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Category: Tips

Understanding South Africa 087 Numbers

14th February 2023 blog
Understanding South Africa 087 numbers.

087 numbers are a great way to establish a national presence in South Africa. So, if you’re looking for a phone number for your South Africa-based business or if you’re …Read More »

The Ultimate Pre-Call Checklist [+Free Download]

13th February 2023 blog, Sales
pre call checklist

With sales driving business growth, there is a lot of pressure to perform well on B2B sales calls. And while selling comes naturally to some people, it is always a …Read More »

What is B2B Sales?

7th February 2023 blog, Sales
What is b2b sales?

Sales are what drive B2B companies to achieve target revenue and growth. But new technology, customer preferences, and competitive markets mean that selling is becoming more and more difficult. This …Read More »

What is Web Callback?

30th January 2023 blog
What is web callback?

There’s a good chance that your prospects and customers are sick of waiting on hold for an available live rep. So to prevent subpar caller experiences and potential customer loss, …Read More »

A Guide to Telecom Compliance in the US and Globally

27th January 2023 blog
A guide to global telecom compliance.

As a global business, maintaining regulatory compliance can be a major challenge; especially when it comes to telecommunications. Most businesses are unsure where to start and how to navigate the …Read More »

Global Call Forwarding Implements PSTN Replacement to Expand Local Presence Dialing

16th January 2023 Press
PSTN replacement

Global Call Forwarding implements PSTN replacement to extend its global and local coverage. DELRAY BEACH, FL, January 2023 Public Switched Telephone Network or PSTN is an aggregate of the world’s …Read More »

Does Your Small Business Actually Need a Toll Free Number?

7th December 2018 Learn, Tips

If your small business doesn’t have a toll free number yet, you need to ask yourself why not. A toll free number is an indispensable asset for any size business. The benefits of having a toll free number are countless. It helps your company way more than simply enhancing your brand recognition and boosting your credibility; it also increases your sales and bumps up your ROI. Here are just a few reasons why your small business should have a toll free number.

5 Ways Small Businesses Can Use a Toll Free Number

The main attraction of toll free numbers is that they are free for customers to call. The business using the number bears the cost of customer calls. But while this may sound expensive, phone service providers have found ways to make toll free numbers inexpensive for businesses. This is because toll free numbers are a great marketing and sales tool for businesses as the ‘free calling’ option attracts more customers.

So, why should your small business get a toll free number?

1. Increase Customer Satisfaction

When consumers were surveyed, they pointed out that one of the most annoying things about a company was finding out that there was no easy way to contact them when they needed assistance.

Your customers will quickly become frustrated if they cannot find a phone number on your website. Why not make it really easy for them and give them a toll free number that’s easy to find. That way they will realize that you have respect for them and they will stay loyal to your brand.

2. Make it Easy to Remember

One of the other great things about a toll free number is that they are really easy to remember. Toll free numbers usually consist of a sequence of numbers that stick in your mind. For example, 1-800-444-4242, or 1-800-505-5050. Another way you can make your toll free number unforgettable is by buying a vanity number. A vanity number is one in which the number sequence is replaced by letters representing the number. The word or words should be relevant to your business. For example, 1-800-CONTACTS, 1-800-MATTRESS, or 1-800-FLOWERS. If they can remember your number, people will call you, and this is a very good way to generate sales.

3. Boost Your Company’s Legitimacy

Toll free numbers aren’t just for the huge corporations out there. By using a toll free business number, you are giving your business credibility and enhancing your company’s image. This is great if you are just starting a business. You could be working out of your garage, and no one will ever know.

4. Maintain Portability

When you have a toll free number, your physical location doesn’t matter. If you decide to relocate your business, your customers won’t even know because they will still be able to reach you on your toll free number wherever you are. All your calls to your toll free number can be forwarded to your smartphone or any other number of your choice. What’s more, once you buy a toll free number, it’s yours for good. Even if you decide to change your toll free number service provider, you can port your number to keep it.

