CeSI's Business Forum News December 27, 2001

Cascade e-Commerce Solutions, Inc.

Today's Articles

Outdoor Sports and Innovation Energize Local Orthodontist

Simply Thai's Sellout Menu a Savory Success

Highline High School Benefits 30 Families

Sea-Tac International Airport Business Traveler Tips
The Internet - One Small Bright Spot

Today's Sponsors

Automatic Data Processing (ADP)

City Kids Child Care

Thrifty Car Rental

Outdoor Sports and Innovation Energize Local Orthodontist

Windsurfing, rock climbing, skiing and kayaking are some of the outdoor activities Tukwila based orthodontist Brian Povolny enjoys. His professional passions include continuing education, patient-centered care, and "above and beyond" customer service.

Dr. Povolny first became interested in orthodontics while working on a Navajo reservation where he daily saw the effects of the lack of orthodontic treatment. In 1990 he purchased an established (29 year old) orthodontic practice from Jack Akamine. Today this practice is located on Strander Blvd. in Tukwila in a fully remodeled suite on the first floor of the Southcenter Professional Plaza just one block east of Southcenter Mall.

Using information he has learned through years of education (the first dentist to earn a PhD at the University of Washington), Dr. Povolny develops treatment plans that are unique to each patient. He incorporates techniques from many different modes of care. Patients are asked to describe their concerns and treatment goals; recognizing a perfect bite is not every patient's goal. He then synthesizes all the input and identifies treatment options that meet both patient and doctor goals. He finds this approach to be very satisfying as it addresses the interests of all parties and harmonizes the function and aesthetics of the entire mouth, jaw, and joint system.

Dr. Povolny's ideal patient has a very high regard for personal and dental health, cares about facial aesthetics including smiles, and wants to associate with a practice that seeks to provide high quality customer service.

He especially likes to identify opportunities that go above and beyond in the area of customer service. Observing that his staff spent a great deal of time responding to requests for basic information maintained in his office's computer system, he developed a plan to meet this need. These questions most often regarded appointment times and billing questions, .i.e, how much had been paid by the insurance company or amounts due. He observed that if patients had some way of directly accessing this information, he could improve service to patients while freeing up staff time to respond more attentively to patients who were in the office.

This observation led to starting a new business called PT Interactive which is managed by Frith Maier, Dr. Povolny's wife. Today over 60% of Dr. Povolny's patients are signed up for this Internet based service. The service sends e-mail reminders 24 hours in advance of the patient's appointment and allows patients and their families to go online to view their current balance and payment reports. Now patients and their families can get this information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

After ten years of orthodontics practice, he feels orthodontics is the most positive aspect of dentistry imaginable. "While people hate going to the dentist, going to the orthodontist can be a positive, even happy, experience."

Dr. Povolny's website at http://www.planetortho.com has some entertaining content (a comic strip and photos of the doctor engaged in outdoor sports) and informative content such as office information and before and after orthodontic treatment photos.

Brian Povolny - Tukwila based Orthodontist enjoys outdoor sports

Simply Thai's Menu a Sellout Success

Simply Thai has been serving high-quality Northeastern Thai recipes for over a year, with great success. Located at 375 Strander Blvd., directly across the street from Southcenter Mall between Zoopa's and Burger King, the restaurant experienced a sell out in the first hour of its first day and required a second shipment of food items to meet demand.

Simply Thai serves variety platters with vegetables, garnishes and meats and platters of noodles and white rice with a vast choice of toppings, including some home-made spices. Family style service is available so that each diner in a group can create his/her own unique combination.

Serving lunch and dinner Simply Thai is a sit down restaurant with waiter and waitress services for those desiring a relaxed dining atmosphere; the restaurant also provides take-out service. The food is prepared in minutes to assure high-quality taste and flavor.

Owner, Rick Moore, believes that Thai style recipes have not yet been fully introduced to the Western Hemisphere, partially due to the language barrier. "I want to be the first person to correct that," said Moore. When Northeastern Thai and Laotian culinary art and style is properly and completely introduced to the area, a dream of his will be realized.

Simply Thai's success has provided the opportunity to open a second Simply Thai restaurant in January 2002 at 1001 Andover Park East. And according to Moore, there is a 99 percent chance that Simply Thai will also be opening a third store in Spring 2002 to be located on Broadway in Seattle's Capital Hill district.

Moore has been in customer service most of his life. Some of his customer service experience was with the airlines. He also brings experience as a business entrepreneur that he utilized at Immunex before joining his wife, Nitha, full-time in the restaurant business. His wife, Nitha, has been in the restaurant industry for 15 years.

Moore lists seven keys that he applies to building a successful business: 1) belief, 2) passion, 3) strategy, 4) vision, 5) energy (internal, motivating energy and external, physical energy), 6) a bonding type rapport and 7) masterful communication.

During the wake of the September 11 crisis, Mr. Moore and Simply Thai donated prepared food to families in New York that were impacted by the tragedy. Radio station KISS 106.1 and the American Red Cross openly accepted the gift, sharing with Moore that his restaurant was the only business in the area that gave food toward the cause.

"We [Simply Thai] appreciates the Southcenter community, it's given us so much, we want to give our service in return. We want to build a bond with the business community here," said Moore.

Simply Thai's Menu a Sellout Sucess

Highline High School Benefits 30 Families

Highline High School's All Student Body (ASB) Executive Council sponsored the school's annual Adopt-a-Family program during the week of Dec.17-21.

Just hours before the drive ended on Friday, students realized that they were short in giving and had only enough for 29 families. Students and staff rallied and raised $400 on top of their initial donations to provide a meaningful Christmas holiday for the family.

