Customer Service: July 2007

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

About Online Chat

Terry Parker offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: About Online Chat
Author: Terry Parker
Category: Customer Service
Word Count: 426
Keywords: Online Chat Software, Business News, Business Tools
Author's Email Address: realestateseo@yahoo.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
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Chatting online can help promote business deals and make your business easier to access. It can also create an easier working community by allowing the people within your company to stay in close connection. Online chatting can be useful for travel and for Optimization Service Sites as well. ChatRelations provides live help, live support, live people, live customer support and live customer support software. With ChatRelations, you can even have a live chat operator that can help you to make communication easy, accessible and trouble free.

If you are a company that is interested in facilitating business communication, it is imperative that you use online chat. ChatRelations. Chat Live Software offers an efficient way to provide real time interaction while guiding consumers to solutions. In order to communicate online, it is a good idea to understand what online chat is all about.

Chat Online chat can refer to any kind of communication over the internet, but is primarily meant to refer to direct one-on one chat or chat rooms, using tools such as instant messaging applications computer programs, Internet Relay Chat, talkers and possibly MUDs, MUCKs, MUSHes and MOOes.

For every business traveler engaging in a video call or conference call rather than braving the check-in queue, there are countless web users replacing traditional conversational means with online chat and messaging. Like Email, which has reduced the need and usage of letter, fax and memo communication, online chat is steadily replacing telephony as the means of office and home communication. The early adopters in these areas are undoubtedly teenage users of instant messaging indeed it cannot be long before SMS text messaging usage declines as mobile handsets provide the technology for online chat and the ability to seamlessly hold and continue conversations across multiple devices.

A MUD, or a multi-user dungeon, is a multi-user version of dungeons and dragons for the internet, and is an early use of the internet. In a MUD, as well as playing the game, people can chat to each other. Talkers were originally based off MUDs and the earliest versions of talkers were primarily MUDs without the gaming element. Other derivations of MUDs were used that combined gaming with talking, and these include MUSHes, MOOs and MUCKs.

Besides real-time chat, another type of online community includes Internet forums and bulletin board systems (BBSes), where users write posts (blocks of text) to which later visitors may respond. Unlike the transient nature of chats, these systems generally archive posts and save them for weeks or years. They can be used for technical troubleshooting, advice, general conversation and more.

Terry Parker is an avid software reviewer and recommends for online chat software http://www.chatrelations.com
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Are You Losing Business by Only Accepting Cash and Checks?

Chris Rempel offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: Are You Losing Business by Only Accepting Cash and Checks?
Author: Chris Rempel
Category: Home Business, Customer Service, Small Business
Word Count: 814
Keywords: accept credit cards, credit card processing, merchant account, low cost merchant service
Author's Email Address: contact@testiment.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
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Many mobile business owners and professionals struggle with payment options. While on the road, moving from one job site (or client) to the next, it can be difficult to keep things organized. Most small business owners have the luxury of a storefront, cash register, and credit card processing terminal. For them, there's no guesswork or potential "run-around" involved - either the card has funds, or it doesn't.

Mobile business owners, such as landscapers, trades people, merchants at craft fairs, and others simply do not have these luxuries. Most are limited to accepting cash or check; the latter with no guarantee that there are funds in the account. It can be difficult for them to find a payment method that is convenient for both them and their customer, especially for big-ticket items. Unfortunately, this may often mean that the sale goes instead to the brick and mortar merchant, simply because they accept credit cards and/or provide a financing option that doesn't involve some sort of collection arrangement.

(In other words, the credit card company acts as the "creditor" for them, in a sense, and gives the customer a self-directed financing plan on their own terms.)

Are you losing sales because you don't or can't accept credit cards? This is a problem shared by many mobile business owners. Imagine the sales you might have had at your last trade show or job fair, if payment of a large sum had been easier and more convenient for your customer.

Customers are carrying less and less cash around. We are quickly becoming a plastic consumer society and few people like to bother any longer with the hassle of cash or check books. They prefer the ease and convenience of their credit or debit cards. Are you losing valuable sales because you don't accept this most convenient method of payment?

Many business owners also prefer credit cards. They offer the advantage instant approval. There is no waiting for days for a check to clear and money to be deposited in your account. Credit cards provide 24-hour payment in a 24-hour world. Payments can be processed quickly, on demand.

What if there was a way for you to accept credit cards from your mobile office or job site? This would enable you to build your business from anywhere, any time. Why should brick and mortar businesses get all the customers?

What would this do for your business? Your business could potentially grow by leaps and bounds - and you'd be making life a lot easier for both your customers, and yourself.

Here's the good news - you do, in fact, have options. Here are two solutions you should consider:

1. Use a Wireless Credit Card Terminal.

If your typical business day consists of a large number of smaller sized transactions (for example, a pizza delivery business with an average of 40 sales under $30 a day), then you should seriously consider getting a wireless credit card processing machine.

Your monthly fees for the merchant account (and equipment, if leasing) will be average, as will the discount rate per sale, but the convenience factor in addition to the potential increase in sales from customers who don't necessarily have cash on hand will likely more than make up for the monthly fees, and then some.

2. Accept Credit Cards by Phone

Now, if you run a business where you're only closing on a few sales a day, but at a higher ticket ($x00 - $x,000), then you'll want to minimize your merchant account costs because your credit card transactions will be more of an occasional occurrence - even though it will certainly impact your business in regards to convenience, efficiency and potentially even sales.

For example, if you own a landscape business where the average transaction is $600, you'll find that quite a few clients will want to take advantage of either their card's built-in rewards points (like "air miles"), the flexible financing - or in most cases, both of these added benefits combined.

The benefit for you is that credit doesn't "bounce" and in most cases, you'll have access to the funds much faster than with a check.

Now, here's the best part - you can accept credit card payments on the spot from any touch-tone phone, including your cellular.

Also, the leading "pay by phone" services available have very low monthly fees and operate in more of a "pay as you go" fashion.

This is the perfect solution for a mobile business - or professional - where occasional credit card transactions are necessary (and profitable), but don't quite warrant the hassle of using a traditional terminal.

Some services cost as little as a few bucks a month at about 4% per sale.

So there you have it - two very viable options for mobile business types that would otherwise have to remain stuck in the "dark ages" of cash and check payments.

Do your due-diligence to see what service might be best for you and your customers.

Chris Rempel, entrepreneur and business analyst, highly recommends "Accept by Phone" for small & mobile businesses that need that extra "edge".

Find out more about their service - and why they're the leader in the industry - at http://www.Accept-by-Phone.com
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Monday, July 30, 2007

The Internet Home Business Winning Power Comes From The Team Spirit

Juhani Tontti offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: The Internet Home Business Winning Power Comes From The Team Spirit
Author: Juhani Tontti
Category: Team Building, Leadership, Customer Service
Word Count: 476
Keywords: internet home business,internet business,home business
Author's Email Address: runner@welho.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
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Many internet home business team members want to be known by name and their target is to get the respect inside the team. These are very natural needs and a great source of power for the team leader.

For an internet home business newbie a good team spirit can save his whole business, because it is the spirit, which makes newbies to take contacts and make questions. They also want to become experts and successful.

In the modern internet home business marketing the sharing is a magical word. As a matter of facts it is an old method to unite the same thinkers together and to make them possible to help each other.
This is the concept, which is one of the best strategy for internet home business ever invented.

But how a private entrepreneur can implement it? What is needed that a person wants to belong to a team?

1.A Team Leader Must Have The Passion.

Now I do not mean anything called a guru. That is 100 % nonsense. I mean a person, who has a great emotional passion to lead the team and do the huge work, make regular contacts and who is ready to tie personal relationships, who is willing to help newbies and install a new software for them for instance.

