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Casual Articles - 11 Customer Services Lessons on One Phone Call
Financing Your Trucking Business with Freight Bill Factoring
There are few businesses that are as cash flow intensive as a trucking company. The list of ongoing expenses can be endless and can easily overwhelm small and medium size trucking companies. There are fuel expenses, truck repairs, rentals and salaries. Although most trucking companies are very profitable, few can afford to wait the usual 30 to 60 days it takes to get paid for their freight bills.Unless the trucking company has a significant cash cushion in the bank, waiting 30 to 60 days to get paid can cause serious problems. It can jeopardize existing operations and furthermore, it can prevent you from growing your business. The only way to get out of the cash flow rut is to find a way to capitalize on your slow paying invoices. The best tool to do this for a trucking company is called freight bill factoring.Freight bill factoring enables the trucking company to get paid for their freight bills within a day of invoicing, eliminating the usual 30 to 60 day wait.. With a factoring agreement in place, you can stabilize your company’s cash flow and eliminate the stress of not knowing when you’ll be paid. Since freight bill factoring eliminates the worries of waiting for your payment, you will be free to focus on what you do best: runn
e, so I thought he was “checking” with someone else to see if any of their boots “ran” wider. But then I heard him mumbling on the phone. I found out that he was just reading from the catalog. There are few businesses that are as cash flow intensive as a trucking company. The list of ongoing expenses can be endless and can easily overwhelm small and medium size trucking companies. There are fuel expenses, truck repairs, rentals and salaries. Although most trucking companies are very profitable, few can afford to wait the usual 30 to 60 days it takes to get paid for their freight bills.Unless the trucking company has a significant cash cushion in the bank, waiting 30 to 60 days to get paid can cause serious problems. It can jeopardize existing operations and furthermore, it can prevent you from growing your business. The only way to get out of the cash flow rut is to find a way to capitalize on your slow paying invoices. The best tool to do this for a trucking company is called freight bill factoring.Freight bill factoring enables the trucking company to get paid for their freight bills within a day of invoicing, eliminating the usual 30 to 60 day wait.. With a factoring agreement in place, you can stabilize your company’s cash flow and eliminate the stress of not knowing when you’ll be paid. Since freight bill factoring eliminates the worries of waiting for your payment, you will be free to focus on what you do best: runn
I told him I had already read the catalog and that I knew none of the other boots came in wide widths and ask again if he or anyone there knew if any brands “ran” wider. He just went back to
reading the catalog. Finally, I just said, “Never mind” and hung up.
I went to the local fly shop that is
Indian Anime
The global digital animation industry is poised to grow to $70 billion by this year. The Indian animation industry is expected to reach $15 billion by 2008. Big numbers, pointing to India’s next big outsourcing boom. Labor arbitrage numbers are absolutely fantastic: $125/hour in the US versus $25/hour in India for animators. $75 Million to $175 Million for a full-length features film in the US versus $1-$15 Million in India.As in the software industry, much of the growth is driven by off-shoring and contract services. Original productions are still very rare, although this month, an animation feature called Hanuman has been released by Sahara India Mass Communication and Percept India in association with Silvertoons. Hanuman is the Hindu monkey god, a superhero of sorts who can move mountains, eat the moon, fly (of course) ...The quality of indigenous animation films have traditionally been quite pathetic, because of huge budget constraints. Networks pay in the range of $500-$1500 per 20-25 minute episode of an animation TV series, where it costs a good $5,000-$10,000 per minute of finished animation, bringing the cost of that episode to $100k+. The economics of television, as it stands, does not work, and need to be re-engineered, if the anima
The global digital animation industry is poised to grow to $70 billion by this year. The Indian animation industry is expected to reach $15 billion by 2008. Big numbers, pointing to India’s next big outsourcing boom. Labor arbitrage numbers are absolutely fantastic: $125/hour in the US versus $25/hour in India for animators. $75 Million to $175 Million for a full-length features film in the US versus $1-$15 Million in India.As in the software industry, much of the growth is driven by off-shoring and contract services. Original productions are still very rare, although this month, an animation feature called Hanuman has been released by Sahara India Mass Communication and Percept India in association with Silvertoons. Hanuman is the Hindu monkey god, a superhero of sorts who can move mountains, eat the moon, fly (of course) ...The quality of indigenous animation films have traditionally been quite pathetic, because of huge budget constraints. Networks pay in the range of $500-$1500 per 20-25 minute episode of an animation TV series, where it costs a good $5,000-$10,000 per minute of finished animation, bringing the cost of that episode to $100k+. The economics of television, as it stands, does not work, and need to be re-engineered, if the anima
The other day, I called one of our very good clients who has a brick and mortar store, excellent mail order business, superb telemarketing organization, and a top notch web site. They don’t have a retail store in my area, so I usually order on line or call them. I order from them for a number of reasons:
* They are a very good client of ours.
