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Archive for January, 2008

January 19, 2008

» Motivate Your Employees And Keep Them

By admin at 8:01 pm

One of the problems in restaurant management is the employees. As the owner and manager, you have to value your employees because they are your first line of soldiers and without them, you?d be completely immobile.But of course, there are employees that will soon leave their job and your restaurant and you would have to come up with a vacancy ad again for interested applicants to fill in the job. This is a fact and a continuous process for all restaurant chains and even other sorts of business industry. It is important though to retain your strongest player as long as you can because they are one of your biggest assets in terms of manpower solutions.How do you retain your employees then?You can start with incentives and rewards which can both increase the interest, dedication and productivity of your employees. You need to think of what could perk their interests to be able to put your incentives program in effect. Incentives in the form of gift certificates, concert tickets, gadgets, or even a whole day off with pay will certainly put your staff at their best.The thing about motivating your employees is not just because you want them to stay but because you want them to love their job and that you, their big boss, understand their needs and suggestions. That?s why it is also a great idea to gather your staff in a meeting once in a while for breakfast, lunch or dinner, all expense paid. During this gathering, it?s also the perfect time to discuss their productivity for the past week or month and have them set their goals and commitments for the coming weeks ahead.Asking for their suggestions also develop a good relationship between you and your employees. It will make them realize that their input is important but don?t just let it enter your ear and escape the other because you?ll turn out to be negligent of your duties and them. Instead, take down notes of everything that you have discussed and set realistic goals out of it.

Article Source: www.iSnare.com

» Is A Customer Satisfaction Guarantee Realistic In Business?

By admin at 7:01 pm

Customer satisfaction and loyalty to a product is very important in any company, be it a company that is consumer oriented or a company that sells to other businesses, but is a customer satisfaction guarantee really realistic in business?What some companies do in order to attract the consumer?s loyalty is to attach a customer satisfaction guarantee behind any product they sell. What attracts consumers to these customer satisfaction guarantee offers is that they are straightforward, easy to understand and you know it to be true.However ? sometimes the more often a company advertises the customer satisfaction guarantee, the more often consumers are turned off by the company. Another important thing that companies have to take into consideration before presenting any guarantees in relation to their products or services is that they should have their attorneys review the guarantee because it might have legal repercussions.Here are three examples of companies using customer satisfaction guarantees on their products:1) L.L. Bean trademarked its ?Guaranteed, You Have Our Word? motto and beneath it written in smaller lines read that their products guarantee their consumers 100% satisfaction. If, for whatever reason, the consumer did not find it to his satisfaction, he can return the product at anytime as they do not want their consumers to have anything from them that is not at par to their satisfaction. Consumers seem to like this motto a lot as it is straightforward, direct and easy to understand.2) Lands? End uses ?Guaranteed. Period.? as its motto, and they also went so far as having the motto trademarked. Like L.L. Bean?s, it is also direct and straight to the point. They also that if the consumers do not find the product to their satisfaction, they can also have the item returned at any time so that they can have their money back. This also assures the consumers of money back if they are not fully satisfied. But they also added more text underneath ? too much information ? thus, confusing the consumers. Unlike the first motto, this company added confusion to an otherwise easy-to-understand motto.3) Thirdly, Sears created their own motto of ?Satisfaction Guaranteed or Your Money Back.? Okay, it sounds very interesting. It simplifies what the other two companies have said and seems to be much more direct. If you are not satisfied with an item, you can have your money back. But written below are more jumbled words that confuse the consumers more! They are asking for the original packaging, original packing slip and order confirmation email receipt before a refund or an exchange of the item. Then more and more words that I, as a consumer myself, think of as being a big mouthful, all lawyerly and all businesslike. Their lawyers and accountants might find these useful, but not your average consumer. What this shows to the consumers is that if a product is not to the satisfaction of the consumer, he is definitely going to have a hard time getting his money back or returning the item for an exchange! Now tell me if this can build loyalty with the consumers? It doesn?t, does it!?Your average customer will always go for a direct and easy to understand customer satisfaction guarantee. The more words a company places below their guarantee, the more confused a consumer gets. Like any other products, you have to fit your guarantee to the product that you?re selling, but it doesn?t mean that you have to confuse your consumers with how they can get their money back or how they exchange the item if what they purchased wasn?t to their satisfaction. Keep it simple, guys - direct and uncomplicated please!

Article Source: www.iSnare.com

» Why Is Good Customer Service Essential And Who Is Responsible For It?

