What’s Newstag:www.hastings.com,2008:/news/12008-09-12T20:21:52ZMovable Type 3.35Gearing up for Hurricane Iketag:www.hastings.com,2008:/news//1.362008-09-12T15:52:49Z2008-09-12T20:21:52ZAs I write this, Hurricane Ike is bearing down on the Texas coast, aimed directly at Houston, the state's largest...
As I write this, Hurricane Ike is bearing down on the Texas coast, aimed directly at Houston, the state's largest metropolitan area. While people are fleeing the coast ahead of Ike, and others are hunkering down for the storm, many businesses have been forced to close for the interim.
We've been contacted by many of those businesses to answer their phones until the storm passes, and normal business can resume. A service similar to ours in Houston has been forced to close its call center, and we are taking calls for 300 of its most critical clients.
We've staffed up, and have more on standby. We'll be taking and dispatching calls throughout the weekend.
We had made preparations to hunker down ourselves - checked the generator, backed up all critical systems, made sure there was food and water for the staff. But it looks like the worst of the storm will pass to the east of us.
Nevertheless, it's going to be a busy weekend!
2008 Award of Excellencetag:www.hastings.com,2008:/news//1.352008-06-21T23:19:55Z2008-06-24T19:32:20Z We won the Award of Excellence again! The award was presented this afternoon, at the end of ATSI’s conference...
We won the Award of Excellence again!
The award was presented this afternoon, at the end of ATSI’s conference and expo in St. Louis. Mark was presented the award by ATSI's president, Allan Fromm.
Congatulations to all of our Hastings Humans! All your hard work and attention to detail has paid off for the 11th year!
ATSI hasn’t posted the press release online yet, so here’s the complete text of their announcement:
Hastings Communication Services, Inc.
Wins ATSI Award of Excellence
Hastings Communication Services, Inc. of Austin, TX has been honored with the exclusive 2008 Award of Excellence for the eleventh consecutive year. The award is presented annually by the Association of TeleServices International (ATSI), the industry’s trade association for providers of telecommunications and call center services including telephone answering and message delivery. Hastings Communication Services, Inc. was presented with the award at ATSI’s 2008 Annual Convention held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, in St. Louis, MO.
After six months of intensive testing, an independent panel of judges scored call- handling skills such as courtesy, response time, accuracy and overall service to their clients, the cornerstones of the call management industry. If a company scored 80% or better in ALL categories, they are presented with the coveted Award of Excellence.
“The Award of Excellence is a ‘mystery shopper’ program that provides independent testing for quality assurance in customer service levels.” says ATSI President Allan Fromm. “We congratulate Hastings Communication Services, Inc. for their achievements.”
Now an eleven-time winner, Hastings Communication Services, Inc. earned the Diamond Award for eleven consecutive years.
ATSI extends its congratulations to the staff of Hastings Communication Services, Inc. on their proven quality service to their customers.
About ATSI
The Association of TeleServices International was founded in 1942 as a national trade association representing live answering services. ATSI now encompasses companies across the United States offering specialized and enhanced operator based services including: call centers, contact centers, inbound telemarketing (order entry), paging, voice messaging, emergency dispatch, fax, and internet services among others.
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Hastings Selected as Finalist in Ethics in Business Awardstag:www.hastings.com,2008:/news//1.332008-02-27T05:55:19Z2008-03-17T18:12:10ZAUSTIN, Texas, February 26, 2008– Hastings Communication Services, Inc. is selected as a Finalist in the business category for the...AUSTIN, Texas, February 26, 2008– Hastings Communication Services, Inc. is selected as a Finalist in the business category for the Ethics in Business Awards. The Awards, a partnership this year between the Samaritan Counseling Center and the College of Business at Concordia University Texas, were launched in 2002 to recognize exemplary ethical standards and practices by businesses, nonprofit organizations and individuals in Central Texas.
“We are honored and proud to have been selected as a finalist in the prestigious Ethics in Business Award,” says Mark Hastings, president and co-owner of Hastings Communication Services. “Our company continually strives to uphold the highest standards in dealings with its staff, customers, vendors and the community.”
