07 Mar 11 Servcorp Opens New Location in Miami – Premium Executive Suites and Virtual Offices
On Monday 20th December, Servcorp opened its first ever office in Miami and its 17th in the US. Located in the heart of Downtown Miami, the 27th floor of the Wachovia Financial Center is home to Servcorp’s newest spectacular premium executive suites and virtual offices.
Considered as the tallest office tower in Florida, the Wachovia Financial Center is located within the business district, surrounded by some of the city’s most significant buildings. Offering a distinctive address, a breathtaking view overlooking Miami and the Atlantic Ocean; the building easily dominates the city skyline.
For existing businesses looking to grow further or for anyone looking to start a new business, Miami is a promising destination. Miami is also home to one of the most influential cruise and passenger ports in the United States, accommodating cruise ships and major cruise lines.
Jennifer Goodwyn, General Manager and Vice President, Servcorp United States, says, “We’ve launched our first ever location in Miami! This is a major city in south-eastern Florida, hence it was very important for us to provide a business location in this vibrant and bustling city. Miami holds great importance as an international, financial and cultural center which has elevated its status as a world city.”
“Wachovia Financial Center is the perfect location for businesses in the heart of Downtown Miami complete with the ultimate executive suite fit outs, premium boardroom and meeting room facilities and the best IT and Communications infrastructure that Servcorp is renowned for. We welcome businesses in Miami and around the world to do business here. Our newest center is in a sought after location and ideal for any prominent business.”
Wachovia Financial Center
200 South Biscayne Boulevard
27th floor
Miami FL 33131 U.S.A.
Founded in Sydney in 1978, Servcorp offers the world’s finest office solutions, operating an international network of prime CBD serviced offices and virtual office locations in major cities around the world.
Tags: Servcorp, Serviced Offices, Virtual Offices
25 Feb 11 Top Ten Tips for Excellent Customer Service
Efficient and helpful customer service will not only help retain your current customer-base but it will help grow your business by word-of-mouth. As excellent customer service should be the top priority of any business, here are a few tips to help make things a little easier:
1) Be present at all times
This may sound obvious but it is by far the most important. Your customers must know that when they need you, you will be there. You must be present and accessible at all times. This does not necessarily mean you have to have a 24/7 call centre but you should at least aim to have an email service which is answered within 24 hours.
2) Treat each case individually
You may hear the same complaint or problem over and over again, but each individual customer must be treated as such. The way one person feels about a particular problem (and its solution) will vary dramatically, so do not ‘factory line’ your answers.
3) Follow through
Whatever you do, do not make promises that you cannot keep. It is easy to appease a customer with grand ideas and promises, but if you cannot pull them off, you will lose trust. If you promise delivery by a certain time, make sure it happens. Do not say it, if you cannot do it!
4) Learn from your customers
If you take each complaint as a piece of advice and work on it, you will build a stronger and well respected company. If your customers can see that you have made changes because of them, they will feel that they are with a company that they can trust.
5) Put your best ‘people person’ on the frontline
No one wants to deal with a short tempered unenthusiastic employee at the best of times, especially when they have a complaint and need help. Make sure you choose your customer service representative carefully. This person will be the voice of your company and needs to be approachable and needs to reflect your brand accordingly.
6) Do not pass the buck
Do not pass the customer from pillar to post. No matter how difficult the situation is, let the customer know that they can contact you personally.
7) Keep things simple
Do not confuse your customers with too much jargon or terminology that they may not understand. This is the easiest mistake to make as you forget that your understanding of your business is not the same as your average customer’s understanding.
Be public
If you get asked a question in a public space (online), then answer it publicly. If you do not then you risk looking like you are ignoring problems. Future customers will be impressed by your open response to an issue.
9) Training
Make sure that all of your staff members are fully trained and aware of what is involved when it comes to excellent customer service. Remember that a customer could accidentally come through to anyone on your team so make sure this awareness of excellent customer service runs through your company like a brand.
10) Know your company backwards
The person who deals with customer complaints must know the company backwards and be able to answer any question knowledgably. As a customer, there is nothing worse than speaking to someone within a company who knows less than you do.