Related: 5 Phone Number Porting Myths Debunked

small business toll free phone number
Source: Stockphoto.com O#100222581688

5. Use it as a Marketing Tool

Toll free and vanity numbers can both be used to help you keep track of your marketing efforts. For example, if you have a website, billboard, print ad, or even a radio or TV commercial, each time someone picks up the phone and makes a call to your company, you will always know which ad is drawing them in because you can use a different extension for each marketing campaign.

6. High Availability

Right now is a great time to purchase a toll free number because new prefixes are available, such as 833. The new numbers mean there are more available number combinations. So you have more chance of finding an easy-to-remember combination like 1-833-333-3333. Keep in mind though, they won’t last long, so you should act quickly. New prefixes only come along as and when they are needed, and this isn’t usually very often. There is not likely to be a new prefix released until almost all of the 833 numbers have been taken. Learn more in our toll free number prefixes guide.

How to Get a Toll Free Number?

If you’re interested in getting a toll free number, you can get one from a variety of sources, such as national phone service providers and any communications company which has access to toll free numbers, such as Global Call Forwarding. You can call them directly to see if the phone number you want is available.

Once you have chosen your toll free number, you will have a monthly payment plan, rather like any other phone plan. You can add on or remove extra numbers whenever you wish without penalty. While a lot of toll free number providers charge per minute for calls to the numbers, some will charge a lower rate if you have more than one toll free number. No contract or additional equipment required. Have questions? Call us or chat with us online!

Tools for Starting a Business at Home

19th November 2018 Learn, Tips

Running your own business from home can feel like a dream. You get to make your own rules, you get to pick the background music, and there’s no fear that a co-worker might steal your lunch. However, starting a home business is no simple feat, but luckily there are plenty of tools available to you that might make the road to success a bit easier to manage. The following list of tools have been designed to make your work more efficient and your life easier whether you’re starting a business or currently running one from home.

Google Docs

Not only can you create a document with Google Docs, but you can also easily share your documents with several people at once. You can give them access to edit and make comments. If you’re both working on the document at the same time, there is even a tool to start up a chat. This is a great tool for those who are working from home and need to stay in touch with their teams.

Trello

Trello enables you to manage any project you’re working on. The site allows users to create lists on a card that you can then add to a board. Just like in Google Docs, it is very simple to share with a team. Open a card to add details, comments, or upload files.

Virtual Phone Numbers

When working from home, it can be extremely difficult to separate your personal life from your work life. That is why getting a virtual phone number for your business can be one of the best tools for your growing company. Having a virtual business number allows you to greet customers professionally, set solid business hours, and transfer phone calls with ease. Also, when you have a virtual phone number, you can access the phone calls and messages from multiple devices, including your tablet or computer.

EchoSign

EchoSign was created to free your life from the clutter of paper. It also a great way to get signatures from clients, employees, and other third-parties. Whatever you need to be signed, simply upload the documents to EchoSign and send them over to where they need to go. The third party simply needs to type in their name and initials, and Adobe Sign (formerly EchoSign) will do the rest. You can also keep an archive of your contracts, making it a breeze to find signed documents.

Asana

Asana is a great tool to use in lieu of multiple meetings. Asana is great if you have many people on your team working remotely. You can manage projects, start conversations, see what progress has been made, and create tasks from conversations in real-time.

Slack

Slack is an app for chatting and sharing ideas. It is a good tool for entrepreneurs because it allows you to create multiple conversations in one app. You can have public chats with your team and private conversations with one or two people. You can keep discussions about each project separately in a clean and well-designed app. It is also very simple to find old messages in the archive, and it can be synced on all of your devices.

Canva

Canva is a design website that can help turn anyone into a graphic designer. You can easily create artwork for any advertising you’ll need for brochures, business cards, Instagram posts, Facebook banners, and more. The site is easy-to-use with a drag-and-drop design tool and ready-made layouts.

Haro

Haro stands for Helping A Report Out. It is the perfect tool for small business owners who want to get the word out about their business but do not have unlimited resources to do so. This tool connects you with members of the media who are looking for content to cover. You can find amazing writers and have open discussions with them and read their media pitches. You might soon find your brand getting recognition from high profile publications you only ever dreamed of.

