COVID-19

Give Your Customers an Amazing Experience

Customer experience has always been important to successful businesses, and especially so today. As we grapple with the chaos COVID-19 has caused, companies are identifying new opportunities to delight customers and win more business. With people increasingly turning to software and online services to meet their needs, businesses need to leverage the appropriate technology to serve them. While completing this new digital transformation, companies should take the opportunity to create an amazing and memorable customer experience. Adaptable businesses will be able to survive and thrive even in the wake of a global pandemic.

Seven Ways to Improve Customer Experience with Technology

Building a strong business technology foundation so you have the opportunity to operate, communicate, and serve your customers online. When business leaders are struggling to see the big picture, thinking about the following seven facets of the customer experience may help.

1 – Continuity

Can your business roll with the punches and maintain continuous operations when circumstances change quickly? If your technology failed you when employees transitioned to remote work, it’s time to implement secure remote access and equip your team with the appropriate devices and software.

2 – Communication

Modern customers expect to be able to get in touch with you easily and conveniently. When they reach out, they want to make certain they are heard. Minimizing wait time for responses and resolutions makes people feel cared for, especially when there are systems in place that keep them updated along the way.

Leverage technology in a way that prepares you to listen and respond effectively via email, phone, and online outreach channels. Leverage tools like the cloud for things like documents, forms, and templates. Use VOIP phone systems to route calls, monitor communications, record calls, and more. Facilitate good customer communication by giving your employees accurate and up-to-date customer and business data. Follow through with clear and effective communications during the entire customer experience.

The goal should be to unify your communications systems so they can work together and power up your business efficiency and service quality.

3 – Software

Depending on the nature of your company, your software needs may go much deeper than communication. When you work with a trustworthy and experienced MSP, you’ll get access to the right tools and advanced integrations that bring it all together. An MSP can also help you customize your software to configure it for your specific business needs.

4 – Security

Some consumers are still nervous about moving their customer experiences to the digital realm. They are wise to be cautious about security. Outsource your cybersecurity if that’s what it takes to build trust and make everyone confident that your customer data is safe.

5 – Training

Employees should feel confident and comfortable with the technology systems they rely on to do their jobs. Customers get uneasy when the staff is struggling and getting frustrated. Better tools, role-based configurations, and effective training will eliminate headaches

6 – Business Data

Protecting data is only part of what the best MSPs in St. Louis can do. Better IT also produces better data in the first place, which allows you to refine business processes and improve customer experience.

7 – IT Recovery Solutions

Do you remember the time your company was down for a minute but got right back online? Probably not, because there’s nothing to remember. Downtime that lasts hours or days, though, is much more memorable for employees and customers alike.

Gartner has estimated that downtime costs businesses an average of $5,600 per minute (over $300,000 per hour), and that was back in 2014. Now it’s even more important to address problems and bounce back quickly. Every minute matters, so make sure your IT support team has a good backup strategy and disaster recovery plan.

Best St. Louis MSP to Improve Customer Experience

When you’re focused on improving customer experience, the right technology can make all of the difference. Here at ThrottleNet, we’re consistently rated as the top MSP in St. Louis because of our ability to work across a variety of different industries. No matter your specific business needs, we’ll find a way to improve customer experience in a way that helps you win more repeat business. Contact us today, and our experts will put together a customized plan for you.

Is In-House IT Holding You Back?

There’s just no way around it: most businesses can’t be successful without good IT practices. Unfortunately, it’s hard for many companies, teams, and leaders to keep up with their IT support because of the speed at which technology evolves. In recent years, more businesses in the St. Louis area have found a solution by outsourcing their managed IT support.

What Is Outsourced IT Management?

“Managed IT” can mean a lot of different things, and it really depends on what your company or team needs. Small business owners might outsource the management of their entire IT department. Alternatively, an in-house team, manager, or administrator may just need a little bit of help when they’re understaffed and overloaded. Managed IT services can cover all of the following and more:

Outsourcing Competitive Advantage

There are many benefits of outsourcing IT, and it can revolutionize the way some companies operate. When a business or team improves its use of technology, it immediately becomes easier to crush the competition. Our clients in the St. Louis area normally talk about six key ways in which outsourcing IT creates a competitive advantage.

1 – Increased Flexibility and Reduced Costs

Hiring a skilled IT team is difficult because the best technologists can command high salaries. The payroll balloons when you need someone to manage the network, someone to enable remote access, and someone for cybersecurity. Managed IT gives you access to a whole team of experts who can meet your specific needs, and you don’t pay for skills you don’t use.

