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Many people think of Verizon as a competitor to T-Mobile and AT&T.
But the New York-based telecommunications company wants to be seen as more than that, including as a small business provider, said Amy Novak, Verizon’s vice president of national small business. Her team has 1,000 professionals across the country.
“During the pandemic, how do we help them survive?” She said. “I think we all have stories about our favorite little shop or restaurant that didn’t work out. Nobody wants to see that. So we’ve found ways to help mentor them.
The company’s services for small businesses include Internet, 5G and Voice over IP services, converting your voice to a digital file and sending it over the Internet so you don’t miss a call. It can also offer security solutions and a zoom competitor called BlueJeans. Novak said the tools help small businesses look bigger.
“Clients can use BlueGenes and it makes them look bigger than they are, and small businesses like that because they want to look professional,” she said.
Novak has been with Verizon for 16 years, starting as a technical information representative. She moved to Texas three years ago and lives in Keller. She spoke about some of the insights she gained in her current role.
What have you learned working with small businesses?
What we have learned over the past two years is that flexibility is not an option. At the end of April we had a small business survey and some pretty interesting statistics. And one of those was the need to be flexible. So you can see that among all business sizes, small and large, flexibility is critical when thinking about survival and anticipating what might happen next.
How to find small business customers for Verizon?
We greet customers entering the store. But we look forward to opportunities throughout the community to partner with customers that we don’t have today. Christina’s Fine Mexican Restaurant in D-FW is an example of that. They are a new customer, and we were able to partner with them and meet their needs like 5G and Internet.
How are small business owners feeling right now about inflation, supply chain issues and labor issues?
As consumers, they have had to adjust and change some of their operating models. Therefore, no small business wants to add value to its customers, but at the end of the day, they are trying to find ways to bring their business into the digital world. So we’re hearing a lot of questions. As with video services, they are trying to find ways to collaborate that will make their employees more productive. When we talk to our customers, more than 2% of the businesses surveyed say they are doing better now than they were a year ago. And they felt that a year from now they would be better. So there is definitely a sense of optimism.
What are you hearing about energy?
I was driving down the street last night, and I didn’t see a business that didn’t have a help needed sign in the yard or in the window. But I think it’s more than just trying to recruit talent. Once they’re on board, how do you keep them? So we look at starting the retention process on the first day. We are making sure we have a great onboarding program. Again, culture is extremely important. Ensuring that the team feels they are getting the training they need and that they can be part of the community.
Why do you think some businesses are struggling to fill roles?
I think people decided to make different choices when they went home during the pandemic. Some would like to work from home, and that is certainly an option.
Is pay the most important thing for employees?
Not always. Payment is clearly important. But the dynamic model has moved from the bottom, because we don’t know what it means before the epidemic, to go there for people. Now people say, “This is how I want to work. I will find an organization to support this,” he said.
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