2.The Team Must Bring Benefits.

Business teams are not for chatters, they are for people, who are ready to invest their time for a serious studying. A good team is a problem solver and means that a member gets the feeling of a great and quick support.

3.The Optin Email List Subscribers Can Form A Team.

These people have signed up to your newsletter, which they receive regularly. I think it is best to think them, not as subscribers, but as your team, because they are your most loyal fans. Do you think you lead them as a team leader?

4.Good Results Are Gasoline For The Team Spirit.

A reporter asked once from an ice hockey team captain, how they can play a match almost every day. The captain said, that they can do that as long as they are winning. The victory is the best source of The Team Spirit.

The internet home business team leader builds the spirit by keeping the scoreboards,i.e. the list of the best performers, by informing how many new sign ups the team has got, who has succeeded exceptionally well etc.

5.New Things Are Always Interesting.

People are always hungry for new things, especially online marketers. When a webmaster ads a new product or a new affiliate program to the site, it is worth a strong communication.
It is fantastic how a human mind works, a brand new affiliate program can give an excellent kick for some team members.

The points above are only example features of a good team. The most important thing is a strong feeling, which a team member has: this is my team.

Juhani Tontti, B.Sc., Marketing. Newbies And Others! I Invite You To Visit The Home Page Of My Internet Home Business Team And To Sign Up To My Free Income Course. Click HERE!: http://www.Way2Miracle.com.
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Thursday, July 26, 2007

Customer and Client Rapport: Why Should They Care About You?

Jack Deal offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: Customer and Client Rapport: Why Should They Care About You?
Author: Jack Deal
Category: Customer Service, Organizational, Growth Topics
Word Count: 751
Keywords: customer, customers, customer service, customer relations, customer loyalty, loyalty, strategy
Author's Email Address: scdeal987@sbcglobal.net
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
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In the good old days contracts were not the norm. A handshake sealed a deal and one's word was one's reputation. Times have changed. Now many businesses have contracts, lawyers and a more complex method of doing business. But even though the symbolism of a handshake may have lost its significance the elements of trust, integrity and rapport have not.

Like any relationship, good customer rapport requires care and feeding. Customers make or break a business and establishing a good rapport has been shown to be the most effective way to retain customers. As a bonus, numerous studies have shown that satisfied customers tell others who in turn become new customers. The word-of-mouth strategy for new customers has been also shown to be the most cost-effective method for obtaining new business.

When I do intelligence work on a client's competitor I pay a great deal of attention to how the competitor deals with customers. Often customer relationships can expose a competitive weakness that is far greater than weaknesses in pricing, location or marketing. And we have all seen instances where the customer keeps coming back because of the relationship even though the competition may have a superior product or service.

Why? Because the customer feels more comfortable and assured! If you ask them why they will answer they have a relationship.

Of course there does come a point where perceived value affects the decision but a solid relationship can certainly make switching loyalties much more difficult. If you are trying to take away market share from a business that has strong customer-based relationships you will see just how difficult that can be. A business that has a loyal customer base throws up a high barrier to entry for the competition.

The key is to make the customer relationship foremost in the company culture. Businesses become successful when relationships take precedence over everything else. Businesses become successful when they place a higher priority on the customer then they do on cash flow, operations or internal problems. When employees take the time and effort to nurture a relationship they are building a valuable company asset arguably the most valuable company asset. The value formula is completed when the company delivers its products and services.

Customers need to feel the rapport is sincere we all have built in phoniness detectors. Simply giving lip service and a forced smile are not enough. Customers want to be heard, they want their needs addressed and they want value. Being heard, having needs addressed and receiving value are perceptual perceived by the customer, right, wrong or otherwise.

The most obvious business connection is through front-line employees. If the employees do not care then why should the customer care? It is management's responsibility to instill in employees the concept that the customer is top priority. This means that not only is the phone answered by the third ring but is also answered pleasantly and appropriately! How many businesses do we see that cannot even do this simple task? A rude, indifferent employee sends the message that the entire company is rude and indifferent.

However, it is also true that customer service and relationships cannot be forced upon employees. Employees must understand and feel motivated to develop this customer rapport. Management sets the agenda and is ultimately responsible for the results.

The easiest way for management to set the agenda is to set the example. Answering the phone, dealing with an irate customer, explaining patiently to a customer that does not understand these are things that managers can do to set the example. As an added bonus, when the focus goes away from internal problems to the customer, many internal problems also go away.

A good start is using regular meetings to emphasize the importance of the customer relationship by bringing up specific examples. Hiring the right people is critical when filling direct customer contact positions; many applicants are too self-centered to ever be effective at establishing customer relationships. Training, both formal and informal, can also help improve employee customer skills. And direct hands on management is especially effective as it can keep the focus on the customer.

There is no magic formula to establishing good customer rapport and it is very hard work! But it is hard work that pays off if your company depends on repeat business from good and loyal customers.

Strategically, you should focus on your customer rapport before your competitors do.

Jack D. Deal is the owner of Deal Business Consulting. He can be contacted at jddeal@jddeal.com Related articles can be found at http://www.jddeal.com and http://www.freeandinquiringmind.typepad.com
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Apple Hits Grand Slam!

Darryl Rosen offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: Apple Hits Grand Slam!
Author: Darryl Rosen
Category: Customer Service
Word Count: 626
Keywords: customer service, customer service management, customer service presentations
Author's Email Address: darryl@grslamresults.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
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Those who know me know that I like my cell phones! It should not come as a shock to learn that I finally broke down and purchased the iphone. I resisted as long as I could (and longer than my family imagined), but in the end, the curiosity got the best of me. I have to say, it was a revealing experience. Many news reports detailed long lines and activation hassles; I experienced no such trouble.

My boys and I bought the iphone at the local Apple store. Despite moderate Sunday traffic we managed to get in and out of the store pretty quickly. Apple has set sales up to be a relatively painless experience. You buy the phone and activate it by hooking it up to your computer at home Their music software, (iTunes), takes care of the rest. I must admit, it was really cool and took less than 10 minutes when we got home. It was intuitive, easy to follow. And there were no complications.

More importantly, the cell phone buying experience wasn't like the normal trip to the wireless store that I've experienced before, I've written about wireless carriers before. Often, the buying experience is far from fun, and returning to a store to fix a problem has the same kind of dread as going to the dentist. To hit the Grand Slam with your customers (and associates) it is essential that you motivate the buyers and make buying from you fun. Get this right and your customers will return again and again.

Here are a few tips to help you motivate and make it fun for your customers and associates.

1) Keep things simple!

By creating a simple activation procedure that customers can do in the comfort of their homes, Apple greatly enhanced the retail experience. After spending 10 minutes activating my new iphone, I don't understand why it should take so long in a wireless store. Watching paint dry is more exciting than a trip to the wireless store, unless, of course, Catherine Zeta Jones is working the register.

2) Avoid demotivating policies!

Many times I have watched disinterested, unmotivated associates dutifully enforce ridiculous rules and policies. The most ingenious part Apple's strategy is the activation process so that problems that might crop up take place in the customer's home! Imagine if it was taking place at the Apple store. Instead of helping eager customers hand over $500 for their new devices, Apple's associates would be helping people sync their address books. You choose what seems like more fun!

3) Generate a light atmosphere!

Just walk into an Apple store and you will know what I mean. The stores are bright (the lighting is perfect), and there is music playing throughout. The Apple associates always seem to be enjoying their work. I realize that one's enjoyment at work has a lot to do with the product being sold and how popular it is; however, there's more to it. Apple works hard to remove obstacles that might otherwise impede their associate's enjoyment. For example, lines at check-out are stressful for both customers and associates. Apple's associates have little hand-held devices that act as cash registers for those paying with credit cards. This makes things go very smoothly.