Servcorp is experienced in providing high quality office solutions throughout major cities in the world operating an international network of prime CBD serviced and virtual offices.
Tags: Servcorp, Virtual Offices
13 Jan 11 International Expansion and how it can be used to Grow your Business
Knowing how and when to expand your company is almost as tricky as actually doing it. The first major hurdle any business will first have to overcome is ‘the breakeven point’, where you’re comfortably covering all of your expenses. The next may be when the business becomes too big to manage alone.
However, once you have a team of staff and are trading quite successfully on a national level, what are the next steps?
Why should you expand on an international level?
- If you feel you need to secure domestic competiveness, putting your business on the international market will give you a definite edge over competition
- The global market share may be huge compared to your domestic one. Tapping into unexploited international resources may prove very lucrative.
- You will be less affected by domestic market fluctuations when trading internationally.
- You will have a greater base of suppliers to choose from and therefore provide a more reliable service at better rates.
- Ultimately you open yourself up to a larger market and your client base will undoubtedly grow.
- Products that may not be working in your domestic market may prove profitable elsewhere.
As with expansion on the national level; if you do it too late your clients might notice that you are no longer as efficient as before and that your resources are strained. Expanding too soon could increase the risk of losing money. International expansion should be approached almost like setting up a new business, with a concise strategy and a thorough plan.
If you have a product, then exporting internationally is the next logical step of expansion. If you are looking to set up elsewhere then there are several factors to consider to ensure you’re making the right choice location-wise.
These include: economics, politics, cultural differences, geographical issues, distribution, and production laws. It is certainly something to step into with caution, yet once done correctly will lift your business to a whole new level. So, do your research, ask those who have experience in that area, then come up with a new business plan based around your findings.
Services offered by Servcorp allow many businesses the opportunity to expand internationally & domestically easily through their provision of serviced virtual offices at prime CBD locations throughout the world including the UK. Founded in Sydney in 1978, Servcorp offers the world’s finest Serviced and Virtual Offices solutions. Services include a dedicated local receptionist, access to a worldwide network of meeting rooms, secretarial support on hand and exclusive access to an online portfolio of business services and tools.
Tags: Servcorp, virtual office, Virtual Offices
25 Nov 10 Virtual Offices Provider Servcorp’s Green Offices Project helps offset significant Greenhouse emissions
Leading global serviced and virtual offices provider Servcorp is contributing to the removal of greenhouse gases equivalent to 994 cars each year, reinforcing its commitment to being more environmentally aware as more businesses are looking to “Go Green”.
Teaming up with Greenfleet, Servcorp has launched the Green Offices Project that pledges planting one tree for each Virtual Office sold online. To date, Servcorp has planted more than 13,180 trees in their ‘Servcorp Forest’ and the initiative has offset carbon emissions equivalent to 994 cars every year.
The Green Offices Project was originally conceptualised and developed to help create a positive impact on the environment. The entire Greenhouse gas emissions of the Servcorp head office can be offset for five years already just by the sheer number of trees planted so far.
Virtual offices are ideal for businessmen and women looking to save on the overheads associated with leasing their own office space. Additionally, it also gives them the opportunity to set up multiple bases and an address to use on their business cards, letterheads & for any corporate communications. Servcorp Executive Director, Taine Moufarrige says they are inherently better for the environment too: “Not only does a virtual office give you a professional address, receptionist, mail and call forwarding, and meeting spaces, you’re reducing your environmental footprint by not physically setting all this up yourself”.
While the Green Offices Project is helping reduce Servcorp’s environmental impact, the company is helping its customers to make a more positive change. Mr Moufarrige says: “Certainly our Virtual Office customers are contributing to lower Greenhouse gases by only driving into the office when they have meetings scheduled. The rest of the time they’re working from home; instantly cutting Co2 by using their car less”.
The success of Servcorp’s environmental program is aided by its online signup process that has lead to eliminating the need for paper based forms and administration, adding to the positive effect from the Green Offices Project of planting a tree for every online sale of a virtual office. Mr Moufarrige also said: “Before the online interface, we were using over 100 sheets of paper for each new signup, we’ve now reduced that to just four per client”.
