If you have any difficulty reading this issue, you'll find a copy posted at:
http://www.pragmaticsolutionsnow.com/newsletter/pragmatic-solutions-now-newsletter/10/jun/03

Editorial

Greetings my friend,

Life around here is never dull.  In the midst of everything else that's going on, I found myself determined to convert my main computer from a Linux machine to Windows 7, and do it quickly.  Overall, it took about 2 days to accomplish, and I'm thoroughly enjoying the results.

Those who want more detail will find a new blog post on the Pragmatic Solutions Now! website with a more extensive description of what I did and why.

As I write today's editorial, I can't help but think of another issue that's come up recently -- customer service.

You see, last Thursday, I called up Verizon Wireless to ask about converting my cell phone plan (which would be complete at the end of the month) to a pre-paid plan.  I don't use the phone much, and a pre-paid plan would cost much less than a normal one.

Well, the guy on the phone said that he couldn't do that for me, but the folks at the local Verizon store could.  So I drove over there, only to be told by some girl at the door that I couldn't do it a that time because the contract had not completed.  For some reason, they're not smart enough to schedule a changeover in advance, and they're not about to go out of their way to serve their customers.

I was told to come back the DAY after the contract completed, which was Tuesday.

I don't know about you, but this sounds tacky to me.  Unfortunately, this isn't an isolated case.  Companies everywhere have somehow "forgotten" what customer service means.

Sharp business people understand that any problem is an opportunity.  When other businesses are busy p*^#ing off their customers, a smart business person knows that providing outstanding customer service (or even adequate customer service) can mean a sizable boost to their bottom line.

Even when legitimate problems exist in a business, providing good customer service can fix a lot of issues.  As an example, when someone emails me complaining about the checkout process at the PowerKeys Publishing site, I do my best to help them accomplish what they originally wanted to do.  And if the problem prevented someone from taking advantage of a "limited time offer", I'll extend the offer to make up for it.

It's all about taking responsibility for the problems you (or your business systems) may have created.

Verizon Wireless created a problem when they didn't give their representatives a way to schedule changes to a calling plan.  A specific employee at that particular location created a problem when she failed to even attempt to work around the computer system's limitations and serve this customer when I was there. 

Granted, I didn't ask for the manager, who may have been wiser and may have taken care of the issue personally.  When I go back there tonight, I'll give them every opportunity to fix the problems they created.  If they fail to take any of the opportunities, they'll have a much bigger problem to deal with.

So, when you are the customer, refuse to settle for inadequate service, and insist that every company you deal with understands that customer service is (or should be) their FIRST priority.  And if you have any contact with the customers of your business, I urge you to do everything you can to provide the best customer service possible.

Current Events

Today is the last day of my "birthday special sale" at the PowerKeys Publishing website.  To claim a nice 44% discount on any package offered there, just enter the coupon code "happy44" (without quotes) into the order form.

And as an example of the editorial above -- a customer let me know earlier this week that there was a problem with using the coupon code more than once.  I responded by quickly making the changes necessary so anyone can use the coupon code more than once if they decide to buy more than 1 package.  And in case you don't already know this, if you notice ANY problem with the website, just let me know and I'll make sure to do whatever I can to fix it.

This Week's Articles

Other than our contributing author, Charles Burke, who has submitted a wonderful guide to creating outrageous fortune, we have a variety of new authors submitting articles this week.  I've also posted a blog entry describing the process I used to convert my main computer from Linux to Windows for those who may be interested.

Enjoy!

Outrageous Fortune - an Action Guide

Submitted by CharlesBBurke on Thu, 06/03/2010 - 2:38pm

"Great things are only possible with outrageous requests."
- Thea Alexander, psychologist

Is it your ambition to be just one of the crowd? Do you hunger to blend in and be un-noticed by the world? Perhaps your notion of the ideal life style is anonymity - and having just enough to get by.

If so, this lesson is not for you... stop reading now.

Because if you don't stop, you'll be presented with provocative new doors that may frighten you. And you'll read about ways to blast through those doors and be VERY noticed by the world around you. So stop, I say. Stop now.

On the other hand, if you're still with me, I'll assume you want more for yourself:

• a richer, more satisfying life;
• greater recognition;
• thundering success;
• massive acclaim...

… even if you haven't a clue yet how it's to happen.

Still reading? Okay, I warned you. Get a pencil and paper. You'll be needing them.....Read more »

Building Online Credibility

Submitted by SiteAdmin on Thu, 06/03/2010 - 2:26pm

Written by Tanya Cash

Why is Online Credibility Important?

Credibility is defined as "the quality or power of inspiring belief". This is especially important in internet marketing because you build relationships with people that you can't touch and you can't see to read their facial expressions or their body language. The very nature of the internet precludes blind trust. The only way we can judge the credibility of another person is by what they say about themselves or what someone else says about them. We then have to judge how valid and credible the information is that is posted on their websites, blogs and forums.

What is your credibility really worth? The answer is EVERYTHING. Without credibility you won't get very far in internet marketing.....Read more »

Success Negotiating: Less Stress, More Yes, How Your Plan Affects Your Outcome

Submitted by SiteAdmin on Thu, 06/03/2010 - 1:13pm

Written by Anne Warfield

Negotiating does not have to be a sweat session. Matter of fact, if you use these key principles, negotiating becomes a fun event. The four key things are:

1. your attitude going in to the negotiation
2. your focus on an outcome instead of the process
3. your ability to read the other person’s thoughts through their body language
4. and your ability to speak and think positively from the other person’s perspective.

In the article we are going to look at how to plan a negotiation since that affects your attitude going in and it affects the outcome you work towards. Whether you are negotiating for a raise, a job promotion, with a client or with a coworker, you need to know what you want to get out of the negotiation. And you need to know this from the other person’s perspective, not yours. You might be thinking, what are you saying???....Read more »

Office Politics, Arguably the Most Painful Thing in Your Job

Submitted by SiteAdmin on Thu, 06/03/2010 - 12:41pm

Written by Daniel Lee

I guess everyone when first graduated from the college or university feels very passionate about finding a job. They wanted to find a perfect job that offers them high salary, glamorous title and probably, as little workload as possible.

While I believe there’s existence for such job, many like the average Joe will actually stuck in a “normal” company. Well, it isn’t really that bad as the pay, benefits and work scope may also be quite reasonable.

However, put aside those tangible things that you can calculate, there’s a hidden risk that you have not considered when you’re looking for a job – Office Politics

If you do a mini survey among your friends – who have been working for years, you will soon discover how ugly Office Politics can sometimes be.

A friend of mine who has been in the corporate world for many years commented:....Read more »

Moving from Linux to Windows

Submitted by AlanTutt on Wed, 06/02/2010 - 4:43pm

After spending the last several years running Linux on my main computer, I finally gave up and decided to move back to Windows.  Here, I will briefly cover some of the reasons why I made this decision, and then outline many of the steps I took to make it happen.

Why Linux?

The first questions that may come up for many of my readers is, "Why were you using Linux in the first place?"

Since much of my business is online, and there have been situations where I needed to go into the web server and make changes to support various scripts, I wanted to have a Linux machine at home where I could explore without having to think about how my explorations would affect the public websites.

At first, I installed Linux on a completely separate computer.  After verifying that nothing would blow up, I took the next step and installed it onto my main computer, where both Linux and Windows were available as a "dual boot" setup.  Each time I booted up the computer, I could choose to use either Windows or Linux.....Read more »

As always, Take Care!

- Alan Tutt

Dedicated to helping you get positive results quickly.
http://www.PragmaticSolutionsNow.com

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1805 Walker Ave. NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504 USA

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