Case Study: Promotion Select, Chanhassen, Minnesota
“Nextera is a small business that’s more capable than a big business. It provides the most innovative technology available – plus rapid service response, faster problem resolution, and first-name basis customer service.”
Tim Samuelson | Owner | Promotion Select
From Dial-Up to T1
When Tim started Promotion Select 16 years ago, telecommunications was rudimentary in comparison to today’s high-tech, innovative offerings. Like many smaller businesses in the late 1990’s, the company used basic dial-up from a major telecom provider and shared a single Internet line.
“When the business was a start-up, we took turns getting on the Web. Remember the pinging sound when an Internet connection was successful?” asked Tim Samuelson, owner of Promotion Select. “And the size of the cell phones? Telecom technology has rapidly evolved in a relatively short time.”
As Promotion Select’s business grew, they chose the Small Business Network as their communications provider because it catered to small business needs. They soon upgraded their service – adding T1, individual phone lines, and Internet lines to ensure every staff member had online access.
When Nextera Communications bought the Small Business Network, Promotion Select chose to stay on board after the transition.
Promotion Select Staff and Owner Tim Samuelson (center) in Chanhassen, Minnesota Showroom
Problem: Slow Downloads, Slower Uploads, Inconsistent Service Delivery
“The nature of our highly interactive business demands heavy phone and Internet use, and as our company continued to expand, we couldn’t afford slow downloads and the even slower uploads,” Tim said. “To serve our customers efficiently and effectively, we couldn’t afford any downtime at all. We needed fast, reliable service because our business relies on telecom power. Without phone and Internet, our company would be paralyzed.”
Promotion Select had been using traditional cable service, which was previously sufficient for their business. But with the company’s increasing service use, they needed a solution that could accommodate increasing needs and deliver high-speed service on a consistent basis.
Solution: Bigger Bandwidth with Fixed Wireless
“Nextera offers wired and wireless options, and they recommended dedicated bandwidth with their fixed wireless product,” said Tim. “Their account manager detailed the pros and cons of each alternative and ultimately we decided their recommendations would provide both a short and long-term solution.”
“Nextera updated our network with big bandwidth, phone, and fax that have met the needs of our growing business. With fixed wireless, the bandwidth is just for us – we don’t share it with other offices or companies. We get the speed and reliability with affordability and high performance. Now we don’t think about bandwidth, we take it for granted because it’s instantly there when we need it.”
With a steady stream of customer contacts online and on the phone, Nextera’s installation was efficient, completed quickly, and caused little to no business disruption.
“Nextera products are high-quality,” said Tim. “They use superior high-tech hardware and provide Polycom® phones, which offer great ease-of-use. And as a small business, I appreciate their customer service style.”
“Nextera is a big company with personal, first-name-basis service and the kind of rapid response you associate with small-town “up north” service. You never get a phone bank when you have a question. You could say Nextera delivers the perfect package of technology and service.”
Passionate about delivering the finest promotional items to foster business growth across the state of Minnesota, Promotion Select believes exceptional telecom service is pivotal to providing outstanding customer service. As Promotion Select continues to grow, the company continues to rely on Nextera Communications to stay on top of the ever-changing telecommunications landscape.