5 Ways Your Business Can Use Video For Improved Customer Service

Business

customer-service

No business can afford to underestimate the value of good customer service.

Research shows that 89 percent of buyers have stopped using a specific business after experiencing bad customer care. 45 percent will also quit at the purchase-ready stage if they feel their questions have not been addressed.

Both of these figures demonstrate just how vital it is to have an airtight customer-service system in place. As it’s more expensive to attract new buyers than to keep existing ones, investing in ongoing satisfaction can actually save you money down the line.

Video is one of the most effective tools at your disposal, but not enough businesses use it to its full potential. Video is more engaging than even the finest-written text, using visuals and audio for a stimulating experience. You can also condense extensive blocks of text down to just a couple of minutes, saving time and effort on the customer’s’ part.

With that in mind, here are five ways your business can use video to improve your customer service.

Record FAQ Videos

The frequently asked questions (FAQ) section is a staple of many websites today, providing answers before customers need to ask them.

Newcomers to your site (or your entire company) are likely to visit your FAQ page for extra information, but scrolling through them can be arduous. Your goal is to convey the most useful details to visitors in the quickest, most engaging way.

Using video instead of text allows you to address various issues, using numerous techniques. For example, you may want to create a dynamic video that encapsulates your entire brand rather than providing a written history, perhaps incorporating animation and music to enhance its engagement.

You can also use videos to introduce your team, demonstrate how to use certain features on the site, and present your offices. This is a more personal approach, and makes visitors feel closer to your business.

It’s also simpler to send customers a link in response to questions via email or social media, rather than repeating the same chunk of text again and again.

Offer Live Video Chat with your Customers

Live chat may be a common feature on websites, but this usually takes the form of instant messaging. As helpful as this is, it can be a frustrating, time-consuming process: you have to wait for an operator to become available, before trying to articulate your query or complaint as best you can in words.

Live video chat is a much faster, simpler solution. Being able to see your support agent’s face to face means customers will feel more engaged and as if they’re receiving more personal treatment (rather than being just another voice on the phone). This face to face interaction also allows operators to read customers’ body language, to handle the caller with the most appropriate tone and approach.

As complex as this sounds, video can actually be added to your website or app with surprising ease – all you need is a quality SDK. Integrating live video-chat will give customers a direct link to your support agents at the touch of a button, but it’s vital to invest in a reliable service. Video chat firms like Agora.io, for example, uses 80 data centers around the world to identify the strongest connection to every location your customers could possibly be, making your video connection extra clear and stable, so there are no choppy video streams which can ruin the experience.

Use How-To Videos to Demonstrate Products

Depending on the types of products you sell, your customers may need a little help to get the most out of them. For example, if you produce tablets, your customers may appreciate a video that demonstrates the various features, enabling them to hit the ground running when they unbox it.

Likewise, how-to videos are ideal for troubleshooting common issues, such as showing how to correct faults or bypass technical problems. Not only does this give customers the answers they need in a hands-on way, it also saves them the time and effort of contacting your company for advice.

For online businesses, customers may only get to see your products when they arrive, rather than going into a store for a demonstration. How-to videos enable you to give customers a deeper insight and explore how the product will benefit them, just as a salesperson would in a shop.

Additionally, customers can rewind, pause, and re-watch videos, rather than having to follow advice or information given by phone.

Create Customer Review Testimonials

Testimonials are a key element of promoting your business on your site, but how are your customers supposed to know they’re genuine?

While any company can create fake testimonials, videos are a more authentic, convincing alternative. Ask satisfied customers to record brief videos describing how you have helped them, and add these to your site. You may even want to share snippets on social media, provided these are short (no more than 30 seconds).

Avoid hiring actors to perform testimonials, though, even if they’re reciting genuine comments. People will be able to tell, and it may make them question your integrity.

Host Live Webinars to Maximize Engagement

With webinars, your brand can interact with customers, provide information, and nurture stronger buyer-business relationships.

For example, you can record seminars exploring specific areas of your company and services, perhaps discussing behind-the-scenes details. You’ll be showing a more human, personal side of your business, and making viewers feel a part of it by effectively letting them in on a previously-secret area.

