?

Regardless of the reason, as consumers become more and more savvy (and we’re already pretty darned sharp) there will be less and less room for complacency within the market. As we begin to “vote with our dollars” more and more, companies need to look at “adjusting” their service model.

To examine a model that I am very fond of - let’s look at Boutiques:

Boutiques are focused on differentiators in the market, have a far greater commitment to ensuring that the client has a second to none experience, and while they are may even be a little more expensive than a larger retailer, they succeed.

Why? It’s in the service model. Boutiques look to differentiate themselves in the market - and realistically, if you take away the various products and services - there are common denominators in how they ALL do it….Commitment to the Client Experience in all facets - the level of experience and product knowledge, the presentation, the way that they do business, the customer service levels, etc. - It’s ALL related to the Client Experience.

Sure, the product may be a little different, or it is proposed that it is harder to find, or better quality, but at the end of the day - it’s about the experience. I’m sure I won’t hear too many arguments when I say that regardless of product, not too many people buy when faced with a negative experience from an unfriendly, un-knowledgable person. They DO, however, buy (and sometimes regardless of the cost) when faced with an extremely knowledgeable person committed to offering a positive experience.

What if everything could be like that? What if you were treated the way you are in a good boutique everywhere? You could go to your local grocers, and someone took the time to find out what you need and recommend products based on that? What if your phone company tailored a plan for your business’ specific needs and ensured that you had a second to none experience both leading up to and after the service transition? How about getting your vehicle fixed at the garage that focused on an unparalleled client experience as opposed to offering you (really) terrible coffee while you read old wrinkled magazines and wait for the bill that causes you to clutch at your chest?

Wouldn’t that be nice? Wouldn’t that be even be worth paying a little more for?

Too often do I come across a client that talks negatively about their telecom experience - how the customer service is terrible, how there’s never anyone available to answer even a simple question or even to help with an issue. And yet, they find themselves feeling like there are no alternate options available…… There are - and your dollars are your vote. Every time you spend with a vendor that offers kind of treatment, you, well, flat out allow them to get away with it.

We strive to offer a “Boutique” experience here at Planet Telecom, because we recognize that it’s what our clients want, and it’s how they want to be treated, even if it’s not what they expect from a communications company. It’s how we operate, and it’s how we build Brand Evangelists too!

So vote with your dollar, and next time you make a buying decision, why not stop for a second and ask yourself - am I getting the Boutique Experience I deserve?

If it’s not - look for a vendor that will offer you the level of service you deserve.

It's time to retire your old phones……Planet Telecom can help

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 16:55:00 -0600

It’s a sad truth of today’s world, but most old phones are no longer meeting the requirements of today’s business.

Without a proper retirement plan, your old phones can rapidly spiral out of control, ending up in a vicious cycle that could result in a loss of purpose, a general disregard for society, and quite possibly homelessness.

Planet Telecom cares, and we understand that after many years of loyal service, it can be hard to say goodbye to old phones, even though they’re no longer meeting your needs.

When you become a Planet Telecom customer, not only can we can help your business improve your voice communications strategy, but we can help to ease the transition for your old, obsolete phone system into retirement.

At the Planet Telecom post service care facility, we can offer your old phones a home to call their own – where they can settle into retirement, and live out their days in a dignified fashion, among their peers.

Stop the cycle - Call Planet Telecom today, and schedule an appointment with one of our Client Care Specialists.

Our caring and capable team will come to your site, and work with you on a transition plan that fits your budget, and meets your needs - so that you can give your old phones the dignified retirement they deserve, and keep them off the streets.

Work From Home Day - Once a Year to Once a Week? It's easier than you may think!

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:38:01 -0600

Tuesday June 1^st was this country’s first “Unofficial” Work From Home Day.

A fantastic idea, and organizations like Workopolis are even helping to drive the initiatives to make this a nationally recognized day.

While we’d like to stay out of the law-making business (We’ll stick to what we’re awesome at, thank you….) We’d most certainly agree with Workopolis on the values of telecommuting for employees for a number of reasons. (We also applaud Workopolis for spearheading this initiative – it’s about time industry stepped up….Bravo!)

While there have been posts here before that talk about the ability to reduce the carbon footprint of your organization simply by allowing a portion of your office workers to telecommute once a week, (See “Feeling Guilty about the Environment – Telecommute!), there are numerous reasons to deploy a telecommuting strategy within your organization.

Let’s address a big one here – it’s a MASSIVE VALUE ADD for both existing and prospective employees…..(and it can cost you next to nothing to implement….)

Make your recruitment initiatives go a little further by offering this perk to prospective employees.

