Dispelling the Myths - Part III

Potential clients have many ideas about phone systems that are not necessarily true. Let us put your mind at ease when considering one.

A Telephone System is way too expensive to my company.

We have several options to make a new phone system affordable to your company including fantastic lease rates (currently 0%) or ACT can work with you to create short-term custom payment plans. ACT can do a comprehensive evaluation of your current phone bills and try to reduce your current monthly telecommunications costs and help cost justify any additional expenses.

All the features sound great but I won’t use any of them.

Believe it or not, you may. Our dedicated trainer will show you how to do each one and provide cheat sheets so you can learn in the future. Once you start using them, you will see how easy they are and how great they are to have! Remember, your competition is using them to make them more efficient – you should, too.

            Toll Free 1.800.899.4647 | Orlando 407.830.5993 | Ormond 386.677.4040

Dispelling the Myths - Part II

Potential clients have many ideas about phone systems that are not necessarily true. Let us put your mind at ease when considering one.

My phone works fine – why should I upgrade? 

Better customer service may be just the thing you need to increase your staff’s productivity. It may be working fine, but new features such as voicemail to email, cell phone integration, recording calls, computer integration, and more can make communications much more efficient, increase your staff’s productivity and offer better customer service. 

Do you have a need to automate a business process over the phone. We have your solution. An Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System picks up phone calls for you, asks questions for you, and answers those questions for you. 

It can be your receptionist, secretary, operator, and customer service representative all at once, 24 hours, 7 days a week.

Only wine gets better with age – not phone systems

If you system is older than 7 years old, it is more than likely discontinued by your manufacturer and quality replacement parts are getting harder to find. This could result in downtime and potential loss of business. You should be proactive before this happens. Besides repairs could be costly and wasteful spending on old technology.

Toll Free 1.800.899.4647 | Orlando 407.830.5993 | Ormond 386.677.4040

Dispelling the Myths - Part I

Potential clients have many ideas about phone systems that are not necessarily true. Let us put your mind at ease when considering one.

I’m too small for a phone system. 

Even if you are a small company, why act like one? NEC even offers a Small Business Package for as little as 3-4 phones. If you want “Music on Hold” or “Auto Attendant”, this can make your company seem even larger. The Auto Attendant feature routes each incoming call based upon the time-of-day and day-of-the-week. The InMail solution can even provide different announcements and dialing options for each number in the office.

I can’t buy a phone system – I’m already under contract.

Sometimes you can keep a single fax line with one company to avoid cancellation costs, and still find savings with all the other services, like lines, internet, etc.)

If you are under contract with a phone system, you can see for yourself if the new system features are worth opting out of your existing contract. Depending on the situation, ACT may help with the fees associated with the cancellation.

Toll Free 1.800.899.4647 | Orlando 407.830.5993 | Ormond 386.677.4040

A Big Announcement at ACT

Congratulations to stakeholders Eric Kee, Debbie Cavanaugh, Steve Woodward, and Kayla Carduner Sachs. They were awarded 50 percent stake in Atlantic Communications Team by Owner & President, Steve Carduner.

from l. to r. Steve Woodward, Debbie Cavanaugh, Steve Carduner (standing) Kayla Carduner-Sachs and Eric Kee 

This is from the Daytona Beach News Journal:

One local business executive is rewarding some loyal employees with more than just a year-end bonus — he's giving them a 50 percent stake in the company.

Steve Carduner, owner/president of Atlantic Communications Team, has made four employees stakeholders of his 29 year-old Ormond Beach telecommunications company.

The privately owned company specializes in business telephone, communications systems and IP solutions.

"Coming to the point of considering retirement, I needed to figure out what to do with the future of the company," said Carduner, 55, "Either I can sell the company outright, or work until I die," Carduner said.

He said neither option was realistic, so the award of stock was his way to ensure Atlantic's survival — while enjoying the prospect of an impending retirement.

"They (employees) have been here since the beginning, and it seems wrong, when I retire, to just sell the company and leave everyone high and dry," Carduner said, "It's just the right thing to do."

The four employees, out of 18 total, are Eric Kee, an installation manager with 25 years of service; Debbie Cavanaugh, a general manager with 24 years; Steve Woodward an operations manager with 15 years; and Kayla Carduner-Sachs, Steve Garduner's daughter with three years of service, who manages the company's only other location, in Altamonte Springs.

Steve Carduner announced the decision at the company's Christmas party last December, where the four employees would collectively hold a 50 percent stock in the company.

"It was a shock — a wonderful shock," said Cavanaugh. "I feel so honored."

When asked if the award compels her to stay at Atlantic, she responded, "I was planning to retire with this company, anyway."

While the employees hold a large stake in the company, Carduner said he will maintain ultimate decision-making power, "But we generally make all of our decisions as a company together, anyway."

Carduner declined to disclose the value of the award.

Garduner, a former Bell South worker, purchased Atlantic Communications in 1993 from Judi Boone, the company's founder.

From its office at 403 S. Yonge St., the company services more than 1,000 clients in Volusia and Flagler counties. Clients include Root Organization, Flagler Animal Hospital, Rice & Rose law firm, Daytona Toyota, and the cities of Ormond Beach and South Daytona.

Carduner said the company's competitors include Black Box Network Services and AT&T.

He said his locally owned company successfully competes with larger companies by providing more personal service and developing strong relationships with local customers.

Ned Harper, director of the Small Business Development Center at Daytona State College, said employers giving shares to employees is uncommon, however, it can have positive tax effects.

Referring to an employee stock ownership plan, Harper said, "There are a lot of tax benefits to allotting stock to employees — it depends on how the arrangement is set and how the company's bylaws operate."

Carduner said he would not seek tax benefits for the award.

Harper commended Carduner on the award of stock.

"It's a way of rewarding the people who have been loyal to you," Harper said. "I wish we would see more companies do that."