Jira

Jira is a tool that lets you capture data from every aspect of creating and executing your product. Finding the statistics of any product from the beginning to launch and monitoring the statistics after launch is possible with Jira. You can even get feedback from trusted sources. Since production is always changing, edits are easy, and your entire team will be able to see the new changes being added and taken away.

Decision-Making Techniques to Keep You On Top

7th November 2018 Learn, Tips

When you’re a business owner, decision making can be even more stressful than usual. If you want to be a superior leader, decision making is an essential skill. Knowing how to make timely, well-thought-out decisions can earn you and your team legitimate success. It doesn’t matter what type of decision you’re making, whether it’s who to hire as an addition to your team, or which financial strategy to adopt, the ability to make the right decision utilizing all the available information is crucial. There are tried and trusted techniques that you can use as you approach decision making, which will help you avoid making bad choices and give you confidence in your judgment.

Establishing an Objective

From the outset, you need to establish the right environment for making a decision. For this to happen, you and your team must understand the issue at hand and agree on an objective. This will ensure that the appropriate concerns are being discussed and that the process will continue to move forward. You must initiate interpersonal considerations from the get-go. Don’t forget to keep the stakeholders keyed-in to what’s going on, and facilitate an honest and open discussion between all involved.

Generate Alternative Solutions

Another vital aspect of a sound decision process is to generate numerous realistic alternative solutions for consideration. Attempting to implement the first solution you come up with, is almost certain to preclude much better options. Take your time to brainstorm with your team and think up a number of ideas.

Weigh the Alternatives

Now that you have a list of alternative solutions; it’s important to consider each one carefully and assess the pros and cons of each possible outcome. This is usually the most time-consuming stage of the decision-making process. Three of the most important factors to consider are risk assessment, consequences of your decision, and the feasibility of implementing the decision.

Making the Decision

Here comes the part that is the most exciting and also the most stressful. At this point, you must be able to deal with these emotions objectively. Don’t rush to make a decision, even though you may have a deadline. Taking time to consider what will make your decision the right one, will increase your accuracy.

Assess your Decisions

When you are making your assessment, don’t forget that not every aspect of the decision process is objective. It should also make sense to you on instinctive and intuitive levels. If you assess your decision from all of these perspectives, you will be able to validate it more readily.

Implementing your Decision

You have now reached the final stage. Don’t try to force other’s acceptance. Communicate your choice clearly, and explain your reasons behind it. This is the best way to garner the support of your team.

Can you Be Decisive?

  1. Before making a decision, do you evaluate all the potential risks?
  2. Do you consider a variety of potential options before deciding?
  3. Do you take the time needed to make a decision?
  4. Do you often have doubts about your decisions?
  5. Have some of your decisions been more difficult to implement than you anticipated?

If you answered no to the first three questions and yes to questions 4 and 5, you need to reassess your decision-making techniques in order to avoid making a bad decision and to boost yours’ and your team’s confidence in your decision-making skills.

Think about developing a structured plan to help you implement your decision. Individuals respond to a clear plan with a positive attitude. Once your team knows exactly what to expect and what they need to do, they will understand and respect your decisions. Think ahead and take the time to figure out exactly what would make your choice the right one.

Decision-Making Mistakes

There several common mistakes people make when faced with making decisions. One of the biggest is that people either rush into making a decision without thinking it through carefully, or they procrastinate for so long, they lose sight of the objective. Another mistake is a failure to trust your gut instincts when trying to make a decision. When you tune into your intuition, you can make much better decisions in the long-run. Another pitfall to avoid is trying to make a decision without having enough information. If you’re faced with a big decision, and you’re feeling uncertain about what to do, it may benefit you to consult an expert for advice. Getting another party’s opinion can help you keep things in perspective.

There are many different tools and techniques you can use when faced with making a decision. Choose one that feels right for you and be prepared to be flexible and modify your decision-making techniques.

Secrets to Achieving the Elusive Work-Life Balance

17th October 2018 Learn, Tips

Managing a full-time job and finding the time to set aside for the things that you enjoy is a problem for many people. A majority of people believe that their work commitments demand too much time from them. Not every 9-5 job ends at 5. Being successful means having success in both business and your personal life. In order to achieve this elusive success, a balance must be struck.