As the job market tightens and we see the exodus of the boomer generation from the work force, we’re going to see a serious gap between available roles and available candidates. As the race for these qualified candidates heats up - how will you differentiate your organization and attract the best qualified and most critical candidates?

There’s always money, but studies have shown that these days – money isn’t everything…… One of the most valued items a company can offer to the 30-45 year old market is work life balance.

One of the easiest ways to deploy this is through a telecommuting strategy. Allow your workers to work from home, even if it’s only one day a week!

You’ll find that translates into better employee engagement, a reduction in churn, and higher recruitment numbers.

Retain your employees and keep high value workers where they are – and happy with the organization that they work with – simply by giving them a little bit of freedom. It will pay off in spades – as most work from home employees are actually more productive when they work from home (Yes, I said more!!!)

Really – when you consider the fact that there is no water cooler talk, no excess socializing, no long breaks to go to the store, lunches are typically shorter, and breaks more rejuvenating – let alone the fact that they have the ability to schedule themselves more efficiently throughout the day.

The real icing on the cake for this is that deploying a telecommuting strategy into your business is already built into Planet Telecom’s technology.

A user can take the same phone – their phone number, voicemail, extension, and evn presence – and plug it in wherever there is power and high speed internet – effectively making the way that their phone functions no different than how it would function if they were physically in the office.

Couple that with either a VPN client, or a laptop, or one of the zillion programs that offer remote access to their desktop and files, and you’ve got a winning strategy, that costs very little, and delivers a LOT.

So really….If you could recruit more effectively, improve overall morale, and more easily retain your employees – how much is that worth to your organization?

If you’re starting to see the light on this, drop us a line and we’ll work it out with you.

If you are still skeptical, why not start with next year’s “Work From Home Day” as a test?

I’m sure you’ll soon find that one day a year could turn into one day a month, and potentially, one day a week or more.

Brand Evangelism

Fri, 27 May 2011 15:53:15 -0600

It’s one of the oldest cliches in business - do right by a client and they’ll tell three people, do wrong by them, and they’ll tell 10 (or something like that)….

The question is - how do you flip those disproportionate numbers around, and have a happy client tell as many people as they can about what a fantastic job you’re doing and how much they’re enjoying your product/service?

The answer is deceptively simple: Deliver. Consistently.

Don’t promise the moon and deliver blue cheese - make it happen, or, fall on your sword and make it right.

Doing what you say you’re going to do (ie; deliver consistently) is the easiest and best way to create “Brand Evangelists” who will take their positive experience with your company out to their contacts, their co-workers and colleagues, essentially, their world.

This isn’t as simple as just referrals - this is the next level - where your product/service becomes a discussed topic - and you’re presented as a definitive answer to the question of competition - effectively taking any other players completely out of the equation….

A Brand Evangelist turns “oh - try this company” into “you HAVE to call so and so -they’re who I use, and they’re the BEST!!”

Everyone wants to have “someone” that they know and trust in a specific area of expertise - why not make it you and your company?

In telecom, you will find most people will rate their vendor as “satisfactory” at the best of times - so you can imagine the uphill battle that we have in creating Brand Evangelists…. However, we’ve succeeded on more that a few occasions, and we’re continuing to grow - not because of a lofty marketing budget (don’t we all wish for one of those…..) but because of our clients - who are continuing to promote our brand for us - not because there’s necessarily anything in it for them - but because we’ve done a great job - and delivered on what we said we would, consistently.

We all want our clients to become our Brand Evangelists - for the simple reason that if you do what you are supposed to do as a vendor, deliver consistently then you gain an organic marketing team - a pack of roaming Brand Evangelists, spreading the good word for your brand - completely cost free.

In the age of communication that we live in - where the term word of takes on a whole new meaning - a few enthusiastic words about your company will go far further than you can imagine.

If a small telecommunications company can do that - why can’t you?

Self Assigned Ownership (Go on - act like an owner...)

Fri, 20 May 2011 17:04:00 -0600

Recently, I was asked a very interesting question by a prospective client.

During our conversation (in which I was reviewing some of his other needs - and making suggestions that could help him), the client asked me “are you an owner?”

I told him no, and asked him why he asked.

His response was that it seemed like I really cared about the business, and wanted to ensure that he had a top notch customer service experience - which is something that is usually only seen with owners.

This brings up an interesting question that I haven’t been able to shake since our conversation - why wouldn’t you act like an owner? After all, regardless of what your role is, isn’t it your livelihood? Considering the fact that you’re being paid to do what you do, why wouldn’t you take ownership, and be an ambassador for your organization?