For many years, I was the President and owner of one of the country's most popular wine stores. I always tried to maintain a light mood as I knew the company's psyche would rise and fall with my own attitude. It wasn't always easy; however, I always tried to maintain an easy-going style. Apple has hit the Grand Slam with their easy, delightful process. Now, if you will excuse me, I'm loading some Barbra Streisand on the new phone!

Mr. Rosen served as President and Owner of Sam's Wines & Spirits, a family-owned business established in 1940. Mr. Rosen has founded Grand Slam Results, LLC, a speaking and training workshop firm. For more information, visit http://www.grslamresults.com
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Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Rising Popularity of Online Chat

Terry Parker offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: Rising Popularity of Online Chat
Author: Terry Parker
Category: Customer Service
Word Count: 686
Keywords: Customer Service, Live Chat Help
Author's Email Address: realestateseo@yahoo.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
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Online chats and instant messaging will soon account for more personal and corporate communications than the telephone. Nearly eight hundred million instant messages are being sent each day. It is estimated that number will increase to over four billion. The accessibility of these communication tools to all users is important. When individuals with disabilities are blocked from using online chat programs, they are cut out of one important communication channel.

There are three types of popular synchronous communication tools: IRC - Internet Relay Chat was an early communication technology. It allows users to send and receive messages from the central server using client software. Another type of communication tool is web-based Chats. These typically use Java to display and control a chat interface within a Web page. No additional software is required. There are also Instant Messengers or software for managing and communicating with others.

IRC, or Internet Relay Chat is one type of communication tool popular in the business world. To participate in an Internet Relay Chat, you need an IRC program, commonly called a Client. There is a wide variety of IRC programs available, with varying levels of accessibility to those with disabilities. The most popular Macintosh IRC client is Ircle - external link. The best Windows based IRC client is mIRC - external link. These clients are primarily command based, meaning that the user must manually enter text commands into the interface to go to different chat areas, change preferences, and chat with others. The accessibility of IRC clients varies and accessibility programs have been developed to work with Ircle, mIRC, and others, but most are outdated and do not work with newer IRC clients. Because of the limitations of IRC and the difficult to learn and use interfaces, it is not as frequently used as other chat tools.

The use of synchronous communications through a Web page interface is quite powerful. Most Web-based chats use the programming language Java to create an updateable region of the screen that can be used for chatting with other users that are at the same Web page. Because most users already have a Java-enabled Web browser, there are no other software downloads or installs. Unfortunately, the implementation of Java inside the Web browser is not very accessible. Unless the Java programmer has specifically designed the chat interface to work with screen readers, the screen reader will not be able to use the interface. Newer versions of Jaws are currently the only readers capable of reading Java output; however, the author is unaware of any Java chat interfaces that have been developed for them. For users with disabilities other than vision problems (cognitive, motor, hearing, etc.), there are design principles that can make Web-based chat interfaces more accessible, such as use of clear/consistent navigation, not relying on audio for content, and easy-to-use interfaces as well.

Some Web-based chat programs have been developed to output HTML only. These chats can be quite accessible to screen readers, because no additional software is required and the output is easily read by the software. HTML chats are also cross compatible and work with all new web browsers. HTML chat programs must allow the user to control how new messages are displayed - if new messages are automatically displayed, then the user may become confused. HTML chat windows must be automatically or manually refreshed to view new messages, which can be tedious or confusing to users.

In general, Instant Messenger chat tools seem to be reasonably accessible, although there are compatibility issues between versions of assistive technology and versions of IM tools. The Jaws screen reader was designed to work with versions of AOL Instant Messenger and has been used with each of the major instant messengers with varying levels of success. The user in many cases must learn to 'trick' the IM program into working with their assistive program and must learn how to control and manipulate the program, which is not inherently accessible. IM settings can be changed to make the program more accessible, such as viewing one message at a time, keeping the IM window from automatically opening, and designating sounds for various notifications.

Terry Parker is an avid software reviewer and recommends http://www.chatrelations.com for Live Help Chat.
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Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Customer Service In An Instant Gratification Age

Brandi Cummings offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: Customer Service In An Instant Gratification Age
Author: Brandi Cummings
Category: Customer Service, Home Business, Small Business
Word Count: 1065
Keywords: customer service
Author's Email Address: brandi@telecentrex.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
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What constitutes good customer service? Is it always being there for your customers? Is it the speed with which you respond to them? Is it making sure your customers can get their questions answered quickly and in any number of ways? To put it simply, the answer is yes. These aren't the only aspects of a good customer service strategy, but they are definitely important ones.

In the technological age, even the way we serve our customers has changed. People want information at their fingertips. They want answers to their questions fast. It is a time of instant gratification and everybody wants to get their information in a different way. Some people want to speak to a real person, others enjoy their anonymity and self sufficiency, while others still want just a little reassurance and assistance. There are a number of ways small and home based businesses can ensure that they are giving their customers the same, if not better, customer service than their bigger competitors.

Clickable Customer Service
The internet seems like an obvious place to start. Most people, when looking for information, are now looking online first. It is important that you have a presence on the web. But you can't just stop there. Having a website up is just the start. Now you have to ask yourself, "What is it that people are going to be looking for when they come to my site?" This question needs to be applied to people that are already customers, as well as people that you hope will become customers because great customer service starts well before the person decides to do business with you.

Once you have that question answered, you need to make sure that whatever information they are going to seek can be found in a number of ways. A good to place to start is a comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions section. This database of questions and answers should be an ongoing project and not a stagnant list that is never revisited. Make sure you are updating and adding to your FAQ's on a regular basis.

Another online customer service tool is a live chat program. This allows your customers to chat with you or representatives in real time instead of sending an email and waiting for a response. This is a great tool for those quick questions and for those people that just need a little confirmation.

These two customer service solutions coupled with a comprehensive and easy to navigate web site take care of about half to two-thirds of people that have come to look for information. But believe it or not, there are still people out there that want to pick up the phone and call you.

Reaching Out To Touch Someone
I know it may seem strange to some, but there are people out there that would still like to speak to an actual person when they have questions or problems. Too many companies are trying get away from the one on one personal contact and that is a grave mistake. By relying too heavily on automated information, you can easily frustrate and alienate your customers.

As I said before, a lot of people are going to look for you first online. Once they find you however, there are going to be some that want to make sure there is someone behind the text and graphics as well as want to speak to a real person to get their questions answered. For small and home based businesses a good solution is a virtual PBX system. A virtual PBX is an automated phone system that has all the same functionalities of the phone systems that Fortune 500 companies use, without the large bulky equipment and for the fraction of the cost. Two of the features that are going to help with your customer service needs are the automated attendant and the call forwarding.

The automated attendant is going to serve two purposes. It is going to project a professional image to your caller and it is going to direct your caller to the information they need quickly. For example: "Thank you for calling ABC Company. Press 1 for sales, 2 for technical support or 3 for billing. If you know the extension of the party you are trying to reach, you may enter it at any time."

For those businesses that do not have enough employees to have created such departments, no worries. Virtual PBX systems are flexible and you can actually have all the calls directed to the same place regardless of what the caller presses. However, your caller is still given the impression of a larger and more established business.

Secondly, virtual pbx systems are also flexible in the way that they forward your calls to you. With a virtual pbx, you can forward calls anywhere you wish - home phone, cell phone, business phone - and then change it anytime you wish as well. You can also program in more than one number so that if the call goes to the first number on the list and is not picked up, the system will try the next number. This allows you to make sure your customers can always reach a live person.

