eNewsHound

It is extremely common to see covers on menus in restaurants, cafes and bars. And while many people assume that the reason for this is to protect them, and they are correct in this assumption, menu covers can also serve to enhance their visual appeal and direct customers to specific items and areas. Meanwhile, the protection they offer is extremely important and one of the great benefits is that you can remove the cover, clean it and put it back on the menu, while cleaning a menu itself can be difficult and sometimes even counter productive.

Many hands touch restaurant menus and a large number of children get a hold of them before they have washed up. In addition, restaurants like to provide crayons and coloring materials to keep children occupied and inevitably those crayons will find their way to the menus. Meanwhile, the menus become exposed to all sorts of food items if left on the table and even their constant use will cause damage and deterioration.

There is no doubt that an unprotected menu will be exposed to elements that will not only stain it but will also damage and otherwise compromise its appearance. And one of the least attractive features at any restaurant is a dirty, torn or otherwise damaged menu. Protect your menus and you protect your customer base .

Anyone who has ever worked in retail or sales knows the importance of good service, or rather the importance of stating how important good service is. But in the end it doesn’t matter how many times the word is said if the follow through is found lacking. Everyone has had experiences where a company hasn’t followed through on their word or employees are too wrapped up in their own conversations to even notice your presence much less help you find what you are looking for. Despite the decline in customer service in many of the traditional markets, there are some companies that still promote customer service.

Southwestern Company is a student-based sales company that helps educate and train students for careers in business and sales. Unlike many internship programs, students are given extensive training, first-hand experience, and an opportunity to help pay for their education.

Service is an important part of Southwestern’s policy, both to their students and their customers. Southwestern provides service to their students by providing training and teaching them leadership and responsibility skills; which they are then able to pass on to the customers. The importance of good service is a key part of each students training. Most of the Southwestern Company products are educational children’s books. While they would seem pretty self-explanatory, student sellers take the time to explain how to use the books so that each customer understands how to facilitate their child’s learning.

Service is a large part of what makes Southwestern successful. It has inspired lasting customer loyalty and strong, reliable employees. Other companies can learn from Southwestern and other companies that emphasize service. Service is not just a word to recite, but a concept that is put into practice on every level.

One of the questions many people ask of themselves, and of others, is where do you see yourself next year, or in the next five years.  For many in the process of a job interview, this is a question that can throw them off balance.  Business training reveals that it is a great question to ask of someone when you are looking for insight into that individuals skills of communication, and into their own self awareness.  When the question is referring to one’s own personal life, and not specifically for the job the person is interviewing, the answer reveals more than one may think.

If one candidate for the job answers the question about long term goals, and how they plan to achieve, stating that in five years they specifically want to be advanced to the position of manager, working with a qualified team, this is a very specific and may be seen as a narrow response.  One that could indicate a lack of flexibility.  However, should one state that they have been incredibly busy with the goals of the company that they haven’t had time to focus on their own, this may demonstrate a great work ethic but does not demonstrate a skill in planning or vision for the future.

And again, should one have the aspirations of starting their own company, to state this in the interview process, while demonstrating a strong desire to succeed, may give the prospective employer the idea that one will not be sticking around too long.  Executive training courses reveal that the answer to this seemingly easy and simple question, is often very hard to communicate.  Take a moment to really think about what you want, and focus on setting and achieving short term goals.

Focus on the needs of your prospective employer and their company.  Many times they really need someone organized and who can show the ability to to reach those short term goals.  Consider the times when your organized planning has led to positive results.  Everyone will have different things in life that are important to them, but by focusing on the immediate interview, and by being focused on the goals of the company, you will have a better chance to present your answer in an organized way, and will set you headed in the right direction.

TransGlobe Property Management has been serving Canada’s communities for 15 years, and we have a strong track record for excellent customer service and client relations.  This is because we value you as a client when you sign on with us.  We offer thousands of properties all over the country, for residential or business purposes, and we have a thriving business with an amazing team, working to help make our communities better.

Canada has a strong tradition of civic-mindedness, and this comes from the labor and efforts of individuals who love it here as much as we do.  We’re committed to helping make the neighborhoods better, and we’ve been very active in community efforts since we began.  You might have seen us in our fleet of fuel efficient vehicles at the London Santa Claus Parade.  Or, maybe you’ve seen us at a host of other civic events.  We participate in a number of charitable efforts, working to combat formidable problems, like cancer, heart disease, and helping sick children.  Our concern is shown at every level, from participation in public events, to helping tenants with any issues that may arise while you’re living here.

