In my humble opinion, the number one issue a company should be paying attention to is customer service. But it seems more and more that getting the sale is taking priority over making the customer happy. Below are several examples of poor service – how would your company handled each of these circumstances?

I ordered file cabinets from Staples through their on-line store and was given a specific delivery date that their trucking company would deliver. The promised day came and went with no phone call to me to let me know there was a delay. The trucking company had very specific directions to my place of business, they had my phone number and I was sitting here all day waiting for them to show up. Even though Staples was using a local delivery service that was located less than 50 miles from my place of business and had in their possession not only the correct address but also detailed directions and I am located on the corner of a main highway the driver could not locate the delivery address (have they ever heard of Map Quest???). And they didn’t bother to call for further clarification. At about 6:00pm I called Staples and was told they would deliver the next day. Now wouldn’t you think that after all this, I would be at the top of the list the next day? Not so – at 7:00pm, after waiting another whole day, the delivery was finally made. They did offer and sent a $50.00 gift certificate for my troubles but I lost two days of work (as an consultant my work rarely consists of sitting in my office) and never again will I order from Staples.

My husband ordered a specialized type of ink from Digital Art Supplies also through their on-line store. This is a company he has had dealing with before and he expected no issues. The ink arrived in a timely matter, however when he opened up one of the cartridges a few days later, what he had was a plastic bag full of ink – the cartridge had leaked out its entire contents. He called Digital Art Supplies and the first person he spoke to said no problem, they would replace it immediately and have the damaged cartridge picked up. A few hours later, a second person called back (Dave) and informed us that the only way the exchange could be handled would be to either wait until they received the damaged cartridge before sending out a new one or charging him for the new cartridge and he could wait for the credit to be issued when they received the damaged one. And unless he wanted to pay extra the cartridge would be send ground service from California (from our experience expected delivery would be 10 to 14 days from the date of shipment). This order was a sale of over $600.00, they sent out what was clearly from the look of the box, a product that had been returned by a prior customer, and in their own words they have had this type of problem with this type of cartridge before. Of course they put the blame on Epson stating it was a drop shipment, however in the package was their invoice and their business cards. I guess Epson keeps a supply of each dealer’s stationery at their manufacturing plants. I think not – so why are you lying Dave? After explaining that he had an order to fill and not being able to use the ink was delaying the order and agreeing to pay for the extra shipping charges it was still going to be either wait until the damaged cartridge was in their hands or pay up front for a new cartridge and wait for the credit to be issued – neither solution was an example of good customer service. So I asked to speak to the manager and after waiting several hours she returned my phone call with the same lame solution. My husband ended sending back the cartridge (at his expense) and ordering a new one from another dealer (B&H Photo in New York) which was shipped the day he ordered it and will be here the day after it shipped. And so we will wait for the credit to be issued. Never again will he deal with Digital Art Supplies.

And what is up with UPS? This is a question for the people who set policy at this company. Each day I watch their brown trucks go up and down my street multiple times and yet if they have a package on their truck that is meant for us, they just will not take the few minutes to stop and make the delivery. They would rather run around like rats in a cage going right by several times and finally delivering our package sometime between 5:00 pm and 7:00 and sometimes at late as 9:00pm. Now I know they have delivery priorities depending on the level of service chosen however it seems that with the cost of gas nowadays, they are not saving any money by handling their deliveries in this manner. Does this make sense to anyone?

And speaking of deliveries – for all of you who provide delivery service or are in the business of providing a service where you arrive a person’s place of business or home, do you think you are endearing your customers by making them sit around an entire day waiting for you to show up? Here’s a unique idea – give your customer a specific time or a range within two or three hours when you will be there and be there on time. They will appreciate it and you will have happy customers, not angry ones.

We all have busy lives, and there is nothing more infuriating then to waste time trying to resolve an issue. Mistakes sometimes happen – when your company has a less than fully satisfied customer the best way to keep that customer is to find the best solution for them even if it’s cost you some money. The largest advertising budget cannot make up for just one dissatisfied customer. And a pleased customer is worth gold.