If for some reason you are not able to take the call, a virtual pbx will usually have a missed call notification system in place such as an email, page or call letting you know that you missed a call and have a voicemail waiting. Nothing impresses customers more than having someone answer when they call or someone getting back to them in a timely matter if they do have to leave a message.

In this age of instant gratification, you need to make sure your customers can get the information they need, when they need it and how they want to get it. That is just a basic part of good customer service today. It is always a good idea to revisit your customer service practices and see how you rate. Ask yourself the questions. Can my customers get the information they want easily, quickly and in different ways? If not, it may be time to adjust your customer service strategy and tools.

Brandi Cummings, an expert in the field of virtual telecommunications, recommends checking out Freedom800.com, http://www.freedom800.com, for more information on how a virtual PBX can enhance your customer service.
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Thursday, July 19, 2007

Helpful Signs and Happy Customers

Darryl Rosen offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
Feel free to use this article in your newsletter, website, ezine, blog, or forum.
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Article Title: Helpful Signs and Happy Customers
Author: Darryl Rosen
Category: Customer Service
Word Count: 505
Keywords: Customer service, signs, customer service information
Author's Email Address: darryl@grslamresults.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
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In 1971 The five man electrical band was belting out their famous, anti-establishment hit, Signs. I was 5-years old, and smaller than a peanut, but I remember my parents belting out the lyrics:

Sign Sign everywhere a sign
Blocking out the scenery breaking my mind
Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign

Hearing the song again this morning got me thinking about the role of signs in delivering great customer service. Part of "hitting the Grand Slam" and putting the thrill back into customer service is to greet customers sincerely. Does the greeting include signs? Absolutely!

Signs can be a great way to welcome your customers, or an instant turn-off if they convey the wrong message. Everybody remembers, "no shirts, no shoes, no service." In this era when customers evaluate us at every turn a message like that does not work. Below are 3 tips on creating signs that truly welcome our customers.

*Start welcoming customers when they come into your establishment. The greeting should start in the parking lot. At my wine stores in Chicago there was a sign above the entrance that stated: "Thank you for choosing Sam's." We're not talking brain surgery, but our customers thought it was a nice touch.

*Re-write all your signs to have a more positive tone: Do you remember those dreaded signs in urban lots that say how you will all but lose your first born if you park there? Re-write those signs! Make them positive!

I realize that some messages are inherently negative (like a towing sign!), but those signs can have a more positive tone, and so can your check writing policy. Instead of the title, "check policy" have a sign that says, "Yes! You can write checks. Please supply the following identification" Believe it or not, I've seen many businesses where simple changes like this can make for a happy, bustling store and workplace.

*Make the letters bigger, not smaller: Do you need reading glasses to read the signs at your favorite store? Signs are usually very difficult to read. As a start, read Paco Underhill's great book Why People Buy. There are a few things to keep in mind when designing signs. First, use big print. The population (and me, especially) is aging rapidly. Second, place your signs where your customers can really see them - below the chest and above the knees. Third, don't fall into the trap of thinking that tons of writing equals an effective sign. Some of the greatest print ads in history have had very little print. Most customers only give your sign two seconds. If you don't grab them, then they're off in the next instant, thinking about something else.

Remember, it is little things that count and count and add up to success that make customers happy and keep them coming back. That first customer touch point, your signs, is vitally important. It is the beginning of the game (to use a baseball analogy, and the team that scores in the first inning has the best chance of winning the game.

Mr. Rosen served as President and Owner of Sam's Wines & Spirits, a family-owned business established in 1940. Mr. Rosen has founded Grand Slam Results, LLC, a speaking and training workshop firm. For more information, visit http://www.grslamresults.com
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The Price Wasn't Right!

Darryl Rosen offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
Feel free to use this article in your newsletter, website, ezine, blog, or forum.
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Article Title: The Price Wasn't Right!
Author: Darryl Rosen
Category: Customer Service
Word Count: 470
Keywords: customer service, customer retention, customer service information
Author's Email Address: darryl@grslamresults.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
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I just got back from my local wireless store and I'm full of venom! Have you tried to buy a new phone lately? There are many different prices for every phone. First, it was $150, then $200, then $250. I thought I stumbled on the set of The Price is Right! My son, an 11-year old with a Blackberry, wanted the Pearl and had saved enough money; however, because he recently bought another phone, the carrier wanted the highest price - so my little man will have to wait until his next birthday.

Wireless carriers seem completely oblivious to the fact that their customers have choices. Companies must respect the fact that their customers have significant opportunity to change providers. Lets face it, we are bombarded with messages from wireless companies, morning, noon, and night. These companies are apparently more interested in trying to woo new customers than in keeping their existing customers happy. In fact, according to a recent poll by Telephia and Harris Interactive, 80 percent of subscribers who switched carriers in the last year had been offered no incentives to stay with the carrier they abandoned. Further, more than half of those who switched said they might have stayed put if the carrier who had their business had made them an offer. Such an offer would have shown respect and appreciation. Incredibly, carriers actually charge us to shop somewhere else (with excessive cancellation charges)!

Here are three tips for showing respect.

*Meet your customers' tangible needs. Have the right products in stock. Have enough associates on the floor to quickly help waiting customers. Waiting in a wireless store is like watching paint dry.

*Don't forget your customers' emotional needs. Never lose your customers' trust and confidence. When you say you will do something, actually do it. Remember Babe Ruth? Legend has it that he promised a sick child he would hit a home run for him, and then followed through! What a great example for corporate America! Be honest and up-front with customers.

*Respect the complainers. Most people don't complain they just shop someplace else. They vote with their feet and according to the Harris poll, it's quite costly to the carriers. When we complain we are essentially saying, "I want to be your customer, do something!" It's vital to respond, and cost efficient to take immediate action.

My son called an 800 number to ask for a discount on his new phone. No luck! They could have given him a free battery, or a sync cable, or another of all the many things such companies have available at little cost to themselves. To do so would have shown respect and concern.

Delivering great service is simple, but not easy. To deliver excellent customer service, we must respect that our customers have choices and do everything humanly possible to keep them as customers.

Mr. Rosen served as President and Owner of Sam's Wines & Spirits, a family-owned business established in 1940. Mr. Rosen has founded Grand Slam Results, LLC, a speaking and training workshop firm. For more information, visit http://www.grslamresults.com
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Wednesday, July 18, 2007

The Number One Way To Satisfy More Customers While Increasing Profits

Dave Origano offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: The Number One Way To Satisfy More Customers While Increasing Profits
Author: Dave Origano
Category: Business, Customer Service, Sales
Word Count: 496
Keywords: customer satisfaction, wow experience, serving customers better, profit building, increase profits
Author's Email Address: dave@mrorigano.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
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So many articles and books have been published about the current economical tides where the consumer is in control, and companies should do everything to serve them. Many entrepreneurs fail to do this, or think it's to expensive - thus going for non-maximized client satisfaction. This will finally result in business failure when a competitor goes for maximum satisfaction.

Other advice is about creating so-called WOW experiences. Giving the customer such a nice time, extremely caring support and delivering more then expected. This is also held back in many companies as being to expensive or to difficult.

The opposite is true actually, whether it is about customer serving or WOW experiences. In fact, experience has proven that it actually keeps customers with you for a much longer period and they also increase in worth with at least 150%

A simple Satisfaction & Profit Building System is the following, which after being implemented resulted in an increase of 70% in customer life and 162% average customer worth. The cost: a few hours of implementation, an hour a week to run the system and almost zero setup costs.

1. The customer nowadays has a lot of options to choose from. However they don't know their own criteria and simple don't know how to decide. Take them by the hand and teach them exactly how (not who) they should choose. Act as their trusted friend, not as the know-it-al or market leader, you'll regret that.

2. After you got them to choose for you and got your first sale, immediately inquire about their other problems and questions. See what other services and product they can use to solve other problems.