By admin at 6:01 pm

Tempers flare and voices rise, but does your good customer service vanish? These are just a part of your day-to-day life in the market place in any business establishment. Customers and consumers are becoming more and more demanding. They get angry and argumentative when they are not served well by whoever is assigned to entertain them. Big and impersonal companies are sometimes finding it difficult to entertain such difficult-to-please customers and offer them good customer service. But for those small companies who have the skill to be more subjective to customers, I say they have found one of the keys to make their businesses a success.How many times have we heard about a customer service attendant with a sour disposition entertaining the customers? And how many times have this happened to you personally? This does happen. But it shouldn?t! I was at a Western Union office recently and was waiting to get my money when I happen to hear the customer service attendant yelling at a customer to fill up a card before waiting in line to get his money. Good customer service? Not a hope! Now is that a good way to deal with the customers? Now, there are a lot of Western Union outlets scattered across the country, and with that kind of attitude, which customer would have the heart to go back!? Another example is a McDonald?s drive-thru attendant with a negative temperament. Which customer is really going to return to that outlet if they are greeted with an unpleasant, unhappy face? OK? maybe that?s a bad example ? but you get my point!Businesses have to understand that good customer service is what brings the consumers and customers back. Customer service isn?t just a job! It is a sport in the business world that entrepreneurs and employees have to master in order to attract more customers. It is a key element to win over customers and attain success over the competition. A good customer service system obtains more customers through word-of-mouth advertising. Let?s look at it this way. Take the example of the Western Union outlet. The customer the customer service attendant shouted at walked away angry and cantankerous, telling his peers or family members not to do business with that establishment again! And all because of one lousy employee with a sour disposition who didn?t know how to smile once in a while! Can you think of the money that this particular business lost because of one employee? However, if the customer service attendant was pleasant and easy to get along with, the customer would then have walked away thinking how nice it would be to do business with that outlet again. Word of mouth advertising tells people more than anything else that the service was good and the staff there were pleasant. The outlet would then have attracted more customers and more money by simply giving good customer service!Here is the trick that the companies should apply to their businesses… They should not think that their products alone carry their business to fame. Not at-all. It is the front-line employees who the customers deal with first before they are introduced to the product. They are the ones who deal with the customers personally, and no customer or consumer would want to deal with a negative customer service. If they train well their customer service department, it might mean surpassing customer expectations and might mean more customers. Mastering this skill also means a bigger market share. But who wants just a part of it? Why not win them all? Why not get the majority or most of the market share through not only good but great customer service? A satisfied customer keeps coming back. And sooner or later, your excellent customer service will pay off and you will see it through your income.