In an era where we have limited the amount of personal interaction with each other, we should strive to make each opportunity to really represent the best qualities of our brand (be it a company, your personal brand or otherwise), make it count, and “act like owners” even if it’s self assigned ownership.

Needless to say, we now have this prospect as a client.

What won him (and his business) over was not the flashy features that our product has (and there are a few…), or even the price - it was how we presented ourselves, addressed his questions, tried to help and solve issues to offer a better solution, and a peerless customer service experience.

Basically, it was how we came across as owners, (even though we’re not).

Why not be creative?

Fri, 13 May 2011 16:49:00 -0600

Leveraging telephony in new and interesting ways is always interesting, and that’s why Voice over IP is such a great space to be in.

Having complete control over the way that a switch handles a call, (and why) based on pre-defined needs can be an extremely interesting way to showcase your company, but there is so much more that can be done in today’s age of technological advancements.

In the age of the Web, and the ever present “On-Line Chat” bubble, integrating voice (and maybe an actual human being from time to time) into initiatives is something that is starting to become “de-rigeur” once again for marketers, sales focused companies, and organizations that get that customer service should be more than a redirect to an FAQ page.

Imagine that - LIVE PEOPLE answering phones to talk to potential clientele, PEOPLE talking to people, rather than machines with obvious hearing problems frustrating callers into hanging up!

Which begs the question - Why not be creative?

In our age there’s so much that can be done with telephony, and more importantly, the canvas on which we can be creative with HOW we communicate is absolutely gigantic!

Tie telephony into your marketing to increase sales, offer local numbers in multiple markets to reach people that you hadn’t touched before - tie extended and creative voice services into your customer service initiatives to improve client satisfaction, and since we’re getting crazy here - why not look at your existing services and think about how you could do things better there too?

We live in an age that a phone number can be called as easily as your blog can be accessed - simply by scanning a barcode.

A time where voicemail is no longer tied to a physical phone on a desk somewhere - it is living in the cloud, and can be delivered to an email account anywhere, which is much faster than calling in to “check your messages”

And your phones, oh your phones….They are really only dependant on power and an internet connection.

There are some fantastic ways to go about handling the way that you talk to people - especially if you want to think outside of the box…..

So go ahead, give us a call - we’ll help you get creative, and start talking to people again.

We’re pretty sure that you’ll soon remember how good it can be.

Planet Telecom - It’s just BETTER

Feeling guilty about the environment? Telecommute!

Wed, 04 May 2011 13:29:00 -0600

At Planet Telecom, we’re passionate about doing things differently, thinking outside of the box, and looking to find big picture solutions to problems that businesses face every day.

Sometimes, the solution to a problem that an organization faces is not always what or where you’d think it is.

A major concern of many businesses today is their ability to be more environmentally responsible.

Wanting to help is one thing, but many organizations still find themselves sitting on the sidelines, frustrated by their inability to implement potentially costly environmental initiatives, find that many solutions require a reduction in “quality of life” at the office, or, inevitably turn into “make work projects” resulting in lost productivity, participant attrition, and a decreased desire from the organization to participate, leaving the initiative floundering in no man’s land – essentially making it a waste of time and money.

SO – what can small and mid-sized businesses do to help affect the change that we all want, be better stewards for the environment, and have a positive impact? And where to start? There are so many options…..

Today, let’s look at the concept of helping employees to telecommute. While there are most certainly naysayers out there for this, we have to remember - “Work is an activity, not a place”……. Just because someone is “at work” doesn’t mean they’re “working”……and vice versa. (Besides, if you really have to babysit your employees to make sure they’re working, you’ve already got a problem….)

Traditionally, telecommuting has been regarded as an employee benefit, as well as a cost saver and potential productivity booster for the employer (which is most certainly true too - we will address this more in another post) – However, there is the ENORMOUS potential to have an extremely positive effect on the environment - simply by reducing the amount of greenhouse gasses emitted by your employees who are just trying to get to the office.

Reduce the amount of people who have to drive to work, and you reduce the amount of C02 your organization is directly responsible for producing.

While this may seem like an odd or even overly simplified way to attack your organization’s carbon footprint –the proof is really in the proverbial pudding!

For the sake of consistency, let’s take a middle of the road approach, and assume that everyone is driving a “medium” car, and, we’ll use the national average commute distance of 7.2KM each way (14.4km total – Edmonton is actually higher at 15.6KM round trip).

If you have an organization that has 25 employees who can telecommute (instead of commuting in vehicles) just one day per week – this can result in your organization directly reducing C02 emissions by 2.8 TONNES a year!*

(That’s 5,600 pounds – which, for comparisons sake is roughly the equivalent of 11 full grown male grizzley bears, a 2011 Dodge Ram 2500 (regular cab), or roughy 12,346 litres of water…..)