Offer them the services or products that can solve their problems immediately when you discovered his problems. But don't haste yourself, you should still make a good impression and sell them well.

3. Rinse and repeat until you solved all the problems you can possibly solve. Also do client satisfaction survey's at this point, asking customers about how they liked the solution you offered and if they still got some questions or small problems. Offer solutions for that too - think back-end products.

4. If you can't solve their problems, look in your rolodex or network for someone who can. Refer your customer to them and later call the company or person to let them know you referred them. Or, let your customer tell them you referred them. Most of the time you'll get a present or commission. If you don't, no worries since your client is satisfied and will stay with you longer.

5. After every possible problem within your expertise or closely to it is solved, find other common problems your customers have. For example a moving company can refer their customers to furniture stores, plumbing and technical services etc. Your customer has moved to a new city and might want new furniture. Plus they don't know the best plumber, the best handyman, the best gardener. Why don't you tell them and get a nice commission?

Dave Origano runs seven successful businesses, all doing at least 6 figures per year. Learn from this successful serial-entrepreneur how he does it, what marketing secrets he has and what strategies he uses at his website http://www.MrOrigano.com
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------

How To Increase Online Sales With Live Customer Support

Terry Parker offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
Feel free to use this article in your newsletter, website, ezine, blog, or forum.
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-----------
Article Title: How To Increase Online Sales With Live Customer Support
Author: Terry Parker
Category: Customer Service, Online Shopping, Sales
Word Count: 519
Keywords: live chat software, live help, customer support
Author's Email Address: realestateseo@yahoo.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------

The secret to a successful business website is to have maximum and good communication with the customers and clients of the website. Once upon a time the customers had to send an email and await an answer from a representative of the company. However today, with the introduction of live chat software, it is possible to provide answers to customers instantaneously.

With the help of these new customer support programs, it is possible for company representatives to have a one to one chat with the website visitors in real time. With this facility, it is possible for the representative to give immediate help and support to the customer instantaneously. With this immediate information, it is possible for the client to make faster decisions on whether or not to use or buy a particular product.

In addition to helping the customer to make fast decisions on buying a product, the program can also help you in keeping track of the number of visitors to your site and help in the proactive sales of your products and services. There are different forms of the software for you to choose from many of which involve different types of programming and one uses AJAX. This product is user friendly, faster and has better features than the other versions similar programs.

It is very easy to use this type of interactive customer support; all you need is a web browser. There is no software to install or any servers required for using the it. It is possible for all end users of the service like customers, administrators and operators to use it from any part of the world, through a standard web browser that is connected to the internet. Once the necessary code of the program is embedded in the web pages you just have to log in through the website of software to interact with web site visitors. You only need a few minutes to start successfully using it and see the benefits.

Today live chat software is the standard communication channel used for serving customers. It is used by numerous industries that range from web hosting services, financial services, real estate agencies, eBay and ecommerce stores, law firms and many other services. So it is easy to see that every one could benefit from live chat software as it improves the sales and performance of a company tremendously.

All the website visitor has to do to connect to the company representative is to click on a button found on the webpage. It is because the script is 100% hosted and is an on demand solution that there are no installations to be done to use the software. The staff of the company benefits by being able to view all web site visitors, and are informed of the pages the visitors tend to browse most frequently. You also get to see which countries the visitors are from, and which product or service they are particularly interested to help you assist the customer through their purchases. This information ultimately leads to an improved relationship with the customer, higher satisfaction, and an overall increase in online shopping satisfaction.

Visit our website http://www.chatrelations.com for free live chat software and more articles and information about the benefits of this customer support program.
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Four Ways to Guarantee Repeat Business

Michael Laleye offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
Feel free to use this article in your newsletter, website, ezine, blog, or forum.
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Article Title: Four Ways to Guarantee Repeat Business
Author: Michael Laleye
Category: Customer Service
Word Count: 594
Keywords: repeat business, affiliate business
Author's Email Address: articles@startaffiliatemarketing.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
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At the backbone of every successful business is the repeat customer. While it is great to get referrals, it is important to realize that a referral may result in an interested individual taking a look at a business or store, but by and large curiosity rarely translates into sales. On the other hand, a customer who already knows what to expect, who understands your way of doing business, and who comes back for more is an almost guaranteed sale!

Yet in a day and age when customer service is virtually and certifiably dead - have you ever approached a store employee only to have the person shrug her or his shoulders and tell you it's not their job? - it becomes harder and harder to entice customers or clients to come back.

Nonetheless, here are four ways to guarantee repeat business:

1. Be careful whom you hire. He might be your Cousin Betty's favorite nephew, but if his attitude leaves something to be desired he will be more of an albatross around your business' neck than an asset. Business and family sometimes do not mix well, and it may become rather awkward if you have to fire your kid sister, but the bottom line is simple: whoever is working for you is representing the business, and this representation needs to be made in such a way that the customer will love to come back. Personable, kind, and polite service are a must!

2. Know your business just a little better than the competition knows theirs. If you are a carpet cleaner, you will want to keep up with the latest and the greatest innovations. Think of the termite companies that have since time immemorial tented homes in order to eradicate termites with poisonous gasses. The new innovation was orange oil and most companies simply scoffed at the idea - until one or two companies took up the challenge and learned all there was about this new product. These companies are now running circles around the competition and repeat business is guaranteed!

3. Treat your client or customer well. Friendly customer service, superior product or service, and a personalize attitude to the business are a must. Yet so is the ability to apologize and rectify a situation that might have gone wrong. If you are a dog groomer and instead of giving the Bichon Frise its special Bichon cut, you went ahead and mistook it for a poodle and gave it a poodle do.

While this is a big oops, the fact that you are not charging for the service, but instead will make weekly appointments at the customer's home to even out the cut as it grows out with complimentary nail clippings and shampoos to boot will go a long ways to ensuring that this customer likes the way you correct a mistake. The odds are good she or he will come back.

4. Last but not least, do not nickel and dime your customers. Many businesses have taken to charging late fees, electricity recovery fees, fuel fees, and a host of other surcharge, fees, and other sums - all of which leave the customer with a bad taste in their mouths.

Instead of allowing yourself to follow this questionable business practice, make sure that the price you quote is the price you charge, and rather than trying to keep posted prices low by not factoring in your operating costs, incorporate them in your prices even if this makes you a bit more expensive. When consumers realize that you do not charge extra fees they will love you!

A Successful Home Based Affiliate Business Takes Time And Effort, Luckily This Site Was Designed To Fast Track Your Profits As Your Learn..

http://www.MyAffiliateStarter.com/Page1.html
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------

Improving Customer Service Relationship

Obinna Heche offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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-----------
Article Title: Improving Customer Service Relationship
Author: Obinna Heche
Category: Customer Service
Word Count: 519
Keywords: customer service,cashier,store,employee,sale associate,register,pricing,buy,customer,purchase,grant,
Author's Email Address: edgar_biggs@yahoo.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------

Any time that you enter a restaurant and are greeter by the hostess, when you are bombarded in a department store by an employee who ask if they can help you or the cashier at the grocery store, you are experiencing a tiny bit of customer service. Customer Service is something that we deal with on a daily basis. A bad customer service experience can result in the permanent loss of a customer or even customers. Bad customer service is not just a sales associate that ignores you but a rude cashier or someone who does not help you locate the items that you desire. When bad customer service is had, the customer will remember it despite the numerous times that they had great customer service within the same store.

Customer Service is the most important aspect of a business. Having a large number of potential customers means nothing if they are treated with insufficient customer service once they have entered your establishment. Service is not limited to just the sales associates or cashiers, it is the accountability of your registers, pricing machines or even the automated phone system that they reach when trying to call your business. Customers desire to be greeted immediately, helped with their decisions and checked out quickly. They want to feel that they are important as individuals, not just another customer buying an item.

