Cs hotline anyone used ?
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Cornerstone Technologies
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I am probably the only one that saw this and pondered it for more than two seconds. On several other threads, you have said that you are looking into offering your remote support services nationally. And I gather that remote support is a large part of your business model. It's actually better than opening a local shop when established shops can just refer them.
While CTG is not a local competitor of mine, I would be hesitant to refer any clients to another company, especially one with the stated ambitions such as yours. I know I can't afford a referral where I can potentially lose a client because they were flipped. I am speaking solely about remote support of any flavor.
And what people say will happen and what actually happens are two different things. I am not questioning ethics, but is hard enough to get by as is. I don't like when someone else has their hand in my cookie jar. I probably am inferring too much from a few posts, but I am personally troubled by CTGs constant solicitations to other members, even jokingly.
Again, I mean no personal attack or anything like that.
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No worries and I'm not offended. Good feedback and I will respect that.
Cornerstone Technologies
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I re-read my post, and though I stand by my observations, I want to apologize for coming off as potentially 'dickish'. Maybe I would have been better off messaging you with my thoughts, but that is much an error in process and civility. Besides the fact that you have chosen to not receive private messages.
I have been doing this for quite a few years and have had instances where seemingly innocent limited partnerships have caused issues that in some cases were unrepairable. I admire the desire to help others, so i know where you are coming from. I was probably personally irked more about the 20%, as that is a number I can visualize in a tangible way. I realize that 20% of something is better than 100% of nothing.
So again, I meant nothing personal by it, and could see a market in handing off tech support calls outside of office hours. Like anyone, i am always worried about losing a client to any potential competitor where there may be zero recourse.
I have been doing this for quite a few years and have had instances where seemingly innocent limited partnerships have caused issues that in some cases were unrepairable. I admire the desire to help others, so i know where you are coming from. I was probably personally irked more about the 20%, as that is a number I can visualize in a tangible way. I realize that 20% of something is better than 100% of nothing.
So again, I meant nothing personal by it, and could see a market in handing off tech support calls outside of office hours. Like anyone, i am always worried about losing a client to any potential competitor where there may be zero recourse.
kevinjhaag
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CSHotline Alternative
Well my business was running very slow due to my area, tons of competition, the economy and now gas prices. So I made the move from shop to remote support now for about a year ago but been doing this for many years with a job I had before I created my business. I'm doing much better now and would love more work. I'm looking to grow too. I have other technicians that are looking for work and ready to hire if I get overloaded myself. As for now I have one other technician and myself to handle everything.
I'm currently looking in doing what CSHotline is doing or what Support.Com does but on a very affordable level. I know people and businesses want USA Techs and Native speaking English too. I just haven't figured out how to determine who is calling for the branding of each of your businesses. I was thinking of a Google voice solution. Like signing up for a new number for each customer or have them signup for a Google voice number. I have access at providing toll free numbers but its $5 extra a month plus the cost per minute talking for each one. I already do this for a couple area computer shops that are in my state already. I currently use the Google voice numbers to keep them separate. They set me up the computers in their shop and I repair the computer for a flat rate per computer. All they do is bank the profit after they pay me. I also do some calls that are not in their shop too but not many. Back in the day I was helpdesk for a government dept. but has since been let go due to economy and budgets; so that's my background.
I figured these small shops get overloaded at times due to increase in customers or if any employees go on vacation and they are short handed. So basically I offer my help when it is needed. Most shops don't want to hire help for a short period of time due to higher costs of having a part-time or full-time employee and more paperwork. They needed something per job basically. All I can say is the government is sure making it hard to do business when times like these are even harder due to the economy, taxes, and rising gas prices.
But to get to the point. If your looking for someone, just PM me if your interested and want more information. I'm willing to do a freebie so you can see my work and decide from there also. I know its hard to spend money on something that you are not too sure about.
But if anyone knows how I can brand the calls and keep them seperate, please let me know. I'm interested in any solutions besides what I have already in place which is Google Voice. And if I'm over the line posting this just let me know and I'll just re-edit or delete it if I can. Have a good day fellas.
Well my business was running very slow due to my area, tons of competition, the economy and now gas prices. So I made the move from shop to remote support now for about a year ago but been doing this for many years with a job I had before I created my business. I'm doing much better now and would love more work. I'm looking to grow too. I have other technicians that are looking for work and ready to hire if I get overloaded myself. As for now I have one other technician and myself to handle everything.
