Mindszenthy & Roberts Corp.

When the Rolling Stones performed the world's largest one day outdoor concert in Toronto during the summer of 2003, organizers called in Mindszenthy & Roberts Communications Counsel. With around 500,000 people attending the rock concert, they wanted to make sure the event didn't run into any trouble.

"We did all the issues and crisis planning and management before the concert and on site during the event, dealing with issues as they emerged so they wouldn't become a crisis," explains Bart Mindszenthy, co-owner of the Toronto-based consulting practice which specializes in conflict and crisis communications, issue management and major change and strategic communications planning.

Mindszenthy & Roberts was formed in 1990 after Bart, who previously managed a public relations company, met fellow PR executive Gail Roberts in the lawyer's office of Olympian sprinter Ben Johnson- to deal with the fallout from Johnson's infamous 1998 Olympics doping scandal.

Not long after, Bart and Gail became partners in both life and business. They decided to leave their management positions and launched their own firm -- opening Mindszenthy & Roberts in 1990.

"We go in to a company and identify what the threats are or could be and work to mitigate these problems and develop crisis and issues plans so companies are prepared," explains Bart of their consulting services.

Mindszenthy & Roberts have also created training programs relating to communications and change management that they license to organizations to help employees improve their communications and management skills.

Since opening, the company has worked with over 200 clients across the country, including Canada Life, Atomic Energy of Canada, B.C. Tel, CIBC, Canadian Red Cross, CN Rail, various departments of the Government of Canada, Kodak Canada, Labatt Breweries, Canadian Tire, and Inco.

Bart and Gail do not have any full-time staff, preferring instead to contract associates across the country on a case by case basis and building teams as needed to meet each client's needs.

With clients and consultants across the country, Bart and Gail spend a lot of time on the phone. Recently, they decided to upgrade their telephones from a Centrex system supplied by a competitor's service. Specifically they were looking for a system where they did not have to dial 9 to make an outgoing call, with additional phone lines at a competitive price, and a system compatible with smaller hands-free, wireless telephones with intercoms.

"We were probably the smallest company using the Centrex system which is really designed for a big company," explains Bart. "We wanted something with more flexibility and our telecommunications provider at the time couldn't offer us anything better.

Another concern for Bart and Gail was their monthly long distance bills. Some months the company was spending up to $500 on long distance fees.

"To reduce the costs we started buying calling cards and using them at work or making calls from home where we had a better rate on our long distance plan," explains Bart. "Neither option was convenient but we didn't have a choice. We couldn't get a good deal on our long distance rates with our provider because we weren't a big company with a high enough volume of calls to be eligible for mass discounts. This is hard on a small company as phone expenses can really add up."

Fortunately, an Allstream Small Business representative called and offered a solution. Allstream Small Business has four different phone and phone + Internet bundles to choose from, based on the size and scope of the company's communications requirements. All the packages are designed specifically for smaller businesses, which have a more modest operating scale and product needs than large firms, but still deserve cost-effective and high quality options. With Allstream Small Business there is no contract to sign and all services are combined in one monthly bill.

"The agent was terrific, understood our needs and came back very promptly with a comprehensive, no surprises proposal," says Bart. " Not only did it offer everything we wanted, but it costs 40% less a month than what we were previously paying."

Bart and Gail chose Allstream Small Business' Phone 500 bundle which includes two dedicated business lines, two free calling features, 500 U.S. and Canadian long distance minutes, and business listing in local white and yellow pages. They customized the package by selecting a toll-free line from the list of add-on services. They kept their existing phone number and did not have to sign a contract.

"The installation process was very smooth and without any work disruptions and we got lots of support," says Bart on making the transition from the competitor's service to Allstream Small Business. "Our representative even called afterwards to make sure everything was working okay. That means a lot -- in this day and age there seems to be lots of companies competing for your business, but not many offering much in the way of service."

Overall, Bart says he is completely satisfied with his switch to Allstream Small Business.

"A competitive price and good service means a lot to a small business," says Bart. "Now when I get my phone bill I smile instead of frown."