And for you customers, who feel you have been treated badly or unfairly, speak up with both your words and your pocketbooks. Report your non-performing online businesses to the many organizations that track these stores – Yahoo, Amazon, EBay, Alexa and Pay Pal are just a few. Start a blog writing about your experiences. Tell your friends and business associates. No matter if it is only a few cents or many dollars, customer service will only improve if you take the bull by the horns. One of two things will happen – either your vendor will respond to bad press or word of mouth and the resulting loss of sales or they will go out of business. Keep quiet and they will continue their “standard operating procedures”. And refuse to deal with businesses that don’t stand behind their products and services and do not respect your valuable time.

“Dammit!” as you look at your penis and realize that you are still ‘stuck at 5-6 inches in length.

If you’ve been performing penis enlargement exercises like “jelqing” for any amount of time, and you have yet to see any results, I am going to share with you a few reasons why you may be struggling.

First off…be very careful who you take exercise advice from!

We all get “one” penis in this lifetime…that’s it!

And he is our best friend! The ‘little head’ that’s responsible for some of the most enjoyable pleasures we shall ever experience in this lifetime.

So take care of him & he will take care of you!

So here are a few reasons why you may be falling short!

Jelqing is just like any other exercise – you need to warm-up before starting!

1. Gently massage your penis until you have a partial erection.

2. soak a washcloth in warm water,.

3. Wrap your little guy in the warm washcloth for (3) minutes.

4. Repeat the exact warm-wrap routine another three times.

This four-step process should be practiced before every exercising session.

Additional advice…

*Always use sufficient lubricant during jelqing – (baby-oil & coca butter works best for me).

* Never jelq when you have a full erection (and don’t ejaculate when jelqing).

* Don’t put a ‘death grip’ on your penis using the jelq grip. If it hurts, or you see bruising, ease up immediately.

* Always perform a “warm-down” routine after completing your jelqing exercises (same as a warm-up).

I’m sure you’ve learned by now that any old diet plan just won’t do. You have to find a diet plan that works. In order for your diet plan to work though it has to be a plan you can stick with through thick AND thin.

Too many plans and programs dedicated to weight loss focus on ways that will get you fast results but fail to discuss methods of achieving sustainable results and continuing to get the results you’re looking for from your weight loss plan.

It isn’t easy to struggle with the ups and downs of weight loss. It’s hard to convince yourself that the weeks of slow progress are still PROGRESS and nothing to be dismissed or diminished. We learned in nursery school that slow and steady wins the race but when it comes to weight loss we want instant results and instant gratification.

We forget that two pounds of weight loss per week (which is what doctors recommend) is 100 pounds over the course of a year if you take two weeks off from your weight loss efforts without gaining weight during those two weeks.

Here are two no-nonsense tips to help you lose two pounds a week that any diet plan you follow should include. These allow you to lose weight in a way that you can sustain and not in a way that will leave you going on a weight loss roller coaster ride like so many diet plans do.

Add Veggies to Your Daily Diet

What? You want me to add food to my diet? I thought this was about losing weight. Aren’t we supposed to be getting rid of food?

So glad you asked?

In truth, adding veggies to your daily diet (eating 3-6 servings of vegetables a day) will have you filling up on nutrients that fuel the body for the long-term. The real key here though is that they fill you up. When you add vegetables to your diet and make eating them a priority you’ll have less room left over for those empty calories that leave you hungry for more in a matter of minutes or crashing and burning at the end of the day.

Find a Way to Make Exercise Fun

Is there any such thing as fun exercise?

You better believe there is!

My daughter loves tribal belly dancing. She caught her first glimpse of this type of belly dancing at a Renaissance Fair when she was only two years old and has been hooked on the driving drum beat and hip gyrations ever since. So we keep her fit and active with belly dancing videos, classes, and music that keep her moving, fit, and happy all seasons of the year.

Belly dancing may not be your solution. Perhaps it’s tennis, soccer, volleyball, swimming, biking, hiking, cross-country skiing, skate boarding, or even cross-country running (for all you true masochists out there).

Ball room dancing, mall walking, and square dancing can be fun for people looking for a little fitness to add to their days. The trick is in finding something you find enjoyable so you’ll be sure to actually make time for it and then to follow through and do it.

For the longest time men and women have been on the search for better, faster and quicker ways to burn belly fat. For some dieters the actual thought of trying to lose weight seems hopeless let alone possible through the general means of weight loss. Diet Pills are always going to be in demand but natural health experts are doing their part to warn potential dieters of the serious risks involved.

