Monday, December 30, 2013

10 Interesting Facts About Alexander Graham Bell

Alexander Graham Bell left a long legacy. The name Bell at one point was synonymous with the telephone. Here a few facts about him that you may not know:
  • Alexander Graham Bell was born on March 3, 1847 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
  • He was an influential scientist, engineer and inventor.
  • His close friends and family called him Aleck.
  • He is widely credited with the invention of the first practical telephone.
  • Bell’s mother and wife were both deaf, which had a major impact on his work.
  • When he was 11 years old, his father gave him the middle name Graham as a birthday present since he didn't have one like his older brothers.
  • Bell’s first words spoken on the first functioning telephone to his assistant Watson were somewhere along the lines of “Mr Watson, come here. I want to see you.”
  • Bell was one of the co-founders of the National Geographic Society, and was its serving president from 1896 to 1904.
  • Bell also had very strong interest in other scientific fields such as, conducting medical research, searching for alternative fuel sources, experimenting with metal detectors, developing hydrofoil watercraft and much more.
  • Alexander Graham Bell died on August 2, 1922, at Baddeck, Cape Breton Island and as a tribute to his life the entire phone system was shut down for one minute.
If you know any interesting facts we may have left off, make sure to leave them in the comments!

Contact us at www.datavo.com or 1.877.7DATAVO.

Friday, December 20, 2013

9 Great Quotes About Winter Time


When winter comes it gets cold and you have to bundle up and keep warm. It's a time for family and holiday. Here a few quotes to get you through it...
 
Welcome, winter. Your late dawns and chilled breath make me lazy, but I love you nonetheless. ~Terri Guillemets
 
I prefer winter and Fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape — the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show. ~Andrew Wyeth
Winter is a time of promise because there is so little to do — or because you can now and then permit yourself the luxury of thinking so. ~Stanley Crawford
 
One kind word can warm three winter months. ~Japanese Proverb

Winter came down to our home one night
Quietly pirouetting in on silvery-toed slippers of snow,
And we, we were children once again. ~Bill Morgan, Jr.


Winter is the season in which people try to keep the house as warm as it was in the summer, when they complained about the heat. ~Author Unknown
In the winter she curls up around a good book and dreams away the cold. ~Ben Aaronovitch
 
What good is the warmth of summer without the cold of winter to give it sweetness. ~Author Unknown
June suns, you cannot store them To warm the winter's cold... ~A.E. Housman
 
Make sure to check out www.datavo.com or call us at 1.877.7DATAVO

Saturday, November 30, 2013

How to Call Ethiopia from the United States

Datavo gives you an uncomplicated look at calling Ethiopia from the United States.


We know that making international calls can be difficult at times. So we have developed a simple way to help you make the process easier.

Take these uncomplicated steps:

Landline:
  • Start by dialing 011, the US international prefix or access code
  • Second dial 251, Ethiopia's country code.
  • Lastly dial the 2 digit area code and 7 digit local subscriber number.
   Example: 011 + 251 + XX XXX XXXX
 

  Major Cities and Area Codes:

City
Area Code
11
25
34
47
46
58
46










Mobile:
  • Start by dialing 011, the US international prefix or access code
  • Second dial 251, Ethiopia's country code.
  • Lastly dial the 9 digit local subscriber number starting with 91
   Example: 011 + 251 + 91 XXX XXXX
                
Click HERE to go to Ethiopia's phone book.

Do you call Ethiopia regularly? Well Datavo has a deal for you. Click HERE for more information on Ethiopia's calling rates.

Monday, November 25, 2013

myDatavo Conferencing - Enhance Your Productivity


myDatavo® On-demand Conferencing is an easy-to-use service to enhance your business productivity. Our fast, efficient on-demand Conferencing offers a low cost complete solution capable of hosting up to 500 attendees with no reservations required and no time limits imposed. Simply dial the number of your virtual conference and enter your Identification code.