About Servcorp:
Servcorp is the world’s second largest provider of managed office space and is viewed as the market leader in premium serviced and virtual office solutions. Servcorp operates a growing international network of 77 prime city locations in 20 countries spanning Oceania, Asia, The Middle East, Europe and North America.
Tags: Servcorp, virtual office, Virtual Offices, virtual offices London
22 Sep 10 The Top 5 Benefits of Virtual Offices
There are numerous benefits of using virtual offices in the modern-day business world and as well as saving money, virtual offices also provide a unique stance from which to promote a business from without compromising on the level of professionalism that is required to be successful. Here are some of the top benefits to using virtual offices:
Prestigious Address
A virtual office space can provide your company with a prestigious office address based in the major capital cities of the world with mail, fax and courier management services, providing your company with that professional status.
Streamlined business communication
Virtual offices are equipped with the latest IT infrastructure which can include 24 hour voicemail service, voicemail to email facility, messages transferred via SMS, telephone, fax or email according to your online instructions, ensuring there is a seamless flow in your company communication. Mail can be delivered to and received from your virtual office space, all whilst you work from home or another location.
Staff
Virtual offices provide front of house staff to answer your business calls in a professional manner. The staff are often multi-lingual which ensures your business does not suffer from translation problems if you are planning to expand into an overseas market. This reduces the burden of hiring and training front of house staff – reducing the need to manage staff on a daily basis from sorting out holiday leave through to covering sick days.
Overheads
Using virtual offices can save on major overheads, the largest of which is the rental cost of the company premises; a virtual office provides an alternative to one of the largest overheads businesses can face.
The mental and financial pressures of running an office can be immense and distract from the main areas of concern for businesses, whereas virtual offices are cheaper and simpler to manage.
Without a permanent office there is no need for extensive and often expensive equipment purchases such as computers, telephones, desks, fridges and chairs. Reducing stock order costs and the time needed to stock take can save valuable business time.
By reducing the costs of hiring professional front of house staff you will also reduce the associated costs of training non-core staff, allowing you to focus your resources on your core staff.
Another benefit of accessing your business premises virtually can be the reduction in travel time and costs. Overheads can be reduced in major areas of running a company from saving on staffing costs and office equipment through to travel costs and rent.
Accessible Office Space
Schedule meeting rooms, boardrooms and everyday offices online. If your virtual office provider has an international presence there will be opportunities for you to access a network of global office space, providing your business with additional flexibility whilst allowing your company to maintain professionalism when meeting with clients.
Virtual Offices London
Businesses based in the UK will usually benefit from having an address that speaks volumes about their success rate. Both big and small businesses can increase revenue and client base by having an address in the city of London where there is a significant consumer market, but London rents can often prove impractical. The advantage of a virtual office is it allows businesses to be based in the major cities throughout the world thus allowing smaller companies the chance to expand without the associated costs.
About Servcorp:
Pioneering virtual offices since 1980, Servcorp is experienced in providing high quality, tailored office spaces and business services. Servcorp operates a network of global office solutions throughout the major cities. These include London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Mumbai and Sydney. Servcorp virtual office London‘s office and IT solutions enable companies of any size to operate with the corporate presence, IT, infrastructure and support of a multinational organisation. Contact Servcorp for a virtual office.
16 Apr 10 Servcorp Opens Flagship Location in London
Serviced and virtual office provider Servcorp has opened its first London premises in Dashwood House. Servcorp is proud to now provide premium serviced office and virtual office solutions in the heart of London’s financial and business district.
Servcorp is a well recognised name synonymous with prestigious city locations, premium quality fit-outs and a high standard in serviced offices. Servcorp will introduce leading IT and communications infrastructure to businesses in London, giving clients the platform to work more effectively wherever their work may take them.