In order to begin setting aside the right amount of time for work and play, first, you must become cognizant of how to establish boundaries and set goals. Read on to find out how you can get started on achieving harmony in your life today.

Be Prepared

The best way to achieve more in your week is to set up a plan and execute it. Write down every task that you need to accomplish and organize each task by importance. Give each task an amount of time that it will take so you don’t take on too much in one day. Taking one-half hour out of your week to plan the days ahead will save you a lot of time in the long run.

Focus

Now that you have a list to refer to, concentrate on finishing one task before you move on to the next one. Looking at your list, you may start to feel overwhelmed with all of the items left, but as you slowly tick them off, you will begin to feel relief. Try to prioritize harder tasks at the beginning or when you know that your focus and energy is highest.

Create a Morning Ritual

Crafting out the beginning of your day saves on time, too. Having a strong routine that prepares you for the day ahead will create a more productive workday. For example, if you like to enjoy a cup of coffee before work, be sure to set your coffee maker in the morning. You don’t want to end up in a long, stressful line at Starbucks when you’re running late to work. When something goes wrong in the morning, it tends to make people spiral out for the rest of the day. It is best to set up more than enough time to get ready and get to work to avoid any morning mishaps.

Don’t Let Your Vacation Days Go To Waste

So many people let their vacation days expire and disappear. They are there for a reason and you’ll be refreshed and ready to work once you get back. Even if your budget only allows for a staycation or a weekend trip to visit family, make time for it.

Don’t Miss Out On The Holidays

Holidays are similar to vacations because they are a break from routines. Make plans for every holiday and carve out time for the people you care most about. Even if you have to be at work, it’s fun to celebrate with little things like holiday cookies, office decorations, and costumes. Without holidays, how would we break up the months and distinguish one from the next? We all need a moment to sit back and think about the things that we are grateful for because that is where the fruit of our efforts really comes in.

Set Boundaries

At work, be present at what you’re doing at work, and at home, be present at home. Sounds simple? Not really. We live an age where we are constantly reachable by call, text, email, or fax. Set boundaries and designate work hours that work for you. Don’t forget to let your bosses and your clients know the best time to reach you and when you will be out of the office. A great way to make sure you don’t slip back into old habits is to stop staring at your phone. If you can’t resist the urge to check your emails while you walk your dog, then perhaps you should leave it at home. Or remove your email account from your phone.

When you have a full-time job and a full-time personal life, there is always something that won’t get done. However, that’s life and you should not beat yourself over it. The most important thing is that you prioritize what is important and recognize what is good or not good for your health and relationships.

UIFN or ITFS?

17th October 2018 Learn, Tech, Tips

If you are a business owner you’ve probably asked yourself which would be better for your company, a UIFN or ITFS number? There are a few key differences between these service numbers that you should learn about before making your decision.

What are UIFN and ITFS Numbers?

Before we delve into the differences between these types of international phone numbers, let’s do a quick recap of how these numbers function:

ITFS Numbers

ITFS stands for International Toll-Free Service. An ITFS number works like any other toll-free number, allowing customers to contact businesses without paying for the call. Calls made to an ITFS number can be delivered to other countries with international call forwarding. For example, your Mexico-based business has customers in South Africa. You can get a South Africa toll-free number and forward incoming calls to your office in Mexico. Callers from South Africa won’t be charged for the call.

Compare UIFN and ITFS numbers.

UIFN Numbers

Universal Free Phone Numbers (UIFNs) are toll-free numbers accessible from multiple countries participating in the UIFN program. When you choose this service, your business can advertise one number across multiple countries. Companies that benefit most from universal numbers are Software Services and Data Centers, Patient Care and Clinical Rehabs, Medical Research Companies, and Universities.

Understanding Whether Your Business Needs UIFN or ITFS Numbers

Since UIFNs seem like the more convenient option, should every business just use a UIFN? Why not just get one number for many countries, rather than one for each country? It sounds like the better option, but there are difficulties with universal numbers.