Take Charge of Your Conferences with Easy-to-Use Features

Once in your virtual conference room, use easy-to-follow audio prompts and a host of features to take complete control of your conference. Use our Moderator Web Interface for even greater functionality and control of features including.

• Recording a Conference — Record your conversations for future review and transcription. Simply initiate system recording through your phone prompt or web interface. At the end of the conference call, your recording will be available in .WAV format for download through your moderator web interface. Easily archive or distribute the audio file via email.

• Muting — Mute all participants for an important announcement or mute selectively as the topic requires. You can also enable individual participants to mute themselves in the event of line static or background, noise.

• Dial In or Dial Out — Schedule a meeting where participants dial in at a specific time or add participants on-the-fly by simply dialing out during the conference.

• Lock and Roll Call Conference Participants — For enhanced security and no interruptions, you may take a roll call of all conference participants and then lock your conference room once all participants are present.

To learn how your company can benefit from Datavo, contact us at 1.877.7DATAVO or visit our website at www.datavo.com.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

5 Awesome Facts About Phone Numbers

1. How Numbers Came to Use
When phones were first invented all you had to do was call the operator and asked to be patched through to a particular person's phone line by name. Dr. Moses Greeley Parker, a friend of Alexander Graham Bell was the first to question this system. The city where he loved had an outbreak of measles and he brought up that if the towns phone operator were to become sick, the replacements would have a hard time running the system. Numbers were the obvious choice as a better solution.

2. The First U.S. Area Codes
Area codes as an idea, first came about in late forties, but were not fully established until 1951 with the intro of New Jersey's 201 area code. Originally, there were 90 codes and they were given based on the population. Cities with the largest population were given codes that were
easier to dial on a rotary (yes, I said rotary) phone. For instance, New York is 212 and Los Angeles 213. More Rural places would get codes like 915.

3. The 411 on Emergency Numbers
Emergency numbers are different from country to country. The standard number for United States and Canada is 911, while in Europe the number is 112. 911 was originally known as nine-eleven but was later changed to nine-one-one as people were getting confused because they could not find the "11" button. In some states in the US it is possible to dial "3473" which spells fire.

4. Fictional Numbers for the Film Industry
There was originally a phone exchange named "Klondike" that was used to generate fake numbers for TV and films in America. The prefix 555 evolved from this system and have been set aside purely for fictional purposes. 01632 is the recommended code in the UK.

5. Last but not least, a Cool Phone Number Magic Trick
This is a cool phone number trick you can use to have your friends scratching their heads thanks to a little math riddle. Use the 7 digits of your phone number. 555-9875. Multiply the first three digits by 80. Add one. Multiply by 250. Add the last four digits of the original phone number. Add the last four digits again. Subtract 250 and divide by two. Mind Blown!

Hope you enjoyed the blog, visit or website at  www.datavo.com

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

5 Great Tips for Networking

Networking is key to survival. It will help you find a job faster, find quality recruits for your business and stay up to date with business trends and changes sooner. But, networking is not always fun and most people would rather stay home and clean their gutters than attend a professional networking event.

Here are a few tips that we came up with here at Datavo to help make the event less stressful.


1. Go. If you go, you  will never gain anything. If you put it on your schedule, make the effort and get to the event. Think of it as a work commitment (which, it actually is.)

2. Be Informed. Take a second to research who is throwing the event and why. This will give you some insight on what you might expect at the event and leave less chance for surprises.

3. Make Sure You Have Business Cards. Most people these days are on LinkedIn. Some people feel that  this can supersede the paper tradition of the business card. Except, that’s not the truth. At a professional event, you always want to take business cards. Otherwise, it could look like you are unemployed or ill-prepared.

4. Listen More Than You Talk. The more you listen to someone the more you become interested in what they are saying and it should lead you to more questions about the subject. People appreciate when you pay attention to them when they are speaking.

5. Follow-Up Swiftly with Potential Possibilities. If you meet someone that you think may be a lead to a potential job or client or just hit it off with someone you want as part of your professional network don't just chalk it up to chance. Send them a note through LinkedIn, Facebook or email. It will set you apart from the crowd.

