Benjamins Yarn

Customer Service Leads to Customer Loyalty

All customers want and expect superior customer service, and it is all too important that we give it to them. Otherwise, our competition will.

Your customer doesn’t want to be treated like another statistic along an assembly line. They want to be treated with respect. It is very important that your customer realizes just how important their business is to you.

Imagine if you were a daily customer at a bank, restaurant, or some other establishment. And every day that you walked in, a sales associate would take care of your business, than hurry you out the door, without so much as a hi, bye, or even making eye contact for that matter.

Okay, so you don’t necessarily go to these places to make new friends, but you would think that the experience could be just a little bit positive.

Maybe this isn’t enough to make someone take their business elsewhere. However, it just might if they were approached by your competition, and your competition gave them an idea of just how the grass can be greener on the other side, and managed to swipe that customer from you. And if they did, would you even realize it?

The most important thing to your customer when doing business is customer service. People want to be treated with respect. They want to be addressed by name, they want their phone calls returned, and they want their problems resolved in a timely fashion.

Customer service, believe it or not, is more important to people than the amount of the product, or the over all fees’ they have to pay.

So before you discuss pricing, give them great customer service up front.

When I was in banking, I had an elderly couple take their business to a new bank that just opened across the street offering all kinds of special promotions at their grand opening. They happened to be very good customers of mine, and they were sad to go. They told me that the new bank was able to offer them the same products I could, except the products were free.

I told them that although the products may be free, they would never experience the customer service there that they received here.

They understood, but left by telling me that it just made economic sense for them to leave.

A month later, they came back. Needless to say, they were not happy with the other bank’s customer service.

I wasn’t at all surprised and was only too happy to have them back.

Excellent customer service is a great way to build customer relationships, and also build customer loyalty.

When I say customer loyalty, I mean they won’t be so quick to jump ship when approached by your competitor.

People love to have the peace of mind that whatever product or service they have with you is secure with you. They like knowing that if ever there is a problem, or if they have a question, you will be there to resolve their issue, regardless of what it may be.

Excellent customer service also leads to loyalty because if your customers like the way you treat them, they will be happy to refer their friends and family to you.

Providing excellent customer service to gain loyalty is quite easy. People love to be greeted by name along with a smile. They love to have their problems resolved quickly, so make sure they know that they can depend on you. They like to have their phone calls returned, so return them.

Customer service is key to retaining your customers, and obtaining all of their business. It is also a great way to obtain referrals from them.

Trust me, treat your customers the way you would treat your friends or family and they will stick with you forever, and provide you with a lot of business. Good luck.

This article may be reproduced by anyone at any time, as long as the authors name and reference links are kept in tact and active.

Jay Conners has more than fifteen years of experience in the banking and Mortgage Industry, He is the owner of www.jconners.com, a mortgage resource site, he is also the owner of www.callprospect.com, a mortgage lead company.

CCIDC has announced a new “single” certification examination for Interior Designers in California. Anyone who intends to become a Certified Interior Designer need to write and clear one of the three recognized national examinations such as the NCIDQ, the CQRID, including a supplemental California Codes and Regulations Examination, the CCRE and all these courses are running for the last eight years approximately. Before then, only one national examination was recognized. These are additional to the regulations noted in Section 5800 of the Business & Professions Code. This move from the California Council for Interior Design Certification (CCIDC) will bring to the interior design market many new young interior designers.

Bringing the California certification examination up to date to be in accordance with the Section 139 of the California Business and Professions Code and to make it available to those who fall under the three categories of education and experience under the law, as well as to those with “experience only” is the purpose.

Mandatory: Candidates and student that pass the examination to meet all of the other requirements for becoming a Certified Interior Designer.

Note: CCIDC will accredit those who have taken one of the three national examinations, by making the current CCRE available longer.

Recently, a woman was telling me about how she used an
ad in her “swipe file” to create a promotion, and it completely
crashed and burned. Not one single sale.

Turns out she simply substituted all the details of the
original ad she was “swiping” with the details of her product.

Look, you might be able to get away with the old “word
substitute” routine every now and then. And you might even
make some good money doing it. But that sort of thing
usually doesn’t work. At least not from what I’ve seen.

