Posted by Amy Sammartino on Tue, Aug 03, 2010 @ 02:40 PM
By: Amy Sammartino - Service Specialist for Constant Connect at Cenero
What You can Expect from Your Audio Visual Service Provider
Can you find a service provider that is a partner too? In the growing industry of technology and manufacturing of equipment, it’s more critical than ever to get quick answers to your technical and end-user problems. Being able to call, speak to a person with the appropriate level of skill, expertise and authority to get you the resources you need --- is critical to maximize a company’s audio visual system. Here’s what you want so it works when you need it.
Your Partner Gives You More
Who do you think of when you hear the term “Service Provider?” Is this your telephone company, your internet provider, your electric or gas provider? Do you like them or do you get agitated and have anxiety as soon as they are mentioned? The process to get help can be exhausting. Have you ever considered them your partner? Do they provide you with excellent consumable goods or give great customer service.
Service
Technology is ever changing-- projectors, plasma, video conferencing, audio conferencing. The problem is your budget cycle doesn’t. How do you safeguard your investment when you can’t buy new audiovisual equipment? You service it. You clean and maintain and hope that it works when you need it.
Reliability
Technology can increase communication, improve performance and decrease costs. Of course, this is only true if the system works. Ongoing service for any system is very important. Traditional warranties and reactive service models help improve system availability and performance through regularly scheduled service maintenance and onsite support. Service options have to be able to support the needs of their customers.
AV and IT Converge
The AV and IT world have recently collided with the downsizing of AV personnel. IT is now responsible for technology.
Having a service provider who you trust is critical. Audio Visual companies that invest time, money and resources dedicated to supporting their installations are extremely important. Equally as important; is the trust that your customer knows you and your support staff and believes your knowledge, and skill-set will support them.
Peace of Mind
Are you tired of being transferred, or getting an automated attendant, getting disconnected through the system and having to start over. Why is it so hard to get someone that is willing to help understand the urgency of the problem, provide resources, and follow through to make sure the resolution is accurate?
Can you get great service and customer support from your audio visual and video conferencing provider? And what makes them a partner. I think you can. We just need to be smart about it.
Ten Tips Choosing Your AV Service Provider
Evaluate, ask questions, get what you want before giving them what they want-your order.
1. Trained Service technicians for your specific equipment
2. Technicians maintain industry specific certifications.
3. Get support by a live person -vs- an automated attendant.
4. Get service directly from the organization and not a third party.
5. Obtain access to pertinent information after the call
6. Have access to updated service information online.
7. Processes and procedures are based on level of urgency.
8. In an emergency, be able to contact via multiple communications, email, phone, online tech support.
9. Receive your custom service plans
10. Build your relationship with a dedicated person to contact- management, sales and technical support.
Your Service Solution Partner
Evaluate, ask questions, and get what you want. Because at the end of the day, you can get worry free conferencing from your audio visual partner. Isn’t it time?
Amy Sammartino - Service Specialist for Constant Connect at Cenero
Amy is a charasmatic, motivated and focused person. She has spent the last 10 years in the videoconferencing industry learning how to communicate more effectively and efficiently with technology. In that time Amy found that helping others looking at technology make informed business decisions and find appropriate support services to keep those investments as productive business tools a great joy. Amy believes Customer Service is the key to a successful relationship year after year.
Posted by Rob Gilfillan on Sun, Aug 01, 2010 @ 06:15 PM
By: Rob Gilfillan
President, Cenero
ROI , H.323, H.320, IP, ISDN, SIP, Codec, blah, blah, blah.
Over the years organizations been inundated with acronyms and geek speak that quite frankly, has done more injustice than good to the potential video conferencing user base.
Video Conferencing = Less Corporate Travel
I'll never forget my first video conferencing experience with a fortune 1000 company back in the early 1990's. The executives of this organization outlined a goal to cut travel costs between four national offices.
The project was then assigned to a local IT director in the Baltimore/Washington area who initiated due diligence with all of the video conferencing industry's major manufacturers such as Tandberg and Polycom.
Function at its Best
A technical scope of work was developed which outlined all the technical specifications of the proposed system. System capabilities included 30 FPS video, full duplex audio, 384 kbps ISDN, 36" CRT (remember those things!!), etc.
After the IT Director spent a few weeks reviewing pertinent information, the company I worked for at the time was selected to help with the system integration. The total cost was about $100,000 per location for a rather large "portable (not so much) system".
5 Easy Steps
After the project installation was completed, we setup training with the IT staff to run through the 'system operation'. This included basics such as
power up the system
place a call
adjust camera
push a scan-converted computer image to a far end site
troubleshoot technical issues, etc.
I remember trying to reserve some time with the executives, but was told that training would be accomplished internally by the IT department. When we finished the IT folks had a thorough understanding of the system capabilities and functionality, so I considered our project a raving success.
Classic Mistakes
About 2 months later, I received a call from one of the Executive Assistants to see if I could make some time to visit the site and review the system with the team. I agreed and expected to be showered with thanks for all the money and time the organization had saved from their 'technology investment'.
To my amazement, I was greeted by an unhappy executive that felt he had been sold an unsubstantiated ROI and inappropriate bill of goods. Upon further review, I found that the system functioned as intended, but usage was very low. I asked why the executive team did not use the system more often and found that it was essentially used as a picture telephone and offered no real tangible value from a basic telephone call.
What's the lesson here?
In addition to identifying the technical needs of the organization, it is imperative that the solutions provider help the client understand the key applications that help drive adoption and eventually migration.
Start Leveraging Video Conferencing
The technology will eventually fall in place, but only after an action plan has been developed to help leverage the 'technology' as a productive tool.