Greener Business Bureau

Posts Tagged ‘Doing Business’

The motto of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is “Start with Trust” and they do everything in their considerable power to make sure that consumers have all the impartial information they need to select a trusted debt consolidation company with which to do business. Before signing on the dotted line with any prospective debt-relief organization, you would be wise to first check in with this trusted watchdog organization to see if the company has a track record of providing their customers with excellent consolidation services. If negative reports have been filed, the BBB will in no uncertain terms alert you to them. Conversely, if an agency’s previous customers sing their praise, you will be fully informed of that as well.

Online Access

You can log on to the BBB website at any hour of any day in order to check out any debt consolidation company that has caught your eye. If your organization meets all of the stringent standards of the Better Business Bureau, they will be accredited by them and marked with a seal. This seal indicates that you can trust this consolidation agency to make good on their promises, offering an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay.

Ratings

The Bureau rates debt consolidation companies using a classic grade-school style, A+ being the highest possible grade and an F being the lowest. Check out your prospective company’s grades on the BBB website or at one of their local storefront locations in order to get a clear view of the customer service levels you can expect to enjoy with your company of choice. Without even digging any further on the website, the grade that is associated with your prospective consolidation company will give you an idea whether or not you can trust them with your financial situation or if you should keep looking for a better option.

Customer Complaints

If customers have reported a negative experience with the consolidation company with which you are considering doing business, the BBB will have that information on that report displayed for you to see. You can also discover whether the company resolved the issue with their client or ignored it, which will give you a pretty clear picture as to whether they value their client relationships or not.

Debt consolidation is a viable solution to credit problems but you want to make sure you work with only the most reputable companies in the industry. Let the Better Business Bureau help connect you to the agencies you can trust most with your finances.

In today’s highly competitive and dynamic environment, organisations need to continuously change their tactics to survive and maintain their competitive advantage. Advanced technological developments and globalization are constantly presenting organisations with new products, markets and challenges. As a result, your organisation need to be forward looking when formulating your business strategies. There is need to embrace change and not resist it.

The first stage in implementing successful continuous improvement is understanding the basic concepts behind it and also the benefits to the organisation. Continuous improvement is based on quality, process improvements and teamwork. Your organisation needs to identify the needs of your customers first and then produce products that meet those needs. Also, there is need to leverage on technology. For example you could use IT for sending out electronic invoices as opposed to paper invoices. This will save time as well as postage money. As there is instant delivery of the invoice, there are higher chances that payment will be received early from your customer.

Also, you can collaborate with your business partners to improve processes. One of the advantages of collaborating with partners is that the process allows sharing of ideas when it comes to problem-solving. Teamwork is also essential for continuous improvement to work. Remember, “Two heads are better than one”.

By promoting a culture of continuous improvement, the benefits to your organisation are many. Some of the benefits are:

o More efficient business planning: Because the organisation is focused on reducing waste, appropriate measures that monitor performance can be established.

o Improvements in customer satisfaction: When customers are satisfied, they become loyal to your business and will want to continue doing business with you. They can also refer their friends, family and other colleagues to your business.

o Reduced waste because of better use of resources: The saved resources e.g. time and money can then be channelled to other projects.

o Increased profits through a reduction in costs and an increase in revenues. Happy customers will always come back and buy more. They are also prepared to pay a premium for quality products.

o Employees are motivated as they feel they have to be innovative and creative to solve problems and improve business processes. Since continuous improvement is an ongoing process, employees feel challenged as they have to constantly come up with better ideas. This increases morale as there is a sense of ownership of the project.

The second stage in implementing continuous improvement is ensuring that all the essential factors for its implementation are in place. These include:

o Understanding your businesses’ environment: This will help establish what your business does and what processes you employ to achieve your goals. An evaluation of these processes will allow for continuous improvements.

o Commitment from senior management: Senior managers need not just do the talking, but they should walk the journey too. This is necessary for motivating employees.

o Ongoing monitoring of performance and contribution of employees: Are the employees meeting the targets set or they are missing them? If they are missing targets, are they missing narrowly or not? The extent of the miss will allow for improvements to take place.

o Good communications throughout the organisation: Everyone should be aware of what the organisation is trying to achieve and their role in achieving the organisation’s strategy.

o Since continuous improvement is also about quality, there is need to have recognised quality management systems: You could have a group of employees from different functions of the organisation meeting up regularly to discuss quality and quality control issues. This will help in improving quality.