* Their products are superb.
* Their service is almost always at the Make-You-Happy level .
But even the best service businesses fall short and that’s why we need to be consistent and persistent in reinforcing Make-You-Happy Customer Service in our business.
One of the areas that continually amazes me is how often people assume they know what you are going to ask and therefore don’t really listen to what you’re saying.
I had ordered top quality expensive wading boots, for fly fishing in rivers, from them. When I got them, they were too narrow. I looked through their catalog and saw that the only boot they had in the catalog was available in wide widths was a lower price model. Now, I’m not snobby, but my feet are old enough that I need the support and extra sole thickness.
I called the 800 number to ask if they had any higher quality boots in wide widths. A very nice good customer service person told me that was the only boot that actually came in a wide width, but suggested that I call back in the morning and ask for a “boot product specialist” and see if one of the boots “ran” wider than the model I ordered.
I thought that was a great idea! I buy New Balance Tennis Shoes for that reason. I don’t need to get a “wide”, their shoes just “run” wider.
So I called back the next day and asked for a product specialist. I told him that I had already found out that the only boot they carry in a wide was their inexpensive model and that the customer service person suggested I call back to see if any of the more expensive model “ran” wide and might work for me.
He said, “Let me check”. It was quite for a while, so I thought he was “checking” with someone else to see if any of their boots “ran” wider. But then I heard him mumbling on the phone. I found out that he was just reading from the catalog.
I told him I had already read the catalog and that I knew none of the other boots came in wide widths and ask again if he or anyone there knew if any brands “ran” wider. He just went back to
reading the catalog. Finally, I just said, “Never mind” and hung up.
I went to the local fly shop that is n
Unemployment Doldrums: Celebrate Yourself
We all take time to celebrate when we finally find a good position. But that can take weeks, or months, even a year or two in the highly competitive labor market we now face. That can mean a very long period of stress, uncertainty, and financial pressure.Take care of yourself by making sure that you stop to celebrate any small successes you enjoy along the way. Obtaining an interview, even if no job offer is forthcoming, is something you should be proud of. Taking specific actions such as visiting employers, calling personal contacts, registering with an agency, or attending a job fair can also be steps that warrant a reward.Celebrations don't have to cost money. If you can afford a festive dinner with your family, that's great. If not, try giving yourself the day off and totally relaxing; spend a day at the park or beach with the kids; engross yourself in fantasy fiction to forget about the job hunt, or make a special "at home" date with your honey.Giving ourselves little perks along the way, rather than waiting for the final payoff, keeps us more balanced, relaxed, and motivated. Just think: would you continue to play a slot machine with a million dollar jackpot if you didn't get lots of little payoffs along the way?
