Build a strong business with strong customer relationships
Build a strong business with strong customer relationshipsMost businesses spent time attracting customers to a product or service, trying to win their trust and then ending the whole process with a sale. That tactic seems obvious to most people. What often is neglected is the post-sale follow up with customers, particularly when it comes to online businesses. We should look at the time after a sale as an opportunity not only to improve our products but also to establish long-lasting relationships with our customers.It takes much more effort to win a new customer than to maintain a relationship with an existing customer. But maintaining current customer relationships is just as critical and Id even dare to say, more important than gaining new customers. What can we do to keep our established customers feel appreciated? You need to follow up with your customers.Following up may be as simple as writing an email or giving a phone call to a customer a few weeks after a sale. At Screaming Bee, I make it a personal goal to contact every customer that buys our voice-changing software, MorphVOX, within 2-3 weeks after a sale. Does this take time? It moving company hq sure does. Is it worth it? Absolutely! Not only does this allow us to get good feedback from customers in order to improve our software, but also it establishes a more solid, long-lasting relationship that goes beyond the point-of-sale. Most people were surprised that I would be willing spend the time to talk with them and were touched by the personal attention they received. And I was also surprised at how uncommon it was for online businesses to follow up on their customers. Some of the typical comments that I have received as the result of my efforts include:I really appreciate the personal touch, vs. the usual automated we have received your email garbage, followed by… well, nothing usually…Huh, never had customer support quite like this I appreciate it…People dont like being ignored and definitely like being heard. There are many businesses that are ignoring their customers and, as a result, losing them. Your current customers are the heart and core of your business. These customers provide return business and also provide the essential word-of-mouth promotion that no clever advertisement or marketing scheme will ever out-perform. Treat your customers like your own family. Go out of your way to communicate with them. If you neglect them, they will go elsewhere.
Home Based Business vs. Family Time Ironically, most of us got into the home based business world because we wanted to have more time with family. So how is it that we sometimes have less time? Lets take a look and see what can be done about it. The promise of having more time with family is one of the major attractions for a home based business, but time has to be carefully managed and guarded. If you are in a regular job working at least 40 hours per week, it can be tough. One thing that must be communicated to your family is that there has to be a short term pain for a long term gain. You have a finite amount of hours available to you, but here are some suggestions. If you have children at home and it becomes chaos as soon as you get home, then one possible strategy is to stay at work an extra hour later. You can return quite a few phone calls in an hour and it would probably be uninterrupted. A home based business can have a remote office!Another strategy is to take mass transit if you normally drive. It may allow you an extra 30-60 minutes per day to organize contacts, return phone calls, or listen to training materials with your mp3 player. If your company has training or motivational phone calls that are at a bad time for you, it is possible Moving Company HQ to record them (check with local laws on it).I have recorded many calls to a $39 digital voice recorder with a $15 connector that goes from my phone to the recorder (available from Radio Shack). You are then free to listen to the calls on your time. I make it a priority to spend time with my kids when they come home from school. I work from home full time, so I take a break mid-afternoon to see how their school day was and enjoy a snack together. I then head back to my home office until dinner time. I also have less need for sleep than the rest of my family so I frequently take an hour or two at night or early morning. This can be extremely productive time for a home based business, but unfortunately does not usually allow you to return phone calls. I used my lunch time at my old workplace for that using a cell phone my investment in the large minute plan was worth it. The exact solution for you has to be determined by you for your particular home based business. However, my advice is to plan ahead and block out the family time. Make sure you clearly communicate with all family members about what time you are blocking out for your business activity. As long as you communicate well, you should be able to spend anxiety-free time on your business. With some good planning, you can be successful in being good to your family and your home based business.
I Want Hot Water and I Want It Now!Give me convenience or give me death. When this clich is applied to water in a home, we are talking about water heaters that produce hot water immediately. I Want Hot Water and I Want It Now!There are certain types of water heaters that provide hot water only as it is needed. They dont have tanks holding and continually reheating water. This, of course, saves tons of money on utilities because the heating mechanism isnt going on and off all day while you arent even home. These masterful heaters are known as Demand Heaters, an appropriate name in our instant gratification society.Demand water heaters do the job on the fly. When you turn on the tap for a hot bath, cold water travels into the mOVING COMPANY hq heater, is instantly heated and then transferred to your tub. They run on either gas or electricity and are all the rage at the moment.As with anything so righteous as immediate hot water, there are some limitations. Demand heaters can only instantaneously heat and crank out so much water. If two tubs are being filled at the same time, you may have problems. Depending on the system, most of these heaters will kick out between two and five gallons a minute. That may sound like a lot, but it really isnt. A full bathtub can require as much as 35 gallons of water. An easy way around the limitation problem is to install multiple heaters. You can buy relatively small units and put them in each bathroom as well as one for the kitchen. This should get around the limited water flow issue. These water heaters are going to cost more to buy and install than typical heaters. The cost is more than offset, however, when you consider that you will save 30 to 50 percent on your water heating costs. Since these systems last for 20 years, you should more than recoup your purchase and installation costs.In these modern times, we expect things to occur immediately. With a shower or bath, now we can get hot water on the fly.