Customer Service is not only about helping the customer have a good visit the first time but also a second visit that may not be quite as pleasant. In a world where most items are mass produced by machines, accidents can occur. Not all items may stand up to being the kind of quality products that we would like them to be. Your customer will not only have to deal with unhappy and unpleasant customers but even the occasionally irrate client whose purchase has broken or does not function as it should. Having an employee who can remain calm and help remedy the situation with success quickly.

In this situation, apologizing and letting the customer know that you are willing to do whatever you can to please them will instantly make them less upset and more comfortable. Customer service is not just a reflection of the employee. The employee is viewed as a small sample of the company as a whole. One rude or unpleasant employee can ruin a customers visit, so maintaining employees who are properly trained and view the customer whoi has the highest priority, will cut down on the customers who have a less than quality experience.

Great customer service is not completely in house for the company. If a company gives back to the community, then other possible buyers will have a positive view of the business. This can be done by sponsoring sporting teams for youngsters, donating to local charities, or setting up grants for teens who want to go to college but could not afford it on a regular basis. This will show that the company wants to take care of the community and give back to the people that have made their company such a success.

Obinna Heche:

Delivering the best home based business ideas and opportunities so you can work at home successfully..

http://www.homeincomeportal.com/obhmy365/
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------

Monday, July 16, 2007

(no subject)

Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL.com.

Friday, July 13, 2007

E-Cards For Business Use

Kris Koonar offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
Feel free to use this article in your newsletter, website, ezine, blog, or forum.
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- You have permission to publish this article for free providing the "About the Author" box is included in its entirety.
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- Please send a copy of the publication, or an email indicating the URL to salil@crackmarketing.com
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-----------
Article Title: E-Cards For Business Use
Author: Kris Koonar
Category: Customer Service
Word Count: 507
Keywords: Business Greeting Cards, Corporate Greeting Cards
Author's Email Address: salil@crackmarketing.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------

Are you looking out for some corporate greeting cards for business? This is the best way to show your customers and the corporate employees the faith and love you have in them and how much you value their dedication and loyalty.

During every Holiday Season or festival season, you can use ecards to convey the holiday message. After some weeks, remember to mail an e-card to an old customer that says: Thinking of You. Send a Thank you card after every successful sale or transfer, and send sorry e-card for any mistake. These things matter a lot in the world of business and also help retain customers.

Birthday card with the company logo

Corporate Birthday Cards honor the special day for the business clients. In the current business world to gain a foothold you need to build a strong relation with your customers as this is a vital part which leads to the company success. So, go ahead and take an extra step toward honoring them with a special birthday card.

This is a great way to put your name in the forefront and also to spread warmth amongst your customers and clients. This is one of the cost effective ways to advertise. Purchasing a quality greeting card for your business is a very smart hassle free and economical idea. For adding the desired personal touch you can customize your greeting cards with the choice of verse and also address in a variety of inks and foil stamp colors.

Thank you cards an essential tool in Business world

Thank you cards are the easiest way to express your appreciation and gratitude to the customers and clients. Americans in general give out about 6 million cards a year and 3 percent of these cards are thank-you cards. A number of people write thank you cards to express their feelings. Oprah Magazine once quoted: Gratitude has a cleansing effect on the soul, the very act of saying a sincere thank-you, hones our personality, making us humbler, gentler, more loving people. Saying thank-you automatically reminds us of our place in a greater scheme of things.

Marketing professionals try out various strategies to attract customers and to retain the old clients. As client relation is the key to success in marketing, e- cards generally increase the sales by getting new clients. There are various websites that showcases the e-cards. You can get e-cards professionally designed to suit your need.

The online greeting card and the invitation service have recently released another edition. This new tool allows small as well as large companies to customize their website with their logo, message and colors with minimum investment.

This new service allows the administrator to tailor the site on the brand. The group members can create an advertising free experience, which is branded with the look and message at different steps. For small businesses, houses printing and mailing around 250 greeting cards could cost around 250 dollars, but with e-cards it would cost only 20 dollars, hence using an e-card for business is highly cost efficient.

Do you know top business coaches recommend the use of Business Greeting Cards to build rapport and cement client relationships? http://www.idiooz.com provides the perfect way to send Corporate Greeting Cards to keep your clients.
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Thursday, July 12, 2007

Providing Quality Customer Service

Obinna Heche offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: Providing Quality Customer Service
Author: Obinna Heche
Category: Customer Service
Word Count: 464
Keywords: starting a business,customer service,create a website,orders,,packing,shipping,return policy,track,
Author's Email Address: edgar_biggs@yahoo.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
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The way you treat your customers will determine if your business is successful or not. If you ship orders late, cannot answer questions about your product, are rude or condescending or you can not update your website regularly, customers will tell their friends and others to avoid your business. But there are ways to make sure your customers are treated with respect without having to sacrifice profits or time.

One of the best ways to provide quality customer service is by creating a website that is easy to navigate. This means that all pages are in logical order, products have full descriptions and order pages are clearly marked. Including contact information is essential to the survival of your business because customers may have questions about their order, products or your website in general.

When customers send email, you should try to answer them within one business day. This will let them know that they are important. If you cannot personally answer the amount of email you are receiving each day and handle other business obligations, you should consider hiring a customer service representative who can take over these duties.

Another way to ensure quality customer service is to make sure that all items shipped are properly wrapped and protected. Items that are thrown into a box without much thought to their safety sends a bad message to customers. Maintaining repeat business is vital to the success of your business. Customers who are pleased with their experiences will purchase other items in the future.

You should always have enough packing and shipping supplies for each day that you send orders. When an order is placed, you should send an email giving the customer an estimate of when it will be shipped and include all shipping information so the customer can track their order. Customers who want to return orders should not be ignored. Make it clear to the customer what the return policy is on your website and on their invoice when they receive the item.

Be patient with customers who want to return an item. Ask them why they were not satisfied and what you can do to help the situation. Many times replacing the item is all the customer will need in order to continue using your website. Customers who are treated poorly will not usually return to make additional purchases.

If you are just starting your business, learning more about ways to help customers find what they are looking for, answering any questions they may have and helping them make returns or exchanges will allow you to develop a reputation for being a quality business from the beginning. If you are patient, considerate and responsive when a problem occurs, you will receive repeat business which will allow your business to continue to grow.

Obinna Heche:

Delivering the best home based business ideas and opportunities so you can work at home successfully..

http://www.home-incomeportal.com/
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Wednesday, July 11, 2007

How Anyone Can Create A Useful Knowledgebase

David Burch offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: How Anyone Can Create A Useful Knowledgebase
Author: David Burch
Category: Communication, Customer Service, Management
Word Count: 642
Keywords: business, knowledgebase, communication, customer, service, support
Author's Email Address: david.burch@yahoo.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
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According to Wikipedia, the primary benefit of a knowledge base is to provide a means to discover solutions to problems that have known solutions which can be re-applied by others, less experienced in the problem area.

There are great knowledgebase products, but most require the investment of a lot of time and money. Most companies adopt one of two approaches. The first approach is to document everything in Microsoft Office files and file them away on a shared drive. The other approach is to gather the company's experts, stuff them in a room to brainstorm every possible problem and solution and document it in something resembling a fancy flow chart.

Both approaches create a knowledgebase that isn't very useful. I'm sure you've been on the phone with a call center that uses one of these. They work like the horrid hardware troubleshooting steps in Microsoft Windows, taking you step by step through a full barrage of things to check, even those that have absolutely nothing to do with your problem. It wastes your time and paints the company in bad light, but what is worse, it doesn't solve your problem.

