Internet Service Provider

“The big ISP’s get a lot of flash and dazzle in the press,” says Mark Povitt.  “But there are still tons of us little guys out here, taking care of smaller business and home office types who want more service than just a net hookup.

“Our customers want to know that we know them and care about them.  For a lot of them we ARE their IT shop: they don’t have anyone on staff that really understands this stuff.  They don’t know or care that I’m buying access rights from top-level providers.  They just care that we handle their needs when they NEED it.  That’s why I decided to resell Universal Office services to them as well.

“We sell to people who are running a business out of their home, or a three desk office in an industrial park.  They need a messaging system that works in that environment, not some monstrosity that’s going to take up half a closet somewhere and be obsolete an hour after it’s in.  The Universal Office fits that bill just right.

“But I was also able to solve a problem I hadn't planned for at all: paying for field work. I’ve got two guys who do field work, and a rotating crew of about three or four more folks who handle customer support calls. The unexpected element was how turnover and expenses collide. My guys are all top-flight when it comes to tech skills, but not every one of them is A Plus when it comes to handling money.

“In fact, one of my best field guys couldn't get a credit card if his life depended on it. I tried giving him a company credit card so he could pick up parts or software when customers needed them, but let's just say I wasn't thrilled with some on what showed up on that card. I know - he TRIED to tell me not to give it to him, but I made that mistake anyway. After that, I either had to make special trips for spare parts or have him come back to the office to get cash.

"But Genie solved the problem once and for all. I gave him a GenieCard. Now, when he's on the other side of town and needs something that he can't pay for out of pocket, I just go to the GenieCard web site and put the right amount of cash on his GenieCard. Then he either uses the card directly to make the purchase, or stops at an ATM on the way to the store. There's no exposure for me to his little 'impulse purchases' like we had with the company credit card.

"The GenieCard keeps me from having to leave the office in a panic, and keeps our customers from having to wait an extra hour or two for all that cross town travel. It's a perfect solution."