2 – Cutting-Edge Solutions

It takes a long time to identify and implement the best technology solutions. The right managed service provider will help you stay up to date without spending hours reading up on the latest and greatest. Quality IT companies leverage years of training and experience to find efficient solutions while reducing expenses.

3 – Network Speed and Agility

Small companies are at a serious disadvantage against bigger companies that can afford faster, better technology. A managed network is one of the most efficient ways to increase speed and agility. You’re gaining access to the technology and expertise bigger companies have, but without paying for an entire in-house department.

4 – Eliminate Downtime

Preserve business continuity, minimize disruptions, and recover from disasters more quickly by leveraging solutions like the following:

Cloud Computing
Data Backups
Remote Access Capabilities

5 – Save Time and Resources

Outsourced IT management gives you more time to think about the big picture. There’s no need to pull someone from an important project next time trouble arises– just call your outsourced IT partner. When your team isn’t working on technology-related chores, they can focus on the core business of making customers satisfied.

6 – Improve User Experience

Not only will you have more time to focus on your customers, you’ll also be able to provide them with better interactions. Employees and clients alike will appreciate the opportunity to use intuitive dashboards and smooth login portals. Simultaneously, improved internal systems make it easier to call up accurate information whenever you need it.

IT for Competitive Advantage

The decisions you make today will impact your ability to compete and win in the future. Our team provides IT services to help companies near St. Louis do exactly that. Get your IT situation in line now and be poised for victory no matter what the future throws your way. Be ready for anything with ThrottleNet.

Step 1 is a complimentary network assessment and consultation. Contact us today to get started.

ThrottleNet Picks Up Awards for IT Reliability & Security

COVID lockdowns have changed the way businesses operate, creating an increased need for IT reliability. With so many companies in St. Louis operating remotely, it’s important to have reliable computer service that can hold everything together. This current situation makes us even more proud to be recognized as a top IT service provider in the area. Readers of St. Louis Small Business Monthly voted for our team at ThrottleNet for two awards already this year:

The second of these two awards is especially important to us because reliability is integral to what we do here at ThrottleNet. Even as businesses were grappling with the initial wave of shutdowns due to COVID-19, they trusted us to provide reliable IT services and security. Our work to facilitate continuous operations is intended to help businesses be more reliable for their customers and employees. We understand that IT is a means to an end for most companies, and our goal is to do our job well so you can focus on the bigger picture.

What Does Reliable Computer Service Mean to Us?

Simply put, reliability is a measure of how consistently something is able to perform as expected.

When it comes to technology like software, hardware, or your network, reliability is considered to be one of the most important attributes for businesses to consider. As a managed IT support company, our mission is to identify, implement, and maintain the most dependable software solutions for our clients.

That means your software runs right when you need it to, whether you’re on-site, in the field, or on the go. When you or your employees need some help in a crucial moment, friendly and knowledgeable support is available. More efficient business operations help reduce costs and free up resources you can use to run your business, not your IT network. On top of everything else, your customers can rest assured that you’ll be able to keep their data safe and private while meeting all of their needs.

Should I Outsource IT for Better Reliability?

Chances are, you’re not an owner, manager, or administrator at an IT company, which means your attention is required elsewhere. Business leaders often look at technology as an obstacle or a distraction, a necessary evil they need to get their job done. Outsourcing IT can help take work off your plate while giving you access to the most advanced, dependable solutions. When you have a team of experts working to keep your business operational and secure around the clock, you can stay focused on what matters most: taking good care of your customers.

If trouble ever does arise, the company in charge of your managed IT support can help with disaster recovery. Cloud computing and data backups will allow you to restore access and minimize disruptions. You’ll have resources like a team of experts and cutting-edge technology to get your business back on track as quickly and securely as possible. Best of all, you won’t have to spend your own time or pull employees off of important projects.

Improve IT Reliability in St. Louis

Looking for a solution that helps you stay reliable anytime, anywhere you can get an internet connection? Check out EverFuel, the new remote desktop solution powered by ThrottleNet! Secure remote access allows your employees to access their work computer no matter where they are. Learn more about how EverFuel safeguards reliable computer service for only $9.95 per month– no long-term commitment required.

Businesses could benefit from allowing their employees to work remotely. Employees could be more productive and creative at home, work in an environment free of distractions, and maintain a positive work-life balance, making them a more engaged employee. To make sure businesses run smoothly, they can prepare for remote work.

Here are some need to know tips for managing a remote workforce.