Why? Because swipe files are basically only good for “how”
you say something…and not necessarily for “what” you’re
saying.

For example, I once wrote an ad to property investors in the
United Kingdom with a headline I “swiped” from an old ad
(from the 1950’s) selling a television repair course.

The headline was: “Why Haven’t TV Owners Been Told
These Facts?”

I thought, “That’s a great headline! Lemme ’swipe’ that
bad-boy!” And my headline said:

“Why Haven’t UK Property Investors Been Told About
This?”

The result?

Well, the ad didn’t exactly “bomb” (there was a nice curiosity
element to it, after all). But it didn’t do nearly as well as we
wanted.

Reason why is because I didn’t consider that the original ad
I “swiped” was playing on a suspicion people had
about TV’s back in the day. TV sets were acting up a lot and
people were really getting ticked off. And so the headline
was structured to play on that aura of “foul play”.

But the UK property investor market is not in this state of
mind. And so I took a hard look at the market, and their state
of mind as it is (not how I imagined it, but how it is) and
came up with a different headline that gave us a better
response.

Now, please, don’t get me wrong here. Swipe files are
extremely useful for wording specific phrases, closes and
even entire paragraphs (I mostly use my swipe file for
different “structures” — to lay out the sequence of information
in my ads for maximum effect).

But it’s dangerous to play “Betty Crocker” with your sales
pitch — simply pouring all the details of your product into
another ad, just like you’d pour cake mix into a mold —
without making sure the different elements of that ad jives
with the market first.

Ben Settle is a seasoned freelance copywriter and
direct marketer. If you liked this article then check out
Ben’s website at http://bensettle.com — where you’ll find
over 500 pages of advertising ideas, strategies and
tactics just like this one — as well as rare swipe file ads
and hot marketing information not easily found
anywhere else.

With the stock market stubbornly refusing to settle down and smooth out, Wall Street has been scrambling to come up with “product” they can sell to gun shy investors.

One such new concept is the Lifestyle fund; an extremely diversified package designed to be the single fund in an investor’s portfolio.

There are two general types of these funds, in which assets are spread out across a wide range of stocks and bonds. In one, securities are held directly, in the other, assets are held through other funds.

Fidelity’s Freedom 2030 is an example of the first type. It targets a specific retirement date, and the cash and bond stakes rise as that date approaches.

This type of fund has created a perception among investors that its value will not drop and that it is safe. But, in fact, these are no safer than a standard mutual fund.

Since we sold all of our investment positions on October 13, 2000 and preserved our capital, Fidelity Freedom 2030 has lost 39% (through 2/21/03). Do you think that’s an isolated incident?

I’m not picking on Fidelity, but here are some of their other Lifestyle funds with returns over the same period:

Fidelity Freedom 2020: -34% Fidelity Freedom 2010: -22%

So much for perceived safety.

The other Wall Street bright idea is the fund of funds (FOF). It sounds good, but it actually creates a double layer of costs; the cost of purchasing the fund itself, and then the expenses of the mutual funds the FOF purchases. Take for example, the Enterprise Group of Funds. It shows an expense ratio of almost 2% plus a sales charge of 4.75% according to Morningstar. Tack on the underlying expenses and you’re paying out more than 3% a year in investment expenses.

If you’re a new investor (with less than $10k), and have your account at a discount broker, you can add a minimum of 1% per year in fees just for the privilege of having an account. That brings the total up to 4% in annual expenses. Talk about adding insult to injury.

FOFs are sometimes being touted as the only fund you need no matter what the investment climate. So, let’s compare to see how the Enterprise fund of funds performed during the same period as mentioned above for the Freedom funds:

Enterprise Group of Funds: -35%.

The bottom line is that no matter what type of mutual fund you choose, or what anybody claims it will do for you, you must be vigilant and see if it does what you were told it would. In investing, there is simply no such thing as a sure thing. Sure you need to know how to recognize a good investment.

But just as importantmaybe even more importantyou must know when to recognize that a good investment idea didn’t work out, cut your loss, and sell.

