Online While In The Woods! Fiction, Future Or Reality?

By Author: Lisa Schmeckpeper
Total Articles: 1
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Staying "available" and "in contact" with your clients is an important part of good Customer Service. But sometimes this can be hard to do as we juggle our personal lives along with our business obligations. Being a Webmistress is nearly a 24-hour-a-day job for me, just about the same as being a parent, except that on the Web, you aren't expected to fix lunches. My clients sometimes need close attention and nurturing during the development of their projects, some need constant attention, and they all need (and deserve) my immediate and total attention if and when something goes wrong. Let me ask you this.... Have you ever wished you could be at the park with the rest of your family on a nice Saturday afternoon if only you didn't have to wait in the office for that important email to arrive? I have, and I didn't enjoy it one bit. Have you put off going on a day trip or even a full vacation because you can't leave your computer and your self-obligated contact with your clients that long? I have, and I didn't like that, either. Have you ever tried logging on to the Net while you were deep in the woods? I have, and now I'm ...
... not quite so chained to my home-office computer, thanks to my Sprint PCS Wireless Web Phone & Connectivity Kit :-) This is a VERY neat piece of technology, people, and somehow Sprint has made it really easy to use. In fact, I'd label it as almost "dummy proof." (And I can almost hear my newsletter's proofreader squealing with delight, almost 2,000 miles away.) I had myself set up and surfing within 10 minutes of opening the box. And most of that time was spent installing the software on my laptop. The actual process of getting online is as simple as connecting a cable from your laptop to your phone and logging on as usual. Honestly, that's all there is to it! I didn't even have to mess with my dialup settings because the PCS Dialer software that came with it made "mirror" connection settings for me. All I had to do was select from a drop-down box on the computer screen which modem I wanted to use. So now, instead of choosing MSN as I normally would have done, I chose MSN (Wireless). Within seconds I was connected and surfing. The ability to be almost anywhere--beach, mountain, forest or street cafe, and ALSO be "on the Net" brings about a new feeling of personal freedom (even with your laptop in your backpack). You don't have to be chained to your PC in order to provide first-class, immediate service to your customers. After years of conscientiously putting clients' needs first, a burnout is almost to be expected, isn't it? Perhaps you're feeling the same thing--burnt out. Just think how you are going to feel in a few more months when summer is in full swing and everyone else is having fun and you're still sitting there staring at your computer screen, working, or--more depressing--waiting needlessly for an email to arrive through those land-loving phone lines. There was actually another good reason--besides giving me more personal freedom and still offering good customer service--for purchasing the Web Connectivity Kit for my PCS phone. There are times when I am visiting a client (or potential client) at their place of business and I'd like to show them something on the Net. I don't like to have to ask them if there is a phone line available that I can use. Most often there isn't, or it would become a big hassle to make a phone line available. Any good businessperson knows that causing a "hassle" for a potential client is a sure way to make a bad impression, and just one bad impression tends to last a lot longer than most good impressions. With my Web phone I can connect myself quickly and without bothering my client. And my ability to connect so quickly and easily makes a VERY good impression on even the most reluctant potential client! After I'm done they all want to know how I "did that"! I had one client take a sour look at his own cellular phone and toss it across his desk. "Another 18 months on that contract but I don't care. I'm getting one of these," he said as he admired my Sprint PCS setup. There must be dozens of circumstances where almost anyone doing business on the Net could benefit from a Sprint PCS phone and Web Connectivity Kit. Some I've mentioned here from my own experience, and other circumstances may be unique to your own business or situation. Whether you have been thinking of getting a wireless connection for some time or you are just learning that it's possible today, don't let a fear of the technology stop you. As I've said before, this is almost "dummy proof" to set up, and connecting to the Net is really as simple as anything you may be using currently. The cost involved isn't that bad either, unless you don't already have a laptop. I can't imagine lugging that faithful old Gateway CPU and 21-inch monitor off to the park. Besides, where would your desktop power plug go, unless you have a 16-mile-long extension cord. No, a laptop is pretty much a requirement, to use this neat new technology while you also enjoy fresh air and life outside the cubicle. In addition to the laptop, all you will need is a Sprint PCS Wireless Web phone and the Connectivity Kit. No, a regular PCS phone or a PrimeCo phone won't work. The phone HAS to be a Sprint "Web ready" phone in order to be able to receive data. I spent about $175 on my phone and the Web Connectivity kit was just $99. The kit includes the cable you need to connect your phone to your laptop, a setup manual, a CD with the software you need, and a cable adapter for connecting handheld and palm-sized computers. On the Sprint site there is a four-step tour that explains just how easy it is to set up and use. Have a look around and see for yourself. Just click on the Wireless data link and take the tour: http://www.lrsmarketing.com/wirelessweb.htm So if you're like me and want a little freedom this summer, without abandoning your clients, or you'd just like to make your job a little easier, indoors or out, I definitely recommend getting connected with a Wireless Web phone. I haven't regretted it for a minute, and I may even have to apply a little sun screen lotion while I'm working with my clients this summer! Lisa Schmeckpeper of LRS Marketing and published in their free newsletter, Website Success Monthly. To receive a free copy of this informative e-zine just send email to subscribe@websitesuccessmonthly.com or visit their website at www.lrsmarketing.com. Copyright © 2000 [LRS Marketing].