I'm currently looking in doing what CSHotline is doing or what Support.Com does but on a very affordable level. I know people and businesses want USA Techs and Native speaking English too. I just haven't figured out how to determine who is calling for the branding of each of your businesses. I was thinking of a Google voice solution. Like signing up for a new number for each customer or have them signup for a Google voice number. I have access at providing toll free numbers but its $5 extra a month plus the cost per minute talking for each one. I already do this for a couple area computer shops that are in my state already. I currently use the Google voice numbers to keep them separate. They set me up the computers in their shop and I repair the computer for a flat rate per computer. All they do is bank the profit after they pay me. I also do some calls that are not in their shop too but not many. Back in the day I was helpdesk for a government dept. but has since been let go due to economy and budgets; so that's my background.
I figured these small shops get overloaded at times due to increase in customers or if any employees go on vacation and they are short handed. So basically I offer my help when it is needed. Most shops don't want to hire help for a short period of time due to higher costs of having a part-time or full-time employee and more paperwork. They needed something per job basically. All I can say is the government is sure making it hard to do business when times like these are even harder due to the economy, taxes, and rising gas prices.
But to get to the point. If your looking for someone, just PM me if your interested and want more information. I'm willing to do a freebie so you can see my work and decide from there also. I know its hard to spend money on something that you are not too sure about.
But if anyone knows how I can brand the calls and keep them seperate, please let me know. I'm interested in any solutions besides what I have already in place which is Google Voice. And if I'm over the line posting this just let me know and I'll just re-edit or delete it if I can. Have a good day fellas.
TimJacobs
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Hey you might want to check into a PBX system....... With a PBX system you can set everybody with a separate number and it will show up what number they are calling. You can also get DID's (Phone numbers) for like a dollar a month local to anywhere.
Then all you have to do is program the number to the business name.
So lets say someone calls (707) 555-9999 it will so up as My Computer Repair
and the is someone calls (425) 555-7777 it will show up as Jakes Computer repair
Hope fully that makes since, If you need help just PM me.
Cornerstone Technologies
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When I worked in a help desk position, our calls would be forwarded to an answering service when we were closed. If I recall, the service had a few reps that would only handle our calls, that being based on caller ID. With VOIP and more advanced call handling, branding should not be an issue if you can determine who the call is originally intended for. Once you have that, you can answer the call however that organization preferred.
As far as taking calls while we are 'overwhelmed', I can not see how anyone would allow the calls to be routed during regular business hours. Unless remote support is contracted out, which would be a dedicated number. It is an interesting idea.
Another problem with outside call support, is that as a business owner and the one who supposedly sets the standard, it is difficult for me to make sure MY message and procedures are followed. I would hate for a customer to call me the next day and go over his tech support call for me to discover they were told something outside of the scope of such a call. This goes back to my original issue of potentially losing customers.
Though, this gets me thinking of how to handle after hours calls in-house, which affords me the most control. Maybe something along the lines of a technician being on-call perhaps.
kevinjhaag
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I agree with you, Cornerstone. Thats one of my concerns too. Even with my own employees because I want to keep everything consistent with everyone. I try to keep an ear on how my other employee handles calls and computers. Not knowing everything about the business that you are taking the calls for does bring up certain issues. That's why their is a need for me to have a main point of contact for each business for questions or anything else. Because their is many variables that are unpredictable or unforeseen. But I understand your point because you want to keep everything under control and consistent to how you handle your business; because everyone does things differently. And I can understand your concern on potentially losing customers with referrals. Thats why I don't do it other than with my own residential customers. Actually, One of the reasons I'm using the Google Voice Numbers is so the shop owner can control it if they want. But it is also a way for them to get ahold of me and then I know who is calling. I figured their is a better way of doing this and I'm looking for different solutions.
But basically that is what I'm doing is mostly remote support work and very little on taking calls. I enjoy working for area computer shops because it doesn't feel as tho we are competing against each other and they get the help they need. I have a few shops that let me do all the virus/malware/spyware removal jobs because it is a very lengthy process for them and takes up a lot of their time when they could be doing some else more productive or not. For all I know is they could be golfing while I'm doing their work. So they have me do it and charge their customers a hourly rate or flat rate.
