Greetings! ,  

WAIT!  DON'T RUN 

 

For those of you who attended ASTI last month, we hope you had an excellent experience, met incredible new people, and learned many new ideas to implement in your business. For those USA members who didn't, we've posted the presentations on the ASTI 2012 site so you can take a peek at what was shared. Sorry, you have to be a USA member to gain access to the content on USA's web site. The USA board of directors had a great time, and were happy to meet so many of you. Thanks for being a part of The USA.

 

The trick after ASTI is figuring out how to apply all that experience. Sometimes, when we gain a lot of new knowledge in such a short time, our minds go into over-drive while trying to figure out where to start. I'd like to offer you a piece of advice from one of my favorite books, 

(Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams).

 

DON'T PANIC!

 

None of the lessons at ASTI were learned overnight. Many of the professionals sharing their wisdom took a long time to gain this knowledge the hard way - through trial and error. What's important now is that you take time to break down your goals for 2012, and plan measurable, actionable steps you can take each day to improve your business. Success is a process, and rarely comes instantly.

 

Now is also the perfect time to get involved with a USA Peer Group. While our brains are still storming with new ideas, collaborating on these new business practices can really help trouble-shoot the process. Peer groups have proven to be an excellent source of encouragement and often yield surprising results for those who choose to get involved. See what Dave Smith say's about his growth from USA Peer Group involvement further on in this newsletter. If we'd never come together in the first place to form a community, there wouldn't even be an ASTI, let alone United Servicers Association. Put a plan on paper and check on your progress weekly and remember that with ChatUSA you're only an email away from many peers wanting to help you succeed.

 

For those of you who attended the 2012 ASTI, thank you for sharing your valuable time and knowledge with us.   If you weren't able to join us this year, we hope you will mark your calendars now and plan to attend the 2013 ASTI March 6-9 in Orlando.

 

 

eServicer Newsletter Team

United Servicers Association

 

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By Krystle Freelove, Folsom Lake Appliance Repair & USA Treasurer    

Last year based on my recommendation and his research, Adam installed a new VOIP phone system from Vocalocity in his business. Folsom Lake Appliance has been using this same phone system for the past 31/2 years and we can't say enough positive things about it.

VoIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. In other words, VoIP is a phone system that works over your high-speed Internet connection. When you dial a number on your VoIP phone, the call is sent over the Internet instead of the wires running out of your building.

Five years ago, Folsom Lake Appliance was suffering from growing pains. We started our business with two technicians and just two phone lines, supplied by our local phone company. As business grew our phones began ringing more and we hired more technicians. We had to add more phone lines but our phone equipment only allowed 2, so we bought a 4-line phone system. We quickly outgrew the 4-line phone equipment and decided we really needed to find a solution that was going to work now and in the future. While researching several phone systems I found Vocalocity. We haven't looked back or been happier!

We ported all our existing phone numbers to our new Vocalocity account. Now we can record every incoming and/or outgoing phone call to better train our office personnel and refer back to a conversation if there are any issues. Recording has limited a lot of personal phone usage made by our staff increasing their productivity. We can pull reports that show phone calls that last less than a minute to check why appointments weren't booked. I can also take my VOIP phone across country, and as long as I have a high-speed connection I'm in business and no one knows I'm out of the office. Instead of spending hours deciphering phone bills to see how many calls I got from particular phone numbers, my Vocalocity phone system now reports this for me.

If you're pondering switching to a new VOIP phone system, I say make the switch! The features of this phone system are amazing. I haven't even begun to list every feature or benefit Vocalocity has provided but we love it. Changing phone systems is a scary process and I recommend Vocalocity to anyone who is shopping for a new phone system. If you'd like more information about our experience switching phone systems, contact me via LinkedIn, Facebook, or email at Krystle@FolsomLakeAppliance.com.

The end of a long and cold winter is an exciting time, but along with the blooming of flowers and warmer weather comes the daunting task of spring cleaning. It's time to roll up your sleeves, crank open the windows and bring your home back to life with these spring cleaning tips from Mr. Appliance.

"Maintaining the general upkeep of your appliances can save a lot of time and money in the long run," said Doug Rogers, president of Mr. Appliance. "Don't neglect your appliances and start cleaning them now to avoid future problems."

Follow these tips from Mr. Appliance® for fresh and clean appliances:

Oven

Remove oven trays and racks and soak them in warm, soapy water. Oven racks left in the oven during self-cleaning will over-heat and turn blue.