If you have any tips, feel free to leave them in the comments.


Wednesday, October 23, 2013

7 Inspiring 'I' Indicators of Impressive Leaders

It's time of our 'I' installment of Datavo's Business Leaders Attributes by Letter series. You can catch up by reading 7 Helpful 'H' Hallmarks of Honorable Leaders.

Let's start getting inspired with the 'I's...

Imaginative
Albert Einstein was said to believe that - “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” That Knowledge is an understanding of “what is” — imagination is an appreciation of what can be.

Intelligence
Having the ability to learn or understand things or to deal with new or difficult situations quickly make you a valuable asset. 

Illuminating
Great leaders enlighten their teams and ignite the possibilities - they make their employees want to excel and be better.

Impartial
The longer you work with an organization, the deeper you develop relationships with coworkers. You will have a natural affinity for some people, and others simply may not “click” with you. Great leaders know how to remain impartial and will not play favorites when it comes to business decision-making.

Impressive
Someone once said, “It is far more impressive when others discover your good qualities without your help.” Be impressive with your actions and your leadership, and people will take note themselves.

Integrative
Businesses these days are composed of many different departments such as sales, customer service, and accounting. A great leader is an integrative force that combines these separate departments of the organization and unites them to pursue common goals.

Inspiring
Inspiring leaders have a clearly defined purpose for their work. It is a higher motivation around the entirety of what they do—which critically involves others.

To end our list, let's go over 7 'I' words that impressive leaders would never want to be - irate, irresponsible, illogical, immoral, idiotic, improper, or irrelevant.

Feel free to leave any words you think we left off or would have on your own list int the comments. Make sure to look out for our next list of 'J' adjectives.

Monday, October 14, 2013

How to Make a Call to Ireland from the United States

Datavo gives you an uncomplicated look at calling Ireland from the United States.

We know that making international calls can be difficult at times. So we have developed a simple way to help you make the process easier.

Take these uncomplicated steps:

Landline:
  • Start by dialing 011, the US international prefix or access code
  • Second dial 353, Ireland's country code.
  • Lastly dial the 1-2 digit area code and 7 digit phone number.
   Example: 011 + 353 + X XXXXXXX

  Major Cities and Area Codes:

City
Area Code
1
21
61
91
51
42
46













Mobile:
  • Start by dialing 011, the US international prefix or access code
  • Second dial 353, Ireland's country code.
  • Lastly dial the 9 digit phone number starting with 8
   Example: 011 + 353 + 8 XXXXXXXX
                
Click HERE to go to Ireland's phone book.

Do you call Ireland regularly? Well Datavo has a deal for you. Click HERE for more information on Ireland's calling rates.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

6 Simple Rules of Etiquitte for Using the Telephone

So.... we've all been on the receiving end of a phone call gone bad or know a person that just doesn't return calls. Where the person on the other end just forgot all the manners they ever learned in life and turned into a crazed person especially if your a customer service representative.

Here's a couple rules of phone etiquette to make sure you don't become one of those dreaded people.

1. Answer the phone politely. Whether it's your land line, your cell or somebody else's phone, always answer in a courteous fashion. A simple hello is good, followed by a bit of identification, so that the other person knows they have reached the intended target.

2. Don't eat while talking. The sounds of eating coming through the telephone are gross, rude and should never happen.

3. Speak slowly and clearly. Whether you are on the phone at home, or out in public, always speak just loudly enough to be heard by the person on the other end.

4. Leave your number if you leave a message. If you call someone and get their voice-mail and choose to leave a message, always leave them a method of getting back to you. Just do it, it's expected and polite.

5. Return phone calls. Nothing makes a person feel ignored more than someone not returning their phone calls. It only takes a second. Just do it!

6. Ask permission before placing people on hold. People don't like to talk to themselves, and that is what will happen if you place people on hold without letting them know before hand. 

We hope these tips were helpful. For more information about Datavo visit our website at www.datavo.com.

