media room design boone nc |

photo NANCY PIERCE

Startup originated with requests from clients

Friday, May 7, 2010

Don Miller is living proof that customer service can make or break a business.

For five years, he was vice president of sales for a local company that installed electronic equipment in high-end homes. The recession hit the business hard, and it closed up shop.

But one of Miller’s customers urged him to start his own business so Miller could continue servicing the account. Two other customers stepped forward and invested the money Miller needed to go out on his own.

About a year ago, Miller opened Matthews-based Custom Installation Services. It provides audio-visual sales, service and installation at homes of all sizes, as well as at commercial properties such as bars and restaurants.

His initial clients are still sending him referrals.

“I’ve always been driven by customer service before, during and after the sale,” Miller says. “A big part of my success comes from them standing up to the plate for me.” The company is already debt-free, thanks to two strategies: keeping overhead low and using the Web.

The two strategies often merge. Miller has created a strong Web presence at www.cis-nc.com that draws customers but also eliminates the need for a showroom.

“By using my site as a virtual showroom, I don’t have to carry much inventory or pay a lot of rent,” Miller notes. When someone wants to actually see a system, satisfied customers often allow demonstrations in their homes.

Miller also produces a daily blog to drive traffic to his site and to stay informed on the latest technology offerings. He spends about 20 hours per week looking for relevant articles and including links to them from his blog.

“People who don’t stay up to date are left by the wayside,” he says. “If you can’t change fast enough, you get left by the wayside.”

QUICKINFO

DID YOU KNOW?
-To improve cash flow, Miller pays vendors upfront to get a cash discount. He employs two other staffers.

-Miller is a Pittsburgh native who came to Charlotte in 1994.

Charlotte Business Journal – by Bea Quirk Contributing writer
http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2010/05/10/smallb1.html?b=1273464000%5E3307321&s=industry&i=high_tech

Custom Installation Services, LLC – Charlotte and Boone NC’s Source For Quality Electronics From Onkyo, Marantz & More!

CIS - Charlotte NC's Source For 3D HDTV's & glasses From Samsung & Panasonic

Samsung and Panasonic 3D active shutter glasses rely on the same technology.

Ever since consumers realized active shutter glasses would indeed be the law of the land for 3D TV, they’ve begged for interoperability from brand to brand.

Judging by a recent comment from Samsung R&D chief Simon Lee, it looks like Samsung and Panasonic‘s glasses are so close, but so far away.

First reported by Home Cinema Choice, Samsung and Panasonic 3D active shutter glasses rely on the same technology, but the right and left eye sync are reversed. This means you can actually use one brand’s glasses with the other brand’s displays as long as you flip them upside down.

This almost seems like a slap in the face. There’s no real technical reason the two systems couldn’t be inter-operable. The driving factor, like so many things in our industry, boils down to accessory sales and the associated ancillary revenue. There’s still hope, though.

“I think that it’s likely that the different manufacturers will come together, possibly as early as next year, to agree a common standard for Active Shutter glasses,” says Samsung’s Lee.

by Stephen Hopkins

http://www.electronichouse.com/article/samsung_3d_glasses_interoperable_when_worn_upside_down/

Custom Installation Services, LLC – Charlotte and Boone NC’s Source For 3D TV Sales & Installation with HDTV’s From Samsung & Panasonic!