Article Source: www.iSnare.com

» 7 Steps To Winning The Network Marketing Game

By admin at 3:01 pm

Network marketing, also known as multi level marketing (mlm) involves the process of distributing products through a team of independent business distributors, and has in its time been tainted with some very negative publicity.But despite that, network marketing has survived and is a fantastic business model when you find the right company. It is one of the few business industries where the opportunity to earn money is only limited by your own mind! But the difficult question to answer is always ?What company should I become a distributor for??Below are 7 very important aspects to consider when thinking about becoming an independent distributor for a network marketing company. If they can tick all the boxes mentioned here then chances are they will make a great company to become involved with.Due diligence is important before you start because nothing is worse than finding yourself involved with a company that doesn?t last, or finding yourself ready to give up because you did not get the support you require.1. Look at the experience of your sponsorI have placed this first because it is even more important (in my opinion) than looking at the company. You can join the best company in the world and get no support, or a small network company and have constant daily support that helps you to achieve your financial goals.The thing to look at is the experience of your sponsor in helping you with this business. Many people will be working full time while building their business, or they may be a sole proprietor earning extra revenue. Take a look at what they do or did in their main job and how those skills can help you when you are building your business.You also want to find out how accessible they are. Can you easily get hold of all their contact details? How long does it take them to respond to your calls or emails? Of course this may not be an indication of how they will help you after you join. They may start off attentive until you are in their team. But it can also be an indication of a supportive sponsor.Do they offer any activities or business building resources outside of the normal company ones? Maybe they run tele-seminars for their team, or provide worksheets that will help you plan your business.You can succeed without an attentive sponsor, but it makes life so much easier, and really shortens the learning curve when you have one.You should seek to align yourself with an experienced leader and learn as much as possible from his or her recruiting methods. Be sure to investigate your sponsor because that can be the one factor that determines success or failure for you. It is said that misery loves company; so does success.2. How Stable Is The Company?Now take a look at the company. Have they been trading for more than 5 years? Do they have solid financial backing? Excellent management? Training and Resources? A ?distributor first? philosophy? These things are important. You have the advantage of being able to choose from a huge range of network marketing businesses, so why choose one that doesn?t care?You want to make sure that learning how to make money as a distributor is easy to understand, and you want to make sure that the company has been doing it long enough to believe they will be around for a while.You know the saying that the proof of the pudding is in the eating; just so the proof of the stability of a Network Marketing company is in the duration of survival.3. What customer support is available?What support is offered for new distributors as they learn the ropes? How are established distributors looked after? You want to know this not only for you, but for everyone that you will introduce into the business. If you introduce someone who becomes unhappy with the lack of support they will give up and leave very quickly. It takes a lot of work to build your team, don?t let lack of customer support ruin it.Usually as a distributor you are also the customer, so what support is offered on that end? Is customer support for your potential customers easy to get hold of and do they have a policy for answering questions quickly?4. What products are available?What you are looking for here is quality, it is a tough enough job to spend your time recruiting new distributors without having to deal with unhappy customers. High quality (unique if possible), reasonably priced products or services.It has been a tradition of network marketing companies to produce high end, great quality products because the thousands saved on advertising is instead used in product creation and distributor training.What you are looking to do is to be paid on a regular basis, you want monthly income coming in from your customers so look for products that will provide that.Apart from being consumable, another important factor is how ?needed? this product or service is. If the product on offer is one that can be picked up locally then chances are you will not do as well as if you are selling a unique product that is hard (or at least harder) to find.5. Compensation PlanI have already mentioned that a successful MLM company will have a ?distributor first? philosophy. In no other place should this be exhibited more than in the compensation plan. It takes only some simple arithmetic to see how many sales or distributors you need in your organization in order to be in profit. Most people don?t take the time to do the math and sometimes are ?deceived? by the fancy potential income charts that are put out by the company.Take a good long look at the whole compensation plan, do not skim through this because it seems ?boring.? Also avoid getting taken in by claims of 60% compensation and other large percentage claims.Many companies provide training and promotional materials for their distributors but it is often difficult to strike a balance between product promotion and distributor training. And distributor training normally takes a backseat (which is why a great sponsor is important ? see No1 above). You should be wary of companies that charge exorbitant prices for their promotional materials. You are investing your advertising dollars so the company should not seek to make a profit from you here?although many do.6.Terms and ConditionsOf equal importance to the compensation plan are the terms and conditions. Look to see whether you are tied in for a certain period and whether you are willing to comply with that. Check out whether there is anything stopping you from immediately leaving the company. In the company that I am a distributor for you are paying for a package. They provide a monthly option for those not able to pay the full price upfront, but you cannot turn around a few months later and decide to leave (although a settlement fee is available).Once you join you must pay the full fee, and it is important for potential distributors to know this in advance. Rather than a hindrance this is actually an excellent policy for stopping potential distributors from joining who want to ?try it out? or who are not serious about building a business. After all nothing is worse than spending 6 months of supporting a distributor to then have them leave because they found a better service. Having this in place means that distributors who join are immediate in for the long haul and are ready to begin building a profitable business with your help.7. A wide and even global market if possible.With the arrival of the world wide web you will find that many network marketing companies are now becoming global, and in fact if they are not I would question why not! Business survival now depends on being able to operate online and the internet provides you with the opportunity to widen your market reach.Also look at the potential customer base as well. Does your opportunity appeal to all ages and groups, or is it limited to one or two in particular? Some of the most popular network marketing opportunities are those that run from the internet and offer you the chance to promote via a website.Choosing a company that has a product or service for which there is no ready market will make it very difficult on the distributor. And in this industry encouragement and a fairly easy way to recruit are essential if you are going to survive!Network marketing is one of those business models that provide success for people who are determined to succeed. You do not need any particular background or level of education, and as long as you have a ?never give up? attitude and are willing to put in the hours it takes then you will go far.The financially important aspect of network marketing is the fact that it provides you with an opportunity to earn continuous income. In fact once you have grown your team to a certain size you have very little to do and the money keeps on coming!If you work in a job or run your own business it provides a welcome and important secondary income. Nothing is secure anymore and being able to tap into other sources of income outside your main one is being seen as an essential activity to engage in.A sad reality of the MLM industry is that there are many scam artists that come along just for the quick cash just before they close shop and disappear, which is why due diligence is so very important. Watch out for scam artists that want to charge you a lot of money, make huge promises on commission, and are not delivering quality products. These people pray on the fact that we basically can be quite lazy and want things quick and easy. They also pray on human emotion, if we are stuck financially and believe that getting involved will earn us quick money.Stick to a company with years of experience, a great product, a fantastic sponsor and support for its distributors and you really can?t go wrong.

Article Source: www.iSnare.com

» Hello world!

By admin at 10:09 am

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