Customer Service Done RightAre you a stickler about receiving top notch customer service? Do you routinely “come through” as a provider of exemplary services to your customers? Chances are you have been greatly disappointed at one time or another regarding the service you received from a salesperson, an internet hosting company, a hair colorist, or any one of thousands of different service providers. Frankly, customer service in many areas — retail, for one — isn’t what it MOVING COMPANY HQ used to be. However, where there is poor customer service there is also a great opportunity. Read on and I will explain. Let’s say you are in a field that routinely provides so-so service to customers. It could be that customer expectations are low and no one expects top notch service. Maybe most customers are simply “price sensitive” and could care less about how fast or how well you deliver. However, you can bet that there are a percentage of customers out there who appreciate service that goes above and beyond the industry standard. These same customers typically will pay a little extra for service that really serves them. If you can tap into this customer base, you can create a niche, raise your prices, and make more money in the long run.Depending on your industry, you could command a price premium of 10-25% over the average provider. That may not sound like a lot, but it could spell the difference between eating hamburger or eating steak. I don’t know about you, but I would prefer eating steak! Naturally, providing a high level of customer service means you will have to break a sweat. You may have to happily redo [its all in the attitude, baby!] or improve on an existing project in order to satisfy a good paying customer. This is what sets you apart from the pack. If you are satisfied with the “status quo” then that’s okay too. Just don’t expect to have customers beat down your doors for work. At least the better customers will not!
RC Nitro Monster Trucks RC nitro monster trucks may very well be the fastest growing segment in the world of RC vehicles. The reason for the surge in popularity probably stems from the fact that RC nitro monster trucks have steadily improving in performance over the years. In fact, the latest models can actually outperform many RC cars.RC nitro monster trucks can be bought either ready to run or in a kit that allows you to actually build it yourself. Both types are quality vehicles, built for strength and durability.In fact, RC nitro monster trucks can handle an amazing amount of hard driving and even though they appear top-heavy and ready to roll over at any moment, the truth is that they rarely do roll over. This is because the wheels of RC nitro monster trucks are designed to provide a low center of gravity.For many people, the appeal of RC nitro monster trucks is that they mirror the abilities of their real-life counterparts. The enjoyment of watching monster trucks comes from watching them ride roughshod over any kind of surface, including other vehicles. Well, RC nitro monster trucks can be let loose on the kinds of terrain that would leave other RC vehicles spinning their wheels. And, yes, if you ever get the opportunity, you can drive your RC nitro monster trucks right over your friends little RC cars.Although you might think that all RC nitro monster trucks are 4-wheel drive, youd be mistaken. There are 2-wheel drive RC nitro monster trucks available, and even some that give you the option of switching back and forth. Just as in real life, the 4-wheel drive model allows for driving over areas that are rougher or steeper than the 2-wheel drive model could handle.So why would anyone want 2-wheel drive RC nitro monster trucks then? Well, while the 4-wheel drive allows for more flexibility in where you can take it, the transmission system is also more sophisticated. Since engine maintenance is routinely required to keep any RC nitro vehicle running in peak condition, expect to spend more time and effort with a 4-wheel drive transmission.But this drawback shouldnt be a deciding factor when choosing from among the various models of RC nitro monster trucks. Engine fine-tuning has never been easier for nitro RC vehicles. A bigger concern will probably be price. RC nitro monster trucks may have gotten their name from their appearance, but they could just as easily have earned it from the size of their prices. Heres the skinny: dont expect to purchase one of these babies for less than $300. And, frankly, only expect that price from an older brother looking to sell his RC vehicle so he can raise money to buy mOVING COMPANY hq a real vehicle. Seriously though, although unexpected bargains have been lucked into on eBay or by someone listing one for sale on a message board, brand new RC nitro monster trucks typically list for well over $400.
Mosquito MagnetTheres nothing worse than trying to get a good nights sleep and hearing the buzz of a mosquito, knowing that within minutes it will land on you, only to disappear when you turn on the lights to catch it.Maybe there is something worse.Have you ever had a barbeque and everyone is standing around slapping the bare skin on their arms and legs trying to kill all the mosquitos that keep landing on them?Fortunately there are some solutions that can save you from the torment of those pesky insects. You have a choice between the mosquito repellents and the mosquito killers.Mosquito repellents come in various types and generally have Citronella that ensures the mosquitos will not pester you.Citronella can be used in candles where the burning of the candle will keep the mosquitos away or as a rub on cream that will stop the mosquitos from landing on your skin.The most popular products for killing the mosquitos are the mosquito zappers and the mosquito magnets.These products attract the mosquito to them where they are then killed.By using either of these two products there is less likelihood of having mosquito problems as they will be exterminated whereas the repellents moving company hq only work for a specified time after which the mosquitos will return.The zappers and mosquito magnets can attract mosquitos from quite a distance and with regular use they will reduce the population and in doing so require less and less use.Mosquito magnets are an economical solution to a problem that can be very disruptive over the summer months.There are various different brands of mosquito magnets and their prices vary accordingly.You will need to determine the extent of your mosquito problem and the area where they need to be eradicated to decide on what type of mosquito magnet is best suited to your requirements.