Global Call Forwarding offers both international toll-free numbers and universal numbers. Our experts can help you determine what type of number will best suit your business communication needs. Let’s look at the key differences between UIFNs and ITFS numbers.

1. Coverage

Currently, only 62 countries participate in the UIFN program regulated by the ITU. In comparison, you can get international toll-free numbers from more than 160 countries, including hard-to-reach and remote locations. You have a better shot at extensive global coverage if you go with ITFS numbers.

2. Formatting

Callers trying to call a UIFN number must dial their country’s international access code. Otherwise, they will not be able to connect to the business. This means that callers will need to dial their international dial / access code (IAC) followed by the toll-free prefix and the 8-digit subscriber number. Most callers may not know what the IAC or their country code is, leading to obstacles in calling your business. Learn more about how to dial a UIFN number here.

International toll-free numbers, on the other hand, look just like regular toll-free numbers, making them familiar and easier to dial.

3. Restrictions

Certain countries have restrictions placed on universal numbers. For example, in the Netherlands, UIFN is not required by law and therefore some phone providers do not offer voice access through their service. In New Zealand, UIFN numbers can only be dialed through two service providers, Vodafone and Telecom New Zealand.

In addition, people calling a UIFN from certain countries might hear a message that they’re being charged for the call. This can be discouraging to some potential customers.

ITFS numbers do not have these restrictions. In Taiwan, hotels are required to allow guests to dial ITFS numbers but not UIFN numbers. Such restrictions make international toll-free numbers a better choice. You can also inquire about our Toll Free FlexDial solution that provide global toll-free access througha single toll-free number.

uifn or itfs
Source: Stockphoto.com O#1202 – ID#100204678100

4. Expenses

A universal registration fee is required before you can start using your UIFN number. On top of that, there is an annual maintenance fee and then monthly subscription charges for each activated country. Fees for ITFS numbers are paid by the provider instead of the business, making these numbers the cheaper alternative.

5. Advertising

ITFS numbers are also easy to advertise on your website. You can simply provide the numbers through a drop-down box and have the country correspond to the correct ITFS number. If you are advertising your number through more than just your website, you might want to consider using a UIFN number. After all, you don’t want your costly advertising efforts to go to waste.

Which Number is Ideal for your Business?

Specific companies will benefit from both UIFN or ITFS in different ways. If you only deal with a few international countries, then there is no need to have to pay the registration costs and annual fees of universal numbers, so ITFS will do just fine.  But if you have customers in many of the 62 countries included in the UIFN program, then a universal toll-free number may be perfect for your business.

Still unsure of what is the best solution for your communication needs? Consult with our telecom experts. We’ve been providing businesses like yours with toll-free and local phone numbers for over 25 years. Let us help you find the right business phone number so you can communicate with your customers with ease. Call us at +1 (561) 908-6171 or chat with us online!

Sign Up For UIFN

Tips For Recording a Personal Voicemail Message

26th September 2018 Learn, Tips

In order to effectively market yourself and your business, there are a few basic tools that you will need to have perfected. You may not be thinking that your telephone skills are of much importance, but a good or bad voicemail message could make or break a professional opportunity. If you find that your personal voicemail is pretty blase or not even set up yet, you might need to check out these tips and tricks to make a great personal voicemail message.

These tips will guarantee that you make a great impression and maybe even get someone to leave a message or two.

Get Rid of Background Noise

Find a quiet space to begin recording your message. Don’t be afraid to re-record if something goes amiss during the middle of your message, like if the dog starts barking or if your toddler starts calling for you. Nothing about a noisy background says that you’re a professional. Background noise is also distracting and can confuse a caller.

Identify Yourself

If you’re getting phone calls from people other than your grandmother, then they probably aren’t going to recognize that it is you by just hearing your voice. Letting people know your name and even the name of your business lets them know right away that they have reached the right number. And as an added bonus, it lets callers with the wrong number know that they’ve reached the wrong person and you won’t have to listen to messages for strangers.

It’s an instant vetting process.