Create a Series of How to Guides

Once everyone starts to work remotely, they may have the same questions and not realize it. The person in charge could receive emails from different co-workers with the same question, and their inbox would fill up. So that they don’t have to answer each email individually, it’s recommended to create how-to guides for the most used applications.

To prepare everyone for working remotely, have a group meeting either in person, over the phone, or through video chat to set guidelines. By going over this information once in the beginning, everyone will be on the right track and not waste time. Make sure users know how to login to their network on their PC or Mac computer and are familiar with the remote access solutions they’ll use at home, such as VPN or RDP networks.

Mobile Device Management, or MDM, software can be set up to give devices a standard configuration. The aim is to improve productivity for employees. Check out our IT solutions for secure remote access.

Mobile Device Management

Ensure proper management of mobile devices. Mobile devices are more likely to be lost or stolen when they are away from the home or office. Make sure that your team understands the risk of leaving devices unattended, especially in public places, and the importance of keeping their software and devices up-to-date. Encourage staff members to keep their devices in a safe location when they are not in use. One prevalent scam that is on the rise is sim card swapping.

In case this were to happen, use encryption to protect data. While most modern devices have encryption built-in, it may need to be turned on and configured. Fortunately, most devices have tools to remotely lock the device, erase the data stored on it, or retrieve a backup of its data. At the same time, if your organization allows for Bring Your Own Device, or BYOD, make sure your team backs up their photos and music. These items would be wiped from the device in the event that it was reported stolen.

Create a policy outlining what will happen if a device is lost or stolen, as well as the expectations. For instance, make note of who employees should report to, and encourage them in a positive, blame-free manner to report losses as soon as possible. Early reporting may help to minimize risk to the data, and staff members who aren’t fearful of reprisals are more likely to report promptly.

Avoid USB Drives and Removable Media

USB drives and removable media contain sensitive information and are easily misplaced. As they are openly shared, it becomes hard to track what they contain, where they’ve been, and who has used them. Hackers could also use USB drives to infect IT systems with malware. Reduce the likelihood of viruses by only allowing products supplied by the organization to be used. Another method is by using alternative means, such as corporate storage or collaborative tools such as OneDrive, FTP sites, or email.

Provide an Internal Who to Call List

Our last tip for working remotely is to make sure staff members know how to report any problems. This is especially important for security issues. If you work with a company like ThrottleNet, give them a call. If not, direct users to the appropriate support channels.

A Reliable Employee Who Can Work From Home

As a bonus tip, you need employees who can work remotely without supervision. Here are some interview questions that you can ask candidates looking to work for a remote position.

“How do you schedule your day?” looks for how a person schedules their time, perhaps by first checking emails, then having any meetings, and then working on daily tasks.
“How would you manage a project with a lot of people?” looks for how they work together on a project. This could be done through a document sharing service like Google Drive, where everyone can view and edit the same document.
“Why do you want to work remotely?” is a question that everyone answers differently. For example, some may want to stay at home with pets. Animal lovers will like to work with their furry friends by their side.

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We are in unprecedented times as COVID-19 spreads across the globe. Students of all ages are forced to attend classes online from home. Office workers are now forced to work from home. Because people are now forced to stay home in this era of “Social Distancing,” there has been an uptick in finances as less money is being spent by families. People are also streaming their entertainment services more as well. These are prime situations for cybercriminals, in particular, brand phishers.

What is brand phishing?

Brand phishing attacks are when a cybercriminal tries to imitate the official website of a well-known brand using a similar domain name or URL as well as using a site design that looks almost identical to the brand site they’re imitating. Cybercriminals use this technique to steal sensitive information from the people that they are targeting. This information could be credit card information, bank account information, personal details, etc. They will try and get this information through imitation by email, mobile, or fraud websites. Anyone and any business is susceptible to brand phishing, so everyone should be aware of brand phishing; but some people and business are more at risk than others.

Who is susceptible to brand phishing?

The top three types of websites that are susceptible to phishers are technology sites, banking sites, and other media sites. Sites that require you to enter personal information, credit card information, etc. are going to be the ones that are targeted by cyber criminals. Although these are the top three websites being targeted by the cyber criminals, nobody is immune from brand phishing.

What brands are known for being faked by phishers?

In Quarter 1 of 2020, Apple was the number one faked brand for phishing while Netflix was a close second. Both of those companies require credit card information to be put on the accounts of the users, which makes them prime candidates to be imitated by phishers. Other top companies that were faked in Q1 of 2020 were Yahoo, Paypal, Chase, and Amazon. Just like Apple and Netflix, each one of these websites has personal information, including credit card info. Of course not all emails and notifications from these brands are going to be from phishers; just look out for the emails or notifications that look suspicious. Again, it comes down to being aware of brand phishing as no brand or company will be immune to this.