Kirk Watson, Texas State Senator and honorary chair of the 6th Annual Ethics in Business Awards, presented the award to TyRex Group, Ltd in the business category. Austin Habitat for Humanity received the nonprofit award and Rose Lancaster was chosen in the individual category.
Other finalists in each category are: Business: Alpha Capital Management, Boggy Creek Farm, Bridge 360, Chez Zee, Wells Fargo Bank; Non-Profit: Capital Idea, College Forward, El Buen Samaritano, St. David’s Healthcare, Scott & White Health Plan, Scott & White University Medical Campus, Sustainable Food Center, Waterloo Counseling Center; Individual: Rich Goldstein, Walter Moreau.
The candidates were researched by students from Concordia College of Business with help from students from the University of Texas McCombs School of Business. Civic, education and business leaders with expertise in ethics selected the award recipients. The Ethics in Business research process gives business students real world experience in studying ethical practices.
For more information on the Ethics in Business award program visit www.samaritan-center.org.
About Hastings Communication Services, Inc.
For almost 60 years, Hastings Communication Services has provided live telephone answering service and other communication services in the Austin area. Founded in 1948 Hastings Communication Services now employs 35 men and women.
-30-
For further information about this press release contact:
Mark Hastings,
Hastings Communication Services, Inc.
www.hastings.com
(512) 476-6358.
Heidi Gibbons
Samaritan Counseling Center
451-7337 x 117.
Download a PDF version of this release here. ]]>
Explosions? Power outages? Just another day at the office.tag:www.hastings.com,2007:/news//1.322007-08-30T19:37:25Z2007-08-31T14:28:46ZWe had just sat down for a meeting when we heard a loud crash. The lights went out. The power...
loud crash. The lights went out. The power flickered on briefly, but was followed by another bang, and we were left in the dark again.
We went outside to see what had happened. It looked like a power line was down, and a couple of transformers had exploded. After we called the fire department, I went downstairs to our operations room. I was sure our TSR's had heard those explosions, and I wanted to let them know what was going on.
I came into the operations room, and everything was as I expected. There was no panic or chaos. All our “Hastings Humans” were busy handling our clients’ calls as if nothing had happened. That's because, well, nothing did happen.
Let me explain.
Years ago, we installed a large uninterruptable power supply (UPS), anticipating an event like the one today. All our critical systems are tied into the UPS, and actually run from it 24-hours a day. The power we get from Austin Energy continually recharges the batteries. That's right, we're running on battery power all day, every day. That means when the power goes out, there's no blip, no switch to flip. We answer our clients calls as if nothing happened.
But we can run on battery power alone for only about 30 minutes. So what happens when the power stays off for longer than that (like today)?
In case of extended outages, we have a gas generator to provide additional power. Our automated systems detect a power outage instantly, and the generator kicks in on its own within seconds. The electricity from the generator power the UPS batteries, and the UPS batteries power our critical systems.
Our clients choose Hastings partly because they know us as a robust, dependable partner. We've offered our services 24-hours a day since November of 1948. That means we will do everything we can to ensure that even unexpected events - like today's - don't interrupt the service we provide to you.
The lights just came back on in my office. Back to work now, as if nothing happened.]]>
Remote Receptionisttag:www.hastings.com,2007:/news//1.312007-08-09T13:17:19Z2007-08-09T21:52:15ZRemote Receptionist is arguably the most versatile of our services. It can encompass the features of live telephone answering, order...
contact us!]]>
Your Excellent Receptionist - Out to Lunch?tag:www.hastings.com,2007:/news//1.302007-08-01T13:32:52Z2007-08-20T17:49:54ZIf your office has a receptionist, you know having an excellent receptionist is a great thing. Your receptionist’s hands fly...
Uhura opening hailing frequencies. She (or he) knows precisely what to say even to the most exasperated caller, and exactly where in the company to direct the call – and can do so in an instant, with grace and confidence.
Now, it’s lunchtime. Take a gander at who is answering the phone. Is it someone with all the qualities listed above? Is it –heaven forbid– you?
Oftentimes, the person next in line to answer the phone is someone who’s regular job is quite different. They’ve been asked to answer the phone and continue their regular duties - in which case they will likely do neither very well. Or, they’re expected to drop whatever projects they are working on and answer the phone. Now they're getting paid to do something other than what they really get paid to do.