Sunday, October 6, 2013

T1 - Business Broadband Products You Can Trust

A business is rarely static, so when it’s time to grow, you need a data service that’s ready to grow with it. A T1 system from Datavo is perfect for small businesses with intentions of getting larger. 

Datavo T1s ensure efficiency and high data streaming for businesses. More often than not, T1 lines offer much faster downstream and upstream speeds than traditional ADSL Service. 

What makes Datavo’s T1 service different from other carriers? Our T1s will cost your business a lot less without sacrificing speed and reliability. In addition, our T1 products include one static subnet or four assignable IP addresses.

A T1 is perfect for a business with 1 to 5 employees in an office setting who need:
• the guaranteed quality of service provided by T1 access networks.
• a maximum up-time solution providing reliable internet access.
• to lower the total cost of telecommunication while enjoying fast, safe and reliable internet access.

Cisco 2600 Router
Datavo delivers its T1 broadband service over the latest state-of-the-art service components to ensure maximum uptime.

They offer a high speed broadband data solution over a Cisco T1 router capable of symmetrical download and upload speeds. Single T1 services may be bonded with up to 4 additional T1s at any time to increase upload and download speeds, providing a scalable internet solution.

For more information on our T1s contact us at 1.877.7DATAVO or www.datavo.com

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Datavo's Top 5 Reasons Why Autumn is Amazingly Awesome

It's Autumn again and everyone at Datavo is excited and happy. Each season comes with its own set of perks but Autumn wins with sheer beauty. So instead of sulking about having to put your beach attire away and bring out your sweaters, let's celebrate the reasons why Autumn is Amazingly Awesome. 



1. The Beauty. The sounds of the breeze, the colors changing on the trees, the leaves falling all create a spectacular jolt to your senses. 



2. Halloween.  The Candy, the Costumes, the Ominous feelings that something is watching you all make for a spooky sensation. 



3. The Weather. The early morning mist, the fresh crisp breeze all engulfing you, a little rain refreshing everything and awakening a new day. 



4. Thanksgiving and Family. Nothing is more special than taking time to get together with your loved ones and reflect back on what the current year has brought you and why they all make it that much more special to you.


5. Time Travel. Every year at this time we get to travel back in time one hour and repeat what we already did. Daylight Savings gives you an extra hour to sleep in.

I hope you enjoyed my top 5 reasons why Autumn is Amazingly Awesome!

Sunday, September 29, 2013

5 Steps Business Owners Can Take Before Going on Vacation

When you think about going on vacation, for most it means relaxing and sightseeing. For most small business owners it can mean stressing that things are being done instead of having fun or taking their laptop and working while lounging on the beach or by the pool. There are some small business owners that don't go on vacation at all.

Datavo knows that stress can cause a vacation to be ruined so we came up with a short list of items you should take care of before you leave so that you can have a relaxing and refreshing time.

  • Make a list of your tasks. At least a two weeks prior to your vacation go through all of your responsibilities. Determine which tasks must be delegated and which can await your return. Do things such as paying bills or invoicing customers early so that you are not worried while you are away. Make sure to update your list the day before you leave and mark off all completed tasks. 
  • Make a schedule for checking in. To stop yourself from working all day and your staff from calling you with issues every second, set up specific times you are available and which circumstances you need to be contacted for. It may also help to only give one of your staff members your contact number and make them the designated point person while you are out.
  • Be specific and clear with your employees. Keep your employees in the loop. Have a meeting with them at least a week prior to your departure and let them know what you expect from them while you are gone. Go over any projects or assignments and assign who will be in charge of your responsibilities while you are gone. The day before you leave have another short meeting reviewing everything and confirm that your staff has everything it needs. 
  • Use your phone system's features. Most phone systems have features that allow you to optimize your customer service. Make sure you set your voicemail greeting to out of the office and set up any forwarding features so that your calls can route to you properly. 
  • Let your customers know you are leaving and who they can contact. Start letting your customers know that you will be going out of town a few weeks prior to your departure date. Set up an automated email response for any received emails that lets people know you're out of the office, what day you will return and who they can contact in the interim.