short and that’s why we need to be consistent and persistent in reinforcing Make-You-Happy Customer Service in our business.We all take time to celebrate when we finally find a good position. But that can take weeks, or months, even a year or two in the highly competitive labor market we now face. That can mean a very long period of stress, uncertainty, and financial pressure.Take care of yourself by making sure that you stop to celebrate any small successes you enjoy along the way. Obtaining an interview, even if no job offer is forthcoming, is something you should be proud of. Taking specific actions such as visiting employers, calling personal contacts, registering with an agency, or attending a job fair can also be steps that warrant a reward.Celebrations don't have to cost money. If you can afford a festive dinner with your family, that's great. If not, try giving yourself the day off and totally relaxing; spend a day at the park or beach with the kids; engross yourself in fantasy fiction to forget about the job hunt, or make a special "at home" date with your honey.Giving ourselves little perks along the way, rather than waiting for the final payoff, keeps us more balanced, relaxed, and motivated. Just think: would you continue to play a slot machine with a million dollar jackpot if you didn't get lots of little payoffs along the way?
One of the areas that continually amazes me is how often people assume they know what you are going to ask and therefore don’t really listen to what you’re saying.
I had ordered top quality expensive wading boots, for fly fishing in rivers, from them. When I got them, they were too narrow. I looked through their catalog and saw that the only boot they had in the catalog was available in wide widths was a lower price model. Now, I’m not snobby, but my feet are old enough that I need the support and extra sole thickness.
I called the 800 number to ask if they had any higher quality boots in wide widths. A very nice good customer service person told me that was the only boot that actually came in a wide width, but suggested that I call back in the morning and ask for a “boot product specialist” and see if one of the boots “ran” wider than the model I ordered.
I thought that was a great idea! I buy New Balance Tennis Shoes for that reason. I don’t need to get a “wide”, their shoes just “run” wider.
So I called back the next day and asked for a product specialist. I told him that I had already found out that the only boot they carry in a wide was their inexpensive model and that the customer service person suggested I call back to see if any of the more expensive model “ran” wide and might work for me.
He said, “Let me check”. It was quite for a while, so I thought he was “checking” with someone else to see if any of their boots “ran” wider. But then I heard him mumbling on the phone. I found out that he was just reading from the catalog.
I told him I had already read the catalog and that I knew none of the other boots came in wide widths and ask again if he or anyone there knew if any brands “ran” wider. He just went back to
reading the catalog. Finally, I just said, “Never mind” and hung up.
I went to the local fly shop that is
Are Private Investigation Jobs Anything Like Magnum PI?
Forget about hollywood's glamorization of a private investigator job! A real life private investigator job is not as easy as you think!Private investigators offer numerous services, in a huge number of domains such as corporate and star safety, pre-employment verification; subject to perceived value background search. These are only the tip of the iceberg of what they do! They can also do investigations regarding crimes made given the computer, like illegal downloading, copyrighted materials and numerous others.An alternative field that they get into is finding missing persons or finding the birth fathers of adopted children, child custody and shelter cases. Sometimes they are hired to prove if a spouse has committed an infidelity which is the majority of the cases that the private investigators are hired to do.Tasks that a real private investigator doesPrivate investigators are trained to do surveillance. This is a basic skill that they must have. More often than not, they are required to observe a location or a person from a well-guarded or concealed site such as a car or sometimes bushes or trees. To do these kinds of private investigation jobs, they need special equipment such as binoculars, cameras, or photo camera
as available in wide widths was a lower price model. Now, I’m not snobby, but my feet are old enough that I need the support and extra sole thickness.Forget about hollywood's glamorization of a private investigator job! A real life private investigator job is not as easy as you think!Private investigators offer numerous services, in a huge number of domains such as corporate and star safety, pre-employment verification; subject to perceived value background search. These are only the tip of the iceberg of what they do! They can also do investigations regarding crimes made given the computer, like illegal downloading, copyrighted materials and numerous others.An alternative field that they get into is finding missing persons or finding the birth fathers of adopted children, child custody and shelter cases. Sometimes they are hired to prove if a spouse has committed an infidelity which is the majority of the cases that the private investigators are hired to do.Tasks that a real private investigator doesPrivate investigators are trained to do surveillance. This is a basic skill that they must have. More often than not, they are required to observe a location or a person from a well-guarded or concealed site such as a car or sometimes bushes or trees. To do these kinds of private investigation jobs, they need special equipment such as binoculars, cameras, or photo camera
I called the 800 number to ask if they had any higher quality boots in wide widths. A very nice good customer service person told me that was the only boot that actually came in a wide width, but suggested that I call back in the morning and ask for a “boot product specialist” and see if one of the boots “ran” wider than the model I ordered.
