Saturday, March 27, 2010

Switch to a Digital Phone System

Cut your costs and Save the hassle of waiting on the phone company

More people are saving money with new technology, digital phone service uses a high speed internet connection to operate your telephone service and no longer do phone users have to wait for their analog phone service to get fixed.

There are various Internet voice options and features to utilize with digital phone systems, but first you must take the steps to get started.

Selecting a internet voice provider suitable for your needs will depend on how many lines you need, if you already have high speed internet, how many international calls you plan to make and several other factors. When you buy your internet voice package it should include a telephone adapter box, an Ethernet wire, and a telephone wire.

How many phones do you want to connect to your internet voice system?

If you only have one line then hook it up right near your cable modem and telephone adapter are placed. To connect several phones, it is easiest to disconnect your outside telephone junction box and then connect your new telephone adapter through your house wiring system.
Alternatively you could wire the phones on your internet line separate from your regular house phones. Using a cordless phone would work well in this case because you wouldn't have to deal with all the wires.

When you sign up with your internet voice provider, you'll be able to choose the phone number you want for your new line and it'll get taken care of. If you are converting from an older analog phone there is a slight chance that you won't be able to use your old number. After you receive the voice package from your provider usually you will have to register online to confirm your address and phone number.

Connecting everything is a piece of cake, just connect the new telephone adapter to your high speed internet connection and then hook up your phone. Connecting and fixing digital phone service is a whole lot less hassle then traditional phone service because instead of waiting hours and hours for a person to come service your phone all you have to do use your internet connection.

Digital Business Phone Systems

An important aspect of communication for businesses is a digital business phone system, which provides a way to be in touch with all of your clients and customers as well as the partners and employees within your company.

Many options are available with digital phone systems, to decide what system is suitable you should consider the size of your business and how many phones you would need. When selecting which digital business phone service to buy, you must ensure that the brand is a quality make and it has all the features you need for the business communication system.

Don't hesitate to ask questions about different telephonic systems because you want to feel confident that the system you buy is exactly what you need. You should ask how much space the telephones occupy, if any wiring is required and if there are any extra attachments.

Ask around to other people you know who have bought digital business phone systems about how efficient it works and if there are any details to check before purchasing a telephone system. You can also investigate different brands and features online through the various business phone system retailers and manufacturers.

When planning to buy a digital business phone system, make sure your new system is compatible with the accessories you already use such as your current voice mail system.
It's better to choose a phone system that has spare parts and accessories you can easily find in electronics stores so that when you need them you can purchase them right off the shelf instead of ordering them and having to wait for them to come in the mail.

Don't forget to test the system before finishing the purchase to make sure it is working efficiently and so you don't have to come back with second thoughts.

If you have employees in your company, who work from their homes, installing the Voice over Internet Protocol is an option to bring down the costs of communication. Once you look into these basic things, your Digital business Phone system will be fully functional.

Cleaning up Fire Damage - Restoration Professionals are the Experts

 When there is a building fire, property owners usually are left with the hazardous aftermath. Not only is it a disaster of mess to clean up but fire damage is also very dangerous to deal with. Restoration professionals are experts in cleaning up fire damage and would be the best people to use to do the cleanup from a house fire.

An overwhelming mess of smoke, debris, damage, and soot are what victims of fire damage have left over after the flames are put out. The thick smell of smoke remains in the house making it extremely unhealthy to inhale the trapped toxins and subsequently very dangerous to cleanup the damage. Walls and ceilings are burnt black, the floors are covered in soot and debris, and what is left of the house is not only hazardous but traumatic to the victims of fire damage. Cleanup of fire damage should be left to restoration professionals because they have experience dealing with fire damage and the hazards associated with the remains.

As many victims of fire damage know, the aftermath of a home fire is an exhausting mess of debris, smoke damage and soot. Walls are stained black, floors are covered in soot, and ceilings are black. The lingering smell of smoke can be overwhelming and debris can be dangerous to navigate. These leftover remnants are not only hazardous, but are also a terrible reminder of a time that victims most likely would prefer to forget. Fire damage cleanup is a difficult task that is best left to professionals.

Professionals in restoration have expertise in salvaging whats left and preventing additional unneeded damage. Items that only have minor fire damage can be taken care of with professional cleaning services. Some items can even be refurbished to look brand new again. The smell of smoke trapped in the house can be eliminated with deodorization cleaning.