Have Fun

This is the time to show your personality. People are more at ease with someone with a bit of excitement in their voice because it shows that they are capable of holding a conversation. Just because you want to come off as professional does not mean you need to come off as monotone or unapproachable. If you’re funny, you could even add a joke to your message. Just be sure that you sound approachable and warm.

Specify What You Want To Hear

Letting callers know to leave their name and number so you can call them back is an excellent way to get the right information that you may need from someone that you missed a call from. Otherwise, you might be left with a number with no name to ask for or vice versa. If you run a business and want to include something that usually comes up in professional phone calls, include that as well. For example, if people often ask you to check on business orders, ask them to leave the shipping number so you can get back to them with a ready response.

tips for recording a personal voicemail
Source: Stockphoto.com O#1202 – ID#100133781710

Smile

Smiling while you record your voicemail message can actually be heard on the other end of the line. People speak differently when they’re smiling and callers can tell if you’re unhappy. When you greet someone in person, it is usually done with a smile so your voicemail greeting should be no different.

Rehearse It

It might be a short voicemail message that you’re recording, but you do want to make sure you hit all the bullet points. It also helps to speak eloquently over the phone and that works better when you are prepared with what you’re about to say. You are trying to sell yourself in this message so put your best foot forward. If you practice and write down what you’re going to say, you can get rid of all the awkward pauses, ums, and stumbling over words.

Update Regularly

Don’t keep the same old voicemail greeting forever. Not just because it can get stale and boring, but because you’re missing out on the opportunity to let people know what you’re up to. If your business is having a sale, be sure to update your voicemail with that information. Or if you plan on being out of town for a few days, let people know that their phone calls will not be returned until the date that you return.

Get Voicemail to Email Service from Global Call Forwarding

We just shared a couple of awesome tips for recording voicemail greetings. Now you’ll have to decide what to do with your voicemails as they get recorded.

The best solution would be to forward your voicemail messages to an email address. This gives you a way to download the recordings and forward them along to friends. We offer a voicemail to email service that is available with all our numbers.

Give us a call if you want to learn more about it!

Ways To Make Your Customer Service Better

26th September 2018 Learn, Tips

The best way to improve your relationship with your customers is to improve the way you provide customer service. Even if you have the best product on the market, people will remember if they were not treated well by your staff. If customer service is the face of your company, then you always want to make a good first impression. Companies that have been in business for a long time know the importance of having good customer relationships, and they constantly ask themselves how they can be making better customer service choices. Any good company knows the best way to grow a business is to consistently lookout for ways to improve customer service. After all, it’s much easier to keep an existing customer than to gain a new one, and loyal customers help their favorite businesses by marketing through word-of-mouth.

Read on to learn some tips on improving your customer service.

Listen to the customer’s wants and needs.

It might seem simple, but when you truly listen to someone, it not only helps you to understand their issues, it also shows great respect for the other individual. When a customer feels like they are being heard they will remember that feeling and how well they were treated. Your employees should not be going down a list of questions to get to the bottom of an issue, simply listen to the customer and what they have to say. Once you have fully heard them, you will be able to respond to them with the best solution for their issue.

Respond quickly to problems.

Customers don’t want to wait for anything, especially when they’re already not satisfied with something. If you are unable to provide the customer with exactly the response they need that day, at least acknowledge that you’ve heard their inquiry. If someone sends your company an email and you can’t resolve their problem without looking further into the issue, at least make initial contact with them to let them know that you are working towards a solution.

clients with manager
Source: Stockphoto.com O#1202 – ID#4910767

Provide support.

Never get angry with a customer because they do not have all the information that you need to help them out. Instead, provide them with as much assistance and support as you can until they can obtain all the necessary information. Treat every customer as if they are your next top brand ambassador. Staying calm with an irate customer is extremely important, too. Every time you interact with a customer you are establishing a relationship and creating a potential selling point.

Establish trust.

Customer and company relationships begin professionally, but once you have spent time on the relationship with them and have built loyalty you can go the extra mile for them. Showing that you care for your customer, like remembering his or her birthday, are small things that help to establish trust in your customer/ business relationship.

Train your employees.

