This is a very good article. Not only about the warm water after your meal, but about Heart Attacks . The Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals, not cold water, maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating.

For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.
C ommon Symptoms Of Heart Attack...
A serious note about heart attacks - You should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting .. Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line .
You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack. Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms. 60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive.
A cardiologist says if everyone who reads this message sends it to 10 people, you can be sure that we'll save at least one life. Read this & Send to a friend. It could save a life. So, please be a true friend and send this article to all your friends you care about.

CHICAGO — Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama raised more than $51 million in July and the Democratic National Committee reported $27.7 million in donations last month, putting Obama in a strong position for the fall campaign.

BEIJING — The U.S. track and field team's protest of the women's 100-meter final at the Olympics was rejected Sunday night.

Shelly-Ann Fraser completed a gold-medal Jamaican sweep of the 100-meter dashes at the Olympics on Sunday, winning the women's race in 10.78 seconds. Teammates Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart tied for second.

Jamaican Sprinter Usain Bolt Demolished the Field in Beijing China to Win the 100 Meter Finals in Style.

After conflicting reports that William 'Bill' Clarke, president and CEO of the Bank of Nova Scotia Jamaica Limited, had been fired, the bank's parent company in Canada issued a statement yesterday announcing his retirement in October. This is four years earlier than the time Clarke had originally set himself to retire.

Source: Jamaica Gleaner

According to information on Radio Jamaica there will be changes made to the visa application system at the United States Embassy in Kingston.

The problem lies with the online application system which has been causing hold ups as persons are making several appointments.

A briefing was held yesterday with the Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Janice Jacobs, where it was revealed that some travel agents were also securing blocks of appointments. She also stated that in the upcoming year a new system will be put in place to remove the problem.

The proposed plan to be executed in order to alleviate the problem is to have customers pay the application fee when they book their appointments online instead of paying the fee otherwise as is being done presently.

They believe this will lead to a decline in the problem they are currently facing.

Source: www.yardflex.com

We don't always think of customer complaints as opportunities, but that's just what they are..
It has probably happened to you. You get an email or even a phone call from someone who is upset or unhappy with this or that about your business. Most of us don’t really care to deal with whiners or complainers, but, if you’ll just take a deep breath and take some time to think about it, many times they offer you some solid insight into your business that you would not have seen. If you just react to their complaint without taking the position that their concern might be legitimate, you will lose many valuable insights and may very likely lose a customer.
After all, they are on the receiving end of your business, and you can’t disregard this. Whether they are just irritated or are really upset for some reason, you need to be prepared for how to respond. Take a deep breath and keep the following in mind the next time you have a run-in with a disgruntled or upset customer.

1. They often identify potential problem areas.

The cause of most customer complaints is failed expectations. It could have been something you said, or failed to say. It could have been something you did or didn’t do. Or maybe your customer is simply confused. Whatever the case, customers are usually unhappy because they expected something from you that didn’t occur, and from their perspective, needs to be remedied. If the cause of their dissatisfaction is reasonable, guess what? They just helped you see something you missed, and now you can take care of it and make your business even better. And that is a blessing. It’s best to make sure you make things right by giving your customer what they expected (if it is reasonable) and then do something else – give an extra gift of value to your customer and a genuine thank you for bringing it to your attention. Their jaw will usually hit the floor. You would be absolutely amazed at how this will turn even the most dissatisfied complainer into an extremely loyal and perhaps even a lifetime (and happy) customer.

2. The complaining customer represents others who won’t say a word.

If you have a customer who makes a complaint about something related to your business, you should assume the there are others who probably had the same issue, but never said a word to you. It’s a well-established fact that the majority of your customers generally won’t utter a peep. They typically prefer to avoid confrontation, and so they will just leave and start doing business with one of your competitors. You want to avoid this like the plague. The best way to do that is to make sure you ask your customers regularly for their candid feedback. And then be sure to make adjustments and let them know what you did.

3. A complaint is often a wake-up call for what your customers really need.

It’s one thing for you to figure out what you think your customers need, but it’s even better when they tell you. Since most customer complaints are based on failed expectations, a complaint is an excellent opportunity to assess how well you are actually meeting the needs of your customers. If more than one customer makes the same suggestion or complaint, guess what? That’s a clue you probably should take a closer look at an issue. You need to figure out if you need to tweak your sales message, your product or service, or the way you provide service and support. Whatever it is, its bound to improve your business because you will be responding to the stated needs of your customers.

Continue reading "6 Reasons Why Complaining Customers are Golden" »

Here are 22 questions to ask yourself about how you are performing as a leader. You may wish to pass these questions on to your team. How well are they performing compared with the other team members?

