How a Workday Lunch Turned into a Save-the-Day for 3 Local Businesses
What happened when two Allied Telecom employees recently tried to buy lunch at Sophie’s Cuban Cuisine around the corner and found that the restaurant’s credit card processing capability was down? Rather than moving on to the next lunch option (and despite Sophie’s not being an Allied client), Allied’s employees sprung into action because they knew that with a lack of phone and Internet access, the restaurant was unable to accept credit cards or take online orders, causing them to lose patrons during the lunch rush.
The Problem? Sophie’s Cuban Cuisine, as well as business neighbors Charmed Salon and Science Club, were in the same building as a previous tenant’s space that was in the process of being gutted. During construction the day before, phone and Internet connectivity was inadvertently cut off for the whole building and had yet to be restored by the incumbent provider. All three businesses, (which rely heavily on credit card transactions) were left stranded for the time being, with no means to conduct normal business.
After sizing up the situation, Allied’s employees identified a solution to provide immediate relief, offering Allied’s wireless Internet technology to bring all three businesses back online and back in business that same afternoon, at no charge. The Allied team troubleshot and installed three different environments to get each business up and running until more permanent measures could be taken.
Reda, owner of Charmed Salon, said “I was amazed that they just stepped in to help us without us even being a customer. They were very friendly and surpassed every expectation. I really couldn’t believe it. I wouldn’t have been able to run my business without them.” Steve Maguire, owner of Science Club remarked, “They were amazingly friendly and helpful. A real ‘neighborhood’ feeling. They swooped in like superheroes and really saved the day.”
Allied CEO Ken Williams explained that this scenario is typical of Allied’s service, “Our employees recognized an opportunity to help someone in need, came together as a team to solve a tough challenge, and delivered results with speed, passion and agility.” After all, what are neighbors for?
