Disaster Recovery Tip #42

It's not about a plan. It's about a culture.

Is your company really prepared? Be honest. If you're reading this, my guess is that you take recovery planning and disaster recovery very seriously. But what about the rest of your company? What about your community? What about your family? To be truly prepared you need to create a culture of preparedness that extends beyond the basic continuity plan, phone tree and emergency kit.

Preparedness must permeate the culture of your organization.

In a recent article, Dave Miller, President-elect of the National Emergency Management Association discussed the individual's role in emergency management and provided some insight into the need for creating a "culture of self-reliance linked to a sense of community." Check out the full article here. It's a good read.

Disaster Recovery Tip #41

Achoo!

It’s hard to believe, but flu season is right around the corner. Officially, flu season doesn’t begin until November, but now is the time for your business to take steps to ensure your employees are protected.

Flu related absenteeism is a huge issue for business owners and can cost employers thousands of dollars in lost revenue and productivity. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends getting a flu vaccine in the months of October and November to prevent an outbreak. Additionally, the CDC has created many useful tools for businesses to encourage their staff to take preventative measures.

Click here to download the CDC’s Tool Kit for strategies to prevent flu in the workplace. To track the flu outbreaks in your community, click here.

Disaster Recovery Tip #39

You're Not Alone.

There’s an amazing number of organizations that provide assistance before, during and after a disaster.

Unfortunately, most of us are unaware of who they are and what they can do to help. For example, did you know that the Small Business Administration has provided $47 billion in disaster loans? Did you know that 80% of SBA disaster loans are made to individual homeowners and renters…notbusiness owners? Amazing, right?

Like most things, education is half the battle. The links below will take you to several organizations that can assist you and your company in the event of a disaster. Remember, when faced with a disaster, you’re not alone.

• SBA: Disaster Assistance
• Catholic Charities: 100 Years of Service, Advocacy and Convening
• FEMA: Apply For Assistance
• FEMA: About Disaster Recovery Centers
• DisasterAssistance.gov: Access To Disaster Help And Resources
• About Citizen Corps
• Ready Business: Prepare. Plan. Stay Informed.
• The Institute For Business & Home Safety's DisasterSafety.org
• PrepareMyBusiness.org

Mobile Phones from 1964

By 1964 there were 1.5 million mobile phone users in the US.

No, really. That's not a joke. It comes directly from a report by the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project. (And got to me via Atlantic magazine technology guru Alexis Madrigal.) In fact, the first landline-to-mobile service was offered in St. Louis in 1946! Now, granted, we're talking about a radio-based system of car phones which were such energy hogs that headlights noticeably dimmed when people used them. But still. Mobile phones.

http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Teens-and-Mobile-Phones/Introduction/Introduction.aspx

http://gizmodo.com/5661414/this-is-what-a-mobile-phone-looked-like-in-1964and-there-were-over-a-million-of-them

Outstanding Service Brings National Award

TOP SCORE

MedCom Professional Services Incorporated Wins CAM-X Award of Excellence

MedCom Professional Services Incorporated of Levittown, PA has been honoured with the exclusive 2010 Award of Excellence for the third consecutive year. The award is presented annually by the Canadian Call Management Association (CAM-X), the industry's Trade Association for providers of call centre services including telephone answering and message delivery. MedCom Professional Services Incorporated was presented with the award recently at the CAM-X 46th Annual convention and Trade Show held at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV Independent judges are contracted by CAM-X to evaluate message services throughout Canada over a six-month period. The criteria for scoring include courtesy, response time, accuracy and overall service to their clients. If the company scores 80% or better in ALL categories, they are presented with the coveted Award of Excellence. The program is now in its 21 st year.

"Participation in the AOE helps create a focus on service quality that runs levels deep throughout an organization and not just during the program period, but each and every day of the year. This translates into satisfied customers and allows everyone, at all levels, to take pride in their personal participation as well as in the company as a whole. And in a service industry, nothing builds employee confidence more than positive feedback from satisfied customers." says CAM-X President Gary Blair. "We congratulate MedCom Professional Services Incorporated for their achievements." Founded in 1964, CAM-X began as a national trade Association representing live answering services. The Canadian Call Management Association now encompasses companies across Canada offering specialized and enhanced operator based services including: call centres, contact centres, inbound telemarketing (order entry), paging, voice messaging, emergency dispatch, 'fax, and internet services among others.

Now a three-time winner MedCom Professional Services Incorporated earned the Silver Award for three consecutive years. CAM-X extends its congratulations to the staff of MedCom Professional Services Incorporated on their proven Top Score quality service to their customers.

MedCom achieved the Top Score of 97.7%. Nearly 93 answering services across North America competed in this award program.