Paving the way for a great partnership

Nearly a decade ago, the partnership between TDS and Milwaukee Downtown BID 21 began. That was when the organization was in its infancy and TDS stepped up to sponsor many of the networking events and Holiday Lights festival. Today, TDS and Milwaukee Downtown are still teaming up to make the downtown area the best it can be.

“TDS’ early involvement meant a lot to us, still does,” says Beth Nicols, executive director of Milwaukee Downtown. “It sent a clear message to the business owners we represented, that a successful business believed in our organization and our efforts. TDS believed in our goal to make Milwaukee the best downtown in the country. They are one of the reasons we’re thriving today.”

Nearly 500 commercial property owners are based within business improvement district 21 and part of Milwaukee Downtown. The owners count on the organization to make the area a safe and friendly destination where people want to live, work, play, eat, and shop.

Milwaukee Downtown is also responsible for marketing the area. To do so effectively, the organization prides itself on listening to its customers, understanding their needs, and responding with a solution. A trait shared with TDS.

“I feel like we share the same philosophy, work ethic, and dedication to customer service as TDS does,” Nicols says. “Just as we strive to be a great resource for businesses in district 21, so does TDS to its customers. Not only are they supporting our events and our organization, they also let us know about new products or services that might help us gain efficiencies and save us money.”

That’s exactly how Nicols learned about TDS’ managedIP service. She says, “TDS let us know about the new product and showed us all the features. They demonstrated how and why their new service could make it easier for us to serve our customers. Then, they told us the technology upgrade would actually save us money.”

Since switching to TDS’ new service, Nicols says she feels more connected to her constituents then ever before. “We’re providing better personal service. We can efficiently expedite customer requests. I believe TDS is making it easier to promote and market Downtown Milwaukee as the best downtown in the country.”

“We are extremely proud to work with Milwaukee Downtown, to help make the area the best it can be,” says Jon Ollmann, market manager for TDS. “We look forward to continuing to build on and expand our mutual partnership.”