Customers will also be able to interact, asking questions and helping to direct the course of the webinar itself. Responding to these live, in real-time, demonstrates a real dedication to your customers, showing how much you value their input.

You can take this further by asking customers to suggest webinar topics, and perhaps add the recorded piece to your FAQ section for future reference.

Video has the power to help you transform your customer service and provide your buyers with the care they deserve. Investing in it today can save you money, time, and potential issues in the future – and if you do it now, you’ll stand out from your less-innovative competitors.

Have you considered how important video could be to your customer service?

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From Jack Elway to Bobby Bonds, Famous Father and Son Sports Combos

Sports

sport
sport
Photo by CC user Brendan Ross on Flickr.

Every now and again sport sees something of a phenomenon, a father and son combination of athletes who both, in their own right, become famous within their chosen sport. Often we see fathers and sons making it big in the same sport and even sometimes in totally different sports. These duos don’t come around too often and today we’re going to take a look at some of the most successful combos throughout history.

Jack Elway and his son John

Jack Elway’s son John is a 2 time Super Bowl winner, a Super Bowl MVP and has his named cemented into football history since his 2004 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction. His glittering career with the Denver Broncos began from the seed which his father had sown when he started out his footballing career in the late 1940s. Jack Elway’s promising playing career was unfortunately cut short in his college days thanks to a knee injury, he stayed in the sport however and went on to become a highly successful college football head coach.

Ken Norton Senior and Junior        

In an example of a father and son who chose different paths to find their sporting success Ken Norton Snr and Jnr have created names for themselves in the worlds of boxing and football. Ken Snr is considered as one of the top 50 all time greatest heavyweights and throughout his career the tough punching Norton won 42 fights including a 1973 win over Muhammad Ali. The boxer is most well know for his brutal fight with Larry Holmes which saw him lose his title after a split decision went against him following a punishing 15 rounds. Ken norton Jnr might have chosen a different sport in football but it seems that the Norton family success would continue when in 1995, the young Norton became the first player in NFL history to win 3 Super Bowl rings consecutively. Norton Jnr excelled so much at college level that he has since been inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame.

Bobby and Barry Bonds

The surname Bonds has become synonymous with baseball since the father and son duo entered into the MLB with their monster batting power and their ability to smash records. Father Bobby became the first player to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in more than two consecutive years, he managed the 30-30 five times in total. The pressure was firmly on son Barry’s shoulders once he graced the field but he needn’t have worried, what he would go on to do in the world of baseball probably exceeded what he could ever have imagined. Seven MVP awards, eight Golden Gloves, record most home runs in a single season with 73, record for most career home runs with 762 and a lifetime batting average of .298, Barry Bonds’ 22 year career in baseball surpassed his father’s incredible successes and looks unlikely to be equalled or beaten for a very long time to come.

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Ways to Earn Whilst You Are in University

Education Money

earn
earn
Photo by CC user Pek&Anoek on Flickr.

Being in university is a time to make new friends, have crazy experiences and party like crazy, oh, and of course, to study. During your time at university you will of course be putting in the work when it comes to gaining a good qualification and the truth is that yes, there will be a lot of partying and making friends in-between. Something that you are going to need at university, other than an intelligent mind, is money to get through it.

There are options available to support your studies, student loans and grants for example or a scholarship if you rock at football like Jack Elway. That will cover your course fees but actually living will cost a little bit more and here are some great ways that you can earn some cash whilst you are studying hard.

Online Income

More and more students are turning to the internet as a viable way to make money whilst they are away at campus, some take it to the next level like Zuckerberg. Nobody expects you to create the next Facebook but there are some great options online to make some extra cash from your dorm room. You could start a blog for example or fill out online surveys which will pay a little each time, you could look to freelance work like writing, email handling, virtual assistant work, graphic designing, website design or a whole host of other tasks that people are looking for online. You can earn well and you won’t have any costs other than your laptop and a wifi connection.

