The Upper Hand Ltd
Reliable Connections Take Custom Design Client Care to the Next Level
The Upper Hand Ltd is an Edmonton-based glass and closet organizer company that works with the city’s most trusted builders, renovators, and interior designers. In business for almost 20 years, and with over 50 years of trade experience across their small but mighty team, the company uses their talent and skills to create premium custom interiors.
Owner Scott Fenrich has expanded the business to include both a workshop and a 1,000-square foot showroom to present the kind of work they can do. Those spaces are powered by Shaw Business, because having fast, reliable WiFi is integral to their work. “People come in and we design things together,” says Scott. “We will 3D-design closet and glass projects right in front of the clients’ eyes.”
They decided on SmartWiFi 300 for that very reason, so they can provide a high-powered connection for both their team and their customers. “Clients are very visual, they want to show you exactly what they’re thinking,” says Scott. “Without reliable WiFi things would come to a standstill on both the sales and design end.”
On top of the showroom, the team has an adjacent manufacturing facility that’s over 5,000 square feet — meaning they have a lot of real estate to power and protect. The Upper Hand added Shaw Business’ SmartSurveillance to their portfolio to help alleviate any concerns in that area. “We want to protect the employees, the space, and the valuables inside, so we had four cameras installed,” says Scott.
“It’s incredible to get those alerts to your mobile because it gives you real time monitoring — a report and some video every time someone’s at your door.”
The security of their clients’ information is also a top priority, which is where Shaw Business’ SmartSecurity comes in. That’s why all their billing, sales, and designs are protected via a Shaw Business firewall. “It’s extremely important to us,” says Scott. “If that information was gone or wasn’t protected it would be a tragedy. The client is always going to be protected with us.”
In the design and construction business you’re out and about quite a bit, so being mobile with your office makes all the difference.
That level of client care extends even to their phone lines. Scott and his team use Shaw Business’ SmartVoice in order to always be available, even when they’re out in the field. “We use the Webex app all the time,” he says. “I like to separate my personal mobile number from my business number and still be able to communicate with customers when I’m away from my desk.” “It gives you the ability to be at the office no matter where you are in the world,” says Scott. “In the design and construction business you’re out and about quite a bit, so being mobile with your office makes all the difference.”
And for those calls that come into the showroom, SmartVoice’s Auto-Attendant feature helps smooth the process out to make it as easy and efficient as possible. “We’re not a big enough company to justify having a receptionist, but at the same time we realize when people phone they want to get to the right department,” says Scott. “With Auto-Attendant, we’re able to facilitate that for people. You’re not playing the game of ‘hold on’ — they get directed right away.”
In a business where you’re bringing a client’s vision to life, being able to communicate clearly from no matter where you are can make all the difference. “We’re in a unique business,” says Scott. “A lot of it’s going to come down to the internet end of things, so it helps to be plugged in no matter where you are.”