Yes to some extent diet pills do work. They can suppress the appetite which in turn helps the individual to effectively reduce the amount of food they eat. In most cases the weight loss can be seen within days of taking the pills. However one must bear in mind that with all diet pills severe consequences are inevitable. Basic research online will give you feedback as to the side effects many have shared. This can include horrific nightmares, fear of eating food, eating disorders, muscle soreness and an inability to function without the use of such drugs. And because you are dealing with drugs, addiction is typically involved. Diet pills can be bought over the counter or through a prescription from your doctor. Which ever way you decide to acquire such pills do bear in mind that once you start there is no turning back.

Even the pills that are well marketed and known are under scrutiny for side effects. No diet pill is safe nor can you expect to count on share luck to avoid the common side effects associated with any type of weight loss drugs. Well known or not, you are likely to experience some type of health issue. Whether this issue in your case, becomes fatal or even life threatening remains unknown until you have weighed the pros and cons.

Are there alternatives to achieve quick weight loss?

Absolutely, and if you are in a hurry to lose weight there are certainly ways to make this happen without the use of drugs. Such methods that come to mind are detox programs. According to some health professionals detox diets work a lot quicker than diet pills do anyway. These types of diets are generally only followed for 3-10 days at a time. They can be done several times throughout the year. Many dieters who have tried these methods to lose weight have reported amazing weight loss in a short amount of time. These diets are by no means satisfying to the normal palette. They do involve a lot of juice whether this be homemade with the use of vegetables or there are the ready made shop varieties. Natural juices of some sort are expected during the course of a typical detox program.

Detox diets are believed to clear the body of toxic build up. This occurs from years of eating and drinking processed foods. Experts in the field believe that the western lifestyle is responsible for the obesity problems we face today. And that by following the right type of cleansing diet one can burn fat at a rapid rate never seen before. Dieters enjoy extra energy, they become more alert and in turn they experience significant weight loss.

Marketing is the key difference between living the life you dreamed of when you started your windshield repair business or hanging on by your fingernails as you struggle to hang on.

Having coached hundreds of windshield repair techs on the correct way to market their business I’ve discovered that the majority of them did not have a clue just how important the marketing side of the business was to their success.

When I first started my windshield repair business I was excited beyond belief. I was going to make $500 per day and finally live life on my terms. I’d be “CAPTAIN WINDSHIELD REPAIR,” blazing a trail through my area, leaving all the other windshield repair businesses in my dust. Was I ever wrong.

The first lesson you must learn is critical to your success. Marketing done right does not cost you money, it makes you money. If you were to do a poll of windshield repair techs asking them how much they spend on their marketing, you’d find that most of them would laugh and say zero. They’d be proud of that. They’d brag how they wouldn’t waste their money on marketing. They say word-of-mouth and knocking on doors is their marketing plan.

Now, ask them how their business is doing and how many repairs they’re doing per day. You’ll likely hear sob stories. They’ll tell you how the economy is bad. That the recession is killing their businesses. They’ll blame their slow days on too much competition. They sit around as their phone collects cob webs from a lack of use. They’re being reactive, not proactive.

The smart windshield repair techs are using creative, strategic marketing programs and ideas. They’re phones are ringing, they’re staying busy and the best part is that they’re not having to go door-to-door hoping to find customers. Think about it. When is the last time an appliance repairman came to your door asking if you needed a repair done? How about an AC guy? A Plumber? An Electrician? A landscaper? Probably never.

There’s no need for you to have to drag yourself down to the business district in town and solicit business. Leave that for the hookers. You’re a professional and with the right marketing you can make as much as any AC guy, any Plumber, any Electrician and any Landscaper. And if you’re coachable and open to suggestions, you could make more than these guys.

Windshield repair techs come and go on a daily basis. The majority struggle to survive. Most fail. It’s not that they’re not good at what they do, it’s not that they don’t have the skills, it’s not that they’re not willing to work hard, it’s their lack of MARKETING Training. That’s the bottom line: It all comes down to proper marketing strategies.

