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<title>Latest Customer Service Articles</title>
<link>http://www.thearticleplanet.com/</link>
<description>Articles at Free Article Directory - Free Content For Webmasters</description>
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<title>Enhancing Business' Profits with Toll Free Numbers</title>
<link>http://www.thearticleplanet.com/business/customer-service/enhancing-business-profits-with-toll-free-numbers.html</link>
<guid>http://www.thearticleplanet.com/business/customer-service/enhancing-business-profits-with-toll-free-numbers.html</guid>
<pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2009 02:50:48 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ There are, without a doubt, many different ways to boost profits and revenues for a company and employing toll free numbers is unquestionably one of them. Is your company tired of losing your valued customers because they can't seem to remember your phone number? There's one obvious and effective solution for that and that's utilizing a toll free phone number service for your business.<br /><br />These numbers have been used by more than a million different companies world wide and their advertising response rates and revenues have drastically increased through the use because of using toll free numbers. Owning an exclusive number for your company to be used by your target market will definitely allow you to stand out from your competitors and drive more calls to your business. This will result to increase in profits and this will definitely give you a higher level of niche in your market. Your customers will appreciate you and many prospects will be lured to support you.<br /><br />Your company has the choice whether to employ an ordinary toll free number or utilize a vanity number. It is actually up to you and your budet.<br /><br />Nevertheless, adding these numbers to your company can help you in your goal of making more profits by increasing your advertising rate answer, thus, enabling you to sell more effectively. If you have intended a bigger budget for this, then you can use vanity numbers because they are easier to remember compared to those ordinary ones.<br /><br />A vanity number circulates what your company does, therefore, it will be easier for your customers to do business with you without having to look you up in those complicated yellow pages. <br /><br />Your intended customers can, as expected, commit to memory your number effortlessly, hence, giving them the freedom to call you over and over again should they have concerns. ]]></description>
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<title>The Importance of Address Verification for Your Business Content</title>
<link>http://www.thearticleplanet.com/business/customer-service/the-importance-of-address-verification-for-your-business-content.html</link>
<guid>http://www.thearticleplanet.com/business/customer-service/the-importance-of-address-verification-for-your-business-content.html</guid>
<pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:24:07 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ If your business depends on a reliable direct mailing service to customers and potential customers, then you already know how important it is to get an address into the system correctly the first time. Without taking the time to make sure address verification is done correctly, you could end up with piles of undelivered or returned mail, which could end up costing you a surprising amount of money.<br /><br />Large quantities of returned mail can result in a huge financial loss for a business and over time hurt their reputation. It is hard to form a new opinion once that reputation has been damaged. If you are a company owner, make sure you take care of any address verification issues before problems arise.<br /><br />Additionally, address verification software will help you build sales as well. Consider the impact on your business if all the mail that is returned as undeliverable or with no known address were to actually reach its target audience.<br /><br />Did you know that some estimates put the number of incorrectly addressed mail at almost 25 percent? This includes all outgoing mail in the form of fliers, newsletters, postcards, brochures and more. This can result in huge losses in potential sales for a company. Not to mention the added costs and time spent trying to correct addresses and handling all returned mail.<br /><br />In contrast to all the problems that can arise, if an address is correct and remains accurate your business will be able to operate more efficiently. You can streamline business procedures and keep costs down by using an address verification system to take care of address data entry on the front end.<br /><br />One of the major problems with address verification in the past is that it happened on the back end of data entry. Most mail got sent and then returned before companies were even aware there was a problem. Costly errors can be avoided if addresses are verified on the front end by making sure that data is correctly entered into the system.<br /><br />This will ultimately save you a tremendous amount of time, effort and energy. And while many companies have resisted implementing an address verification system because of the initial startup and installation costs, the eventual savings will more than make up for it.<br /><br />With so many different address verification software packages available it is wise to do your research and find the right system for your business and its individual needs. Right away you will see an increase in your ROI. ]]></description>
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<title>A Restaurant Opening Checklist is Essential</title>
<link>http://www.thearticleplanet.com/business/customer-service/a-restaurant-opening-checklist-is-essential.html</link>
<guid>http://www.thearticleplanet.com/business/customer-service/a-restaurant-opening-checklist-is-essential.html</guid>
<pubDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2009 03:33:54 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ If you are thinking about branching out into the world of food service and getting ready to set up your first establishment, you need to compile a restaurant opening checklist to make sure that you do not miss anything during these vital stages. Extra preparation now will really pay off when you open the doors, as when the pressure is on you do not want to be thinking about fundamentals, but rather focusing on daily operations.<br /><br />Once you have decided your location and theme, high on your restaurant opening checklist should be an analysis of your menu compilation. Not only will recipes allow you to calculate the real cost of the food that you need, but it will also determine the exact specification of your kitchen equipment and gear. Make sure that you have been comprehensive at this stage, as you will not want to buy or lease gear and find that you have misinterpreted and have to refit.<br /><br />To be able to realize maximum potential revenues, your restaurant must be laid out efficiently for the best flow of traffic at all times. Orientate your business on paper before you start off and make sure that you have the maximum number of tables, yet laid out correctly. Guests should be able to come and go without feeling constrained and staff must be able to operate efficiently.<br /><br />A business plan is an important attachment to your restaurant opening checklist and should be compiled once you have all the fundamentals in place including equipment, menu, floor plan and layout. Don't forget that your stakeholders will be interested in a comprehensive, yet sensible and realistic plan so prepare accordingly.<br /><br />Do not underestimate the amount of time it will take for you to break even in any business. When getting ready to head out on your journey, make sure that your restaurant opening checklist includes a sensible and workable financing plan. You might have to wait up to one year without turning a profit in this business and during that time your cash flow will come under close scrutiny.<br /><br />Don't open the doors to a new restaurant without ensuring that all your paperwork is adequate and comprehensive. Your restaurant opening checklist should have copies of your professional licenses and any state, county or local code regulations that you need. This is a heavily regulated business and you will find that any noncompliance will get a lot of adverse publicity for you, which you need to avoid at all costs.<br /><br />In a restaurant, you need to avoid downtime as much as possible as this can be very problematic as you can imagine. Therefore, when you are ready to open, make sure that you have surrounded yourself with as many advisers and professional contractors as you can. These need to be solid and reliable and people who you can tune to at short notice. Your restaurant checklist should have names and direct phone numbers at the top.<br /><br />Sometimes the restaurant opening checklist is the most confusing element of this operation. If you find that you need advice, especially if this relates to publicity and marketing, you should seek out one of the qualified and skilled online consultants to help you put this all together. ]]></description>
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<title>Ways to Improve Your Customer Service Skills using Verbal Communication</title>
<link>http://www.thearticleplanet.com/business/customer-service/ways-to-improve-your-customer-service-skills-using-verbal-communication.html</link>
<guid>http://www.thearticleplanet.com/business/customer-service/ways-to-improve-your-customer-service-skills-using-verbal-communication.html</guid>
<pubDate>Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:17:59 -0500</pubDate>
<description><![CDATA[ Customer service is hard sometimes but it is pretty easy to improve on your customer service skills if you put in that little bit of extra effort here and there. Today I'd like to talk about verbal communication because it is one of the most important aspects in customer service. What you say and how you say it is what's going to generate a sale for you and it's what the customer is going to take away from your interaction. If you fail to communicate effectively with your customer you are going to lose money; simple as that.<br /><br />Tone is almost 80% of verbal communication. It is incredibly important because it tells people what the intentions are behind each word used. If you take a strict or sarcastic tone with a customer they aren't going to like you very much so it is best that you use happy tones. Accepting and helpful tones are the best possible ones to use when speaking with a customer. Lull them into a state of ease and they will be more prone to buy something off of you. Trust is money, friend.<br /><br />Diction is key to proper verbal communication. The words you use to express each idea are incredibly important. If you don't take care and choose your words properly you run the risk of alienating, confusing, or even insulting a customer and that is far from what we want to accomplish with all of this. Avoid using idiomatic expressions and slang terms like "How's it going?" or "Sup, dude?" You want to be formal in your word choices.<br /><br />If you aren't speaking loud enough the customer isn't going to hear you and they are going to have to ask you to repeat yourself all the time. You don't want them to have to ask that at all. If the customer has to ask you to repeat something they have just gotten ten percent more irritated with you and that irritation level rises with every further question. Project your words loud and proud so that everyone can understand what you are saying. <br /><br />Have you seen the latest Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie? Willy Wonka keeps telling the kid who loves television to stop mumbling and that's what I'm going to tell you now. Stop mumbling because no one can understand mumblers. Make sure that every word you say is clear as crystal so that there is no confusion in the matter. A confused customer is not going to buy anything from you. <br /><br />Put these simple ideas into action during your next customer service interaction and you might be in for a pleasant surprise. People just want to understand things and if you communicate your ideas clearly and use the proper language to convey happy feelings they are going to really love you for it. The easier it is to communicate with you the better the interaction will be and the more likely the customer is to buy your wares. ]]></description>
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