And I'm pretty sure one of them is golfing because I see his Facebook status change to golfing when I'm working on his computers for him; but he is a one man home office shop / mobile tech basically.
PC Medics said:
I will contact you on this, PC Medics. It needs to be low cost because as my expenses increase so do my rates. And I don't really want to do that because I'm known for very affordable rates. I'll talk to you soon.
Cornerstone Technologies
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Asterisk is a great open source PBX solution and it can run on even antiquated hardware. It's Linux, so it frightens some, but still rather good.
kevinjhaag
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Thanks for the recommendation, Cornerstone Technologies. I found it a little intimadating due to configuration. Without a gui and not knowing the commands makes it a little hard to configure. But I'm still looking into it possibly. Talk to you later and take care.
Cornerstone Technologies
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Asterisk can run on a graphical Linux, like Fedora and Ubuntu. Trixbox was a graphical frontend too, I am unaware of the status of that project, however.
kevinjhaag
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I can run linux a little but my main concern was editing the configuration files for Asterisk. I'll have to take another look at it because its been a while since I looked at it last. Trixbox sounds cool. Thanks for the info.
For a PBX check out Vocalocity.com
We switched over to their hosted PBX and are saving about $80 a month and gained a ton of features and 2 additional lines. They also give a nice referral bonus, so if you like it and sign up tell em SWAT PC set you
Asterisk is great, but can be a bit complex to set up and get support with.
We switched over to their hosted PBX and are saving about $80 a month and gained a ton of features and 2 additional lines. They also give a nice referral bonus, so if you like it and sign up tell em SWAT PC set you
Asterisk is great, but can be a bit complex to set up and get support with.
NorCal Internet
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PBX in a Flash is a fantastic Asterisk flavor. Standard FreePBX type GUI. Everything can be configured (Once initial installation is done) via a web GUI. The project is well supported, unlike Trixbox which seems to have faltered the last few years.
I've converted all my clients Trixbox's to PBX in a Flash boxes. There's all kinds of support available in their forums too...
And, of course, it's Open Source, so it's free.
I've converted all my clients Trixbox's to PBX in a Flash boxes. There's all kinds of support available in their forums too...
And, of course, it's Open Source, so it's free.
TheGeekFirm
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Boy did this thread get Hijacked or what
TenYardFight
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Bumping this CS Hotline thread and posting my experience. I regularly find and read years-old threads while researching vendors.
I signed up for CS Hotline, sent them several hundred dollars over a few months. Sent them a customer, the customer was told that CS Hotline's systems were down, and that the tech would need to call my customer back. My customer never received a call back. The accent was VERY thick and my customer was displeased. I never got the confidence to send them another customer, so I asked Mike for a credit. He promised one, but didn't deliver. Email him again after $99 was taken from my account, and he didn't respond. Emailed him AGAIN, and he finally promised to process a refund.
I don't think Mike and CSHotline are dishonest, but I know you guys, like me, are busy and don't have time for this aggravation. I don't think this business model works, anyway. Hope that helps.
I signed up for CS Hotline, sent them several hundred dollars over a few months. Sent them a customer, the customer was told that CS Hotline's systems were down, and that the tech would need to call my customer back. My customer never received a call back. The accent was VERY thick and my customer was displeased. I never got the confidence to send them another customer, so I asked Mike for a credit. He promised one, but didn't deliver. Email him again after $99 was taken from my account, and he didn't respond. Emailed him AGAIN, and he finally promised to process a refund.
I don't think Mike and CSHotline are dishonest, but I know you guys, like me, are busy and don't have time for this aggravation. I don't think this business model works, anyway. Hope that helps.
This is sad, I was thinking of using CS in the future (when I had a need for them)
I haven't seen a good review of them. I did notice when talking to the two reps I was discussing CS with they both had accents but both were negligible. I assume those were the ones they use to make you feel comfortable going with them.
Does anyone here use CS and is happy with them?
If not... Alternatives?
I haven't seen a good review of them. I did notice when talking to the two reps I was discussing CS with they both had accents but both were negligible. I assume those were the ones they use to make you feel comfortable going with them.
Does anyone here use CS and is happy with them?
If not... Alternatives?
angry_geek
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Enough said as far as I'm concerned.
angry_geek
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Forgot the best part:
ATTech
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I don't get it, what's wrong with using a company for registering domains/hosting them?