On Friday, Dec. 21, at 4 p.m., Highline students delivered the donations to the Salvation Army in Seattle. In all Highline High School students and staff collected and raised 4,000 lbs. of food, clothing and toys for 30 needy and homeless families.

Highline's ASB Treasurer Loren Shane said, "It was great to see how needy families were able to have a Christmas due to Highline's giving."

Highline High School provides meaningful Christmas holiday for 30 families

Sea-Tac International Airport Traveler Tips

* Get to the Airport Early

Heightened security measures have created longer than usual lines. Port staff are advising travelers on domestic flights to arrive at the airport at least two hours before departure, and those traveling internationally to arrive three hours before their flights. Check with your airline about possible VIP perks. Some airlines have specific check-in lines and security lines for their VIP travelers. Using these benefits could shorten your time standing in line.

* New Limit On Carry-On Luggage

Effective immediately, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is limiting carry-on luggage to one bag and one personal article, such as a purse or briefcase. The new FAA requirement is expected to reduce the time needed to screen luggage, giving security staff extra time to monitor bags and passengers more closely. Those carrying laptops will be asked to remove the laptop from its carrying case and place it on the conveyor belt for X-ray inspection. In some instances, travelers will be asked to turn on their laptops as a security measure.

* Laptop Lane Closes Main Terminal Office; New Facility Opened in the North Satellite

High-tech business center Laptop Lane has closed its doors in the main terminal because of the ongoing and growing construction of the new central terminal. A new Laptop Lane opened last month in the North Satellite between gates N8 and N9.

Travelers can check into one of Laptop Lane's private offices to read and respond to e-mail, retrieve important documents from their corporate networks, get the latest news via the Internet, make and receive phone calls, send faxes, or put the finishing touches on a business presentation. The new Laptop Lane has seven ergonomically designed private offices, each with high-speed (T-1) Internet access with laptop connections, a powerful desktop PC, printer, fax machine, and telephone. A customer can even work on a document at Sea-Tac and have it printed, collated and ready for pick-up at any of Laptop Lane's airport locations across North America.

* Got a Taxi/Bus to Catch?

The question of where to find your ride at Sea-Tac is really a matter of size.

The pick-up for most transportation services -- taxis; shuttle buses to hotels, parking lots and off-airport rental cars facilities; and most regional shuttle services -- is on the third floor of the garage.

But full-size buses, including Metro and Sound Transit, are just too large to squeeze in the parking garage. They pick up passengers on the baggage claim level.

For more information check out the Port's website at http://www.portseattle.org .

Sea-Tac International Airport Travelers Tips

The Internet - One Small Bright Spot

The New York Times recently ran the article "Online Retailers Report Healthy Increase in Sales". The article touts the Internet as the "one small bright spot" in recent history's (past 16 years) worst year for retailers.

Internet usage is up. Every year millions more people sign up for Internet service. While we saw the demise of many dot coms that over promised and under delivered last year, many (even the infamous e-Toys.com) are back. Those companies who objectively evaluated their customer service support processes and then acted upon their findings by getting back to the basics fared well in 2001, especially those that offered direct shipping.

More people ordered online this year than ever before. There were those who were not traveling who wanted their gifts shipped directly. (Airport security advised travelers carrying gifts not to wrap them. As gifts were unwrapped and checked.) Others just hated getting out in the crowds. Therefore, online shopping, which provided direct shipping was very popular, especially with men who shopped last minute.

According to statistics provided by BizRate.com, Inc. the week before Christmas saw 48 percent more Internet sales this year than last and the average amount spent by online shoppers increased 7.58% from $107.49 a year ago to $115.64 this year.

If you are a business owner trying to decide whether to pursue online retailing, take your cue from those retailers who are doing well. Learn from companies that have increased their Internet online sales. For those companies who are "already adept at mail order sales - the Internet has become not only a routine part of their business but a significant boon in a tough year."

The Internet - One Small Bright Spot

Today's Sponsors

Automatic Data Processing (ADP)

Automatic Data Processing (ADP) is the industry leader in staffing, managing, paying, and retaining qualified employees. ADP provides small business outsourcing solutions for payroll processing, automated tax-filing, direct deposit, and human resource functions. By streamlining these tasks, ADP enables you to focus on what matters.

Call for a free consultation and let ADP show you why more than 9,000 businesses in Washington State with an average of 9 employees have chosen to utilize their services.

To contact ADP, e-mail andy_gloudemans@adp.com or call Andy Gloudemans at (253) 943-5103 or (800) 304-5428.

Automatic Data Processing

City Kids Child Care

Located in downtown Renton on the Piazza across from the Renton Metro Transit Center, City Kids Child Care offers you and your child an opportunity to experience a caring and unique Toddler, Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten program in a state-of-the-art facility.

For more information phone Linda F. Collins at 425.255.9556.

Thrifty Car Rental

Thrifty offers many specials on their website: Car Rental, Airport Parking, Auto Services and Tomaso's Espresso. For more details go to www.thriftynw.com.

For a local contact call Joe Gentile at 206.255.0737.

CeSI's Business Forum

Purpose: CeSI's Business Forum is designed to promote communications between businesses located or operating in Burien, SeaTac, Normandy Park and Tukwila, Washington. The newsletter is distributed monthly, every third Thursday morning.

Other Recent Issues

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Cascade e-Commerce Solutions, Inc.

3830 S 176th St.

SeaTac, WA 98188

Ph: 206.244.9092

cesi@bizincome.net