06/ 03/ 2008
Finalists chosen for the 2008 Dell/NFIB Small Business Excellence in Customer Experience Award
Want to know how to create a truly unique customer experience? Just talk to any of the following 10 finalists for the 2008 Dell/NFIB Small Business Excellence in Customer Experience Award. These businesses--selected by MBA students at The George Washington University School of Business in Washington, D.C.--understand the importance of technology and innovation in providing outstanding customer service.
Read on to learn more about the finalists--and how their ideas could work in your business.
Escape Technology
What they do: Build finance, human resources and payroll applications for public schools.
Headquarters: Roseville, Calif.
Number of years in business: 24
Number of employees: 25
How they use technology to serve their customers: A commitment to using the newest hardware and software available helps Escape Technologies provide its customers with sophisticated database-sharing technologies at an affordable price. Customers can log onto their system securely from any location, and Escape Technology can update its clients' software or perform troubleshooting quickly and easily to keep their systems working efficiently.
Glance Networks Inc.
What they do: Allow Web users to share their PC or Mac computer screen via a Web-based desktop sharing service.
Headquarters: Arlington, Mass.
Number of years in business: 8
Number of employees: 13
How they use technology to serve their customers: What you see is what you get. That was Glance Networks' philosophy for creating its user-friendly Web conferencing application that allows users to click one button on their desktop to instantly share their screen with up to 100 guests. What's more, when customers need help, Glance Networks' technicians can click that same button to help troubleshoot--and solve--the problem.
MedApps Inc.
What they do: Offer a mobile wireless health monitoring system allowing healthcare providers to help manage patients' chronic diseases remotely.
Headquarters: Scottsdale, Ariz.
Number of years in business: 2
Number of employees: 12
How they use technology to serve their customers: Revolutionizing the traditional doctor's visit, MedApps gives patients instant access to their medical records and the ability to connect to a health professional from anywhere. Utilizing cutting-edge technology, the company is also reducing the cost of remote medical monitoring with each update it makes.
RNs On-Call LLC
What they do: Provide after-hours emergency call support to primary healthcare providers.
Headquarters: Greensboro, N.C.
Number of years in business: 2
Number of employees: 20
How they use technology to serve their customers: RNs On-Call hosts a virtual call center application through a Web browser to provide its customers with immediate healthcare solutions. They also use technology to host databases, distribute information, track employee performance and run a variety of reports to monitor efficiency.
Rugroden Drafting & Design
What they do: Provide residential drafting and design services.
Headquarters: Onalaska, Wis.
Number of years in business: 6
Number of employees: 1
How they use technology to serve their customers: Working for a decade as a residential drafter before opening Rugroden Drafting & Design, owner Ryan Rugroden often found that homeowners were unable to read a floor plan--making it hard for them to visualize what the finished product would look like. These days, thanks to the latest in 3-D technology, Rugroden's clients can virtually walk through their dream home--seeing every nook, cranny, cabinet and vaulted ceiling--before the first brick is laid.
ServusXchange LLC
What they do: Assist small and mid-size contractors with front and back office operations.
Headquarters: Pompano Beach, Fla.
Number of years in business: 3
Number of employees: 7
How they use technology to serve their customers: Administrative support to residential contractors is provided via a Web-based solution called MyOnlineToolbox. In addition to managing their own operations, contractors can also connect with other users to exchange ideas and form partnerships on bigger projects. What separates ServusXchange from its competitors is the fact that MyOnlineToolbox is designed to fully integrate with the tablet PC--the platform of choice for many contractors on the go.
TecAccess
What they do: Provide IT/Web accessibility and usability testing, consulting and training services.
Headquarters: Rockville, Va.
Number of years in business: 7
Number of employees: 60
How they use technology to serve their customers: TecAccess' accessibility experts know their solutions work in helping individuals with disabilities perform their jobs. That's because TecAccess' experts rely on them to perform their jobs, too. The majority of its associates have disabilities, making them the perfect beta testers for the accessibility recommendations TecAccess makes to its private- and public-sector clients.
TechMD
What they do: Administer comprehensive computer services to the nonprofit sector.
Headquarters: Fountain Valley, Calif.
Number of years in business: 5
Number of employees: 5
How they use technology to serve their customers: When TechMD started five years ago, co-owner Mark Perez envisioned taking calls from nonprofit organizations and charging them for on-site visits. But as new technologies and software solutions have emerged, TechMD has been able to provide unlimited tech support to its customers at the same or lower price point.
Your Beauty Network
What they do: Use a membership-based support service to provide business information, tools and support to salon and spa professionals.
Headquarters: Carlsbad, Calif.
Number of years in business: 7
Number of employees: 6
How they use technology to serve their customers: Using the latest .net platform, Your Beauty Network allows clients to track their weekly sales, compare their sales to the industry, process appointments, enroll in classes, post job openings and market to customers.
Transport Designs Inc.
What they do: Manufacture custom trailers and motor homes.
Headquarters: Montoursville, Pa.
Number of years in business: 20
Number of employees: 12
How they use technology to serve their customers: When Transport Designs redesigns a trailer or motor home, customization goes beyond the color of carpet. Using design software, the company e-mails digital drawings to customers, who can make adjustments and comments directly on the drawings to ensure they get exactly what they want. By taking digital photographs of projects and keeping lines of communication open through e-mail, Transport Designs keeps customers in the know every step of the way.
The winner of the 2008 Dell/NFIB Small Business Excellence in Customer Experience Award will be announced at the NFIB National Small Business Summit, being held this month in Washington, D.C. Stay tuned to www.NFIB.com/ceaward and look for a profile of the winner in the August/September issue of MyBusiness magazine.
