Construction Company Discovers Power of My1voice

By Susan J. Campbell, TMCnet Contributing Editor

In the world of construction, there are many parts that must work together to make up the whole. This is true for the project of focus, as well as the team assigned to complete the project. As successful completion relies on the efficient coordination of a number of independent entities, one of the biggest challenges is keeping these entities organized under a single leader.

The project owner often wants updated information on the status of the project and to get to the individual in charge at any given time can be a headache. Wasted time and effort can be expended in trying to locate the right person, which can create friction and customer frustration. For a company focused on delivering a quality experience, this is in direct conflict with their mission. One solution that could build on this strategy is a designated phone system.

For KBCm Group, their mission was to create a one-stop solution for project owners, developers and institutional end users by pulling together temporary teams that are best suited for a particular project. A flexible phone system was identified as being critical to the success of the company.

While the concept of the phone system was an essential one, there were still inherent challenges in the approach. For one, each independent resource had their own contact information and unless the project owner was clear on who to contact at each point in the project, he or she may make dozens of calls to obtain an answer to one simple question.

What the KBCm Group needed was the ability to allow customers to make a single call to reach anyone on the team. Owner Ken Blankenfeld tried a couple of software-based solutions, but quickly noticed they were unable to match his specific needs and a constantly changing environment.

"The systems were supposed to give the ability to bridge outside phones together on your own server," Blankenfeld says. "But when I actually started using them they proved very complicated to manage. I had a lot of back office responsibility which was very time-consuming."

In the testing process, Blankenfeld identified exactly what he needed: a phone system that was flexible and scalable and did require technical configuration, regular maintenance or updates. What Blankenfeld didn't know at the time was that he already had a relationship with a company that could offer the right solution.

When he first started KBCm Group, Blankenfeld signed up for a MyFax (News - Alert)Internet fax service account. In searching for new phone systems, he noticed an e-mail from MyFax's parent company, offering a new virtual phone service for small business called my1voice. Already satisfied with the service he received from MyFax, Blankenfeld contacted a sales rep and explained what he needed, providing a diagram of what he envisioned.

"She actually re-drew my diagram to show me how I could set up my1voice (News - Alert)to do what I wanted to do," he said. "And that happened after the sale, not when she was trying to win the business. She knew I had a small company but she made me feel like I was signing up for a half million dollar account. I have not had a better customer service experience from any product I've ever used."

When clients call Blankenfeld's number, they are prompted to enter a code, the last three digits on their KBCm job number. The code then routes the call to the cell phone of the team lead at the time. The team lead can be changed within a minute or two as needed and is Web-based for easy administration.

"Bringing in resources as-needed rather than offering at least some of the services in-house was uncharted territory, and at first it was difficult to manage," Blankenfeld said. "I really feel that without my1voice I wouldn't have been able to structure my business the way I did. It made it possible for me to deliver the vision I had."

Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMCnet and has also written for eastbiz.com. To read more of Susan's articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Alice Straight