About The Author

Ulli Niemann is an investment advisor and has been writing about objective, methodical approaches to investing for over 10 years. He eluded the bear market of 2000 and has helped hundreds of people make better investment decisions. To find out more about his approach and his FREE Newsletter, please visit: http://www.successful-investment.com; ulli@successful-investment.com

Copyright 2006 Marc Deschamps

The factors that may affect the normal sperm count and quality
could actually be summarized in six main points namely: sperm
mobility, concentration, morphology, speed, count and last but
not the least, sub-fertility. Drawbacks in any of these areas
can vastly affect the chances of conception.

Sperm mobility refers to the sperm’s ability to move in a rather
dynamic and active fashion. When it comes to healthy sperm, more
than 50% of them may be considered as active if over 25% of them
moving vehemently in one direction. Its significance can be
understood by the fact that it enables the sperm to travel
through the cervical canal, into the uterus and the fallopian
tubes and finally, to break through the egg.

Normal sperm count is a function of concentration that refers to
the measure of the number of sperm cells in a milliliter of
semen. The average or normal concentration measures around 22
million sperm cells per milliliter of semen.

The third point is morphology. A healthy sperm cell bears a
resemblance to a tadpole in shape. The oval head of the sperm
holds the genetic material, while the center provides energy and
the tail thrusts the sperm forward. In addition, experts believe
that oddly shaped sperm are not capable of fertilizing an egg.

Speed is another factor that affects sperm quality. Based on the
study made by the World Health Organization in a healthy male,
beyond 25% of sperm will exhibit progressive mobility. These are
the sperm with the best chance of successfully infiltrating and
fertilizing an egg.

Normal sperm count is also a vital factor in sperm production.
Count refers to the number of sperms in the fluid that is
ejaculated. There are over 50 million sperms in a normal
ejaculate, and a total count below 40 million may indicate
decreased fertility.

The sixth and last factor is sub-fertility. The term refers to
the couples that are unable to reach conception even after a
year’s period of unprotected intercourse. However, this is
different from infertility. The typical causes of male
sub-fertility include sperm production problems, blockage in the
sperm’s delivery system, injuries to the testicles, low or high
hormone production, anatomical problems, varicocele, past
illnesses, side effects of medications, and sperm quality.

Increasing the volume of ejaculation and the normal sperm count
has become a common obsession among men. During the past few
years, the medical community had been committed to developing a
safe and effective alternative treatment than the run of the
mill advice that has been handed down from one generation to the
next. Recent studies show that increasing sperm volume could
actually be accomplished in two ways. First is by taking herbal
supplements that contain amino acids and zinc. Amino acids, if
taken regularly, are generally believed to increase ejaculate
fluid. On the other hand, zinc seems to improve both the amount
of sperm produced as well as the sperm’s ability to move
spontaneously and independently. Together with amino acids, this
will increase normal sperm count and volume significantly.

The second way is doing PC exercises. Although Kegel exercises
can help you last longer, they can also aid in increasing sperm
volume. Several exercises can help to keep your penis in great
shape and shoot like a champion.

Buying DIY Automotive Equipment

Everyone is getting into do-it-yourself (DIY) projects these
days, and that even includes fixing your car. Without proper
training there are certain aspects of automotive repair that you
shouldn’t attempt yourself since there may be safety issues
involved. However, more and more people are finding that with
the right automotive equipment there are many things you can
repair yourself at a fraction of what a mechanic would charge
you.

If you are new to DIY auto repair, you may want to read your
car’s manual to become familiar with the various parts of your
car. You may want to start off with a simple job such as
changing a tire or changing your oil. There is very little
equipment associated with these two tasks so you won’t have to
worry about spending a large amount of money if things don’t
work out.

If you’re looking to start a more involved project, such as
replacing your brake pads, you’ll want to make sure you get the
proper equipment since this isn’t a job you want to botch up.
Before you head to your local automotive equipment and tools
supply shop you may want to check online for details. For
instance, there may be certain tips and tricks that may make
things run more smoothly, or recommendations on brands. There
are plenty of websites and car repair communities that can offer
advice.