We have a strong record for customer satisfaction, and we respond to issues very quickly and efficiently.  Our record isn’t something we rest on, but see it as a mandate for the future, offering us a blueprint for what we want to continue working on.  At TransGlobe Property Management , we’re always striving to improve what we do, because a company that’s willing to grow and evolve is one that will survive.  As we work together in a new century, we’re committed to building Canada’s neighborhoods to make all of our lives more fruitful, safe, and fulfilling, so that we all have the opportunities to turn our dreams into realities.  We’re here for you, where you work and live.

Last summer I took a road trip from Phoenix, Arizona to Nogales, Mexico with a friend of mine.  It was a “dentist road trip”.  Neither of us have health or dental insurance, and I had a tooth that needed to come out while she had a tooth that had cracked up the middle.  We had heard of the dental care one could get in Mexico, but we were nervous about it all the same.  I mean, Nogales?  But we went anyway.  We reached the border, parked the car on the US side, and walked through customs into the hectic hustle and bustle of the border town.

The sidewalks are uneven, the building are brightly painted but are dilapidated and sad non the less.  On every corner there is a man with a donkey wanting you to get you picture taken on the beast, while wearing a sombrero.  We followed our map and found the dentist’s office.  It was small, and hot, and nothing like the pristine offices in the United States.  We, again, were nervous.  We actually held hands in the waiting room.  Two women over forty, terrified.  I went first.

The dentist didn’t speak English and so we went back and forth while the assistant translated.  And yes my tooth needed to be pulled.  I have had oral surgery in the States, one time in Chicago and the technicians and the surgeon were, cold…they did not care that I was nervous and scared.  But, in this situation, the medical customer service was different.  Customer service, as Steve Barbarich will attest, is the most important aspect of running a business.  I was trying to remain calm as the dentist pulled out a piece of equipment that resembled a large set of pliers.

Just as she was about to begin, I got very scared and I just reached out my hand…to nowhere in particular, just a reflex.  And what happened next, brought tears to my eyes, the assistant grabbed my hand and she held on tightly.  She was not thinking of customer service at that moment, I don’t think, she just saw someone who needed something, and she provided.  That is the most sincere form of customer service, and we have been back since then, and it’s actually a good experience to go to the dentist.

It is just simply a fact that in the business world, as with in life, you may not be able to please all of the people all of the time.  Bad luck, mistakes, or problems in even the finest of run establishments will occur and my leave someone dissatisfied.  It is also true that many people will not write a letter to a business about the great experiences they had, but many will write formal complaints when they are not happy.

Some companies will go on, disregarding the complaints as sometimes these can be very trying times.  However, situations like these when handled properly and with sincerity will in many cases, serve to win customers and to make the business stronger for it.  As Steve Barbarich knows from his own experience wherein he was dissatisfied and the the situation was not handled correctly, good customer service will win in the end.  Letters are one of the most common ways of customers expressing their grievance.  Some see this is the most formal approach, while others feel the safety of the distance that a letter allows.  This form will actually give you time to think about the best way to handle the situation and to be thoroughly organized with your response.

Another common form is when the customer speaks directly to an employee.  Having a well trained staff, knowledgeable in the service industry will ensure that these kinds of situations are rectified quickly and efficiently.  And as with the face to face interactions, dealing with a customer over the phone will not allow you the time to plan your response, but with well trained staff these issues will often times be worked out quickly.  These are not the most comfortable of situations in the customer service industry,  but they are the end.  They provide you with an opportunity to fix it, and save the customer.

I am faced with the prospect of needing to be in Montreal, Quebec for an extended period of time. Not really what I want to do. I prefer the climate and lifestyle of the south west United States where there is nearly endless sun, I suppose no one could argue simply stating we have endless sunshine. I am also very much attracted to the warm dry climate as well, Montreal will be an enormous change in climate. Much cooler, down right cold in the winter, much wetter, I would probably see more rain there in the first week or so than I have seen here in years. It will be a real shock to my system. However business dictates this thus it is what I’ll do.

Need to find a place to live for the time I will be there. So I started asking around with friends, colleagues and family members. A friend said they had used a company called Transglobe property management they said these people were very helpful when the needed to relocate to Canada some years ago. My friend told me that Transglobe property management was very helpful and responsive when they connected them. My friend also said they were very pleased with the housing that was located for them. He was really please with the central and quiet location of the apartment and thought the pricing was very fair for the area and comparable apartments. I am happy for this information and will have to start looking into this very soon. Now I will have to begin thinking about my plans regarding wardrobe I will need to be taking with me to a climate that is nearly opposite to where I currently reside.

