Customer Spotlight – Security Camera Warehouse

A Picture-Perfect Relationship: Ringio Provides PBX, Mobility, Caller History
for Security Camera Warehouse

Personal property crime – including burglary, vehicle theft, arson, shoplifting and vandalism – is the reason why business owners and private individuals turn to security supply companies like Justin Bowman’s Security Camera Warehouse.  Based in Waynesville, NC, Bowman sells closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance equipment, including infrared cameras, bullet cameras, and digital video recorders DVRs across the United States. He enjoys running a small business that doesn’t tie him to a desk.

As the company added employees, Bowman recognized his need for a PBX system designed for a small business. Not only did he want to cut down on telecommunications costs, he wanted to improve communications between customers and employees.  What he ultimately found not only fit the PBX bill, but added on a layer of call-center-quality customer service tools.

Understanding the Bigger Picture

When Security Camera Warehouse first began operations, Bowman had a leading-vendor PBX installed. He soon became frustrated with the system, which was expensive, as well as the service provider, which gave poor customer service.

To solve the problem, Bowman searched online for virtual PBX providers that met his company’s needs. In 2010, Bowman chose to work with Ringio for several reasons.

“I wanted a complete PBX system that was simple to use and affordable, and I really liked the fact that Ringio’s system is designed with small and medium businesses (SMBs) in mind,” Bowman says. “Because they are a small business themselves, they really understand what a company like mine needs from a virtual PBX.”

Bowman was especially impressed with Ringio’s unique ability to provide intelligent call routing, something he didn’t find from other virtual PBX providers.

“With the old system, we had no ability outside the office to forward calls, transfer callers, or put them on hold,” he says. “Through its online application — which runs on my desktop or on my Android smart phone — Ringio gives us all of those features and more. For example, if someone calls the main company number, Ringio seamlessly forwards the call to whichever phone I’m at, whether it’s my desk or my mobile. So if I’m working from a remote location – whether it’s at home or in a coffee shop – the call automatically is routed to my mobile phone, and the application running on my phone gives me full extension functionality – transfer, hold, forwarding — along with it. Meanwhile, customers believe they’re dealing with a larger, more technologically advanced company with a corporate PBX.”

Bowman is also impressed by Ringo’s ability to track caller information: “If someone calls us, Ringio stores information about the caller, such as who they’ve spoken with previously. It also lets us store what the calls were about,” Bowman says. “When they call back, those callers are given the chance to speak with the same person they spoke to before, which helps us look like we have a large staff of customer service and sales representatives. But because of Ringio, we’re able to handle all of the calls between the two of us without adding additional staff. It’s also great that the Ringio application syncs with Google Contacts, so I have all of the customer information available on my mobile phone.”

Gaining Maximum Exposure

In addition to improving customer service, Ringio helps Security Camera Warehouse save money.

“The system we used before was expensive, and it always felt like they were nickel and diming us to death,” Bowman says. “With Ringio’s flat-rate pricing structure, there are no surprises and no hidden costs. We know exactly what the bill is going to be every month. Ringio provides us with four lines for the same amount of money that we spent on one line with the old system.”

Furthermore, Ringio has helped Security Camera Warehouse control costs by performing functions that previously would have required additional staff members. “We haven’t had to add a receptionist, because Ringio performs all those functions,” Bowman says. “And we haven’t had to increase the number of sales people because the system finds us in or out of the office; customers always have access.”

Bowman says there’s no question that Ringio will play an important role in the growth of Security Camera Warehouse. And he calls their customer service exceptional.

“Ringio is a great company for small businesses that aren’t hung up on the traditional four walls of a nine-to-five workplace,” he says. “It enables you to work where you want, when you want, without being tied to a desk phone or a particular location. There’s no question we’ll continue to work with Ringio as we continue to expand and grow our business.”