Getting the Best Deal

There are plenty of places you can go to for the necessary
equipment. Many major box stores carry a huge variety of auto
products, as well as chain supply stores, and even mom and pop
shops. Buying online is also a great opportunity to get some
amazing deals, but make sure you know what you’re buying since
returns can be costly in terms of shipping.

The most important things to remember is take your time and
never cut corners on any auto repair job. Safety is key and you
should always follow manufacturer’s recommendations.

If you are the semi-competitive type and you are looking for a good cause then you owe it to yourself to sign up for this years Rogue River Steelhead tournament.

This annual event, which is put on by the Rogue Flyfishers helps to raise money for the club, which in turn uses the funds for fish, fishing enhancement, and other projects that help support the fish of the Rogue basin.

This year the event is scheduled for October 29th, which is a Saturday, and costs $150.00 per contestant. Boats consist of two fishermen and a rower,of which many are local guides, volunteers and club members.

This is a flyfishing tournament, and prizes are awarded in various categorys, with the top prize going for largest Steelhead and most inches of fish. The tourney is catch and release, barbless fly,and conventional gear only. Last years winner took top honors with a mere 23 inches as the top fish. I personally have heard of many 30 inch fish being caught this year–so WATCH OUT!!

For your money you will also receive a continental breakfast, as well as the banquet dinner to be held at that evening at the Red Lion Hotel here in Medford, Or. There will also be silent auction as well as the traditional oral auction fundraiser also to be held that evening at the Red Lion. Last year some of the prizes included some nice custom made fly-rods, but the real reason to enter is for fish enhancement.

Seats go fast for this event and they have told me that only six slots are left even as we speak.(Or read in this case.) You can still make reservations for the banquet if you just want to come and hang out with a buunch of fishy guys.

Last year the event brought in over $8500.00 dollars and even though it is not as famous as some of the other Trout and Salmon fundraising tournaments held in other places–this one is low key and a little more comfortable feeling.

So, if your late October schedule is missing some excitement, come join in the Annual Rogue River Steelhead Tournament.

You can find more information at: http://www.rogueflyfishers.org

A.J. Klott
Author, writer of fishing humor,and “fly tack” peddler.A.J. writes about the people,characters and modern day events that surround the fishing world. His first book is due out in December of 2005.
If you need a laugh or a fun gift, visit his website at:
http://www.twoguyswithflys.com

1. Submit. Give up. Make room for the miracle.

2. Inform yourself. Listen to your intuition. Examine all the options, but only use what feels right to you.

3. Accept support. Surround yourself with loving friends, healing music, special colors, prayer and affirmation. Create a ceremony of healing/wholing and invite your supporters.

4. Anoint your breast(s) with healing herbal oils such as calendula, dandelion, or poke. Visualize healing energies suffusing your tissues.

5. Maximize the healthy qualities of your diet:

• Use organic olive oil and butter to the exclusion of other fats.


• Increase your use of beans, especially lentils, and fermented foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut, miso, tamari, homemade wines and beers.


• Include immune building and anticancer herbs in your diet:

• Daily use of a nourishing infusion, especially red clover flower or burdock root or violet leaf infusions.
• Daily use of fresh herb vinegars, especially yellow dock, burdock, and dandelion root vinegars.
• Frequent use of a long-cooked soup containing seaweed (such as kombu or wakame), astragalus root, and medicinal mushrooms (reishi, shiitake, puffballs, etc).

6. Increase you exercise level. Take a yoga or tai chi class weekly. Walk daily. Get a weekly massage. Pamper yourself with activity.

7. Use drugs (chemotherapy, tamoxifen, anesthesia, pain killers) as required but:

• consider a short trial of a powerful herb such as poke root before resorting to drugs; and


• always combine drug use with complementary herbs. For instance, protect the liver with milk thistle seed tincture.

8. Use radiation and surgery as needed but:

• always combine with complementary herbs; and


• be willing to set limits that you feel comfortable with - they can’t take your lymph glands if you say “No.”