When an employee is not in the office, you don’t need to have their lights or their computer on, resulting in lower power consumption – which further reduces your overall environmental impact as an organization (not to mention costs).

Planet Telecom’s Compello hosted IP Centrex product allows you to deploy a telecommuting strategy right out of the box!

The nature of our technology enables workers to be virtually anywhere that there is power and high speed internet – be it the office, home, or elsewhere - an employee’s extension can go with them, and be where they are allowing them to operate literally as though they were at their desk in the office. Now, work is what you do, not where you do it, and you’re helping the environment - which makes everyone happy!

Does your communications vendor think about these things? Don’t you think they should?

Now that you know that a communications strategy that can directly reduce your organization’s overall carbon footprint, what are you waiting for?

Drop us a line today, and we can help build a communications strategy that allows for telecommuting employees.

Planet Telecom - It’s just BETTER.

The idea of letting experts be experts (So you can focus on your business)

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 12:47:00 -0600

Recently, I had an excellent conversation with a client about the concept of “letting experts be experts”.

While he’s capable of managing a phone system himself, he said “why would I want to when a company like yours has the time and knowledge to support this FAR better than anything I could ever do?”

That raises a really good point…. Historically, I.T. departments have been saddled with the management of telephone systems, even though that is not necessarily their realm of expertise. Isn’t it a fair assumption to say that while they’re hired to manage a broad range of services internally, perhaps we should let them manage the relationship with the supplier of the service, instead of the system itself?

Most times, an I.T. department has enough on their plate managing your internal network, email, and supporting users in day to day operation of the equipment that they need to do their jobs. Why would we expect them to become experts on yet another product suite while the supplier of your phone services get off the hook?

Here at Planet Telecom, the resources to manage your communications solution are at your fingertips. We can work closely with your I.T. department, but do not require them to manage services that may be outside of their scope, or not part of their day to day routines.

We work closely with your existing team, but allow them to be the experts in what they do, while ensuring that they have access to experts in what we do.

It’s time to re-think the idea of complicated systems that burn cycles for your I.T. team, and examine how a hosted solution can offer you the ease of deployment, operational efficiency and cost management you (and your I.T. team) have been dreaming about.

Planet Telecom - it’s just BETTER.

Soft Costs (What about Morale? )

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 14:09:00 -0600

As we start to come out of the recession and feel the purse strings loosen a little, there seems to still be a lot of focus on hard costs, without examining the idea of “other” costs. When we look at the price of a solution, do we REALLY know what it costs, and are we considering what the actual costs are when we add in the potential variables (ie; “soft costs”)?

While for business, hard cost is most certainly a primary consideration (as it well should be) we are starting to see that select organizations are embracing the idea of cost versus value in order to deliver what they actually need - and developing a lasting productive solution that delivers consistent, measureable value and actually includes consideration for soft costs - as opposed to resorting to cutting corners to save a few dollars. (Which inevitably leads to an increase in both hard and soft costs down the road……)

In fact, I don’t believe it has EVER been successfully argued that doing it poorly twice (or even three times….) is ultimately cheaper than doing it right the first time…..

If a solution is able to solve a specific set of problems, or be more efficient, then it will generally reduce the amount of time that someone has to spend on it or with it.

When considering this type of high level “soft cost” you can add hourly (or billable) rates, productivity-per-manhour measurements, and even revenue generation.

At another level, businesses are starting to consider whether or not a solution has the ability to influence staff morale…..Staff morale directly contributes more to the bottom line than almost any deployment has the ability to, and is almost completely manageable by the organization. A happy staff is a productive staff, while an unhappy staff is going to slow down projects, create process headaches, and serve to slow down the overall forward momentum of any organization.

Knowing that, wouldn’t you want to deliver them the tools to work more efficiently and be happier?

Does the communications solution that you’re examining consider the element of morale within your organization?

Did you think that a communications solutions provider would even consider this?

Planet Telecom has!

Planet Telecom’s Compello Office solution allows workers to increase their management of one of the most critical morale elements - work life balance - and work remotely from almost anywhere while maintaining a visible local presence. This allows employees to shorten a lengthy commute, escape for the winter months, or work from home in their pyjamas - having a direct effect on staff morale.

Staff morale and how it is directly tied to productivity is always a consideration of business, but is not necessarily always added into the value column when considering what things really cost when deploying a solution.

It never hurts to consider the soft costs when looking at solutions, and as a business, considering whether a provider has thought about these types of scenarios could potentially be a real cost saver in the long run….

Planet Telecom - it’s just BETTER.