It is important that all of your employees are trained in how to properly interact with customers. You should provide training for all possible situations, including how to deal with angry customers, and how to go above and beyond for loyal customers. Each time a customer comes to your store or calls your customer service line, they should know what to expect, and they should expect a pleasant experience.

Don’t sacrifice quality for quantity.

Yes, you want your company to grow and be successful, but if it happens too quickly, you might be headed towards a swift downturn. Some companies can survive a quick growth, but others are better off winning at a slow and steady pace. Organic word-of-mouth referrals can eventually be your best marketing strategy. And the best part is that word-of-mouth marketing is free! Slowly establish loyalty with the customers that you have and then sit back and watch your company expand into the company you’ve always wanted it to be. Good customer service is a powerful tool to not only get new customers but to keep them coming back.

How Do You Provide Excellent Customer Service?

26th September 2018 Learn, Tech, Tips

Customer Service is Paramount

When your business provides excellent customer service, your customers will often become loyal for life. When your customers become loyal to your business they will talk about your business to their friends, family, and coworkers; perhaps anyone who will listen – and they will do all of this marketing for free. Businesses shouldn’t require money to provide excellent customer service in hopes of gaining a better reputation, they should genuinely be interested in making customers happy as part of their game plan. After all, customers are the lifeblood of your company and your livelihood.

It’s All About the Experience

There are several steps that you can take to create the best experience for customers, both existing and new. This is about more than just providing a great product or service; the customer needs to enjoy everything about your company, from your website, to your store, to how your team speaks with customers over the phone.

Customer Service Techniques

Check out these techniques for building excellent customer service for your business.

1. Know What You’re Selling
There is nothing more annoying than an employee who can’t answer a question about a product. You and your staff should be informed on how everything you sell works and why a customer would need it. You will make a lot more sales if your employees know the way to sell an item. Be sure that your staff is aware of common questions that may be asked.

2. Treat Everyone With Kindness
Every customer that walks into your store should be welcomed with a friendly greeting and a warm smile. If someone asks you for help, you should be genuinely interested in helping them out. When speaking over the phone, it helps to talk with a smile because it changes your tone of voice. People can easily detect over the phone if a person is happy or not.

3. Express Your Gratitude
Always tell your customers “thank you” whether they have purchased something or not. If someone walks in and browses through the store, let them know that you’re thankful that they stopped in. They may come back later with friends if they had a nice experience and simply weren’t interested in buying at the time. Never forget to thank the customers who do make a purchase, and you can send them off with a farewell greeting as well.

4. Provide Employee Training
Not only must employees be literate in what products and services the company is selling, it is also important that they understand how to handle issues if they come up. A properly trained employee will rarely need to refer to a manager.

what makes a good customer service agent?
Source: Stockphoto.com – O#:100036645213 ID#100186088462

5. Be Respectful
If a customer is unhappy with a product, try not to mirror their energy. Use a relaxing and kind tone of voice and remember to apologize even if you think you shouldn’t have to. Customers can get very emotional and it is important that you and your staff keep your cool in heightened situations. It can make the difference between getting a customer for life or losing one and risk them bad mouthing your company.

6. Listen Intently
Listening is an important part of communication, especially in the customer service sector. Customers will feel respected when they can tell that you have genuine interest in what they have to say. It will also help you to solve their problem faster and more effectively when you’ve really understood what they meant.

7. Respond in a Timely Manner
Customers do not like to wait. Whether that means offering to call them back so they don’t have to wait for an available agent or responding to an email, it means a lot when you can say you’ve received their request and are working on the solution. Just because you cannot solve their problem right way doesn’t mean they should be ignored. Communicate to all of your customers that you have heard them and will begin working on helping them with their issue right away. In a busy store setting, you might be helping out one customer and see another hover around waiting their turn with their question. Just by simply acknowledging their presence, you will be able to watch their demeanor change to a more relaxed state as they wait patiently while you finish up with your first customer.

8. Request Feedback
A successful business is always eager to learn ways to improve their products and customer service. You can gain feedback in several different ways. Questionnaires and customer surveys are popular techniques businesses use to get information from their customers. You can send these via email, by calling a phone number they provided, or some businesses will provide a website to visit printed at the bottom of a store receipt. As a customer completes an order in store, you can also ask them personally what they thought of the experience, or after completing a purchase online you can add a pop-up that will bring them to a page for feedback.