By regularly monitoring the above factors and ensuring that they are in place, your organisation will always focus on the right priorities, improve performance and maintain your business advantage.

Business turnaround is a phrase that is getting more common as companies are trying to get to grips with the new business climate. The method and the model for doing business has now changed dramatically, every section of the business that one can look at is going through an irreversible change. The driver for this change is of course the recession and if a company doesn’t do something different and an innovative then they will not survive. The main sections of the business we can look at are sales, purchasing, finance and operations. In this article I will look at sales only.

I was asked a question recently where somebody can find a true salesman. I didn’t fully understand what was behind the question but after digging a bit deeper I understood his point; basically people who thought that they were a salesman were really order takers. There is a hell of a difference between a salesperson and an order taker. The sales title was given out too loosely for example an employee who was manning the counter in a hardware store was given the title of a salesperson. However their role was to meet customer at counter, deliver whatever was ordered and maybe if they were knowledgeable enough they would go through some technical information about particular products. Employees like this never took it upon themselves to sell at different product than what the person was looking for. There was no drive to push the product that had the highest margins and make more money for the company, there was no lead generation, there was no follow-up and it never was a case of closing the sale; it was just orders. Unfortunately because of situations like this a lot of sales people are now tainted with the same brush. So, you would imagine that it would be very easy to get a salesperson in the present climate but this is not the case. Apart from being inundated with hundreds of CD’s there is very little quality in the applications. I suppose one of the reasons for this is the fact that if you have a good salesperson you would do everything in your power to hold onto them. On further investigation into applicants they are just too many people that are calling themselves salespeople and they don’t have the basic skills of a real sales person.

What I would look for in really good salesperson is someone who can really dig out a sale by building a relationship with the customer. Whether it is in a boom or a recession or even a normal economic climate one thing that never changes is people buy off people. The power of the relationship should never be underestimated and it should also never be taken for granted but it is the basis for most sales. I would look for someone who has demonstrated the ability to sell in new markets or new areas where there was no history of sales for a product. I would also look for the ability of a salesperson to relate to people and after the first five minutes of interview you should get a feel for this.

If you run a company ask yourself are your salespeople real salespeople because if they are no matter how hard the conditions are they will still achieve goals that are achievable.

Most people have a sense of dread when they hear the word “budget” and imagine something restricting and impossible. As a small business owner, it’s important that you understand how to set a budget and stick to a budget. Having a budget for your small business is essential. Without a budget, your expenses will outpace your income and you’ll lose all your profits.

It doesn’t a take a rocket scientist to figure out that this is no way to run a business! If you want to maintain your profits, you’ve got to:

1) Increase your income

OR

2) Decrease your expenses

Although it would be nice to instantly increase your income (and if you find the secret to that, please let me know!), most small biz owners need to decrease their expenses. Lowering the costs of doing business is the easiest way for you to get more profits.

There are a lot of ways that you can cut down on your business expenses. Check out these ideas and save some money (and automatically increase your profits)!

One of the biggest areas that business owners go over budget is with software. New software makes us feel professional…and it’s just plain fun! Even if you don’t exactly need it, software can make its way on to your computer.

Before you download that next program ask yourself how it’s going to help your business. Is there a way you can do the same task without the piece of software? Will it really help your business or will it just be a waste of space on your hard drive? If you feel it will really help your business then earn it! Earmark a certain amount of money from your profits to spend on your software and then buy it once you’ve gotten the money. That way you won’t be cutting into your profits significantly or spending before thinking about it.

If there’s a software program that you really do need, try to find the smallest version you can get your hands on. Many pieces of software have levels of use. For example, there is database software that can handle hundreds of users and there is a version that is for personal use only. Even if your vision for your business is huge and you imagine that you’ll have dozens of employees someday, you don’t need the full fledged version right now. You won’t be saving money by purchasing it now. You’ll be wasting it.