Now that you have all of that taken care of try to enjoy your vacation. Have faith that your employees will take care of everything and keep you in the loop if anything arises that needs your immediate attention.  Taking a vacation should leave you refreshed and revitalized, making you more productive in the long run. 

Sunday, September 22, 2013

7 Helpful 'H' Hallmarks of Honorable Leaders

It's time of our 'H' installment of Datavo's Business Leaders Attributes by Letter series. You can catch up by reading 7 Great 'G' Gages of Great Leaders.

Let's get moving with the 'H's...

Honest
Thomas Jefferson said, " Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom." Honest leaders know their strengths, failures and shortcomings. They learn early on that transparency breeds respect and their employees are much more likely to rally behind and listen to them. 

Humble
Humility does not come easy to everyone. Humble leaders know that being cocky only makes other people not like you. Learning yourself and accepting that there are things that you do not know is the first step to being humble. 

Hardworking
Albert Einstein said, "Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others, it is the only means." Hardworking leaders know that leading by example is the best way to get the full potential out of their employees. Showing great work ethic makes others around you want to emulate it. 

Helpful
At work you may be assigned a project that you are unfamiliar with. Hopefully you will have a helpful coworker that is willing to share some of their knowledge with you. Helpful leaders know that their employees can look to them when things arise that they may needs advice on. 

Honorable
Being honorable means that you may have to speak the truth even when it is unpopular. People will respect you when they know that you stand for something and conduct yourself based on truth instead of feelings.

Hearty
Hearty people are spirited, enthusiastic, exuberant, fervent and sincere. Leaders with this quality earn their workers respect because they exude passion and are seen as heartfelt and genuine. 

Humane
Luc de Clapiers said, "One cannot be just if one is not humane." Humane leaders are able to show empathy and make decisions based on all the factors of a situation and see how they will effect the people involved. 

To end our list, let's go over 7 'H' words that honorable leaders would never want to be - hypocritical, hostile, hateful, helpless, half-hearted, hasty, or hopeless. 

Feel free to leave any words you think we left off or would have on your own list int the comments. Make sure to look out for our next list of 'I' adjectives. 

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Unifiying Your Communications - myDatavo Assistant

The Datavo myDatavo Assistant is a lightweight application toolbar, designed to complement your myDatavo Web Portal. It offers automatic notifications and instant access to regularly used calling features making it a valuable tool for keeping your users connected. 

HIGH FUNCTION TOOLBAR

myDatavo Assistant significantly enhances the user experience by enabling your users to access communication services at any time from their desktop. Subscribers can now access their most advanced telephony services from their computers, without having to change applications. 

An intuitive toolbar application, it allows your subscribers to:

• search their myDatavo contact list
• initiate and configure synchronization with Outlook contacts
• search contacts in an external LDAP directory
• initiate click-to-dial outgoing calls
• enable/disable key call services.

This integrated approach even provides extensions that allow your subscribers to initiate click-to-dial outgoing calls directly from Microsoft Outlook.

INTEGRATED NOTIFIER

The myDatavo Assistant Notifier transparently maintains contact with myDatavo Web Portal so that it can alert subscribers whenever calls are incoming, or when a new voicemail is received, via a pop-up notification. The notification displays the name of the caller (pulled automatically from the user’s myDatavo contact lists), their number and the time of the message. In addition, when a user receives an incoming call, the notifier provides options to send the call to voicemail or forward it to another line, at the click of a button. Residing in the Windows system tray, it offers a notification area icon that shows voicemail status and provides a shortcut to myDatavo.

IMMEDIATE STATUS CHANGES

myDatavo Assistant allows users to easily change their status in much the same way they’re already used to doing through their instant message clients. A simple point and click allows users to select:

• Ring my phone – deactivates any other service that might be in effect
• Do not disturb – activates the Do Not Disturb (DND) feature
• Forward calls – to the previous five numbers used for forwarding or to a different number they can input
• Find Me Follow Me – delivers granular control over advanced call routing functionality.