Back in the day, when I worked in technical support in a call center, we had a knowledge base that worked better than anything I've seen since. It was so simple and I'm going to tell you how to set it up for yourself. We wore headsets, a must for a call center, which left our hands free to record every detail of the call in a document. When a customer called for technical support, we recorded three things: their problem, the resolution (when we closed the call), and the steps we took along the way from problem to resolution.

At first glance, it might seem that recording the steps taken along the way from problem to resolution are unnecessary. Aren't the problem and it's resolution enough to help future customers? Not really. In fact,the documentation of the steps prove to be the most valuable.

Here's how it works: You're a junior tech support technician and a customer calls up with a problem--let's say it's "My printer doesn't work." So you search for "my printer doesn't work" and you find two previous calls. Both have the same resolution: wrong printer drivers. So you have the customer download and install the correct version of the drivers, but their printer still doesn't work.

So you dig deeper through the records of the previous calls. Both were recorded by senior support techs who really know their stuff. One just recorded the problem and the solution. No help there because that didn't work for you. This is like the end of the crappy automated Microsoft Troubleshooting system. Your printer still doesn't work? Sucks to be you.

The support tech documented every thing he had the customer check before he discovered the problem. His customer didn't have those things wrong, but yours might. So you ask every question the more experienced tech asked until you get to "Is your printer plugged in?" "Uh, no." "Well there's your problem." (Don't laugh. It happens far too frequently). You close the ticket putting "Printer wasn't plugged in," as the resolution and close the call. Then you think better of it. Reopen the call, and record from memory, everything you had the customer check that could have been the problem, but wasn't -- to help on the next call.

Don't tax your company's resources for the latest in artificial intelligent systems that cost a fortune and take so much time to implement that they are obsolete as soon as they are built. Look for a simple tool that allows you to enter and search on three text fields: problem, resolution, and details. Other tracking fields are helpful, especially those containing details about the customers, but concentrate on the first three and you will sure to build something useful.

David Burch is the owner of OutsourcedLife.com. OutsourcedLife.com is dedicated to outsourcing and building passive income. Learn more at http://OutsourcedLife.com/
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Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Successful Corporate Gift Buying Basics

Ramon Torres offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: Successful Corporate Gift Buying Basics
Author: Ramon Torres
Category: Employee Relations, Organizational, Customer Service
Word Count: 527
Keywords: corporate gift,business gifts,corporate gift ideas,corporate gifts
Author's Email Address: dujopr-articles@yahoo.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
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As a retired manager in a multi-country company, I have found that buying the right corporate gift for employee reward programs, customers or for corporate celebrations in general, can become a challenging task. Giving it is worse since you have the intention to gain business ties, connect with clients, and send your message of giving thanks. Although there are no definitive rules, knowing the following corporate gift buying basics will increase your chances of attaining your goals.

Ask this: "What particular office item does he or she lack?" Any person would appreciate when he or she receives something that sparks his or her interest. For example, your boss or your business partner loves cigars. Think of something that he or she can use together with his or her cigar. It can be a cigar lighter, leather cigar case, or a box of cigar from the best brand you can find. For someone who likes to collect watches, you can consider a leather watch case or another watch to add his or her collection.

Avoid gender discrimination. Obviously, you will choose your gift according to gender but make sure that you treat each of them equally. Do not buy a $50-gift for men and a $10 gift for women. Keep it equal. Better yet, choose an item that will suit both men and women and give it to all.

Corporate gift packaging is important. This can make it or break it when it comes to the first impression to the receiver. An appropriate packaging will send a message to the recipient that she or he is important to you. A gift with poor packaging on the other hand will tell the recipient that the item inside is not that important, or worse, the recipient may think that she or he is not important. So regardless of the price of the gift inside, it is inevitable that a corporate gift should be packed appropriately.

Make sure you check company policies on corporate gifts to employees and clients or customers. Some companies prohibit gift giving at all; some have dollar limits on the gift item; while other don't have limits at all. By checking your company's policies on this matter you will know how much you have to spend on a particular gift item to avoid your gift being sent back to you. If the gift if for a client, it pays to find out their policy as well. It will be a short call that saves you a lot of potential hassle.

If you are giving gifts to selected few, be discreet. If in case you only plan to give gifts to a chosen few like your assistant, few clerks, and the receptionists, do not tell everyone about your plan. Keep it silent and hand your gifts when no one else who can see; it may be out of the office. You can be charged with favoritism if you are not careful enough.

Buying a corporate gift can sometimes become a daunting task, but with experience, common sense and by following corporate gift buying essentials will increase your chances of a successful and rewarding experience for all parties.

Ray Torres is a retired manager of a Fortune 500 company. For more tips and resources on corporate gifts, visit http://www.squidoo.com/corporategiftsadvice
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Why People Hate Cell Phone Companies

Brian Armstrong offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: Why People Hate Cell Phone Companies
Author: Brian Armstrong
Category: Customer Service, Corporate, Ethics
Word Count: 422
Keywords: cell, phone, branding, customer, relationships, trust, ethics, mistakes, opportunities
Author's Email Address: brian@startbreakingfree.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
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When did cell phone companies get the idea that making things difficult for their customers was a good idea?

Here are just a few examples of where they went wrong:

* Having two year contracts, and extending them at every opportunity. If you have to threaten your customers to keep them from leaving, you've got a problem.

* Sending customers outrageously large bills when they use too many minutes. Why would you want to punish the people who are using your service the most? They should automatically upgrade you to the next plan, or call/text you to let you know you're at your limit.

* Having way to many service plans, features, and line items on the bill. My last bill had no fewer than 12 line items on it, many of them taxes and fees that I couldn't explain the purpose of. (Note: Apple, a company that understands this, tried to fix this with the iPhone.)

Each one of these features was probably designed by a well meaning MBA or consultant who did a detailed analysis of how it would improve the bottom line. And they were probably right. Using a two year contract probably DOES improve the bottom line by selling more phones up front (you get the phone cheaper since it's being paid off over time).

But the problem is that the consumer doesn't CARE about T-Mobile, AT&T, or Verizon's bottom line. All they know is that they felt angry the last time they were locked into a plan, used too many minutes, or saw a 'Regulatory Programs Fee' on their bill.

Did the cell phone companies really need the government to step in and tell them they should let their customers keep their phone number when switching? It seems like a no brainer to me. If you can provide additional value to your customers with hardly any additional work, maybe you should do it.

Trust your customers the same way you'd like to be treated, and that means treating them with respect. They will reward you with far more business in the long term.

They may even start to have a little bit of brand loyalty, something that is missing in the cell phone industry right now. Despite all those early termination fees, customers are jumping ship left and right. Just like a fist full of sands, the tighter they try to hold on, the more customers will slip through their fingers.

Cell phone companies are winning the battle and losing the war with this type of short term thinking, and it's time they woke up.

Brian Armstrong makes it easy to learn the secrets of today's top business owners. To see an example of how Brian started his own business in 30 days for less than $100, check out his website at http://www.startbreakingfree.com/
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Monday, July 9, 2007

The Importance of a Customer-Focused Vision

Darryl Rosen offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: The Importance of a Customer-Focused Vision
Author: Darryl Rosen
Category: Customer Service
Word Count: 443
Keywords: customer service, customer service management, customer vision
Author's Email Address: darryl@grslamresults.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
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Have you caught the fantasy-baseball bug yet? When asked to join a friend's fantasy league this year, I accepted, not knowing what was required. I knew I was in trouble when my friend told me he had spent over 20 hours dissecting his team, position-by-position, and searching other rosters for possible trading partners. I didn't even know my team's name, let alone how to access the league's Website! Here's the point.