Does Cclean really work? I was apprehensive and tentative at best when someone was telling me about the product. I had previously tried registry and system cleaners before, both shareware and freeware, and I found their performance to be adequate at best.

The internet is riddled with many online programmes as well as dynamic websites that do a scan on your computer’s registry. Some of them do not justify their price tags, and some just simply do not justify existence.

Cclean, in my opinion, presents itself as a simple solution to a complex landscape of market driven products and programmes. The download size – a mere 2.8 megabytes, was easy and fuss free – already earning brownie points over other websites that ‘piggy’ back on unnecessarily complex file storage websites.

I chose a pretty high end system which had been running for 6 months straight – inevitably, the lightning machine had began to stutter and chug, especially during start-up – so it would be a good test bed for Piriform’s new permutation.

The design is very well done, large fonts and easy to understand menu systems. Visually ergonomic, running through the icons and submenus presented very little problems – and so I zoomed into the ‘Registry’ menu first. Presenting 15 possible areas (which the user can choose) of registry hiccups, Cclean is one of the more comprehensive registry scans available. For this test I chose all, and the scan on a large capacity desktop with more than 80 programmes installed – took less than a few mere minutes. Cleaning took even less time – with adequate prompts for critical looking entries and embedded keys – ensuring a safe deletion.

And there is automatic registry backup which the user can place in a thumb drive or external drive.

Cleaning also took less than five minutes. Next I moved on to the applications and windows settings – over 30 different areas, including specific applications that Cclean can detect and scan. It even allows the user to choose which files and folders to protect from scanning, as well as customise which cookies to delete-or keep after a scan.

It may sound complicated, but everything is done neatly with the universal user in mind. It is one of the most fuss free programmes I have ever seen – with a learning curve that is just as quick as its scanning and cleaning capabilities.

Now for the ‘baited breath’ test. After cleaning and deactivating some of my start up programmes through its ‘Tools’ functions – I restarted the test system and timed the load time.

I can happily report that the lump of coal that was my windows load and start up was noticeably faster – in fact by more than a minute. In digital time – that is quite an achievement. Programmes were crisper and the mouse was more responsive during the initial load. I also had a niggling ‘rundll 32’ error – ‘cannot launch programme message’ every time the computer loaded – which was gone after Cclean’s efficient scan.

In all – Cclean works, because it does complicated and time consuming checks in mere minutes, carefully raking through system banks and the sensitive windows registry to speed up operating time.

What would make a man want you? Do you ever wish you knew how the male mind works, so that you could answer that question? There must have been several instances in your life where you thought you had men figured out, just to realize later on that they are still nothing but a big mystery to you. Well, once you learn how the male mind works, you will be able to learn exactly how to make yourself irresistible in the eyes of men. Read on.

For starters, you need to know that your attitude will play an important role in how to make a man want you. This probably isn’t news to you, but it does need to be stressed. See, if you lack in confidence and feel that you aren’t good enough for the man that you want, then he will think the same about you in return.

Men tend to fall for women who are confident. They love being with women who are in total control of their lives. So, if you walk into a relationship acting like you know that you are worth the world, then your dream guy will get drawn to you by nature. In other words, if you tell yourself that you are a prize worth winning, then he will believe that you are.

Another thing that you should know about how the male mind works is that they do not like it when women run after them. You might have trouble resisting the urge to run after your dream guy, especially if you are sure that he is “The One”, but men can sense desperation from a mile away and do not find this trait attractive at all.

No man wants to see a woman placing herself at his feet and begging for his attention because it makes the woman look far too serious. So, instead, let him run after you and don’t make things too easy for him. Men like running after women – believe it.

If you want to understand more on how the male mind works, just hang out with a ton of guys sometime. You will soon realize that they don’t like causing friction for fun nor are they drama queens like women are. After all, this does nothing but cause unnecessary anxiety and stress, which men don’t need in their lives. So, if you want to attract a man and keep him, learn to go with the flow and stop taking life far too seriously.

Similar to all the electronic devices, eventually Apple Mac laptop power adapters stop operating due to the exposure to the extreme climate, excessive cable twisting, or just that it’s the aging adapter.

The life-span of the ac adapter relies on the amount they’re used and there is no sure time that plugs might last. Beneath I will checklist a number of ways of checking if your adapter has thrown in the towel on functioning.