In either case, is this the best use of your time, or your employee’s time, and your company’s money?
Hastings can fill that gap for you, providing the quality receptionist service you need and expect. We will answer the calls your receptionist can’t, and direct those calls to just the right people in your company. Lunchtime, staff meetings, after hours, you name it. All with the personal touch your callers have come to expect.
Contact us: we'll do lunch.]]>
Where's that “other” Hastings...?tag:www.hastings.com,2007:/news//1.282007-07-27T18:42:14Z2008-04-14T16:59:13ZWe get many newcomers to our site that are looking for “Hastings,” but don’t expect to find a successful communication...
www.whoishastings.com
From there, you should find links and other contact information for that other “Hastings” you desire.
But before you leave, bookmark us! You never know when you might need a top-notch call center to do your bidding.
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HIPAA Compliance: Where Hastings Can Helptag:www.hastings.com,2007:/news//1.272007-07-26T18:33:19Z2007-07-26T18:54:23ZIf you are part of the medical community, you know you must comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability...
Hastings Humans) are trained and prepared to operate in a manner that meet your HIPAA requirements.
Further, if you need secure email delivery of your messages, Hastings offers TLS-based message delivery. TLS is a messaging standard that allows your messages to be delivered from Hastings servers to TLS-compliant servers (such as TLS-enhanced Microsoft Exchange servers) through a secure, encrypted channel.
To access faxes in a secure manner, Hastings offers password protected fax mail. With Hastings Fax Mail service, your faxes arrive on our server, where they stay until you are ready to retrieve them. Then you print your faxes by entering a password from your own fax machine. Or you can view and retrieve your faxes wherever you are by accessing a secure website Hastings maintains for you, or by having the fax document securely emailed to you.
To demonstrate your compliance with HIPAA, Hastings also provides a Business Associate Agreement. When completed, the agreement serves as an indication that you are working with Hastings in a manner consistent with the privacy policies required by HIPAA. If you are using Hastings, we suggest you keep a signed copy of the agreement on file, in the event you need to demonstrate you are acting in accordance with the HIPAA.
While we can provide you with tools and services to help you comply with HIPAA, Hastings doesn’t offer advice or guidance on what you need to do to comply. For more information on HIPAA specifics, you should visit the HIPAA home page, or consult with your attorney.
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Excellence Earns Diamond Awardtag:www.hastings.com,2007:/firstblog//1.222007-06-23T19:14:41Z2007-07-20T06:18:30ZHastings Communication Services today announced it was awarded the prestigious Diamond Award of Excellence from the Association of TeleServices International,...
Diamond Award of Excellence from the Association of TeleServices International, a trade association for telephone answering services, voice-mail services, and other communication service companies. The award was created to recognize excellence in customer service.
“The Award of Excellence demonstrates the investment made by Hastings and the commitment of our employees to providing the best service possible to our clients,” said Scott Hastings, co-owner of Hastings Communication Services. “We are extremely proud of our Hastings Humans for their outstanding performance.”
Hastings was selected for the Award of Excellence through a process that begins with a series of “mystery” calls over a six-month period to Hastings agents who provide service to Hastings clients. These calls are recorded, and the recordings are reviewed by an independent panel of judges for call-handling skills, including courtesy, response time, accuracy, and overall customer service. Only those firms with an excellent score in all categories are presented with the coveted Award of Excellence.
The Diamond Award of Excellence specifically recognizes those firms which have achieved the Award of Excellence for ten consecutive years.
“Participation in the Award of Excellence program and winning of the award shows the commitment and dedication of our members toward achieving service excellence in their business,” said ATSI’s President, Ray Shaw.
Over 130 firms competed for the Award of Excellence in 2007. Only five firms were awarded the Diamond Award of Excellence at the ATSI Awards Ceremony at the Antlers Hilton, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Hastings is one of only seven firms internationally who have achieved the Award of Excellence for ten or more years.]]>
Live Telephone Answering Service: A Closer Looktag:www.hastings.com,2005:/firstblog//1.242006-10-21T14:56:05Z2007-08-10T18:49:00ZOf every ten business calls, seven callers never have the opportunity to speak to a human being. That means only...
only three in every ten callers actually talk to a real person.