For more information, see Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way by Susun Weed. www.ashtreepublishing.com

Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock, NY 12498
Fax: 1-845-246-8081

Vibrant, passionate, and involved, Susun Weed has garnered an international reputation for her groundbreaking lectures, teachings, and writings on health and nutrition. She challenges conventional medical approaches with humor, insight, and her vast encyclopedic knowledge of herbal medicine. Unabashedly pro-woman, her animated and enthusiastic lectures are engaging and often profoundly provocative.

Susun is one of America’s best-known authorities on herbal medicine and natural approaches to women’s health. Her four best-selling books are recommended by expert herbalists and well-known physicians and are used and cherished by millions of women around the world. Learn more at www.susunweed.com

As you will learn, soap making can be simple or complex. Some people enjoy the challenge of going all out professionally, which is fine. However, other people simply want to make soap for personal use or to give as an occasional gift.

Keep in mind that safety precautions should still be followed because soap becomes dangerously hot when melted, regardless of the skill level involved. Here, we will discuss easy melt and pour techniques, perfect for the novice or skilled soap maker!

First, keep in mind that most handmade soap is made from glycerin. When you purchase store-bought soap, the majority of the glycerin has been processed out. Therefore, when you make your own soap, you have a great opportunity to create something that is glycerin rich and soft.

Although “glycerin” is usually clear, with today’s colors and fragrances, you can create beautiful soaps that not only make your skin soft but also look great. With glycerin, because it is a humectant, moisture is drawn out of itself. That means when you use glycerin soap while bathing, a very fine layer will stay on the skin, adding moisture.

BUYING SOAP

To go through the easy melt and pour method, you want to stop by your soap-making supply or hobby store, or online soap supply store. There, you will find large blocks of clear soap. These vary in size and type. Remember, the prices will vary depending on where you live and the store or business where you buy.

Regardless, the following are the types of melt and pour soaps you would need to make your homemade soap.

Hemp Glycerin Soap

This type of glycerin is great for the “melt and pour” system, creating semi transparent soap with the benefit of hemp. Hemp oil is rich with essential fatty acids, enzymes, Omega 3 and 6, and vitamins A, D, & E. When buying hemp glycerin, you should look for blocks that are around 20% glycerin, is alcohol free, and free of any harsh detergents.

Typically, you will find 11-pound slabs, which will make approximately 44 bars of soap, each four ounces. If that is too much, you might try to find smaller slabs or go in with another soap maker to split the soap. This size slab will average $40.

Olive Oil Soap

Olive oil soap is semi-transparent with just a slight tan color. However, the benefits and features are very close to that of hemp glycerin. The only difference is that instead of hemp, olive oil is used. When buying, look for cold pressed olive oil that contains essential fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, and as close to 20% glycerin as possible. Again, an 11-pound slab for olive oil soap runs around $40.

Clear Glycerin Soap

This type of soap is transparent and has low shrinkage qualities. In addition, clear glycerin soap has very little problem with discoloration. This soap is vegetable derived and an excellent choice for “melt and pour” soap bars. You can add color or fragrance easily and the soap will leave your skin feeling soft and smooth.

Clear glycerin soap is also a great choice for making soap with multiple layers, novelty soaps (those with toys, flowers, or other objects inside), and yet the clarity is exactly what you would buy from your favorite boutique. If you want a good daily soap, one that is fun for the kids, and makes an excellent gift, clear glycerin is it.

Goat’s Milk Glycerin Soap

This type of soap originates from the beautiful Rocky Mountains. The feel is creamy and rich, and very luxurious. The appearance of this soap is off white. Many people shy away from goat’s milk glycerin because of the name but you will find that it has no fragrance and actually takes both color and fragrance perfectly.

If you want soap that is natural, this is a great choice. Typically, goat’s milk glycerin soap is slightly higher than the other types of soaps but still very affordable and well worth the investment.

MELT AND POUR SOAP MAKING EQUIPMENT AND INGREDIENTS

The great thing about using melt and pour is that you can use equipment you typically have on hand. With this method, you can use the base of a double boiler or your microwave oven.

Keep in mind that if you choose the microwave, the bowl with the soap substance will need to be covered with plastic wrap to keep it from splattering but more importantly, to help keep the excess moisture from evaporating. For the microwave method, you would melt the base soap on high for about one minute, stirring in the remaining pieces not yet melted.