Examine the Laptop

Your laptop computer adapter may not get your Mac laptop powered because the loose connection. Make sure that just about all fittings are precisely inserted. Look into the adapter case too.

Laptop plugs will often have an LED light that illuminates as the adapter is running the laptop. When the light is off, your laptop computer might not acquire any kind of energy.

If this is still not really fixing the issue, take a look at the wall socket. The issue might simply end up being that electrical power you’re connected is not operating correctly. Change the electrical sockets to repair this problem.

For the DC AC adapter of the laptop, look at the DC-jack. This particular adapter should comfortably fit in. If you can’t get the adapter connected, your DC jack might be damaged.

Check out the Adapter

Make certain nothing at all is resting on the Apple power cord, for example laptop bag, a magazine, or even something that may contact your power cable. In the event that nothing is bending the cable, then check the cable by itself. The constant twisting from storing the adapter may show the wires within the cable. This particular exposure could cause it to prevent working properly.

Update the BIOS

The PC’s BIOS is actually inlayed software on the system board and for a few PCs, BIOS controls connected equipment. Under this case, it provides a good operating system with details about hardware, and it is made to support a particular range of elements.

An out-of-date BIOS may cause mysterious AC Adapter issues. If ever that occurs, you need to go to the Apple’s website to for newest BIOS improvements to your MacBook PC.

If you have examined all these and your MacBook Power Adapter continues to be no longer working, a replacement is required. Make sure to shop around to get the best price on it, and oftentimes you can find a replacement cable for cheaper than what the Apple site will be selling them for.

When the economy slows and consumers start to hold on to their cash a little tighter, many small businesses make a big mistake. When a sales person, either in retail or direct sales, is faced with sales resistance, many of them have an initial response to ask “would you buy if the price was lower?” This is a big mistake, and one you may never recover from.

Price cutting is a bad idea. Many industries have created a very difficult situation for them selves by always having sales and price cutting. Most of the people that don’t buy because they say your price is too high, are really not buying because you haven’t sufficiently demonstrated value. Cutting price almost never leads to new sales. Unless someone was already planning on buying in the first place, price cutting doesn’t work. Not only doesn’t it work, it’s also very destructive to your profits.

Example

Product is priced at $100.

Your cost is $70 (this is a 30% margin).

Because sales are slow you put the product on sale for 20% off so you now sell the product for $80. Your profit is now $10.

So a 20% price reduction = a 66% cut in profits.

Now that’s bad enough, but here’s the really bad part, once you lower the price, you’ll find that you need to keep it priced lower to maintain future sales. So your $100 sale is now $80. Cut the price again for the next sale and guess what, your profit is zero. Believe it or not it gets worse.

The next step is that your competitors now decide to lower their prices. Can you survive a price war? Unless you are the lowest price in a price war, you’re helping your competitor sell more.

So here is the scenario you’re facing:

1. The economy slows, so customers become more price sensitive and are slower to make buying decisions

2. As you start to feel the sales crunch you decide to offer a price discount

3. Customers that were already going to buy take advantage of the price discount

4. Your profit margins begin to sink, and now you have less money to invest in marketing or in training your people or in improving your products and your overall business

5. Your competitors also lower their price and you have to continue cutting your price until your profits are at zero

6. Unless you are the lowest price you’re actually helping your competitor sell more

Not the greatest situation is it? Price cutting has always been seen as the lazy way out. Management Guru Michael Porter says “cutting prices is usually insane if the competition can go as low as you can.”

So what do you do? Here are three suggestions:

1. Better explain the value of your offering – find out exactly what your customers want and then work to deliver on that.

2. Bundle or package products and services to maintain higher prices

3. Do something special – go to your best customers and create an added value offering to solidify their loyalty

The bottom line is if your business exists strictly as a me-too, you have no choice but to compete on price. Price is only an issue in the absence of value. If you haven’t taken the time to truly understand the wants and needs of your customers and to properly demonstrate that you can deliver, then price cutting may be your only option.

It’s a lot of work to compete on value, but especially in times of economic uncertainty, it’s more important than ever. Remember it’s not the product or service and the associated features people are buying; it is the solution to their problem or the satisfaction of a need or want. Focus on that before cutting your price.