During this unusual time, cyber criminals are licking their lips with the possibility of acquiring so much information from so many people due to the stay at home orders. There’s no way to prevent it from happening, but being cautious and being aware of brand phishing is the best defense against it. Be vigilant and be cautious when you are disclosing any type of personal information online.

Don’t become phish bait!

Looking for a secure work-from-home solution? Try EverFuel secure remote access from ThrottleNet. Just $9.95 per computer per month!

CONTACT THROTTLENET

Due to the current situation, employees find themselves working from home, and students are finding themselves attending class online. Zoom has become the go-to method of video and audio communication among employees, students, teachers, etc. because they are able to access Zoom on almost any device from anywhere, anytime. With Zoom comes a new trend, Zoom Bombing.

What is Zoom Bombing?

Zoom Bombing occurs when uninvited guests, otherwise known as hijackers, guess the correct URL or meeting id for a public Zoom session, giving them access to the feed/meeting. These hijackers cause disruptions by releasing personal information or simply yelling profanities in the meeting. This new trend has people asking how to prevent zoom bombing from happening.

Here are ten ways to prevent Zoom bombing:

(As recommended by the Better Business Bureau)

1. REQUIRE A PASSWORD TO JOIN YOUR MEETING

One of the easiest ways to prevent Zoom bombing from happening to you is to require a password to join your meeting. Requiring a password provides extra security against hijackers because not only would they have to guess the correct URL/meeting id, but they would have to guess the correct password as well, which is unlikely to happen.

2. USE A UNIQUE ID FOR LARGE OR PUBLIC ZOOM CALLS

Whenever you create a Zoom meeting, you are required to either create an id for the meeting or generate a random id. Generating a random id will always give you the more unique and secure id, but creating your own id will work as well, as long you…

3. DON’T SHARE THE UNIQUE ID’s PUBLICLY

Another trend that has come with Zoom is taking a screenshot of your Zoom meeting and sharing it on a social media website. This makes your meeting EXTREMELY public and allows for hijackers to get in much easier. If the meeting is private, keep it private.

4. ONLY ALLOW HOSTS TO SHARE THEIR SCREEN

This is also a simple yet effective way to keep the hijackers out is to only allow the host(s) to share their screen. Giving anyone in a Zoom meeting the ability to take control of the screen is an easy way for guests, whether invited or uninvited, to share unwanted content.

5. CREATE A WAITING ROOM

A Zoom waiting room works just like any other waiting room. A waiting room stops guests from joining the meeting until the host(s) is ready for them to join. It’s a way to make sure that no uninvited guests are waiting to get into the meeting, kind of like a bouncer at a club.

6. CREATE AN INVITE-ONLY MEETING

An invite-only meeting is just like it sounds. Nobody can enter this meeting unless they have been invited by the host(s). Nobody likes it when an uninvited guest shows up to a party, so don’t allow it to happen here either.

7. LOCK THE MEETING ONCE IT STARTS

Once the meeting starts, the host has an option to lock it. Locking your zoom meeting will not allow any new members to join the meeting, even if they have the correct id and password. It’s better to be safe than sorry when locking your car or the doors in your house, so do the same with your Zoom meeting.

8. REMOVE ATTENDEES OR PUT THEM ON HOLD IF THEY BECOME DISRUPTIVE

Anytime someone in your meeting is being disruptive or distracting other attendees, just remove them from the meeting. If you remove someone from the meeting, they are not allowed to rejoin.

9. DISABLE THE UNRUY PARTICIPANT’S CAMERA OR ALL CAMERAS

Assuming this is an option, hosts are allowed to disable the camera of any and all members of the meeting. This will allow any unwanted, inappropriate gesture to be blocked for everyone in the group.

10. MAKE SURE THE DISABLE FILE TRANSFER SETTING IS ACTIVE

Once in a meeting, if file transfer is not turned off, it is common for hijackers to spam the chat with memes, GIF’s, and inappropriate language/photos. Turning this setting off will stop each and every one of those things from happening before it even happens.

Now that you have learned 10 EASY ways to prevent Zoom bombing from happening in your next or all future Zoom meetings, take action. Zoom bombing may seem harmless, but people are having to get used to working and going to school remotely and need each and every minute to learn and concentrate on their work without any disruptions.

Don’t let this happen to you!