For the double boiler option, bring the water to a boil. Then, add your melt and pour soap of choice, cover, and leave on low. This will take quite some time to melt so about every 10 minutes, check the base to see if it is melted. If you like, you can stir occasionally to ensure an even melt.

Fragrance

For both methods of melt and pour, if you want to add in fragrance, once the base soap has melted, then you would add the fragrance oil. Be sure the fragrance is mixed in completely and that the base of the soap does not have a cloudy appearance.

Although you can use more or less fragrance according to personal preference, typically a good rule to follow is to use .25 ounces to every one pound of soap base. In addition to fragrances, you can also use essential oils.

Color

Now for the color, if you want to create colored soap, add approximately one-eighth teaspoon to one-quarter teaspoon mica in with the melting soap base, making sure to mix in it well.

If any bubbles form on top of the soap, you can leave them for design effect or spray them with rubbing alcohol. If you want to use food coloring, start with just one drop to the melted base, stirring well. Then, you can add one additional drop until you find the color of preference.

After the fragrance and color have been added to the soap base, pour the melted base into the mold of your choice. Again, if you want to remove any bubbles that will settle on top, spray them with rubbing alcohol. After the soap has hardened, generally a few hours, you can use it and enjoy!

COST

As you can see, to make your own soap at home, you would pay around $40 for the slab of base, a few dollars for fragrance, a few dollars for coloring, and that is about it. The process is very cost effective, fun, and you end up with exactly the type of soap you love most.

Most people figure that one bar of homemade soap will average .50, far less than you would pay elsewhere. In addition, you can add in special items or effects to jazz things up.

Making soap using the melt and pour process is easy and fun… and makes for very inexpensive soap. Not only is it great for making your own soap, but it makes for truly unique and creative gifts.

Dave Cushion is the creator of the very popular book “Soap Making Made Simple!” To get additional soap making tips, go to http://www.soap-making-made-simple.com and learn much more about this very fun and useful craft.

The British automaker, Jaguar, has certainly stepped it up a notch over the past decade. Don’t tell the British, but Ford Motor Company’s purchase of the venerable brand likely saved the company from oblivion. The cat is back. Read on for updates about this feline marquee.

I have a friend, his name shall remain anonymous to protect the guilty, and whose knowledge about Jaguar is fairly limited to put it kindly. Both of us enjoy cars, particularly powerful American coupes, and the occasional sedan or hot wagon, such as the Dodge Magnum. When Lincoln’s new LS made its debut more than five years ago I remarked how the Ford Motor Company crafted both it and the Jaguar “S” type from the same platform and that this was the first shared venture between the two companies ever. My buddy was perplexed as he considered what I had said. He then retorted, “how can Ford and GM build from the same car?” Huh?! I was mystified at first, but then I realized his ignorance was typical of many Americans regarding the British automaker: they just did not know the brand.

Unfortunately for Jaguar beyond shows such as Masterpiece Theatre, not too many Americans outside of major cities were familiar with the Jaguar brand. Today, that has all changed. With the introduction of the “S” type, a midsize sedan and the “X” type an AWD sedan, America’s perception of Jaguar - or Jag-you-are as some are want to pronounce it has changed dramatically… and for the better. Jaguar still produces larger sedans including the XJ and the XK, but it is the smaller cars that are receiving the most notice and producing the badly needed sales and revenue for Jaguar.

Even further down the line, Jaguar is really poised to pounce. An all new XK8, a 2+2 rear wheel drive coupe. Departing from Jaguar tradition, the XK8 will have a mostly aluminum veneer, with woods such as poplar and walnut optional. Retailing at $75K the XK8 will also be sold as a convertible.

Additional coupes and an SUV are also being planned and it is expected that the broader selection of vehicles will grow the brand in the US as well as in the UK. Gone are the days of V12 Jaguars, but in its place are some truly outstanding cars that are certain to capture the attention of the car buying public.

Copyright 2005 — Matt Keegan is a contributing writer for the Auto Parts Warehouse, a wholesaler of discount Jaguar parts and accessories.