Flower Shop’s Love For Their Computers Blooms
Tech Experts Keeps Monroe Florist’s Network Safe, Secure & Problem-Free
When Monroe Florist upgraded their computers and network recently, there was only one computer service company they considered – Technology Experts.
“Tom and his team have been taking care of our computers for almost 20 years,” said Eva Sutton, co-owner of Monroe’s largest and most successful flower shop. “As our business has grown, they’ve grown right along with us. There’s no way we’d trust anyone else to handle our computer systems.”
Started in 1976 with a second hand cooler and big gold van, Monroe Florist’s owners Dave and Eva Sutton have seen their business “blossom” into a powerhouse of fresh flowers and beautiful arrangements. Smart use of computer technology has helped them successfully grow the business.
Monroe Florist was one of the first flower shops in the region to recognize the value that computers and networking could bring to a seemingly “low-tech” business like selling beautiful flowers.
“Tom and his team installed our first computer network in the mid-1980s,” Eva explained. “The efficiencies we saw from that network combined with our floral management system really helped us to be able to concentrate on taking care of our customers, while the computers took care of all the mundane tasks of running the business.”
Monroe Florist’s systems have been upgraded several times since then. The current system uses a proprietary back-end floral management server that interfaces with all of the major floral delivery networks, letting Monroe Florist fill orders from all over the world.
Local Windows XP workstations located at the front counter and in the floral design area connect to the server through high-speed Ethernet connections. Every employee is trained to use the system and take orders.
Multiple shared printers are dedicated to certain tasks, such as printing delivery tickets, card messages, wire-in orders (orders received from the major wire services), and accounting information. Monroe Florist has several office computers with additional capabilities for Internet access, accounting and data processing.
Customer information, such as delivery addresses, billing information, and any special requirements are all stored in the system and instantly available to Monroe Florist’s highly-trained staff. Once a customer is in the system, all of their information is saved for future orders – letting the staff concentrate on taking care of the customer instead of doing repetitive data entry.
Eva has invested hundreds of hours to input detailed delivery and mapping information into the floral management system. Now, flower deliveries are scheduled and routed in a logical order, automatically making the delivery process significantly more efficient. “Our commitment to our customers is that we deliver the freshest flowers on the planet,” said Eva. “Getting the flowers to the customers faster lets us keep that promise.”
“We don’t buy technology for technology’s sake,” Eva commented.
“For us, it’s all about making the back office parts of the business run as smoothly as possible, letting the entire staff provide customers with the attention and service they deserve.”
Tech Experts recently worked with Eva to provide access to the flower’s shops systems from her home office. This highly-secure and encrypted connection lets Eva review payroll, sales and accounting information from home. But more importantly, she can take orders and follow up on deliveries any time she needs to, at any time.
“When you rely on your computer system as much as we do,” said Eva, “you really have to have a technology partner you can count on. I remember during the first few years we had our system, there were days when Tom would spend the entire day with us. He knew how significant our computers were in our business, and how bad any downtime would be for us. It’s rare you find that level of support and dedication from a service company.”
If you’ve made someone mad or if there is just an occasion where you want to show someone you really care – take a chance – flowers will do the trick. With their smooth running network, you know Monroe Florist will supply the exact flower arrangement you ordered, with the freshest flowers possible, delivered quickly. Eva concluded: “I know that with having Tech Experts as our computer service company, I can count on our systems staying up and running when we need them the most.”
Visit Monroe Florist on the web, at www.monroeflorist.biz. Or call (734) 242-6565.
5 Ways To Make Your Old Computer Faster & More Reliable
If your computer is a few years old, but your budget just doesn’t allow for a new computer, some simple upgrades and maintenance tasks can help get another year or two out of your machine.
#1. Add Memory. One of the most inexpensive and effective ways to improve a computer’s performance is to install more RAM (random access memory). This will speed up the applications installed on your computer and allow you to open and run more programs simultaneously.
#2. Upgrade The Processor Or Add A Graphics Accelerator. If you are just looking for a little more “zoom,” upgrading the processor or installing a graphics accelerator will give your computer the ability to process information faster and improve its overall speed.
#3. Perform Regular Maintenance On Your Servers and Desktops. Computers, like cars, need regular maintenance to perform at top speed and reliability. At a minimum, you should run ScanDisk and the Disk Defrag Utility on your machines once a month. This will make your applications and files load and run faster.
#4. Run A Spyware Scan Once A Week. One telltale sign that your computer is infected with spyware is slow, unstable performance. Spyware sucks up your system’s resources to carry out its evil intent, slowing down your computer and even causing it to freeze and crash.
