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Leave your mark. G2 Integrated Marketing Marketing, Advertising, More… (866) 980-4242 www.g2marketing.biz info@g2marketing.biz Go With MOYER AVIATION! It’s your time ... your plane ... you’re there! Personal Transportation on Your Schedule 800-321-5890 www.moyeraviation.com OFFERING SOLUTIONS FOR: Web Print Interactive Media • Charter flights to all points in the U.S. & Canada • Personal Travel • Reasonable Rates • High Priority Delivery • Pick up at all area Airports Virtual Tours (Quicktime VR) Tobyhanna sets lean practices A new process is helping Tobyhanna’s transformation to a lean organization. The depot’s Lean Enterprise Office is introducing another tool, called “6S Process.” “The purpose of the 6S initiative is to create and maintain an organized, clean, safe, high-performance environment by A Tobyhanna worker implements ‘6S.’ On July 28 the staff of DFA Inc. was in New York City strutting their stuff on the set of “Sex and the City.” And they were literally strutting all day long, take after take, walking past the “Sex and the City” stars as they shot their scene at 92, an Upper East Side restaurant. “You can’t believe the amount of time it takes to shoot a three-minute scene,” said Lisa Smith, a designer at DFA. It all started when DFA met Michael Patrick King at a Scranton chamber dinner.“I’m such a big fan of the show, I can’t tell you how excited I was to get a chance to be on it,”said Tricia Pegula, media director at DFA. “We sent them our head shots and were surprised when they called and said they wanted everyone to be on the show,” said Michael Frigoletto, creative director. Being on the set gave DFA a real appreciation for what it takes to produce a major TV show.“We produce a lot of local TV commercials on budgets that would following the 6S process,” said Sharon Smith, chief of Tobyhanna’s Productivity Management Division, Resource Management Directorate.“Implementation of 6S will simplify the work environment, while improving quality, efficiency and safety.” Lean requires an organization to think in terms of the product and look at its processes like the customer would. Personnel organize around what adds value to the customer and eliminate or minimize what doesn’t. Implementation of 6S will simplify the work environment, while improving quality, efficiency and safety, Smith said. The six S’s are: Safety is applied to all of the other five S’s. Sort the unnecessary items from the workplace.Straighten what’s left after the sorting is completed. Scrub/Shine the work area to thoroughly clean it after the clutter has been removed and the necessary items have been properly located and straightened. Standardize the best practice in the work area. Sustain focuses on defining a new status quo and standard of workplace organization.This is considered the most difficult “S” to achieve because human nature resists change. Ad agency staff ‘stars’ in ‘Sex and the City’ not even pay for the breakfast for the extras” said Frigoletto. “The stars are so beautiful, even more beautiful in person” said Tara Smith, account supervisor at DFA. Pegula got her brush with fame when she bumped into Sarah Jessica Parker. “She was so nice.The only thing I could think to say was,‘That’s a great purse.’ She laughed and said,‘I know. I wish I got to keep it.’” “We did get to speak with Michael Patrick King. He was walking by and I said something stupid like,‘Hey Scranton,’ but it stopped him in his tracks. He was so grounded and magnanimous, he complimented us on how great we looked and said that we did Scranton proud,” said Paul DeLuca, president of DFA. The entire staff of DFA will appear on the September 14 episode of “Sex and the City.” But don’t blink — you might miss the backs of their heads or shoulders passing the girls. www.blackout-design.com 1.888.224.1802 info @ blackout-design.com 38 • NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA BUSINESS JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 2003 A Proud Member of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce From left to right: Tricia Pegula, Lisa Smith, Paul DeLuca, Tara Tomasetti-Smith, Michael Frigoletto.
NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA BUSINESS JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 2003 • 39 Since ‘Do-Not-Call,’ telemarketers homing in on precise targets Call center employees are being trained to be ‘consultative’ rather than ‘assumptive,’ says telemarketing executive By Ralph Nardone The “Do-Not-Call” law has put telemarketers against the ropes. Over 30 million telephone numbers across the United States are registered for Do-Not-Call. Since the government’s hand is raised to restrict “out-calls,” where telemarketers call unsuspecting targets, marketers are now concentrating their efforts on maximizing the sales potential of “in-calls,” where customers call toll-free numbers to gather information, complain, or make a purchase. Call center employees are being trained to be more consultative, helping meet the needs of callers, rather than assumptive, trying to stumble upon a potential sale, according to Reenie Johnson, vice president of client operations at Telerx Marketing Inc., in Hanover, Luzerne County. She says the 250 employees who handle the over two million calls a year concentrate on “responding directly to caller feedback.” They are more concerned with answering their questions than posing questions to them, she says. Telerx contracts its call center services to 60 different clients who utilize the call center as a strategic marketing tool, Johnson said. Depending on what the clients objectives are, and the objectives can be just learning about the customer or making an intense sales push,Telerx gathers key market information.When a Telerx representative is talking with a customer, they can learn a lot of things, she says. Telerx provides a valuable customer records management service, Johnson adds.They categorize calls by type, for example: complaint calls; compliment calls; ship date inquiries; and technical inquiries.“This information is valuable to our clients because it helps them determine the reasons for the success or failure of a product or the changing needs of the consumer,” she adds. Johnson notes Telerx will customize its call service messaging based on the client’s needs.“Some clients use marketing messages to the caller to build awareness of new products,” Johnson said. “Others want to do promotion,” she said. Johnson notes telemarketing strategies are very effective tools.“The bottom line is telemarketing sells,” she added. George Monahan, telecommunications design expert at Guyette Communications in Plymouth, Luzerne County, says the “auto attendant” telephone answering systems he offers his clients can be customized to callers with any type of message during their calls. Callers can be pitched new product promotions when they are being routed to their requested destination.And, they can offer deals when customers are waiting on hold. Using messages that make sales pitches have become increasingly popular for when customers are on-hold versus playing music or a local radio station Monahan says.The customer who calls in and is put on hold is a prime target for promotion, he says.They are already an established consumer and are therefore directly interested in the organization they are calling. The on-hold message may be general information, Monahan adds, or can be targeted with more precision based on what the caller is requesting. For example, a customer calling to purchase clothing can be listening to a message offering upcoming seasonal specials while waiting for the representative to pick up the call and finalize the transaction.The messaging can be targeted because, when customers call, the marketer and the customer both know why they’re there. Monahan emphasizes that utilizing call promotions is a relatively inexpensive marketing tool compared to mass market advertising or personal selling through a sales force. Plus, it’s a method with good target market precision, he says. Linda Roerig, inside advertising manager for the Scranton Times in Scranton, says her staff play a consultative role to help customers meet their needs. Roerig says a lot of time is spent “giving the caller an ‘Advertising 101’ course.” “When an advertiser calls, they seek our educated opinion about what the best advertising strategy is for them,” Roerig says.“We don’t make pitches to the caller unless it can benefit them,” she adds. Roerig differentiates between telemarketing and inside sales. Telemarketing uses outcalls to Reenie Johnson, vice president of client operations at Telerx Marketing Inc., says the future of telemarketing is in answering questions, not trying to “stumble on a sale.” pressure customers into buying a product and often takes advantage of them. That is why the Do-Not-Calls were initiated, she adds. Roerig says her staff are inside sales personnel who take the time to interview the callers to learn about their business and objectives.Then they can propose an advertising program based on a “qualified and professional opinion.” “We are filling a need versus seeking a way to manipulate someone into a purchase,” Roerig says. OPEN FOR BUSINESS Look for Northeastern Pennsylvania Business Weekly every Sunday. It is the largest, most comprehensive business news section in the area — providing you with business news and trends from Lackawanna and Luzerne counties, as well as advice on pocketbook issues. Features include the Harvard Business Review; People on the Move — featuring business people throughout the region; Advice from the Experts — area finance experts answer your questions in a weekly column; and Business Briefcase — a list of upcoming events, conventions, lectures, trade shows, etc. Look for “Business Weekly” every week in To subscribe to The Sunday Times call 348-9190; to The Sunday Voice call 821-2010.
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Page 3 and 4: DEVELOPMENT DIVISION 320-330 Stewar
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Page 7 and 8: Tips for efficient debt collection
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Page 17 and 18: The ‘bang’ of broadband NORTHEA
Page 21 and 22: Training driven by managers Chief e
Page 23 and 24: Congress seeks way to pay for Medic
Page 25 and 26: Technology, biological care top lis
Page 27 and 28: ‘CreateAthon’ donates talents t
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Page 35 and 36: More new construction in downtown H
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Page 41 and 42: Mericle hosts event at Hanover Indu
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Page 45 and 46: Economic downturn spawns new busine
Page 47 and 48: Dairy plant’s business model: buy
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