Carpets and fabrics are easily stained with soot. A fire restoration professional can removed soot stains with an industrial vacuum cleaner. Carpets covered in soot will need to be professionally cleaned and the walls will have to be scrubbed to move all the smoke stains. Hiring a fire damage restoration company would be ideal because they are experienced in handling toxic chemicals and deep stains.

Restoration professionals never use water-based cleaners to get rid of smoke stains because those only make the stains soak deeper and would make it almost impossible to get rid of.
 
Since smoke seeps into the vents, walls and fabrics in a home, the first odor fogging doesn't remove the smell and a odor neutralizer surely is not strong enough either. It is important to have a professional come in and deodorize the entire house multiple time to prevent the smoke smell from coming back. If the smell still lingers after deodorization, the professionals might suggest you replace the insulation in the attic because insulation absorbs odors the most.

Safety Hazards of Fire Damaage

Fire damage is not only devastating at the time your property is up in flames, but also after the fire department has extinguished the fire you are left with water damage and a real mess to cleanup. When your home or business suffers from fire damage, it may be extremely overwhelming to even think about restoring your property, but getting everything back to normal can be painless when you follow certain procedures. To ensure that you can restore your property back to a safe condition, you must be careful while following these steps to avoid any injuries.

First you must closely search your property for any structural damage to the ceilings, walls, floors, and stairs before moving on to examining other damages. Water damage could effect electrical systems so it's imperative that you approach all damages with extreme caution. Dealing with your restoration job by hiring a professional would be the best choice because they are trained to deal with potentially dangerous fire and water damage.

The main trouble when your property is damaged by fire is cleaning up the “disaster”. When an area is directly damage by fire it most likely will need to be remodeled in order to restore the building structural and stability. The smell of smoke left behind after a fire is almost impossible to get rid of and could potentially cause health risks. Take all the larger debris away from your home as soon as possible after a fire. To avoid and decrease damage in your home or office, there are a few easy methods to ensure safety and eliminate fire hazards.
Smoke damage is the main by-product of fires and ventilation will help air out some of the trapped smoke.

Many fires are the result of overheating of electrical wires, accidents, and poorly placed space heaters. Do not leave candles unattended or placed too close to fabric or other flammable objects and you'll have one less fire hazard to worry about.

Water Damage After a Fire

With a house fire, fire and water damage go hand in hand, both are equally dangerous. While fire destroys the structure of your home making it unstable and highly unsafe, water damage will deteriorate the structure with harmful mold and mildew. After a house fire, you should avoid entering your home until a professional can come inspect it for safety. It is important that you take precautions and always call a profession restoration company to deal with fire and water damage cleanup and restoration. Even if you feel that you fully understand the dangers of fire and water damage, a professional needs to check your house for hazards and safety risks.

The most important thing to keep in mind with fire damage is that the most toxic part of the fire is not the fire itself, it's the smoke it emits. Smoke contains highly toxic materials that could act as a irritant or a disabling drug, depending on what type of smoke. It would not be hard for a fire to fill your house with flames within a few minutes while it destroys all your possessions leaving a pungent smoke smell that is extremely difficult to remove. In a house fire, smoke travels through your plumbing and pipes, dispersing all throughout your house.

When the firemen are extinguishing the fire, the water pressure of their hoses is so strong it ends up leaving water damage. Water damage is similar to fire damage in the sense that it destroys your home's structure but instead of destroying the home on surface, as fire does, water damage rots away the inside first. The biggest danger of water damage is mold and mildew growth, which can lead to severe health risks and problems. Water damaged property is a breeding ground for these growths because mold and mildew thrive on damp, humid conditions. It's crucial to your health that a professional comes to dry up the excess moisture in your house because inhaling large amounts of mold or mildew could lead to immune disorders, cancer and other pathogenic diseases.

When combined together, fire and water damage can completely destroy your home. While both types of damage present separate dangers, they are incredibly hazardous and harmful and you need to do everything possible to prevent them from occurring. After a house fire, make sure contact a professional restoration company before reentering your house.

Monday, March 22, 2010

What to ask your computer technician

Before you decide to drop your computer off at a local computer repair service, or call the company to come for in-home or in-business service, there are some extremely important questions you should ask.

Look at some of these important questions below, along with the answers you should expect to receive. If you don't get acceptable answers to these questions, it might be time to look for a different local computer repair service.