#5. Disable Or Remove Unnecessary Programs Running In The Background. Many computers have pre-installed software programs that use up system resources and slow down your computer.
While these recommendations will certainly speed up your system, they aren’t a miracle cure for a seriously out-of-date computer network. If your computer or network constantly crashes, freezes up, or runs painfully slow, then it’s time to give us a call at (734) 457-5000 for an upgrade.
Increase Your Wireless Network Signal Strength
If you’ve installed a wireless network at your home or business, you may find your goal of “less desk, more freedom” is hampered by low signal strength, interference, and dropped connections.
You may also discover that your wireless network covers only half of your business, or that the signal barely seems to penetrate into the next room.
Insufficient range is a common problem for many wireless networks, but there are ways to extend your coverage area into the places you need it most.
1. Center your router. Setting up a wireless network is all about location. Unfortunately, it’s hard to know exactly what your coverage area will be before you install the equipment.
If possible, place your wireless router in the center of the area you wish to cover. The omnidirectional antennas on most routers radiate in a doughnut-shaped pattern around the pole. If your router is located in a corner of your office building, much of that radiation pattern will fall outside your home. Also, consider mounting your router high on a wall or ceiling far away from furniture and shelving that can impede or block Wi-Fi signals.
2. Add antennas or repeaters. You can use a wireless repeater to extend your range. Repeaters receive data packets and retransmit them at full power. Repeaters can also be difficult to install, especially if you’re new to networking. Keep in mind that repeaters tend to rely on proprietary solutions that are vendor specific and work only when you use the same brand of router and repeater.
Still, a repeater can significantly increase the range of your wireless network and is well worth considering if you want to add a few rooms to your coverage area.
Fall In Love With Your Computer All Over Again!
Our "PC Stress Prevention" Program Keeps You Up And Running
“This computer is driving me crazy!” Have you ever shouted at your computer because it froze up, crashed, and caused you to lose work? Have you ever whacked it with your hand, kicked it, or smashed the keyboard out of frustration?
If so, you’re not alone. Problems with a computer, cell phone or other gadget can be so frustrating that it has been called “computer rage” by some psychologists, and it’s on the rise.
How Violent Do They Get With Their Computer? According to a recent poll, three quarters of computer users have admitted to shouting, swearing, or committing acts of violence towards their computer (we think the number is much higher).
While some simply curse the darn thing, others have admitted to hitting it throwing it across the room. One computer user was quoted saying, “You feel so helpless. All you can do is sit there and watch the stupid thing freeze up and there’s nothing you can do about it. Errors may only cause a few minutes delay, but it feels like a lifetime when you need to get things done.”
Deadlines are missed, work is lost, customers angered - all because of computer trouble. And the vast majority claim that problems like this happen on a consistent basis.
It’s Not Just The Computer Causing Stress Technical problems are only the start of most peoples’ anxiety. Many report that they are further angered by the time and process it takes to get the problem fixed, and some employees claim computer problems are their number one source of at-work anxiety and stress.
IT related problems further compound employee dissatisfaction since it often forces them to work late or take work home. If you are an employer, take note: Your unstable computer network could be elevating your employees’ anxiety and job dissatisfaction levels, not to mention interfering with their productivity.
How To End “Computer Rage” And Fall In Love With Your Computer All Over Again Thanks to our Super Value System Checkup, we have helped dozens of clients end “computer rage” at their company and with their home computers.
Our comprehensive, 27 point problem prevention tune-up lets our technicians dive deep into your system and check for hidden problems, viruses, spyware and system-slowing hardware problems.
This isn’t just a simple look at your system! We use special software tools and our own, proprietary methods to check things other computer companies just don’t know how to check! You’ll get a written report detailing what we found, and our professional recommendations for any updates you need to bring your system back up to speed.
Sign Up Today And Get Priority Access and Pricing Since it’s Valentine’s Day, we want to “show you the love” by offering you this Super Value System Checkup for only $39. We’ll get your system running so nicely, you’re guaranteed to fall back in love with your computer again. Plus, we’ll give you priority scheduling in our shop - no point in making you wait to feel the love!
If you have a business with 5 or more computers, we’ve got an even more LOVEly offer for you! We’ll send our Microsoft Certified technician to your office, saving you the hassle of bringing your computers to our shop. We’ll do the same 27 point problem prevention tune-up, and check your network for trouble at the same time.
You’ll need to hurry, though - this offer is only valid during the month of February, and limited to the first 25 people who call.
To Find Out More call 734-457-5000 Or, Visit Us Online: www.LoveYourComputerAgain.com