Customer Background
Located in the heart of Clarksville, TN since 1945, Montgomery Farmers Co-op is a full-service Agricultural Supply Retailer. It is part of the 60-member statewide Tennessee Co-op System, made up of 70,000+ farmers.
Locally owned, Montgomery Farmers Co-op consists of four locations open to the public. Membership is optional but not required. The Co-op offers a wide range of products for farm, lawn & garden, pets, sporting goods, automotive, country living and more.
”We needed an equipment and support combination to simplify our communications without a major upfront capital investment.
JOSH BRIGGSGeneral Manager, Montgomery Farmers Co-op
The Challenges
Obsolete equipment in old buildings located throughout their grounds, made communication difficult between buildings and locations. Executives searched for a vendor that would listen to them and include management in designing the right solution.
A primary concern was that the antiquated phone system did not allow transfers. Someone in the next room could not receive a call that another employee answered.
The outdated phone system did not have Voicemail. Employees wrote down phone messages and placed them in individual mailboxes. When a call came in for an employee in another location, the caller received a different number they had to call back.
Another significant issue was the capital investment. How could they get the best technology and still remain within their budget?
The Solution
A business associate of the Co-op recommended Hiscall. They told Josh Hiscall was easy to work with and they were happy with the service, products and honesty.
Josh remembers…
”One company quoted a solution much more expensive than Hiscall’s option, with technology that was not nearly as good as the Hiscall solution.
JOSH BRIGGSGeneral Manager, Montgomery Farmers Co-op
Company executives also considered a cloud-based approach but were not comfortable with it. Josh explained, “We preferred to keep the equipment onsite as a failsafe against internet and technology failure.”
Hiscall’s Sales Consultant listened to their needs. He suggested the Hiscall Managed Services solution at a reasonable monthly charge with no surprises or unexpected expenses. An integrated equipment and support package, Hiscall Managed Services ensures priority dispatch on repairs and changes at no additional charge. Hiscall Managed Services also makes migration, additions and expansions easy to manage.
Josh remembers, “When the technicians got here, they ran all new cabling and removed old, broken and duplicated wiring. They came in, placed the equipment and had everything up and running seamlessly in no time. We were amazed that it could all go so smoothly.”
One of Josh’s main objectives was to have all the features they wanted. Employees would let the techs know of something they wanted, and the techs programmed it into the system.
Josh felt Hiscall’s concern for the Co-op’s wellbeing in each aspect of the install. He was impressed on multiple occasions when they asked for something specific and a tech replied, “We can do that, but if we do this, it will save you money and will work better for you.”
Hiscall provided training on the phone features employees used the most. Techs showed staff how to use the prompts to increase employee efficiency.
The Results
Josh reports that the Co-op now has an efficient, up-to-date phone system. They finally have Voicemail and are able to transfer calls from station to station, building to building and location to location.
Josh finds the new system is easy to use and saves time for everyone. Employees can listen to and save their messages. Calls are easy to transfer.
Hiscall’s Managed Services solution provides an extra level of comfort. They avoided the large initial expense. They enjoy priority service at no added cost. The system will expand easily as the company continues to grow.
Josh says, “Hiscall has exceeded our expectations.” The result is a streamlined communications system saving time and money. Employees spend their time helping customers. And best of all, management is rewarded with peace of mind.
