QUESTIONS | ANSWERS | QUICK LINKS







Our questions and answers section attempts to resolve questions commonly asked by our customers. We welcome you to contact us by phone or email with any questions or concerns that have not been addressed in this resource. Please refer to our Contact page for for detailed contact information.

General

Q: Who is The Cereus Group? [+]

A: Established in March of 2001, The Cereus Group is a dedicated team of business development and marketing and information technology specialists that have a keen desire to develop a portfolio of professional service offerings and marketing creatives that represent quality, innovative thinking and client success.

We take the consulting experience to a more involved level - making the success of our clients, the measure of our very own success in delivering the best possible services and solutions.

We are absolutely committed to a consulting experience that redefines how outsourcing is done, and the standards by which it is judged.

Q: What differentiates The Cereus Group from other firms? [+]

A: Certainly, you can enagage competitor consortiums who offer similiar services but strongly consider whether they actually meet the demanding needs of your business in the competitive online world.

For example, an inexperienced web designer cannot save you money in the long run if your corporate web site is the central cause for your online revenue losses.

In addition, many freelance designers do not convey the character, qualities or the style of your individual company and produce products which often lack the usability and easy of navigation a custom built site offers.

If your desire is to have your company stand out from the crowd, it needs to be original, creative and reflect the values of your business.

Therefore If your company will be depending on its web site as a primary marketing or selling mechanism - it is a wise investment to use a design studio such as The Cereus Group to optimize its ability to embrace your online audience and transform browsers into customers.

Q: Who produces the deliverables? [+]

A: All project work performed for our clients is done exclusively by The Cereus Group and highly experienced consultants representing partner firms employing only team members of the highest caliber.

Typically the representative(s) who you collaborate with via phone and email will be directly responsible for much of the work performed for your company. This is crucial as that person who has had the most direct exposure to your company will have the best understanding of your business and its requirements.

Billing

Q: How does The Cereus Team handle billing and payment? [+]

A: Billing is handled on a case by case basis, but typically involves a percentage advance payment on projects exceeding $500.00 USD and the remaining portion paid in increments until completion. Percentage paid in advance is dependent on project duration and the agreement between The Cereus Group and the client.

Payments can be made by check, money order, wire transfer or Paypal online payment facilitation. Companies based in Canada are required to pay GST in addition to all quoted amounts. Internationally based companies are exempt from taxes.

Q: Once a project is completed, are there ongoing fees? [+]

A: When a single-instance project has been completed, that finalizes the engagement. However, many of our clients retain us for ongoing support of managed projects.

Our support services can be purchased in blocks or recurring monthly installments. We also offer exclusive on demand payments for single instance remote and onsite client support.

Q: Are projects completed on time and within budget? [+]

A: The Cereus Group draws upon numerous resources, vast internal skills and knowledge developed from a long history in project management and development. All of this to ensure projects are completed on time and within budget for every project we accept.

Project time and cost estimates are carefully considered based on past experiences, the nature of the technologies within the project scope and buffering to protect against negative unforeseen circumstances.

Q: What if projects go over the quoted time estimate? [+]

A: Projects are priced based on the number of work hours estimated necessary for completion. Before all projects are commenced, a project time estimate is provided to you, the client, outlining the number of hours and cost per hour the project will require.

If in the event that the actual number of hours taken to complete the project exceed the estimate, The Cereus Group will absorb the cost of the additional hours, not the client providing no changes were made to the original service level agreement or project scope during the project. Additional conditions to this may be outlined in project specific proposals.

Q: Is turn around on questions, quotes and proposals timely? [+]

A: You will be amazed at the prompt turn around time on all communications with our company.

Whether requesting a quote, asking a question or having regular communication during projects - we are prompt, responsive, professional and follow up to your satisfaction.

Q: How are clients invoiced for work performed? [+]

A: Everything is contained within an easy to understand monthly or by project invoice delivered by email. All resource costs, expenses and other variables are clearly itemized to take the guesswork out of your online business costs.

There are no administrative fees or minimum monthly contract costs, simply pay for the hours, expenses and resources you use - we take care of the rest.

Getting Started

Q: Is there a satisfaction guarantee on deliverables? [+]

A: We strive to produce work of high client satisfaction. In the event that the client is not completely satisfied with the work produced, we will make a strong attempt to correct any short comings found in our work. We are not happy until our customer is completely happy.

Web design and development projects are covered by a 10-day limited warranty period covering defects and any inconsistencies with the finalized project specifications.

Q: Will company growth affect quality of work? [+]

A: The Cereus Group maintains a careful balance of exemplary customer service for all of our clients, while expanding our client base for essential company growth.

We want to build long standing relationships on a foundation of trust, security and value with all of our clients which can only be achieved with the continuing quality of our products and services to both current and new clientele.

Q: Do you accept international clients? [+]

A: We welcome clients from around the globe to use our services including but not limited to the USA, Belize, Australia, Europe, Japan and China in addition to all Latin American countries and businesses.

Projects outside of the CONUS are done either by an on-site consultant or remotely through conferencing and remote connection systems, by choice of the client. Projects requiring on-site consultants will incur travel, accommodation and limited living expenses in addition to quoted project pricing. Travel and accommodation can be arranged by the client and Cereus.

Cereus undertakes projects with many companies that are not in close geographical proximity to our office. Our team is highly proficient in managing such projects through the effective use of phone, email, instant messenging and other collaborative technologies.

Q: I am interested in getting started, how do I proceed? [+]

A: We would like to take this opportunity to invite your business to call us or arrange a meeting to evaluate how The Cereus Group can assist your business.

Our no-cost initial consultation via confernce call is an informative and valuable meeting mechanism that will look into the effectiveness of your existing efforts to advise you on how to get started with your new relationship with Cereus.

We welcome you to contact us with any questions not answered in this section. We would appreciate the opportunity to answer your questions by phone or email.

Thank you for your time and consideration.
-CMO