Case study:iiNet has been with us since we first started the business and we really trust their advice.
Renee Welsh
Codename:Tuesday
"As a small business we’re price sensitive so iiNet’s packages are fantastic. They are very affordable and the level of service that you get is far better than any other provider I’ve dealt with. These are key things for our business – great customer service and highly competitive packages."
Codename:Tuesday is a Digital Marketing and IT consulting firm providing small to medium sized organisations affordable and specialised expertise in the tourism and entertainment industry.
Started in 2006 by husband and wife team, Renee and Andy Welsh, Codename:Tuesday also develops and provides a high performing online booking system for the travel, entertainment and tourism industry called Booking Boss.
"When you call iiNet, you always speak to someone straight away and they know what they’re talking about…"
Alongside the challenge of managing business success and growth, so too the challenge of managing the communications needs of the business and the right partner was needed to help transition Codename: Tuesday from a start up to an established operation.
Starting the business in their mid-twenties, like many start ups, Renee and Andy were full of energy for launching and building their dream business. But they realised soon enough that having the energy to run the business was not enough, and they needed to find that niche that would allow them to grow and diversify the business. There were many booking systems around at the time and finding a point of differentiation was proving a challenge. They needed to get ahead of the pack.
With over 10 years travel and digital industry experience, Renee’s business marketing and Andy’s developer background, they had all the skills to achieve success, but needed the right idea to channel their smarts.
Following a period of research, Renee and Andy saw an opportunity to develop a booking platform that serviced the complete travel and entertainment business needs of their customers. No one else was doing this at the time, and so Booking Boss was launched. Booking Boss is a complete travel solution for leisure operators that allow the operators to manage their entire business in one place and connect them to their customers more efficiently It reduces the need for the original booking agent to double handle the customer, and allows the customer to self-manage their entertainment bookings, be this a tour, a stage show or an activity booking.
Over the years, Codename:Tuesday’s telecommunications needs have changed and grown substantially since its early days as a small digital agency.
Originally the business required basic internet connection as they didn’t have high volume usage, but once Booking Boss was launched, their business expanded and so too their communication needs.
“Throughout the years as our business grew, we changed business premises a number of times. With iiNet, we haven’t had to change telephone numbers, or notify customers, as we have taken them with us. This has been really helpful. This service made life easier – which is really key for us,” said Renee
“We don’t have any connectivity lapses or outages. We get a notification well in advance when our usage is being maxed, so we can either reduce our usage or add more funds to the account if we know we are going to have a big month. This too is helpful in managing our costs and our usage, and means we never get bill shock.”
Initially iiNet provided a basic internet package to support the start ups’ every day business needs. Fast forward and Codename:Tuesday is now using iiNet’s Naked DSL to accommodate Booking Boss’ bandwidth requirements.
For small businesses, Naked DSL cuts the fat out of the broadband bill, delivering full speed ADSL2+ broadband without the cost of landline phone rental. Codename:Tuesday is also using iiNet’s Business Phone, which offers great value for the business.
“iiNet has been with us since we first started the business and we really trust their advice. They certainly move with the times and provide us with appealing plans, but more importantly, they have great customer service.
“When you call them, you always speak to someone straight away and they know what they’re talking about. So you don’t go to half a dozen different departments to get an answer. I really value the fact that I get an answer straight away. For a fast moving business like ours, there’s a huge level of comfort in that. Like all small businesses, I am time poor and need to get things resolved quickly,” said Renee.
As Booking Boss is an online system, Codename:Tuesday cannot afford to have connectivity issues when customers rely on the platform being available 24x7, 365 days a year.
“We don’t have any connectivity lapses or outages. We get a notification well in advance when our usage is being maxed, so we can either reduce our usage or add more funds to the account if we know we are going to have a big month. This too is helpful in managing our costs and our usage, and means we never get bill shock,” added Renee.
iiNet’s competitive and flexible small business packages suit Codename:Tuesday’s business growth perfectly. Once a year, Renee calls iiNet to discuss their business requirements and iiNet recommends suitable packages to meet their growing business needs. Being on the right package not only ensures Codename:Tuesday’s business needs are being met, but also that costs are well managed.
Booking Boss has been so successful, that Codename:Tuesday plans to expand the online booking platform internationally in 2013. Renee has no doubt that iiNet is going to be able to help them through this next growth phase.
“We’re expecting really significant growth, locally and internationally – which is exciting for us. We know that iiNet will be able to meet our new business requirements and advise us accordingly, and will make sure that we are on the right package for the right price,” concluded Renee.