unprecedented. We’ll have to have more and more of these strategic partnerships to package the solutions that our clients will need.” Suite 1000 often partners with consultants and vendors in specific industries to solve client’s problems. One example is Internet marketing firms. Says Leonard “They often get frustrated because they can do a great job for a client but if the client doesn’t have a support system in place to capture leads, qualify them, track them and schedule appointments, it can make a good campaign fail. That’s where we come in,” says Leonard. Inevitably, with thousands of calls coming in each day, representatives will encounter the occasional irate customer. “Telephone reps need specific training in the proper techniques required to satisfy upset callers,” according to Leonard. “You also need to give your reps the authority to step outside of normal instructions when the situation requires it. Protecting our clients and their relationships with their customers is our number one priority. We have had to deal with many unusual situations and even emergencies as serious a chemical spill, a fallen elevator and a four-alarm fire.” Leonard welcomes the great diversity
among her clients: “There is a lot of crosspollination and we learn a lot. What is normal operating practice in one industry can be a revelation in another. Plus, there are issues with ebb and flow. Different industries have different needs at various times of the day and night. If we didn’t have multiple industries, it would be extremely difficult for us to staff shifts efficiently. Having clients that operate in different time zones also helps to even out the load.” Leonard comes from a family of entrepreneurs including her mother, father and grandfather. Suite 1000 is her second company. She grew up in Rock Hill, S.C., and graduated from Winthrop University in 1984 with a degree in business. A job in the printing business “What makes us different from other led her to Florida where she later ran her answering services is that we actually own printing brokerage business. work with software developers to design With a special fondness and empathy software that pushes the process and for entrepreneurs, Leonard spends consideliminates errors.The system can keep up erable time supporting them. As a member with very complex instructions so our reps and former president of The Entrepreneurs Organization, she networks with and councan focus on assisting the caller.” sels entrepreneurs. She has also served on ~Laurie Leonard the Mayor’s Small Business Task Forces and President and Co-owner participates in several industry groups. She sums up her business succinctly: “The first thing that I have to sell is trust. You’re asking people to turn their business over to you for a period of time. We’re best suited to NAVIGATING THE SEA clients that want a real partnership. The more they OF TECHNOLOGY are willing to share about their strategic goals, the more helpful we can be.” biz e Companies
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Fastest-gro
Zenda Douglas is a Charlotte-based freelance writer.
Custom Call Response, Inc. dba
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Suite 1000 4801 Chastain Avenue Charlotte, N.C. 28217 Phone: 704-523-1000; 800-818-9411 Principals: Laurie Leonard, President and Co-owner; Ty Leonard, CFO and Co-owner Established: 1983; acquired by present owners in 1993 Employees: 20 Revenue: $1 million Business: Business answering service and customer service call center providing telephone answering solutions to national and international clients; operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year; provides integrative services to clients in the areas of telephone sales support and telephone customer service. www.suite1000.com
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