Tell yourself you can always upgrade when the time comes. You don’t need to spend the money right now…you have more important things to spend it on! Be strong and put yourself on a software ban. You can be creative and find other ways to get your tasks done without breaking your budget.

History has shown that many companies think of customer service as a reactionary response to a customer issue/problem. In the past and still in present day Customer Service focuses on how to deal with customer complaints/issues after the customer is already unhappy about an issue. This is like closing the barn door after the horses got out.

Anyone who is in customer service knows that dealing with unhappy customers all day long makes for a very long day. If this happens day after day the problems for the company grow exponentially. A customer that has had service issues multiple times then turns into a very unhappy customer who may turn to your competitor…costing your company revenue and hurting your reputation. In addition, it burns out your customer service staff quickly. Customer service positions are notorious for high turn over rates. If your company has a reactionary customer service approach it results in a negative environment that substantially accelerates turn over rates. This in turn causes significant loss of revenue due to the costs of replacing staff constantly and the time and resources taken to train new staff. Keeping customer service staff turnover down is challenging to every company. Many companies just see it as a headache they have to accept and even consider it as a cost of doing business.

But what if you could reduce customer complaints, reduce staff turn over, increase revenue (not decrease) and save company resources…just by developing a Proactive Service Approach?

In this day and age there is so much competition that it is very hard to set yourself apart from your competitors. A recent article in USA Today stated that a survey of CEO’s pointed out that because so many companies offer the same products and services for similar prices, that customer service is the best way to set your self apart from your competition. A good way to differentiate your company is to create a customer service program that is Proactively focused.
Here are some examples of Proactive approaches you can put in place:

1) Anticipate your Customers Issues and/or Needs:
Have your staff compile a list of possible and/or probable questions, concerns and issues your clients might have. Instead of coming up with solutions for when the customers call have your team meet on a regular basis to try and identify new issues that might pop up and how to resolve them before the customer ever sees them.

2) Constant/Consistent Communication:
Have your staff regularly call your customer to show sincere interest in taking care of them, while at the same time possibly catching issues before they have magnified in the client’s eyes. Good communication can catch issues before they do more damage.

3) Apologize Immediately:
Any time a customer says or shows that they are unhappy about an issue…apologize immediately. This does not mean to take full responsibility before you know it is your company’s fault. It could be another vendor’s or the customer’s mistake. This means acknowledging their frustration by saying “I’m sorry this issue has caused you frustration and we will do everything we can to rectify the issue.” Even if it’s your fault or another vendor’s, just the fact that you are immediately trying to acknowledge how it is affecting them will make them feel like you are truly a partner and care about their satisfaction. It is truly amazing how many companies have not taught their staff the Golden Rule of apologizing immediately. Apologizing immediately goes a long way in diffusing the powder keg that is an unhappy customer.

4) Sometimes you have to say “No”:
Some projects or customers are just too big. Not too many sales people or owners want to say no to any work. But if the job is too big you won’t be able to serve them well and you will reduce resources for other clients. It is very tempting to take on additional work that can produce more revenue, especially when you are a young company and/or struggling. But if you take on work you cannot handle you will do more harm than good, in the long run.

5) Reward Staff for Great Service:
Reward them quickly and before they ask for appreciation. Customer service is a very stressful job some times. Long-term exposure to unhappy customers can be very debilitating to an employee. So managers should proactively reward staff that goes above and beyond. Managers should also keep a close eye on employees that are starting to show signs of strain. Proactively plan many breaks during the day. Also have light-hearted distractions that can make them feel removed from the stress of dealing with unhappy customers.

6) Empower your Staff:
Give staff the authority to make decisions before they even deal with customers. Give them empowerment to make judgments the first time they are hearing of an issue with customers. Try to make sure that the staff does not have to delay complaint resolutions, as much as possible, by avoiding pass-offs to higher ups for authorization to fix the customer’s issues. Pass-offs add fuel to fuming customers. The greatest customer service stories come from companies like Nordstrom’s who give their employees complete autonomy to make a customer happy.