Feel free to contact us at 1.877.7.DATAVO or www.datavo.com for more info.

Saturday, August 31, 2013

5 Ways to Succeed in a Small Family Business

Family owned businesses are a big part of our culture. With technology changing so drastically over the last few years it may seem as if these types of small business are disappearing, but they aren't. With the current state of the economy, people are bringing family members and friends into their business ventures even more. It can be difficult to keep your business and personal relationships separate due to the delicate dynamics of the familiar relationship. Here are a few ways to protect your business and personal relationships with relatives and friends. 
  1. Establish expectations. From the very start of your business venture you should define roles and responsibilities for each family member. A lack of clarity fuels conflict and can lead to disaster. Each person should have a specific job description, just as any employee would, and they should understand what the boundaries are in the work environment.
  2. Create a conflict resolution plan. Despite your best efforts, there are bound to be conflicts in the business. Because personal emotions will ultimately be involved, determine in advance a way to resolve disagreements. You need a process to work through conflicts to protect the integrity of the work environment as well as your relationship.
  3. Put everything writing. Even if you are going into business with your dear beloved mother, get everything in writing.  Remember, this is business. People have short memories, and a disagreement about ownership interests, money allocations, or even vacation time can cause tempers to flare.
  4. Manage fair- and-square.  As you add other employees to your business, make sure you manage equitably.  Family members should not be given added perks and privileges other team members don’t receive.  And the same thing is true when it comes to rewarding performance.  Every team member should be evaluated and treated fairly.
  5. Keep personal baggage at home. Don’t bring personal battles into the workplace.  It’s unprofessional and can ruin relationships with customers and clients who don’t want to be caught in the middle.

We hope these tips were helpful. For more information about Datavo visit our website at www.datavo.com

Sunday, August 18, 2013

10 Quotes to Get Inspired With

Here at Datavo we know waking up in the morning can be hard sometimes so here's a list of our favorite quotes to start your day.

  • I had to make my own living and my own opportunity! But I made it! Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them! – C.J. Walker

  • The enemy of the truth is very often not the lie – deliberate, contrived, and dishonest – but the myth-persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. – John F. Kennedy

  • The important thing is not being afraid to take a chance. Remember, the greatest failure is to not try. Once you find something you love to do, be the best at doing it. – Debbi Fields

  • Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming. – Richard Branson

  • I like thinking big. If you’re going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big. – Donald Trump

  • Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning. – Bill Gates

  • I feel that luck is preparation meeting opportunity. – Oprah Winfrey

  • Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly and get on with improving your other innovations. – Steve Jobs

  • Success in business requires training and discipline and hard work. But if you’re not frightened by these things, the opportunities are just as great today as they ever were. – David Rockefeller

  • In all realms of life it takes courage to stretch your limits, express your power, and fulfill your potential. It’s no different in the financial realm. – Suze Orman

Feel free to leave any of your favorite quotes in the comments.

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Get Higher Productivity with Google Chrome Apps

Google Chrome is one of those things that amazes people once they find out how much functionality it really has.

My favorite part about it is the apps. There are so many available in the web store and most are free. No matter what you need to do, most likely you can find an app that can help you with it. Today, I want to review six of the ones that will help most with your productivity during the day.






1. Hootsuite - This app allows you to control all of your social media in one simple dashboard. It also allows you to track traffic, schedule messages and monitor conversations using the app.




2. Awesome Screenshot - With this app you can grab a still from any page you are searching in your browser. It is easy to use and is more transferable than notes or copy & paste. (I used this app for the screenshots in this blog)



3. Large Document - This app allows you to share large documents over 10mb that would usually bounce back to you due to size. It is much simpler than any of the external sharing sites such as Dropbox or YouSendIt. It actually converts your file to a url so there is not login info required.



4. Stay Focused - If you are an Internet browsing addict this app is for you. It allows you to set times for certain websites so that you do not spend too much time browsing. You can put a cap on the sites you select so you can limit the amount of time you waste during the day.