Tutoring

Once you get into your second or third year of university you can offer tutoring to some of the younger students. Meet in a neutral spot or invite them to your dorm for an hour or two per week. Tutoring is not only a great way of earning some money but it will also help to reinforce your knowledge and give you the satisfaction of helping others. When the time comes to get a job you will find that putting something like tutoring on your CV will help you to look more attractive to prospective employers. A win-win all round.

Nighttime and Weekends

Sometimes you just need to do what is necessary to get the greenbacks in and areas such as bar work, restaurant work or working weekends in a clothes shop is where you can do exactly that. These may not be the most fun or pleasant of jobs but they can help you to pay for the necessities in life whilst you are studying. Ensure that you don’t go after the money too hard, you don’t want it to compromise your studies. Once you get to university try to get out as early as possible looking for work, there will be thousands of students looking to do the same thing as you and jobs may be in high demand and low supply, make sure you’re in there first.

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How to Manage Money When You Start Earning

Finance Money

money
money
Photo by CC user 401 (K) 2012 on Flickr.

When I first started working full time I was still living with my parents, I had bought a cheap car a couple of months beforehand and I had absolutely no responsibilities other than my road tax and my car insurance. Looking back, I now realize that this was a perfect opportunity for me to sensibly manage my money so that I could have a bright future.

Unfortunately at that time, I was 21 years old and pretty much blew my paycheck each month on partying and general recklessness, if only I had known then what I know now. If you are entering the world of work and want to avoid making the mistakes that I did then here are some things that I wish I’d done at that tender age.

Save Save Save

There is a huge temptation to spend all of your salary each month and not make any plans for the future, after all, you are young and probably think that things will stay the same for ever, they won’t. The far better option is to be smart and start saving some of your money as early as possible. Look to save a quarter of your monthly income, you will thank yourself for the decision to do this when the time comes along to buy a house. I have quite a hefty mortgage and had I saved better then I could’ve got a much better deal on my borrowing.

Consult Someone

People seem to have this notion that great financial advisors like Keith Springer are solely for the rich and famous in this World, that is not correct. In fact using financial advisors should be encouraged from an early age when we are less financially literate. They can offer you great advice on what to do with your money both now and going forward and they can even help you to find great bank accounts and help you make savings plans. You don’t need to meet with one on a weekly basis, just go and see one, lay out your financial situation to them and see what advice they can offer you when it comes to being smart with your money.

Monthly Budget

Remember that you are in it for the long-haul when you approach your finances, of course you could die tomorrow but let’s assume that you aren’t going to and work out how best to set yourself up for the future. A solid monthly budget can help you to stay within your financial goals, budget for everything even if it is alcohol and party money or gadget-buying money, the point of the budget is to control your spends. If you sit at the beginning of each month, take a look at your salary, remove the amount that you wish to save and any other costs which you cannot avoid paying (car insurance etc.) you will be left with your spends for the month, try and split this up into weeks until you get paid again and stick to your plan. Doing this early on will really help you out in the future when you start paying bills.

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Why Your Start Up Needs a Financial Advisor

Business

advisor
Photo by CC user Christophe Benoit on Flickr.
Photo by CC user Christophe Benoit on Flickr.

Starting your own business is an exciting time and one that will test your mettle, your knowledge and ultimately your acumen. Whilst there are many avenues of success that you can find yourself walking down with your business, the roads to success are often fraught with dangers where a series of bad decisions could see it all fall down.

The financial management of your company is key, this is where the staggering numbers of start ups that fail often find difficulties. Naturally your business will need to bring in money through the popularity of your products and services but without sound financial dealings, you could find yourself in difficulty regardless of how high your sales are. Hiring a financial advisor for your firm is a smart move to make for the security of your business and here’s just a few reasons why your start up needs one.

Investment in Your Future

Whilst hiring a great financial advisor, people like the effective Keith W Springer, will set you back some money, it is important that you look to this as an investment rather than a cost. A financial advisor can help you make financial mistakes that could cost you money in the long run and their advice will essentially pay for itself over time. Deciding what part of the business to outsource can be tough but a financial advisor is one area that should not even be questioned.

