Buying a Phone System – Part 3
November 9, 2009
Part 3 –Discovery Process
Discovery, by the very definition is “the act or instance of discovering”. In G3TP terms it is the process of uncovering hidden or root problems that keep businesses from making the right technology decisions. It is very common for organizations to make snap decisions for the wrong reasons without first addressing these root problems.
Initial Need: A law firm is looking to update their outdated technology.
Discovery Questions:
- Why do you think your organization is losing revenue?
- What are you doing now to grow your business?
- In a perfect world, tell me about how you’d like to see your business run?
Initially, the discovery questions seemed obscure to the client but they allowed me to see their business as a whole, get a better understanding of their expectations, and pinpoint the prospect’s priorities. After the Discovery Process, here is what I uncovered:
The firm was having difficulty recouping billable hours from its attorneys. Management had the attorneys keeping a paper trail of hours spent on each client. Inevitably with depositions, court appearances, multiple clients, etc., the written hours were being miscalculated or not accounted at all. Ultimately revenue was lost.
Solution: The firm did receive an updated solution however it included a call accounting application that automatically sends a report via email (or text) to the attorney and management at a specific time every week that the firm now uses for billable time. This simple, efficient report allowed the attorneys to focus on their clients and helped management take the guess work out of billing which helped increase revenue (actually by 4% out of the gate).
Note: I offer all of my prospects a mutual non-disclosure document. This legal document protects any proprietary information disclosed during the discovery process.
The 411 on the 311?
November 2, 2009
The 411 on the 311?
Part 1
Many city governments today are either implementing or considering a 311 service to improve assistance and responsiveness to the public. “311” is the slang term used for a centralized service center equipped with the tools and information needed to handle various non-emergency calls from the public. Some common things that a 311 service provides support for are:
- Reporting potholes
- Reporting graffiti
- Garbage collection information
- Blocked roadways, driveways, and fire hydrants
- Reporting broken traffic lights
- Mayor action line (complaints)
- Reporting abandoned vehicles
- Reporting stray animals
- Provide information on which department to call for any given service when there is uncertainty
- Information and possibly call routing for local shelters, public assistance, domestic issues and other urgent/emergency like calls
According to New York City’s website, their 311 even provides language translation! Also, some cities have even set up their 311 service as a 911 back up or as a disaster recovery site.