One way to increase one’s own personal organizational development and potential, is to clearly define goals, short term and long term.  To have a plan.  Many potential successes in life are short changed by a lack of planning.  Planning may seem like a time-consuming task, but in the long run not only is it a sure fire way that one will be successful, but it will serve to save time in the end.  The goals that one sets for oneself should not only be useful and pertinent, but they should be attainable.

These would be on the list of the short term goals.  When one would like to run a marathon, they do not begin their training with a marathon. It is a slow and steady pace, that works towards the bigger picture.  One may start simply with running around the block, consistently and without fail.  Gradually, the new short term goal is one mile.  In this way, one will not become discouraged, and will be more likely to succeed one day in that marathon.  This is true in many aspects of life, be it going back to school, or beginning a sales training program, or beginning–and finishing important projects in the workplace.  These near future goals, give one the momentum to pursue the end result.

While the long term goals tend to be those that are more important or meaningful to an individual, it is the short term goal that will one to that next step.  The short term goals will serve to keep one focused on the big picture, and will maintain the attitudes necessary to continue and to succeed.  It is important to keep track of one’s progress and to acknowledge it as often times the goal seems so far in the future, one may be tempted to simply give up.  By keeping a record, it is a visual and an intellectual stimulus to keep one going.  This also serves to become organized when one has more than one goal they are working on at any given time.  The key to success is to be organized, thoughtful about that organization, and diligent.

Most people shy away from being the leader or public speaking. They do not want to deal with the responsibility or being blamed if something goes wrong. But what if you are not afraid of that and can’t figure out how to let your leadership skills get noticed? It’s time to stand up and let your boss and superiors know that you are the one who is meant for leadership.

If you think you are ready to become a leader in your field you are going to have to have the know how it requires. Become an expert on your field, make it your passion. Or at least pretend it is.

Ever heard the saying about dressing for the job that you want? Well if you are not already doing that start so immediately. Image is a big part of a leader, if you look like a leader people will take your ideas more seriously and believe that you are an authority figure. That’s where some leadership development can come in.

When you have an opportunity to speak up or offer ideas, always do so. Even if you don’t think you have a good idea, still offer something up. It will allow you to become memorable, so that when it comes time for promotions people know who you are and know what kind of work you do.

Keep your boss updated on the kind of work you are doing. Even if they don’t ask you to keep track of you work it is a good idea for you to at least keep a log for yourself. So when you do get that interview for a higher position you can easily show a record of your past work.

Have ideas, but don’t give them all away at once. If you are interviewed for a promotion offer up some key points but make them hire you to get all of your ideas!

Former Singaporean Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, spoke recently at a convention concerning the necessities of smaller countries involved in the international economic world. He covered his philosophies on foreign relations and the absolute need of smaller countries to create and maintain relationships with larger, more prosperous and more powerful countries. He emphasized that the involvement with other countries are not based emotionally, nor even out of acts of goodwill, that it just the way that it must be to economically survive and remain of relevance. Larger countries he states, have much more freedom, geographically than smaller countries such has his own. For a country the size of Singapore to continue to exist, they must make as many allies as possible. He states as well that Singapore must remain independent and must constantly predict the ways of the future so as to better retain the difference necessary to remain important. For many years, the people, the advanced technology, and the ethics of business have ensured that Singapore remains to have something to offer to the rest of the world not commonly found in other countries. Five star businesses in Singapore, such as resorts and convention centers have remained prosperous and tourism grew and the international business world ventured to Singapore to learn the ways of the Singaporean workers.

He sites the example of the economic crisis in America currently. He believes that along with the resilience of the American people and the creativity of the current political leaders, that the relationship between China and the U.S. will serve to help the situation in America dramatically. The ‘friendship’ with China is important he says, as currently economic growth in China is stable and increasing by just about ten percent. So while it is true that the U.S is experiencing no growth, or sometimes a negative growth, they have sided with an economic giant and that consequences of that relationship will prove extremely beneficial for America and the years to come. For the continued success of Singapore he believes that creative and intuitive leaders must be one step ahead of the global market, to be able to not only notice trends, but to predict them. So that not only is Singapore there for the changes, but so that they are some of the ones leading the pack. In this way, Singapore will remain relevant, different, and independent.

The global economic downturn has finally made its way to Southeast Asia. A growing number of regional layoffs are sweeping the area as governments report stalling growth and legislatures work to devise stimulus plans.

Here in the west, the economic crisis is fueled by home foreclosures and bank failures entering a downward spiral with rising unemployment and falling consumer confidence. In Thailand and other parts of southeast Asia, unemployed workers are deserting the city to return to their home villages to subsist on family farms.