Free Up Your Time

Even if you yourself are financially savvy, your time is better spent on working out how the business can operate better, how you can achieve growth and ironing out creases that exist. If you are bogged down in the financial side of things then this inhibits you when it comes to doing what you should be doing, which is leading your company. A financial advisor will give you more time in your business, the value of time to spend on your business is immeasurable.

Staying up to Date

The world of finance, taxation and government legislation is always changing and as a business it is vital that you keep on top of what you are required to do from a legal standpoint. A financial advisor is paid to stay on top of such changes and offer you advice in order to adhere to them. For you to spend time keeping up to date on such things will only take you away from the day to day running of the business.

An Extra Pair of Ears

When it comes to making key decisions for your business it is important that you bounce the idea off many people to gain various perspectives. Having a financial advisor gives you the opportunity to seek advice from a financial standpoint and from somebody with no vested interest. Generally speaking, financial advisors are those who deal in figures alone, they weigh up risk through calculations and can offer advice without any emotional bias, the perfect way to help you make your decision.

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All You Need to Know About A-Frame Ladders

DIY / Home Improvement

a-frame-ladder-2

A-frame ladders are very popular ladders. They are heavy duty aluminum ladders, but with a very specific purpose, which is to elevate the user up to four feet off the  ground. It also has wider steps, which makes the ladder more stable. An added benefit is that they fold together, which makes them very easy to store.

What Is an A-Frame Ladder?

A-frame ladders are affordable options for people who look for something to use around the home. Because they elevate up to four feet, people should be able to reach just about any fixture in your home. The ladder has two sides that are of equal length, with a crossbar that keeps everything together. This is from where it gets its name, as it actually looks like an A. Using A-frame ladders is very easy, and reasonably safe. However, it is important that you do follow all the necessary safety tips as well.

How to Use an A-Frame Ladder Safely

  1. Only position the ladder on even surfaces, and never place them on top of a different object.
  2. Make sure the foot pads are adjusted so that the ladder has completely even and level contact with the ground.
  3. Only climb ladders when you wear proper footwear. After some use, the rungs, can become oily or wet, which means they could be slippery.
  4. Check that there are no dents or cracks in the ladder before you use it. Aluminum is a durable material, but if it does break anywhere, it tends to break completely.
  5. Lock the ladders brace so that it is completely stable. This will prevent the ladder from collapsing while in use.
  6. Make sure you understand the maximum workload of your vehicle, and never exceed that weight when using it.
  7. Check for OSHA ANSI A 14.2 compliance, as this means the ladder meets the relevant safety standards.
  8. Check what the ladder’s material is. Aluminum is the best and most common, but some A-frame ladders are made from wood or fiberglass. Each of these materials has its own pros and cons. Aluminum is preferred for a reason (it is safe, durable, and lightweight), so try to stick with that as much as possible. Aluminum ladders are also much easier to store.
  9. Do not climb onto the top two steps of your A-frame ladder. These rungs are there to give the top of the ladder stability, not to carry your weight. Being too high up can render the whole thing very unstable. And of course if you are pregnant never climb a ladder.
  10. Do not get anything stuck behind the rungs as you are using the ladders.

With Christmas just around the corner, many people use A-frame ladders to hang up their Christmas lights. The ladder lends itself perfectly to that. However, make sure you always keep your safety in mind, which means engaging in the right behavior when using a ladder. This is true regardless of what you are doing with the ladder itself.

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It Can Be Quite Hard to Find a Reliable Numismatic Dealer

Business Careers Money

numismatic-dealer

One of the world’s oldest hobbies is collecting coins. If you are interested in becoming a numismatic collector, then it is vital that you find reliable rare coin dealers as well. These can help you not just in terms of finding coins, but in confirming their authenticity as well.

Creating a Coin Collection

Finding a rare coin is perhaps the most exciting bit about collecting them at all. Unfortunately, cunning people are aware of this, and they will try to sell you counterfeits instead. This is why a good dealer should have an excellent reputation, not just in terms of what they sell, but in terms of how they authenticate as well.

A numismatic collection is both exciting and frustrating, particularly if you are hoping to complete a set. This can take years to do. A good coin collector should be able to find any missing pieces of you are still looking for. In fact, without a good coin dealer, you are likely to struggle to ever finish a collection.