I thought that was a great idea! I buy New Balance Tennis Shoes for that reason. I don’t need to get a “wide”, their shoes just “run” wider.
So I called back the next day and asked for a product specialist. I told him that I had already found out that the only boot they carry in a wide was their inexpensive model and that the customer service person suggested I call back to see if any of the more expensive model “ran” wide and might work for me.
He said, “Let me check”. It was quite for a while, so I thought he was “checking” with someone else to see if any of their boots “ran” wider. But then I heard him mumbling on the phone. I found out that he was just reading from the catalog.
I told him I had already read the catalog and that I knew none of the other boots came in wide widths and ask again if he or anyone there knew if any brands “ran” wider. He just went back to
reading the catalog. Finally, I just said, “Never mind” and hung up.
I went to the local fly shop that is
Global Domains International or GDI - More Than Just Web Hosting
So you may be asking your self - "What is this GDI thing I keep hearing about?" It is true that GDI is the facilitator and owner of .WS web domains around the globe, but it is more. This company is almost ten years old and has set the MLM home business market on fire. You heard right! It is an MLM. GDI is a multi level network marketing business that can be worked from the comfort of your own home, from your computer.What sets it apart is the following factors: It is affordable (only $10 per month), has no start up fee, has a free seven day trial period, has tools to help build the business, provides the subscriber with their own domain name with web hosting of a ten page web page that they can create using an easy to use web editor as well as an HTML page for the more experienced web design person, and the list goes on. When you look at the cost versus what is offered, it is no wonder why this company is taking the world by storm. The product is the .ws websites.Having a web site in today's day and age is becoming essential for marketing on the internet. Even a local brick and mortar business can benefit from having a web page. The trick is to get to the top of the search engine for the keyword associated with your business. A system known as
thought that was a great idea! I buy New Balance Tennis Shoes for that reason. I don’t need to get a “wide”, their shoes just “run” wider.So you may be asking your self - "What is this GDI thing I keep hearing about?" It is true that GDI is the facilitator and owner of .WS web domains around the globe, but it is more. This company is almost ten years old and has set the MLM home business market on fire. You heard right! It is an MLM. GDI is a multi level network marketing business that can be worked from the comfort of your own home, from your computer.What sets it apart is the following factors: It is affordable (only $10 per month), has no start up fee, has a free seven day trial period, has tools to help build the business, provides the subscriber with their own domain name with web hosting of a ten page web page that they can create using an easy to use web editor as well as an HTML page for the more experienced web design person, and the list goes on. When you look at the cost versus what is offered, it is no wonder why this company is taking the world by storm. The product is the .ws websites.Having a web site in today's day and age is becoming essential for marketing on the internet. Even a local brick and mortar business can benefit from having a web page. The trick is to get to the top of the search engine for the keyword associated with your business. A system known as
So I called back the next day and asked for a product specialist. I told him that I had already found out that the only boot they carry in a wide was their inexpensive model and that the customer service person suggested I call back to see if any of the more expensive model “ran” wide and might work for me.
He said, “Let me check”. It was quite for a while, so I thought he was “checking” with someone else to see if any of their boots “ran” wider. But then I heard him mumbling on the phone. I found out that he was just reading from the catalog.
I told him I had already read the catalog and that I knew none of the other boots came in wide widths and ask again if he or anyone there knew if any brands “ran” wider. He just went back to
reading the catalog. Finally, I just said, “Never mind” and hung up.
