Noodles & Company, a fast casual dining chain specializing in noodles, soups and salads, holds an average of 150 audio conferences per month among its 215-plus restaurants. Becky Hamlin, manager of its Central Support Office, wasn’t actively shopping for a new conferencing provider. However, when agency Advoda, a trusted partner of ACT Conferencing, presented a better solution, the decision was a “no brainer.”

“When I found out that we could save 50 percent compared to our previous provider, I wondered ‘what’s the catch?’” said Hamlin. “There was no catch. It was an easy decision to make, especially because I was also frustrated with the previous provider’s rep, who was not listening to me.”

Solution:

Hamlin decided on On-demand ReadyConnect audio conferencing, and discovered that the transition to ACT was easy. “I took the opportunity to do some user clean-up before sending a spreadsheet of users,” commented Hamlin. “In a short time, everyone was set up in the system and all of my requests were met. The one-number dial-in process is great because it removes one step that was required by the previous provider.”

ReadyConnect Audio Conferencing is a feature-rich, on-demand service that enables users to arrange and control their own conference calls, 24/7, without making a reservation or having an operator present on the call.

Noodles & Company uncovered savings from travel as well. The company’s conferences include shareholder meetings, vendor calls, internal business conversations and annual, regional company meetings. Like many other businesses, the restaurant chain is encouraging personnel to meet via the phone instead of traveling – for both cost and environmental reasons.

“In our business, pots and pans can be the background noise,” Hamlin said. “So mute works well for us when we hold calls that involve the restaurant managers!” Frequent conferencing participants include area managers, who are located throughout the country; regional finance consultants, marketers and trainers who communicate weekly with corporate office staff; and the members of the real estate selection committee.

Results:

After approximately six months’ experience with ACT and Advoda, Hamlin reports no issues. “I’m very happy with the pleasant, responsive customer service,” stated Hamlin. “ACT Conferencing allows us to be smarter about travel and use of dollars, and this is important since we expect to increase usage as more restaurants open. We’re also considering video conferencing for certain types of meetings.”