Coin collectors may also need a dealer to sell coins every once in a while. This could be because they need a bit of money for themselves, because they have doubles, or because they want to use the money from less rare coins to purchase a rarer one. Again, you need a dealer for this.

The good news is that you can find these dealers online. They have lots of resources for you and they should, if they are truly good dealers, be as excited about coin collections as what you are. They should also be a wealth of knowledge, explaining to you why coins like Buffalo Nickels are so rare. They can also tell you how to look after your coins and how to store them.

So how do you recognize a good dealer?

The Hallmarks of a Good Coin Dealer

  1. They have a lot of experience. You need to make sure that they actually studied the subject themselves. Make sure they have been in business for a while, therefore, and that they have helped others just like you.
  2. They have excellent assets. Every once in a while, the market is flooded with counterfeit coins. You should check for a dealer that has ridden out these types of storms in the past. Sometimes, counterfeits are really hard to spot, so the least you should look for is a certificate of authenticity a well.
  3. They have a fantastic reputation. If you go to a dealer’s web page, they should have a number of reviews from other clients, but also from their peers. However, there is always a risk that these reviews are not genuine, so make sure they are also listed on independent sites.

A coin collection is an investment that can pay you well, and you need to be careful with what you invest in. Do some research into the world of coin collections before choosing a dealer to work with. And remember that you do not have to stick to a single dealer either.

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How to Spend Less on Your Children’s Wardrobe

Fashion Shopping

childrens-wardrobe

It is very easy nowadays to find affordable kids clothing brands. The majority of those are mass-produced and available in online stores, supermarkets, and retail stores. However, as available and affordable as these are, parents sometimes do feel under pressure to make sure their children look fantastic, wearing designer labels. Their kids, generally, don’t care as much about this, but parents do not want to lose face in front of other parents. The sad part about this, however, is that parents simply cannot afford the labels they would like, in the quantity the need. Luckily, there are a couple of ways to make sure your kids look amazing without landing yourself in debt.

  1. Resell Anything You Bought New

Kids grow out of their clothes very quickly. If you ever gave in and bought a true designer label, like Burberry Kids or other such brands, it is likely that by the time your child outgrows them, they will still be in excellent condition. Don’t throw or give them away, but sell them so that you have some money to buy something new.

  1. Shop Secondhand

It stands to reason that, if you will sell your old designer clothes that your child has outgrown, other people will do the same thing. And since you can see that the clothes you want to sell are still in excellent condition, you can safely assume that other people’s clothes are the same. The thing about real designer labels is that they are of excellent quality, and you won’t be able to tell that they have been worn by someone else before you. Naturally, the previous owner will have had to look after things properly, followed the washing instructions, and so on. But you can check this before you buy or, if you buy online, you can return items if they are not in the expected condition.

  1. Swap with Other People

Don’t be embarrassed about asking other people who you know who also have children to swap with you. You could even create a little clothing bank. If you were to invest in really expensive designer labels, you will find that those clothes stand out from the crowd, so you won’t be able to let your child wear them often, or people will start to think they only have one outfit! But if you swap with parents, it could mean that each of you only has to buy a single designer outfit, yet all of your kids can look unique regularly.

  1. Shop for the Right Designer

Does your child really have to wear Yves Saint Laurent, Versace, or Prada? Or will they be perfectly happy, and perhaps even cuter and cooler, in designer brands that focus specifically on children? These clothes tend to be a whole lot more affordable. Plus, they are made with kids in mind, which means materials will be slightly strong at certain pressure points (like the knees!). This is perhaps the best tip of all, as it means shopping affordably, but for high quality.

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The Tools Idea Management Software Can Provide You With

Business Tech

software

Idea management software is becoming increasingly popular, and for good reason. This is because they allow businesses to be systematic about how they innovate. Today, almost everything is in the cloud, and this means that businesses also have the opportunity to look further afield for their idea management tools, being able to find something that meets not just their particular needs, but also their budget.

What Is Idea Management Software?