My buddy is obsessed with fantasy baseball, and to do something extraordinarily well, it must be your obsession. Part of "hitting the Grand Slam" and putting the thrill back into customer service is articulating a customer-focused vision. In short, from top to bottom, the entire organization must be obsessed with delivering unparalleled customer service. Over the years, my experiences have taught me that it is simple to create a customer-focused culture, but it certainly isn't easy.

Here are some tips for living and breathing customer service.

*The CEO must be obsessed, whatever the plan. Assuming the top CEO knows what he or she is doing, they must demonstrate an unwavering commitment to their plan. The Atlanta Braves won 14 straight division titles in an unrivaled streak that finally ended just last year. Their General Manager, John Sherholtz, is about winning and only winning. This is how a great leader operates.

*Discuss the vision all the time. Companies spend an inordinately small amount of time talking about the company's reason to be. Within the company associates should always be asking "Where are we going and what's it going to look like when we get there?"

*Motivate your associates by giving them a snapshot of the big picture. Many companies share much more information with their associates, than in the past because associates today want to know how they fit into the big picture.

How are our efforts helping the company goals? For most of my career, I owned and operated wine stores in Chicago. When customers left our stores with their shopping carts I wanted an associate to go and retrieve the cart for no other reason than to say, "Thanks!" or "Have a nice day!" or something similar. When I explained this unusual step was driven by an obsession to service customers properly, and shared my enthusiasm, I received more cooperation from cashiers and stock people. In other words, when they understood how their efforts helped, they were motivated and enthusiastic.

It takes commitment, and an obsession with customers from everyone in the organization to be successful. It seems simple, but it certainly isn't easy to keep attention focused on customers. If a company gets it right, however, the customers and profits will be easy to attract and keep.

Mr. Rosen served as President and Owner of Sam's Wines & Spirits, a family-owned business established in 1940. Mr. Rosen has founded Grand Slam Results, LLC, a speaking and training workshop firm. For more information, visit http://www.grslamresults.com
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------

Little and Big Commitments

Darryl Rosen offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: Little and Big Commitments
Author: Darryl Rosen
Category: Customer Service
Word Count: 571
Keywords: Customer Service, customers service management, delighting customers
Author's Email Address: darryl@grslamresults.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------

The car was drop-dead gorgeous. It had a beautiful dark blue exterior and the interior was brown - very sporty - with a 6-speed manual transmission to boot. There was no use denying it. I was in love. I probably reduced my negotiating leverage immediately by falling in love with it; however, at that point I just wanted to see it in my driveway.

The love affair was tempered, slightly, when the salesman handed me the key. It was bent like the leaning Tower of Pisa. The salesman didn't dare try to bend the key back into place because it certainly would have broken, which would have sent me to another dealership. He promised to order two new keys, so I bought the car and left.

They never sent any keys, nor did they communicate with me again. Weeks later I still had this goofy-looking key in my pocket. Whether he realized it or not, the salesman made a commitment to me, and I placed my trust in him. He failed to deliver. Part of "Hitting the Grand Slam" with your customers is respecting that your customers have choices, and always meeting their intangible needs. Winning, profitable companies constantly inspire customer confidence by their actions, and always conduct business in a trustworthy manner. They keep their word. Commitments that are kept create repeat customers, and repeat customers create profit.

Here are some tips for meeting a customer's intangible needs:

*Follow through! It has been my observation in life that people who do not keep small commitments don't keep big ones either. Customers watch what we do, rather than what we say, because actions, as the old saying goes, speak louder than words. Think about it. If somebody says to you, "I'll call you tomorrow" that's a small commitment. If they don't call you tomorrow, then they have broken a commitment. You will take what they say after that with great skepticism.

*Always act in an ethical manner: From the top of the company to the bottom, always do the right things. Every so often, when I was running my family's retail wine stores, I would come across an associate that thought he or she could pull a fast one on unsuspecting customers. One time, in particular, an associate tried to charge an elderly couple a higher than advertised price for a case of wine. I was devastated, and after dismissing the employee, I reiterated to our staff how important it was in business to keep our customer's trust. The same thing applies to life in general.

*Remember that the customers' service experience isn't over just because you have their money: Often, despite our best intentions, our service isn't perfect and our customers call us for additional help, or to rectify problems. This is "show time"! Customers calling to check on an order, or make other changes are providing us with great opportunities to shine and instill more confidence in our overall trustworthiness.

The good news is that customers are pretty loyal when you get down to it. In fact, according the book When Customers Talk, only 16% of customers will leave after one bad service experience. As a result, even if your organization has slipped up once, with certain customers it is not too late to show your respect by seeking their trust and confidence anew. They will believe they can depend on you, and seeking their trust will pay off over the long haul with repeat business.

Mr. Rosen served as President and Owner of Sam's Wines & Spirits, a family-owned business established in 1940. Mr. Rosen has founded Grand Slam Results, LLC, a speaking and training workshop firm. For more information, visit http://www.grslamresults.com
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Monday, July 2, 2007

The Power of Delighting a Customer

Darryl Rosen offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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Article Title: The Power of Delighting a Customer
Author: Darryl Rosen
Category: Customer Service, Management
Word Count: 509
Keywords: customer service, customer management, customer goodwill, retaining customers
Author's Email Address: darryl@grslamresults.com
Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------

It used to be a privilege when I could spend nights in great restaurants, all the while knowing someone else was picking up the check! As the President and owner of Chicago's most prominent wine stores, I was usually the chosen one when producers and winemakers came to town.

Several things have changed since those days. Most notably, I have less hair than before and we recently sold our wine stores. Those fancy meals are a fading memory; however, one meal, in particular, is still very clear. On that evening a famous Barolo wine producer was in town, so several of us ventured out for a semi-casual steak dinner And I witnessed something spectacular that improved my philosophy about caring about customers.

At the next table were eight businessmen in town for their national convention, and they were having a grand time. They happened to order the Barolo wine produced by my dinner companion. His smile was wider than the Panama Canal! He approached the table to introduce himself, but it wasn't until later that we learned that he paid for the bottle, and the one after that. He never mentioned it to anyone, probably not wanting to draw attention to his act of generosity.

Wow! What an incredible gesture. I was stunned as were all the people at both tables. Introducing himself was probably enough, but going the extra mile was priceless. Part of "Hitting the Grand Slam" and creating happy customers is delighting your customers. Organizations and individuals who find a way to differentiate themselves by delighting their customers will be rewarded with positive customer attitudes, and resulting profits.

Here are a few simple ways to affect change in your favor.

* Go the extra mile. At our stores in Chicago, we asked, and expected, our front line people to retrieve the shopping carts from customers just so we could say "Thank you!" or "Have a nice day!" We understood the importance of the customer's impression. In fact, most studies show that what happens last will be what your customers remember first.

* Don't promise the world. Under promising and over delivering is much better than the opposite. Keep it real, so that when you do more than expected, the results are magnified.

* Do the unexpected. It is rare these days for an associate to walk a customer to the item they are looking for, and more common for them to point.

Do your associates take ownership of customers and their problems? One way to delight your customers is to leave your department to help them find something. It can be frustrating and difficult to navigate around a large store. Your associates should find it so customers don't become a hot potato tossed back and forth from one disinterested associate to another.

I remember the next morning after the producer bought the wine for the table that the whole industry was buzzing about this gentleman's insightful action. With such a simple, inexpensive gesture, he created buzz and good will that money could not buy. You can bet he had at least eight fans for life!

Mr. Rosen served as President of Sam's Wines & Spirits, a family-owned business established in 1940. Mr. Rosen has founded Grand Slam Results, LLC, a speaking and training workshop firm. For more information, visit http://www.grslamresults.com
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------

Customer Service