RingCentral Online spoke with Wayne "Holla" Waller of Baltimore, Maryland. Waller is an entrepreneur and host of the The B Factory, an internet radio program devoted to urban and contemporary gospel music.
What is Holla Walla?
WW: Holla Walla is basically a branded radio personality for my internet radio station. People from across the country can call in for giveaways, prizes, and requests, things of that nature. It’s just like a traditional radio station in a local market but it has a nationwide presence.
How have you set up your RingCentral service?
WW: I ordered the vanity number 1-888-FO-HOLLA, which is the primary number for the station overall. It is the direct connect for all of our communication needs: interaction with my listeners as well as interaction with labels and artists, vendors and sales. The vanity number helps with the branding.
How have you configured your extensions?
WW: I use them for the radio drops, interviews, and general interaction calls. What sold me on the service were the extensions and call forwarding [features] so that I can outsource a lot of the activities that go on in a radio station. I can set up the system so that calls can go to different phones and in different parts of the country.
Right now, you use about 4 or 5 extensions. Where are you directing these calls now?
WW: Right now I use one primary phone but I forward calls to my business cell when I’m traveling, if I need to. Some listener-based calls are forwarded to my production assistant.
Do you travel much and if so, what role does RingCentral play?
WW: I travel a lot. In fact, I’m out tomorrow on a five-day cruise. Aside from the radio station, I have a separate company for artist development and management, so I travel a lot on business and I use the call forwarding feature, which works great. My listeners don’t know whether I’m in my home studio or out. All they care about is that somebody answers the line. We could be on a cruise ship in Bermuda and
I could answer calls from my listeners that have been forwarded to my cell with “It’s the B Factory” [laughs]. We need to make ourselves accessible because internet radio is still growing and in most cases it’s not as interactive as traditional radio. I did traditional radio in Washington DC for five years. It’s a different kind of situation with the internet because while you may have a lot of listeners, they have more reservations about calling. So when they call, I want there to be a voice on the other end of the line.
I noticed that you also use the customized music on hold.
WW: Yes, I have uploaded some of the loops and jingles for the show to the system, so callers-on-hold get promotional information. Everything is driven around the show and the brand.
How has the service helped your professional image?
WW: I’m really pleased with the service, the image of the service, and the image that it gives the station. It completes the operation and it gives a very corporate and established feel to what may be a home-grown fledgling business that's growing. It gives me the image that I need as I grow.
Why RingCentral?
WW: I read up on all of the options that were available, but the biggest thing that interested me was the vanity number and the price for what you offer. It rated really well and the service gives you everything and more, and that’s why I’m here.
Tell me about the music you play.
WW: It’s all gospel. The concentration is on urban gospel but it’s a combination of both traditional and contemporary and we try inspirational music as well. It’s not directed to any faith-based or organizational religion but speaks to life overall.
Listeners can go to my web site www.hollawalla.com and access the program directly.
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