How much will you charge per hour?"

You’d think that asking for the cost of a service would be one of the first questions that a customer asks, but surprisingly many customers forget to ask before hand and then are shocked when the service bill is higher than they expected.

Always find out how much the cost per hour is for your computer repair service before you decide to have the computer repaired. Waiting until you receive the bill is not a wise idea because you already are obligated to pay whatever the hourly rate was for the service.

Expected Answer: "We charge ($90 to $125) per hour."

Rates vary for different services, and so do charging plans (some computer repair services will be billed per service), but $90 to $125USD per hour is average. That rate is an estimate but you need to be sure that you are receiving the highest quality computer repair service.

How Many Hours (@ _$/hr) Will it Take to Fix?"

You don’t want to find out it took over 5 hours at $90/hour to fix a certain computer problem when you could have just bought a new PC for half of that overall service bill. Getting an idea of how much the final bill will be is important because you might just end up wanting to buy a new computer for less. Sometime it would be cheaper just to buy a new computer instead of getting it fixed.

Expected Answer: "I cannot be completely sure, but usually these types of problems take about (x) hours to fix."

No computer repair service will be able to tell you with absolute certainty how many hours that a particular repair or service will take to fix without having already taken a look at the computer. If you only need a basic hardware replacement or software installation, you might be told a specific estimation, but other than that you should expect flexibility on the answer to this question.

Use your best judgment for the exact answer as to how many hours it will take question. Since you’re not an expert, it could be hard for you to be able to tell if the estimation you're given is exaggerated. If you’re in doubt, call around to check and get some other estimates from various computer repair services.

If you denied even a guess estimate on hours from a PC repair service then definitely don't do business with that company. You cannot be expected to make an agreement to have your computer fixed with no idea of the total cost.

"Is there a minimum charge?"

Not all of computer problems take numerous hours to repair. A computer repair service could only take 10 to 15 minutes to solve a particular problem. If your problem happens to be one of those "quick fixes" you should be aware of how you'll be charged for it.
The majority of computer repair services will charge you 1 hour of labor for any time up to one hour spent working on your PC. This is sometimes called a minimum charge and is completely normal.
If you’re lucky, your favorite local computer repair service will have a minimum bench charge of only 1/2 of their regular hour, but this is not seen very often.

"Should I expect any other charges than the hourly rate?"

Many services that we as consumers pay for in life are filled with hidden fees.

Expected Answer: "No."

It is not usual practice for a computer repair service to be charging extra fees for their standard services. Of course, if you will require replacement hardware or a new piece of software, you should expect to pay for that but you should not expect any extra sort of hidden fees or surcharges.
If you're told that there are extra fees by the company, be sure to get a list of them in writing for leaving your PC or requesting service in your home or business.

What does a computer tech do?

A computer repair tech installs, maintains and troubleshoots all types of computer software and hardware on a computer. He works together with a technical organization using the latest remote technology to log into the computer to solve any technical issues of all users or he works “in person” by going to the locations of the customers or clients.

Computer repair tech communicates with his or her customers about their computer issues, installation and repair of computer hardware or software. He/she is also responsible for giving individual and group classroom technical instruction to employees. After discussion of the computer problem with the PC users, he/she will offer specialized advice and successful solutions to the computer issues or upgrades to hardware and software.

Additionally, the computer repair tech deals with the bothersome and aggravating computer related issues, using his/her technician experience and special computer knowledge. He/she provides solution to a large array of questions, ranging from how to turn on a computer to troubleshooting Internet connection problems. The computer repair tech could be a permanent employee of a company or most of organizations hire computer techs on contract basis.

Customers view courteousness as a key part of the computer support service and furthermore want the support tech to always conduct their self with pleasant etiquette. The approach that a tech uses to explain the solution to the customer, demonstrates his/her good manners. A computer repair tech should illustrate to customers how the company feels about the particular issues through their speech and conversation proficiency.

When talking with a customer, a technician should be self-confident and should be passionate to strive to solve every issue perfectly. The technician’s effectiveness along with excellent time management while completing a job shows his/her ability to do the job.

High-quality customer support means providing the best support service and satisfying the customers so effectively that they would come back again. Sending them away happy so that they give positive feedback about your company to people they know, who then may come buy products or services from your company and eventually become regular customers.