9. Meet the Customer’s Needs
Once you have received feedback on your products, services, and practices, you can incorporate what you’ve learned to improve your business. Perhaps people don’t like the way your website is setup, or the dreary colors on the walls in your store; take their input into consideration and keep on improving.

If you follow all of these techniques you can build customer confidence and your business will be on the fast-track to greater success.

What is an LLC?

26th September 2018 Learn, Tips

Corporation, sole proprietor, and partnership are terms that you’ve most likely heard before and understand the concept behind. But what is an LLC?

LLC stands for “limited liability company” and it combines aspects of corporations, partnerships, and sole proprietorships. It has become a very popular business model for small, new businesses. The LLC model works because it is similar to the way a corporation operates, yet the model is more straightforward and adjustable.

An LLC combines the limited liability of a corporation with the pass-through taxation of a sole proprietorship, which is very appealing to many small business owners. This combination means that the business is its own legal entity and separates debts, yet you can still tie them to your own personal taxes. You can either be the sole member of an LLC or you can have multiple members, like with a partnership.

If it sounds too good to be true, it might be. Though the LLC is a coveted business structure, there are certain businesses that are more well-suited to its model than others. Read on to learn about some pros and cons of the LLC.

LLC PROS:

  • No ownership regulations: If you’re starting a business from overseas, there are no restrictions to citizenship or residency. Also, if you want to have corporate entities as a part of your LLC as members, you can. However, if the corporation is the only member of the LLC, the LLC will be treated as a partnership for tax purposes.
  • Liability Protection: The members of an LLC are separate from the LLC entity itself, so any debts that the LLC incurs, the members will not be liable for. The only personal assets that are at risk with an LLC are those invested in the company by the personal members of the LLC.
  • Adjustable Profit Distribution: In a corporation, the percentage amount that is invested is the percentage amount in profit that is returned to each individual shareholder. In an LLC, the members choose how the profits of the LLC are distributed to each member. This can be differentiated by ownership percentage instead of an exact percentage share.
  • Pass Through Taxation: An LLC will not usually pay its own taxes, instead, the income would be passed through the personal income of each member of the LLC and would be taxed as personal income. In this way, the LLC is very similar to a sole proprietorship or partnership.
  • Adaptable Tax Status: An LLC is usually treated as a partnership or sole proprietorship during tax season, but the members of the LLC always have the option to treat the LLC as a C- or S-corporation for taxes.
  • Few Compliance Requirements: While a corporation is required to keep up a strict schedule of shareholder meetings, bylaws, and corporate resolutions, the LLC does not have to do any of that. Instead, the members of the LLC adhere to an “operating agreement.” Members can still call meetings whenever they want and can document meetings and resolutions, but they are not required by law to do so.

LLC CONS

  • Personal VS Public: As the owner or member of an LLC, you need to be able to separate your business and personal finances. This will require you to open separate bank accounts and keep track of different cards and spending. There are other things to think about as well, such as cashing checks in the name of the LLC and the fees that come along with the business accounts.
  • A Member’s Departure: If a member of your LLC departs the business, then your LLC immediately ceases to exist. Unlike a corporation where shareholders can come and go, the LLC members must be in for a permanent partnership.
  • Taxes: Pass through taxation can be a benefit or it can be a hindrance. Sometimes the personal income of the LLC member will have higher taxes than a company, and you will still be paying for personal tax items such as Medicare and Social Security.

If you are interested in flexible business management and taxes, then an LLC might be the best choice for your business. Even those with partnerships, sole proprietorship, or corporations may benefit from a change to an LLC. However, it is important to plan over any change with a corporate financial advisor to examine the personal pros and cons. Also, it is important to note that some companies cannot file as LLCs. These companies include insurance agencies and banks. For those wishing to establish an LLC in their state, all they have to do is research. For example, if you live in California and are seeking the best LLC service in CA, LLC services can provide expert guidance and legal support to make the LLC formation process smooth and easy.