5. Docs PDF/PowerPoint Viewer - This allows you to view any PDF or PowerPoint file by just clicking on the link. No need to download large files or launch any other applications to view them.



6. Google Calendar Checker - This apps shows a countdown until your next engagement on our calendar. It is easy to use and you can link any of your calendars together so that you are never late or miss a meeting.




Datavo loves to hear your feedback feel free to leave any apps that you may know of in the comments.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

How to Provide Better Customer Service

Your Customer Service department is the front line for your company. They are the image that your customers see and hear. Datavo put together a list of 10 tips that every customer service department can use to be better and keep their customers loyal.

1. Smile and Posture. Always make sure to sit up and smile when taking any calls.

2. Be Authentic. If you have a script that you read, make sure to not sound like you are reading. Make sure you are listening and responding properly.

3. Be Gracious. Always thank your customers for calling, especially if they have a complaint. You may be able to fix the problem and gain their loyalty.

4. Listen and Repeat. Make sure to confirm what the customer has told you so that you are sure you clearly understand their needs. This will also make the customer more confident in your ability to handle their problem.

5.  Stay Confident. The person that is the most certainty leads the conversation. Make sure you give off the feeling that everything will be okay and you are in control.

6. Put in Extra Effort. Customers will appreciate and be loyal to you if they feel you have gone above and beyond what the expected.

7. Own the Call. When it is possible try not to transfer the customer to anyone else, people don't like having to repeat what they have just went over with you.

8. Stay Honest. If you do not know something, don't lie. Tell them you are not sure but you will be following up on it and will have an answer for them shortly. Make sure to follow through and provide them with the answer. 

9. Train Properly. Make sure all of your employees that have customer interactions have basic communication skills.

10. Apologize, Fix It and Move On. Make sure to always apologize when something goes wrong then fix it. Customers tend to remain loyal and be forgiving when you are able to fix their problems quickly.


Feel free to leave any tips in the comments that we may have left out.

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Datavo Understands

Communication is the cornerstone for all modern businesses, big or small. Whether it’s relaying creative solutions to your clients or broadening the availability of interaction between the different business lines of your company, communication plays a vital role in everyday life. No matter what your industry, who you’re servicing or who’s putting their nose to the grind at your company, these aspects all need to be interconnected. So why live with the restricted communication solutions that traditional telecom companies have to offer?

Datavo understands the importance of being able to relay information across any medium at any time. We specialize in providing competitively priced bandwidth for your web-based information exchange and analog and/or VoIP services for direct phone support. It’s our mission to work cooperatively with your small business, committing ourselves to providing tailored and responsive solutions to your communication needs.

We’ve built our business around making it simple to streamline information, ensuring that it gets from one person to the next—quickly and coherently. Datavo literally helps you send your emails out and keeps the phone calls coming in by providing you with the necessary bandwidth to make your communication model go round. Best of all, none of this comes with the unneeded frills that traditional carriers offer to make their packages seem better than they really are. From Datavo comes a line of services that is customizable and unique to your needs so that you always have an open line of communication for your small business.

For more information feel free to contact us by web at www.datavo.com/quoterequest, by email info@datavo.com or by phone at 1.877.7DATAVO.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Why You Should Choose the MyDatavo Hosted Phone Solution

There are many reasons to choose Datavo's Hosted Phone Solution - myDatavo, but we think the following are the top 7 reasons why.

1. Calls are cheaper - No matter what type of business you run, call costs for on Datavo's Hosted Phone Solution will be significantly cheaper than with an analog telephone line.

2. Phone equipment is cheaper - The only thing necessary to purchase when using our hosted phone solution are VoIP phones, and an internet connection (which we can provide to you as well). This allows business to bypass the large costs associated with purchasing an onsite phone system. We will provide you with an interface to make any changes via your internet connection.

3. Easy to add additional services - If you need to add an additional line all that you need to do is purchase a new VoIP phone, call us for an additional line and plug in the phone.