Idea management software is best described as a turn key system, which is often provided on the cloud. Its goal is to make sure that you easily and quickly create a process of innovation that helps to improve your organizations. To do this, all these software packages usually have a number of key features, which includes:

  • The ability to create a web portal under your brand, where you can manage ideas through.
  • The ability to determine who can have access to which parts of the portal. Certain areas may be public, for instance, whereas others may be restricted.
  • Enabling people to submit ideas into the system.
  • Ensuring different ideas can get grouped into relevant categories.
  • Allowing people to view, comment, and vote on submitted ideas.
  • Enabling participants to work together, so that they can improve submitted ideas.
  • Finding out which ideas are the most popular.
  • Evaluating the various ideas using predetermined criteria that are relevant to you.
  • Selecting ideas that may need testing, or even implementing.
  • The ability to ensure users know what has happened to their idea.
  • The ability to provide rewards to various participants, which usually is some sort of virtual reward.

Who Uses Idea Management Software?

The amount of organizations that use this type of software is almost countless. However, two of the most famous are Dell IdeaStorm, by Dell, and My Starbucks Ideas, by Starbucks. Both of these platforms are targeted specifically at consumers. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. For instance, other businesses use portals and platforms to speak to employees within their organization, to increase B2B customer involvement, to speak with suppliers and other stakeholders, and so on. Either way, the software is there to create a systematic way to innovate within an organization, making the chance of the ideas becoming successful much larger as well.

Because idea management and innovation is now so popular, there are countless organizations that have created software tools. You do, therefore, have to make sure that you properly compare the market in order to make sure that you find one that fits your specific needs. As such, your very first innovative project should be one that determines what the needs of your organization actually are: what do you want to innovate, where do you want to innovate, why do you want to innovate, how do you want to innovate, and when do you want to innovate? Another important question is just how much you are happy to pay for the system as well, although the most important thing is that you get good value for money.

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Experience Real Culture on East Coast Tours

Shopping Travel

east-coast

A lot of people go on vacations and other trips because they want to enjoy natural scenery, gaining a feeling of serenity. Natural wonders truly take your breath away, but that doesn’t mean nature is the only thing worth visiting. In fact, some say that it is exposure to culture and creations that will create true wisdom. This is why you may want to consider East Coast USA tours as well.

East Coast USA Tours

The East Coast has many beautiful and major cultural centers available. We have all hear of Philadelphia, Washington DC, and New York City, for instance, which are all part of good East Coast packages. In these cities, you will experience a unique opportunity to see how American history is mixed with the modern world.

While everybody has heard of America, not everybody has actually been there. It is a huge country, and it is unlikely that you will be able to see it all in a single vacation. Instead, it is recommended to focus on an area of the country at a time. In fact, people from within the USA, and some from Canada, do the same thing, enabling to experience the marvels of their own country or neighbor.

Should you book on an East Coast tour, it is likely that you will visit:

  1. New York City, popularly described as the ‘Big Apple’. Here, you can see amazing things like the Empire State Building, Fifth Avenue, NBC Studios, the Rockefeller Center, Wall Street, and the Statue of Liberty. These are all representations of the strength of the American economy through the ages, and they have shaped the country as a whole.
  1. Washington DC, which is the country’s seat of the government. You don’t have to enjoy politics to enjoy Washington DC, however. Simply looking at Capitol Hill and the White House is impressive enough for many! Inside those walls are some of the greatest decision makers in the world, thinking and debating on how to make the country better than it already is for everybody involved. Washington DC also has fascinating war memorials, as well as reminders of former presidents of the country.
  1. Philadelphia, which is known for far more than the Fresh Prince of Bel Air! Most Americans see Philadelphia as the Mecca of liberty of this country. This is because it is home to the Independence Bell and the Liberty Bell. Respectively, they represent the American Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

The above three examples truly show how exposure to man-made culture is fascinating, as well as important at the same time. Plus, you should not see these tours as visits to cities only. In upstate New York, for instance, you will find Niagara Falls, and you can’t get a more fantastic natural site than that. There is no reason why you couldn’t combine the two, enabling you to see both the man-made culture and the true wonders of nature, comparing the beauty of both.

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