A live, person-to-person conversation has a strong impact on your relationship with your customer; it provides a level of immediacy, authenticity, professionalism and trust that is otherwise difficult to acheive.
Our job is to make that conversation possible, whenever your customers call.
A telephone answering service (or,“telemessaging,”as the cool kids say these days) provides your callers 24-hour telephone access to your firm, and provides you with the confidence that your firm's business and it's image is protected and enhanced every day of the week. We accomplish this at a fraction of the cost of adding to your staff.
When someone calls your office, the call is routed to us by your telephone company's call-forwarding service. Or, the call may come to us through our voice mail system, a“1-800 number,”or even through a local number we provide just for your business.
Your call is answered by a trained telephone secretary, who answers the phone just as you instruct. Our telephone secretaries already have information you've provided about your company and your staff at their fingertips.
The combination of that information and our telephone secretary's training in call-control and etiquette reveal an important key to our business: armed with knowledge, courtesy and skill, your telephone secretary instills confidence in the caller. Assured they've reached the right person to help them, the caller provides the information you need to follow up on the call.
We handle live telemessaging accounts ranging from simple,“name and number” accounts, to highly complex accounts for large firms with hundreds of employees. You can arrange separate call-handling information and instructions for various departments, employees, or products. We can link your account to our order entry system for order processing or other information capture services. We can even connect callers directly to you or your staff using our Remote Receptionist service.
But our job is not complete until the message is delivered to you. The most common methods of delivery are
Emailing, where the full text of the message is dropped directly into your email inbox immediately after the call.
Texting, where the text of the message is delivered directly to your cellphone.
Faxing, where the message is delivered to your fax machine immediately, on a daily or weekly schedule, or only when you call and request it.
Hasty Checkin, a voice mail box where the telephone secretary records the message immediately after the call, and you pick up the message at your convenience. Hasty Checkin can even call you or email you when a new message arrives.
By combining our training, your information and instructions, and prompt and efficient message delivery, your partnership with Hastings will improve your image and your bottom line.
Still scratching your head? Send your questions to ask@hastings.com
or call 1-888-HASTINGS (1-888-427-8464)]]>
Award of Excellence Presented to Hastingstag:www.hastings.com,2007:/firstblog//1.212006-06-26T22:01:29Z2007-07-20T06:08:13ZHastings Communication Services, Inc. of Austin, TX has been honored with the exclusive 2006 Award of Excellence for the ninth...
2006 Award of Excellence for the ninth year. The award is presented annually by the Association of TeleServices International (ATSI), the industry's trade association for providers of telecommunications and call centre services including telephone answering and message delivery. Hastings Communication Services, Inc. was presented with the award at ATSI's 2006 Annual Convention held at Holiday Inn by the Bay, Portland, ME.
After six months of intensive testing, an independent panel of judges scored call-handling skills such as courtesy, response time, accuracy and overall service to their clients, the cornerstones of the call management industry. If a company scored 80% or better in ALL categories, they are presented with the coveted Award of Excellence.
"Participating in and earning the Award of Excellence is one of the highest achievements in our industry. It is a true testament in striving to go above and beyond to deliver excellence in customer service," states Lori Jenkins, ATSI President.
Now a nine-time winner, Hastings Communication Services, Inc. has earned the Sapphire Award for nine years of excellent service. ATSI extends its congratulations to the staff of Hastings Communication Services, Inc. on their proven quality service to their customers.
About ATSI
The Association of TeleServices International was founded in 1942 as a national trade association representing live answering services. ATSI now encompasses companies across the United States offering specialized and enhanced operator based services including: call centers, contact centers, inbound telemarketing (order entry), paging, voice messaging, emergency dispatch, fax, and internet services among others.]]>
“HIPAA” Forms Available for Downloadtag:www.hastings.com,2006:/firstblog//1.202006-01-23T06:09:54Z2007-07-20T05:49:27ZTo assist our clients comply with the HIPAA regulations, we have a Business Associate Agreement that was developed by our...
ATSI).
Follow these steps to complete the Business Associate Agreement with Hastings:
Open and print the agreement using the free Adobe Reader.
Complete and sign the agreement.