I went to the local fly shop that is
Don't Lose Heart - Real Estate Is As Hot As Ever
Though many people are saying that real estate has started with its downward slide it surely doesn’t mean that it has become a bad investment. It is still profitable to invest in properties but all you have to do is keep your greed and fear aside to get a good deal. These two evils cause people to overestimate the worth of their properties but they forgot that this also means that this will make them undervalue it on its way down in the market scenario.The housing revenues may be sliding down but if you are able to hang on to your property, it is possible to find an upturn too. This can turn your negative cash flow into positive. Presently, places like Los Angeles and Washington D.C. are experiencing tight situations. This is not only causing the rents to be driven up the profit ladder but also making the owners more choosy in terms of whom they rent the place to, observes Robert Bruss.You can also look for a renter interested in a lease which provides the option to buy the property as well. This works well with people looking for a high quality tenant and also the chance to sell off their property. What happens here is that the renter seals on a price at which he can buy the property with an additional monthly payment or deposit. Here they tre
e, so I thought he was “checking” with someone else to see if any of their boots “ran” wider. But then I heard him mumbling on the phone. I found out that he was just reading from the catalog. Though many people are saying that real estate has started with its downward slide it surely doesn’t mean that it has become a bad investment. It is still profitable to invest in properties but all you have to do is keep your greed and fear aside to get a good deal. These two evils cause people to overestimate the worth of their properties but they forgot that this also means that this will make them undervalue it on its way down in the market scenario.The housing revenues may be sliding down but if you are able to hang on to your property, it is possible to find an upturn too. This can turn your negative cash flow into positive. Presently, places like Los Angeles and Washington D.C. are experiencing tight situations. This is not only causing the rents to be driven up the profit ladder but also making the owners more choosy in terms of whom they rent the place to, observes Robert Bruss.You can also look for a renter interested in a lease which provides the option to buy the property as well. This works well with people looking for a high quality tenant and also the chance to sell off their property. What happens here is that the renter seals on a price at which he can buy the property with an additional monthly payment or deposit. Here they tre
I told him I had already read the catalog and that I knew none of the other boots came in wide widths and ask again if he or anyone there knew if any brands “ran” wider. He just went back to
reading the catalog. Finally, I just said, “Never mind” and hung up.
I went to the local fly shop that is not very convenient for me to get o and found that they didn’t have any boots that came in wide widths either. But they did have a great boot that ran wide. I bought a $139.00 pair of boots.
And yes, you guessed it. The company I called in the first place has the same boot.
The “product specialist” was very nice and polite and I’m sure he had customer service training. The company’s customer service is consistently too good to think it just comes about without training. There are at least 11 lessons to learn from this one call.
1. Train your team to truly listen.
Pay particular attention to people in your organization who tend to answer questions from you and others before they listen to the entire question. Pay particular attention to those who like to finish questions for other. This is so important that I’m adding it as Make-You-Happy Customer Service Secret #56. Truly listen and don’t assume that you know what someone is going to say. You know what happens when you assume. You make an ass out of u and me - ass-u-me.
2. Monitor your customer
service. This seems almost to obvious to be a Make-You-Happy Customer Service Secret, but I’m adding it as secret #57 because, while it is obvious, almost no one does it. Whether you use secret shoppers, your own people secret shopping, recordings or you secret shopping don’t ass-u-me that your people are doing what they’ve been trained to do. And don’t ass-u-me that they do the same things when you or and manager are around and when you’re not.
You surely can’t monitor every customer service interaction, but in this case, over time the business I called would certainly hear a similar customer service interaction and be able to address it in their training
3. Make sure your customers know what to do when they are not being served properly.
This is a continuation of Make-You-Happy Customer Service Secret #4, Be sure you Customer’s Know Your Extraordinary Customer Service Expectations. They need to not only know your extraordinary customer service ex
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