“We are looking forward with great anticipation to the opening of our first London Location. Dashwood House, a newly refurbished high-rise building, will be Servcorp’s flagship UK location. We will provide our clients with the very best IT and communications system, giving them an ideal setting to operate their business, whether it is a serviced office or a virtual office space London. Our level 17 floor at Dashwood House offers spectacular city views and is close by the City Gardens at St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate.” – Alf Moufarrige, Chief Executive Officer – Servcorp
Situated above Liverpool Street Tube Station, one of London’s central transport points, Dashwood House is minutes from convenient commuting in London, Forty-five minutes to Heathrow International Airport via taxi and twenty minutes to London City Airport via tube from Bank Tube Station (two minutes from Liverpool Street Tube Station).
One of the largest cities in the world, London is also home to one of the world’s largest economies. The London Underground network is the most extensive underground railway network in the world and London’s Heathrow Airport is the world’s busiest airport by number of international passengers. Servcorp’s new presence in this market will connect businesses in London with a vastly linked network of serviced and virtual offices throughout the globe, giving them an efficient and effective way of conducting business internationally.
About Servcorp:
Founded in Sydney in 1978, Servcorp offers the world’s finest serviced and virtual office solutions. Operating an international network of prime CBD locations throughout the world, Servcorp’s office and IT solutions enable companies of any size to operate with the corporate presence, IT, infrastructure and support of a multi-national organisation.
Tags: Servcorp, Serviced Offices, Virtual Office Space London, Virtual Offices
14 Apr 10 Smart Companies Cut Office Costs
Companies of every size and industry are currently being faced with the challenge of how to survive the global economic crisis. Many observers believe the companies who maintain their core business objectives throughout the downturn will reap the benefits of being perfectly placed to make a fast recovery. Making major strategic turns or significant cutbacks could potentially do more harm than good, especially if the recovery begins quicker than expected as some observers are now predicting.
Whilst some companies are reverting to reducing staff numbers and slashing expenditure, there are an increasing number of companies looking for smarter ways to manage the tougher times. A recent survey has found that more than one in four companies globally are looking to manage their office and IT costs more effectively. Office costs have always been a large expenditure for any business and when times are good, companies tend to make quick decisions and overlook the underlying issues. Now that companies are being forced to tighten their belts, managers are having to reassess what is being spent on office premises and inevitably look for more cost effective solutions.
Office premises and office management are often big ticket items on the balance sheet which need to be re-evaluated in the tougher times. Some companies are avoiding staff redundancies by trying to be smarter about their overheads. Managers and business owners have totally under-estimated the costs of setting up a stand alone office in a traditional office building. There are lots more cost-effective options now available and it’s just a matter of finding the right solution for each business.
Surprisingly, the most commonly overlooked costs are the ones that help the office function but you don’t necessarily see on a day-to-day basis: office costs like stationery, leasing bonds, air conditioning, cleaning, tea, coffee, desks, printers and fridges. Its only when managers take a closer look at all these costs do they often realise how much their own office is costing them.
It’s all about cash flow and companies are starting to look at ways to survive the back end of the economic downturn and how to position themselves for a successful recovery. In many countries, lots of foreign companies are competing with the local players, and it will be the ambitious ones who have ensured they have money in the bank to take off quickly that will be the winners. A serviced office product really helps companies do this, by offering a CBD location with all the professional services, infrastructure and support without having the upfront and ongoing capital costs required to set up alone.
It’s a really interesting time for companies looking to expand if they can use the tools and services available to help them be successful. Economic commentators have been urging companies to be careful with cash management for the last six months, but now we are starting to hear talk of opportunity management. Virtual Office products are really well placed to help business people all over the world expand into a new market in a really risk-adverse way. In just a matter of minutes a customer in Perth, Paris or Penang can sign up for a virtual office in China on our website. Instantaneously, they will have a phone number answered by a local receptionist in their company name, a prime CBD address and a place to meet clients when they are in town. A virtual office is a great way to test out a market, yet keep your costs, commitments and overheads very, very low.
Pioneering the virtual office concept since 1980, Servcorp is experienced in providing high quality office spaces and services. Contact Servcorp for serviced offices in London, or virtual office London.
Tags: Servcorp, serviced offices in London, virtual office London