While most of the countries in the area don’t offer unemployment benefits or even track unemployed workers, Thailand is reporting that over 2000 unemployed workers have returned to Ubon Ratchathani Province since November, and half of those in the last few weeks.

With the economy falling world-wide, tourism in areas like Phuket and Bangkok is dropping. Chambermaids, groundskeepers, waiters and other workers at five star hotels in Bangkok and other cities are being laid off in droves. With factories and construction sites laying off workers as well as retail jobs disappearing, the only option left for most is a return to village life.

Current predictions by leading economists suggest that millions of workers will lose their jobs in Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia this year. Additional jobs could be lost in Indonesia and the Phillippines as those countries start to see their rapid growth fall off.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations are expected to address these economic problems during a summit this weekend outside of Bangkok. While stimulus plans are on the agenda, it is widely believed that any available funds won’t be nearly enough to mitigate the growing crisis.

The annual New York Toy Fair will take place early next week. Even with the faltering economy, the Fair, which runs from February 15th – 18th, expects to showcase over 100,000 products, including more than 7000 new toys that are making their world debut.

The fair promises over 350,000 square feet of exhibition space in the jacob Javits Convention Center and a few other showrooms in the surrounding area. Over a thousand media representatives are expected to be present from around the globe and over 20,000 attendees.

The Toy Industry Association (TIA) which sponsors the event is forecasting that this year’s merchandise will focus on price and value as a result of the shaky global economy. Exhibitors are expected to offer fewer high end toys to the retail buyers in attendance. While most toys take several years to develop, many manufacturers have scraped products that are too expensive for the budget-conscious parent of 2009.

One of the other features of the event is safety. With so many recalls in recent years, the fair is offering a four-hour seminar on safety concerns and recent legislation.

New York is hoping to see an uptick in its own economy as a result of the Toy Fair. Those thousands of attendees, exhibitors, and media should bring money to area businesses. The Fair is offering shuttle buses in the evening to take visitors to nearby New York restaurants. Meanwhile, hotels in the area are bracing for the increase in guests and taxis should be in abundance for those who want to explore more of the city.

Chrome truck accessories are a fun and fabulous way to add some character and charm to a vehicle. A truck is the owner’s work horse. It is relied upon day in and day out for tough duties. That does not mean that the truck can’t be made to be a personal statement. The question is, what type of statement do you want to make? For some people, adding chrome detailing or some other aspects can really finish the look and make the truck a unique look. It is definitely worth investing in these accessories.

Chrome door handles are a good example of a good investment in truck accessories. It is recommended that you take some time to learn how to take care of chrome on your vehicle. Doing so will keep the value of these vehicles high and it will give you that great look for years to come.

What else can you add to your truck to make it personalized? You may be after a truck rack, which makes sense for many people depending on how they use the truck. In addition, you may want to look for truck bed covers, which provide you with plenty of function and a great added value.

Rugs have been around as long as man. From early animal skins to woven rugs to the first pile rugs they have long been one of mankind’s most prized possessions. It was the Persians who made great leaps forward with the art of rug making.

The King of Persia’s rug which is known as the ‘Spring Carpet of Chosroes’ is one of the world’s oldest known rugs. It is a large rug, approx. 400 X 100 feet and was made around 550 BC. It is a silk and wool rug which includes gold, silver and precious stones. It was knotted by hand and features many scenes from nature.

This rug was almost destroyed by the Arabs when they conquered Persia and tried to get at the precious stones which were woven into the rug!! The art of rug making has continued and today you will find examples of all types including the bathroom rug, the living room rug as well as indoor outdoor carpet. I recently bought a bath rug, and though not quite as large as the King of Persia’s rug I am reminded of the noble history of rug making.

My colleagues and I recently decided that we could use some professional development since we never actually do any because we are the top bosses in our companies. We have our junior staff go through a management development program but since we actually built our companies from the ground up, we figured that we were okay.

At least we thought we were okay until we did some research and found that the turnover rate was too high. We spoke about this and we came to the conclusion that we might be the problem. After we individually reviewed our personal leadership skills we researched what keeps employees around. I knew that I needed to update my skills and become the leader that I thought I was.

I enrolled in a leadership training program and refreshed a lot of my skills. I think that I used to be a great leader but somewhere in the years that flew by, I forgot how I got to the top and started to care less and less about the people under me. The way my bosses treated me in the years before I owned my own business was terrible and they made me want to be my own boss. Now I’m back on track and my employees are staying longer.