Mail or Fax the agreement to Hastings. Our mailing address and fax numbers are:
Hastings Communication Services, Inc.
825 West 11th Street
Austin, Texas 78701
Fax: (512) 472-1558
We will then sign the agreement as well, and send it back to you.
If you have any questions regarding the Agreement's applicability to your firm or how to complete it, please contact us by phone at (512) 476-6358 or by e-mail at hipaaagreement@hastings.com.]]>
Outstanding Service Earns National Awardtag:www.hastings.com,2005:/firstblog//1.192005-06-28T01:14:23Z2007-07-20T01:18:11ZHastings Communication Services, Inc. of Austin, TX has been honored with the exclusive 2005 Award of Excellence for the eighth...
ATSI), the industry's trade association for providers of telecommunications and call centre services including telephone answering and message delivery. Hastings Communication Services, Inc. was presented with the award at ATSI's 2005 Annual Convention held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in St. Louis, MO.
After six months of intensive testing, an independent panel of judges scored call-handling skills such as courtesy, response time, accuracy and overall service to their clients, the cornerstones of the call management industry. If a company scored 80% or better in ALL categories, they are presented with the coveted Award of Excellence.
"The Award of Excellence program is without a doubt one of the most cost effective, revenue producing, and morale building ways available to our industry to gain an overall positive improvement for your business," says ATSI President Gary Tedrick.
Now an eight-time winner, Hastings Communication Services, Inc. has earned the Ruby Award for eight consecutive years of excellent service. ATSI extends its congratulations to the staff of Hastings Communication Services, Inc. on their proven quality service to their customers.
About ATSI
The Association of TeleServices International was founded in 1942 as a national trade association representing live answering services. ATSI now encompasses companies across the United States offering specialized and enhanced operator based services including: call centers, contact centers, inbound telemarketing (order entry), paging, voice messaging, emergency dispatch, fax, and internet services among others.]]>
Hastings Joins Relief Effort to Help Tsunami Victimstag:www.hastings.com,2005:/firstblog//1.12005-01-08T18:16:00Z2007-07-20T01:11:18Z“Hastings Humans” to answer pledge phones during Tsunami Relief benefit concertScott
Hastings Communication Services has joined with organizers of this Sunday’s Tsunami Relief benefit concert to answer their phone lines and take pledges to help victims of the deadly Tsunamis that struck on December 26, 2004.
“We at Hastings are certainly pleased that [concert organizers]Mike Hall [with Texas Monthly], Andy Langer [with News 8 Austin], and Bill Stotesbury [with KLRU] asked for our assistance in this benefit event,” said Mark Hastings, president of Hastings Communication Services. “We hope our energy and expertise will help the organizers concentrate their entire efforts on helping the victims of this unprecedented tragedy.”
The concert, scheduled for 7 p.m. this Sunday, January 9, at the Austin Music Hall, is slated to feature top-shelf performers such as Willie Nelson, Patty Griffin, Spoon, Bruce Robison, Kelly Willis and Alejandro Escovedo.
In conjunction with the benefit concert, the organizers will provide a telephone number to call and make contributions. Those calls are routed to Hastings’ Austin-based call center, where representatives (sometimes referred to as, “Hastings Humans”) will answer and accept each pledge, and gather the information needed to complete the transaction. Then, after thanking each caller for their generous contribution, Hastings securely delivers their pledge to Tsunami Relief.
“We’re confident the generous nature of Austinites will keep us very busy,” Mr. Hastings said. To make a contribution to Tsunami Relief from Austin to South Asia, call: 482-1387 (or call toll-free: 1-800-263-4099)
Founded in 1948 by Ann Hastings as Austin’s premier telephone answering service, Hastings Communication Services provides exceptional call center services for businesses and organizations in Austin, and across the nation. Hastings is recognized internationally for its quality of service, and has been awarded numerous times for its excellent level of customer service.
ABJ: Heeding the Business Calltag:www.hastings.com,2003:/news//1.292003-08-20T21:07:53Z2007-08-03T18:51:00ZWe had a nice write-up in the Austin Business Journal earlier this week. Here's a link to the article: Heeding...
Heeding the Business Call]]>
Download a PDF version of this release here. ]]>
Business Associate Agreement