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How much more efficient can a small business become after computerization with GB Consulting? Just ask Scott Robinson, president of Apple Heating, Ashtabula. "Dispatching on the computer is a lot more efficient and effective than the old way," he says. "We used to do it by hand. It's just a lot better at being able to handle large amounts of data efficiently. Computerized dispatching really has eliminated a lot of chances for us to make a mistake by losing a piece of paper or forgetting to do something."
With 24-hour emergency service year round, Scott Robinson needs to maintain an effective, reliable computer system. His computers store information from the nature of a customer's problem and directions to the house to special instructions such as avoid the family dog! The information can be sent directly from the computer to the technician's pager, which cuts down on two-way radio communications. Before computers, the exchanging of information was done over the radios, which meant lost time because sometimes two or three people had to wait their turns to talk. In addition to the emergency service, Apple Heating has energy-saving agreements. Under these, they will check a customer's heating and cooling equipment twice a year, and all repairs are discounted. Customers entering into the energy-saving agreements are priority, which is quite convenient when the weather is too hot or too cold.
These advantages are another way Apple Heating fulfills its unique philosophy: Win, Win, Win. The first to win are the customers, who are treated well and with integrity. The second part focuses on the co-workers, making sure they are adequately compensated for their work. The third win is for the stockholders and owners, so that they get fair returns on their investments. With so much focus on the customers, it is easy to see why Apple Heating turns to GB Consulting for its computer needs.
Information about the customers must be available at all times, and it must be quickly retrieved. GB Consulting has an excellent response time for emergency situations. Once, when data was erased from a hard drive, Scott got a "virtually immediate" response. GB Consulting had the situation resolved that same day. Another time, in 1996 while Scott was on vacation, the hard drive went down on the UNIX Sever. GB Consulting had the hard drive in three hours later.
Another advantage to using GB Consulting is that there are several ways to get in touch with Greg. He has a home phone line, a cellular phone, a pager, and an e-mail account. If for some reason one still can't reach him, there is a Cleveland company that will step in and work on the problems. This company is also an SBT re-seller. In the years since GB Consulting has worked with Apple Heating (since 1992), however, GB Consulting has never had to call on this company. And how well do the computer systems run since Apple Heating has worked with GB Consulting? "The Windows server I don't think it's gone down twice in the last three years," says Scott. As to long-term network problems, he says they are mostly because of changes to the system. "The problems we have had have always been a result of trying to improve the network." Other than that, the network is basically stable. It is very rare for it to go down as a result of crashing the operating system.
Remote computing is another advantage to using GB Consulting. Greg can, from his office, tap into Scott's computers to determine and fix problems. He also set it up so Scott can do the same from his home. When asked if GB Consulting handles all Apple Heating's computer needs, Scott says they're capable of it. Apple Heating relies on a Florida-based seller for the UNIX support, but GB Consulting does the Windows and Network side. Because of his flexibility, Greg has even been able to solve some UNIX problems. This is because he'll try new things and keeps abreast of changes in the computer world. A couple of the other problems solved since Apple Heating began working with GB Consulting are the speed of the software and switching to a more satisfactory network system. Now the software runs faster and Apple Heating has changed from LANtastic to a mix of WIN95 and Windows NT.
What is the future of the collaboration between GB Consulting and Apple Heating? According to Scott Robinson, computer systems will keep evolving and he'll continue to trust GB Consulting to keep the computer environment stable and to make changes happen smoothly. And Scott definitely trusts Greg -- enough to give him a set of keys to his business! He knows Greg will treat him ethically and stay on the case until the computer problems are solved. And although Scott is quite computer-literate, not all of GB Consulting's clients need be. Greg can help whether a person can be told to go to the C-prompt or to "that black screen with the one flashing light." So whatever your business and whatever your level of computer literacy, GB Consulting can handle all your computer needs.
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