Gracecom Communications, a multi-regional
telecommunications company founded in
1983, recently installed a new fiber-connected
phone system for Stewart’s Shops Corp.
Over 500 phones are linked between Stewart’s
corporate headquarters, distribution
and manufacturing facility and credit union
through one hybrid/IP system using high-speed
fiber-optic lines, company officials said.
The new phone system supports Stewart’s
growing mobile workforce by keeping employees
better connected with colleagues, customers
and vendors.
“Many people are using mobile extension –
forwarding the call from their desk system to
their cell phone,” said Lou Bush, IT Manager
for Stewart’s Shops. “It keeps the team informed
and ready to respond quickly, wherever
they are.”
In addition to a new hybrid phone system,
Gracecom replaced Stewart’s beeper system
with an automated call system using Interactive
Voice Response technology, the company
said. The new call system, being tested in
select Stewart’s Shops, allows automated
scheduling and call mapping to connect mobile
technicians with other employees for service
calls.
The system finds the right technician based
on the store location, and if they are unreachable,
can escalate the request to another technician,
allowing service calls to be handled
quickly and easily, officials said.
Gracecom Communications provides a
personalized customer-service experience,
establishing long-term relationships with
customers. It was an important factor for
Stewart’s when evaluating partners, said Bush.
“It was important to have a local company.
We’re buying a national-level system, but it’s
being maintained and sold by a company we
felt was the right size, with the capabilities and
expertise to provide support,” he said.
Gracecom Communications is a telecommunications
company specializing in communications
solutions for businesses and
organizations.
Founded in 1945, Stewart’s Shops is an
employee and family-owned convenience store
chain based in Saratoga Springs, with 330
shops located in more than 30 counties across
upstate New York and southern Vermont.