4. Less maintenance - Any IT support, maintenance or upgrades are handled by us here at Datavo, allowing you to cut costs with your employees. Also if you choose to add an auto-attendant you will not longer need a receptionist.

5. Easy to unify your communications - We make is simple for you to unify your communications by combing your contacts and Voicemails all in one easy to use interface.

6. Perfect for telecommuters - With our call jump feature and mobile smartphone apps, you can now take your work telephone line with you wherever you go on your Andriod or iPhone.

7. Provides innovative features - Auto Attendant, myDatavo Assitant, Call Manager, Visual Voicemail, Call Jump, Phone Remote, Music on Hold and Voicemail Fusion are just a few of the available features available to myDatavo customers.

For more information on myDatavo, visit our website www.datavo.com or contact us at 1.877.7DATAVO.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

10 Great Quotes About Business

  • In the business world, everyone is paid in two coins: cash and experience. Take the experience first; the cash will come later. ~ Harold Geneen
Henry Ford

  • It is not the employer who pays the wages. He only handles the money. It is the product that pays the wages. ~Henry Ford, 1922, also sometimes quoted as "It is the customer that pays the wages.

  • Professionalism is a frame of mind, not a paycheck. ~ Cecil Castle

  • Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning. ~ Bill Gates

  • People that pay for things never complain. It's the guy you give something to that you can't please. ~ Will Rogers

  • Let's be honest. There's not a business anywhere that is without problems. Business is complicated and imperfect. Every business everywhere is staffed with imperfect human beings and exists by providing a product or service to other imperfect human beings. ~ Bob Parsons

  • The man who will use his skill and constructive imagination to see how much he can give for a dollar, instead of how little he can give for a dollar, is bound to succeed. ~ Henry Ford

  • Work as if you own the company and soon you just might. ~ Mike Dolan

  • The results of quality work last longer than the shock of high prices. ~ Author Unknown

  • It doesn't matter how many times you fail. It doesn't matter how many times you almost get it right. No one is going to know or care about your failures, and neither should you. All you have to do is learn from them and those around you because... All that matters in business is that you get it right once. Then everyone can tell you how lucky you are. ~Mark Cuban

Please visit our website at www.datavo.com.

Friday, June 14, 2013

5 Steps for Being a Better Customer Service Representative

The lifeblood of a company is its customers. Without them you would not and could not stay in business. By making sure that you are satisfying your customers needs and keeping them happy, they will not only help you to grow but most likely recommend you to friends and associates. The best way to get new customers is by word of mouth from a trusted source. What this means is that the customer service department is one of the most important positions in the company, especially in a call center as they represent the outward voice of the company to the customer.

Datavo has come up with 5 easy steps to provide better customer service:

1. Make sure to always keep your cool when a customer is upset. They are usually not specifically mad at you but the situation that happened, so do not take things personally. To them at that moment, you are the company not an individual.

2. Let the customer vent. Most likely once they have gotten their anger out they can be reasoned with, especially if your come across as empathetic to their needs.

3. Keep a friendly tone of voice. People can tell when you are upset or happy by the inflection in your voice. If a customer feels you are angry or annoyed it can escalate a situation that would have never happened if the same sentence was say with a smile.

4. Always take the high ground. Never argue with the customer. Always try to diffuse the situation instead of escalating it. For example, if a customer is so irate you cannot help them, you can say "I am so sorry that you are upset, sir/ma'am. I am not able to help you when I cannot understand you. It maybe best if we end this conversation now. When you calm down, give me a call back and I will be more than happy to help you with your issue."

5. Be empathetic and show your human side. Gently let them know you understand their frustration but you need to calm down so that you are able to better understand what their problem is.

We are all human and situations can escalate quickly when we feel like someone is attacking us. Using patience and understanding is much more difficult than just firing back a retaliation. But it is essential that a call center representative do just that. Doing these things will help to resolve your customers problems efficiently and effectively while at the same time promoting your company's reputation.