7) Compensate your Staff Based on Service Level:
Staff should know that the level of service they provide your customers would directly affect their compensation. Give them incentive to provide the best service they can. Conversely, they should understand that poor service couldn’t only affect their compensation but their job as well.

Hire the Right People and Instill the Right Message:
Everything starts with the right people! If you hire someone who does not relate well to others and is lacking interpersonal skills, you have already created a recipe for failure. If you need to, administer personality assessments to get a stronger understanding of their true ability and willingness to serve others. In addition, when you hire anyone that will have regular contact with customers they must understand how important it is for them to be customer focused. “Customer First” should be the company’s culture.

9) Be Prepared:
If it’s too late to be proactive and a customer is already dissatisfied, make sure to have as much information about that client before you talk to them. Obviously you want to get their issue resolved as fast as possible but make sure your staff has all files and history on the client, before dealing with their issue. Once you have all the information you can about the client and their issue…hit fast and hit hard. Get the pain over with.

10) Proactive Surveys:
Routinely send out surveys to your customers to gauge their overall opinion of the service. Constantly and proactively monitor how they view the relationship with your company.

I once worked with a technology company and we implemented a Proactive Customer Service Policy. In 1

If you have silver or gold to sell, you may be wondering how to find the best place to sell your items. Unless you live in one of the few cities that have an actual gold and silver exchange doing business with the public there, you have limited options. There are pawnshops, but you will get (at most) half of what your items are worth. Some jewelers buy gold, but seldom silver, and again their prices are extremely low. On occasion, your city might be visited by one of the traveling buyers for a gold and silver who sets up for the weekend in a hotel conference room, but their prices are usually very low, also, and you will probably never be able to find them again if anything is wrong with the transaction.

Your best choice is an online buying company. However, they are not all the same, and the rising prices of silver and gold have unfortunately attracted some dealers with less than impeccable integrity. Some companies are thinly disguised scams, but some are rip-off artists who hide their true nature with varying degrees of success.

Here is how to find a gold and silver exchange you can trust. Start by typing in the words, “gold and silver exchange” in your search window. You will get a lot of returns. Now you need to select the most promising ones and visit their websites to find the gold and silver exchange with whom you wish to do business.

There are several things you need to look at when searching for a company. The price they are paying is one thing, but you cannot just take a number on a price list and be confident that it is the true price. Some companies do not update their prices very often, so you need to find out how current that price is. Then you need to see if there are going to be deductions made to that price or any hidden fees, since this is a common practice at some of the more unscrupulous gold and silver exchanges.

Now you need to check the company’s record for complaints with the Better Business Bureau. You might be shocked to discover that some of the gold and silver exchanges that do so much advertising on televisions have hundreds of complaints.

Check how quickly the gold and silver exchange issues payment, and who pays for shipping if you decide to return their check and get your items back. (Or do they even offer that option? At some gold and silver exchanges, once the check is issued, you have no recourse.)

If this sounds like a lot of work, visit the website. You will find a company that has never had a single complaint filed against it and that is Better Business Bureau Accredited. This gold and silver exchange also uses a live price list that is being updated constantly during market hours. The Silver and Gold Exchange also offers many features that are difficult or impossible to find at any other gold and silver exchange. For one thing, they use an independent lab to assay your items to ensure consistency and accuracy. They believe they are the only gold and silver exchange that does that.

The Silver and Gold Exchange will also send you an email to tell you what your payment will be, rather than just mailing you a check like many other gold and silver exchanges and making you bear the responsibility for returning it within their time frame if you want your items back. When you get your email, if you want to try a different gold and silver exchange, you just tell them, and they will promptly return your items and pay the shipping. If you decide that they are the gold and silver exchange you want to do business with, they will process your payment and send you a check, or if you prefer, deposit the money to your PayPal account.

Hundreds of satisfied customers feel that this company is the only company they want to use. When you read the many testimonials on their website, notice how many repeat customers they have. Many companies never have a customer return a second time.