Technically speaking: Allen Whitaker, manager of Velosity Electronics, explains the link between good technology and customer service

As the manager of Velosity Electronics in Cape Girardeau, Allen Whitaker specializes in helping customers find products and services that will make their lives easier -- and maybe a little more fun, too. At the same time he provides this customer service, he's often equipping business-owners to provide great customer service of their own.

"Spending a little more on your technology up front and staying up to date can save thousands on recurring computer/network issues," says Whitaker. "The right technology also make a business much more efficient, being able to do more with less."

Read on for more insight to how good technology relates to better customer service:

Business Today: How did you get into the technology business and what do you enjoy about it?

Allen Whitaker: I got into the business by doing personal enrichment education to maintain my own network at home. That slowly evolved into me helping friends and family set up in-home servers, surveillance systems and virus removal. Later on I graduated with my computer networking degree from Southeast Missouri State University. Following graduation, Eric and Ryan from Velosity hired me and the rest is history. I've been here doing it ever since.

I enjoy the change of work and high-pace atmosphere. Everyone at Velosity is well-versed in everything from fixing an Xbox to an enterprise-level server and everything in between. This allows us to change up the work we do each day to keep things fun and fresh. I also enjoy staying up with bleeding-edge technology, as with how quickly it is changing, I feel it's good to know what is available not only in my work but also personal life. Technology makes our lives easier and more enjoyable, as we have access to more information and tools than ever before.

BT: What is something many people don't know about your business?

Whitaker: Surprisingly, most people don't know that we hand-build all of our computers (excluding laptops). This is for a very specific reason: we know what is going into the computer. Many people get the big name brands thinking they are getting the best available. This may or may not be the case, but you won't know until after the fact. The big name brands very rarely disclose the exact parts going into the computer. We are happy to disclose every component in our systems.

BT: What products or services are most in demand at Velosity?

Whitaker: Being in the technology business, just about all of our services are in high demand. In today's society we are very dependent on technology. Whether it is your desktop/laptop at the office or your smartphone when you're on the go, you just need your technology to work, and that is exactly what Velosity specializes in.

BT: For the technology field in general, what's growing or changing? What do you see in the future for businesses like yours?

Whitaker: Cloud services and virtualization of computers is growing very rapidly. The technology has been around for quite some time, but is just now starting to make its way into the mainstream as a viable option for small business. As a result, we have shifted our offerings to include cloud options to small business. While cloud and virtualization technology are the top buzzwords in I.T. currently, they are not for everyone. We work with customers on a case-by-case basis to find the best solution for them. We always try to stay as nimble as possible in this business and ready to embrace change, because that is all that technology does: change.

BT: What does good customer service mean at Velosity Electronics?

Whitaker: Good customer service means we cater to the needs of the customer. We recognize that everyone's technology needs vary greatly and we need to be able and willing to accommodate those needs accordingly on a per-customer bases. Our goal is to provide the highest quality service and products at a competitive price. We feel like customer service is one of the hardest challenges in the technology industry, but we make a constant effort to review and improve our customer service based on customer feedback.

BT: How does top-notch technology help a business perform better?

Whitaker: Downtime is a killer for business. You might as well shut the doors and turn off the lights -- at least you will save money while you are down. With virtualization, professional grade network components, redundancy and proper preventive maintenance, downtime should be almost nonexistent. In the last 12 years Velosity has shown many customers that spending a little more on your technology up front and staying up to date can save thousands on recurring computer/network issues. The right technology also make a business much more efficient, being able to do more with less.

BT: On the flip side, how does outdated technology affect a business' service and reputation?

Whitaker: A business has to be functional in order to operate. If the computer/system is slow or dated, then the time it takes to accomplish a task will increase greatly, adding to costs and employee frustration. When employees get frustrated, that frustration gets passed on to the customers. Additionally, by having outdated systems and software, you may not be offering your customers all the amenities that your competition might already offer -- for instance, an online customer portal that is integrated into your customer management or billing software.

BT: Anything else you'd like to add?

Whitaker: We at Velosity are able to be here because of our community's support and customer loyalty. We genuinely try our best every day to ensure that Cape Girardeau has a "computer guy" as a friend. This is what we would want if we didn't know computers ourselves.