There’s a big difference between just being a leader and leading so that people will willingly want to follow you. The test is influence. What if you were employed with a volunteer organization and your employees’ livelihoods, perks and benefits were not based on whether or not they did what you asked? Would they still admire, respect and trust you as a role model and mentor? Here are 22 questions to ask yourself about how you are performing as a leader. You may wish to pass these questions on to your team. How well are they performing compared with the other team members?

Leadership Test

How do I show that I am honest? Do I always do what I say I am going to do?

How do I make competence, character and credibility priorities?

Do I effectively listen to others with an open mind even when I may disagree?

How do I demonstrate honest yet tactful communication with others?

Do I have good people skills?

How am I thoughtful and considerate of others in the department?

How do I demonstrate my vision and the organization’s vision in a way that others clearly can understand?

Do employees see how this vision applies to them and to the big picture?

Do I understand my own goals and how they tie in with organizational goals?

Are the company goals and my individual goals specific, measurable and in writing?

How do I take responsibility for my own job?

Am I proactive in taking on or looking for additional responsibility?

How do I tactfully suggest better ways of doing things?

How do I offer ideas for improvement?

Do I show up on time for work and begin work immediately in a way that contributes to the team?

Am I “mentally” present for work?

How do I work to promote better morale with my team and other departments?

How would I grade the overall quality of my work?

Do I complete assignments on time and without being negative?

Do I put forth my best in producing a product or service in which others can take pride?

Have I been trained in conflict resolution?

Am I open to training in the areas of personal and professional development? How do I specifically apply the training techniques I’ve received?

Continue reading "Here are 22 questions to ask " »

Your organization is like an engine - and you are the switch that can ignite excellence..
In today’s competitive marketplace, extending excellent customer service is essential to the survival of any business. I hope by now most of us understand the importance of taking care of the customer and exceeding their expectations.

If some of you are like me, you spent your leisure time reading books like “Raving Fans” by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles, or “In Search of Excellence” by Tom Peters. I read these books and took them as gospel because they offer sound principles for creating a vision of what excellent customer service should look like.

I truly believe that these books and a few others really help us to delve into the principles for taking care of the people and maintain our customer’s loyalty.

We have great examples of companies that live by the customer loyalty principle by constantly striving to be on the cutting edge of services and products. Such companies that come to mind are Starbucks, Nordstrom, The Four Seasons, and Virgin Atlantic. These are companies who set the mark for creative and enlightened organizations that are always finding ways to make the customer say “wow”. Consumers brag to others about the services they receive at these customer centered organizations and therefore create a word of mouth buzz that creates exponential growth and success.

As managers you have probably tried to instil certain campaigns or slogans at your company. You made sure your employees understood and practiced the following procedures:

- Greeting the guest with a smile and a salutation.
- Looking for the “moment of truth”, the opportunity to make an impression on your customer with each interaction.
- Soliciting feedback from the guest or customer.
- Employee empowerment.
- Taking care of the “internal customer” (teamwork)

Continue reading "Your organization is like an engine - and you are the switch that can ignite excellence.. " »

There are some character traits that cannot be taught in Customer Service..

If we could, we would because it would make the whole world a better place, not just Customer Service. We can't, therefore we work with people whom we believe to most exemplify these traits. Here are 5 you cannot teach.

1. Enthusiasm. We see it, we feel it and boy, do we wish everyone had it.

Many people don't though. It is often reflected in their faces when a request is made and reinforced with a sullen "just a moment" that does nothing to help us believe that we are about to receive a Service which we so desperately hope is better than what Mr. or Ms. Sullen face has just prefaced us with.

Enthusiasm is infectious, contagious and outright fun. It seems the Enthusiast is everywhere, ready and willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that we have a fantastic Customer Service experience. It is reflected by the pride they take in doing the job right, the care they take making sure everything is just so and the delivery of "Is there anything else I can do for you Mr. or Ms. Customer?"

The Enthusiast is nearly extinct these days. The victim of "Faster, More, Cheaper" Customer Service.

Are you exemplifying "Faster, More, Cheaper" or are you trying to grow Customer Service Enthusiasts?

2. Happiness. A feeling of pleasure. I have come to believe that Happiness is sometimes misused for the word Enlightened.

I know, now you think I am really off my meds. Let me ask you something. Have you ever met a person who was Happy? I mean really, really Happy? Really, when? Where do you think "Happy Hour" comes from? My point is that when people feel Happy, it leads to the ending of Happiness, or a state of Unhappiness. In other words, there is a limit.

I don't think there can be a limit to Enlightenment. Either way you think about it, it is not something you can teach. You can feel it. You can see it when another person really has it. You just can't teach someone to be Happy or Enlightened. They have to find it themselves.

3. Commitment. The feeling one has when one decides to do something no matter the cost or the journey. The ability to see it to the end. People who have commitment are not easily swayed. They keep putting one foot in front of the other, keeping their eye on the prize, the goal, the end.

Oh, they have trials and tribulations, and when you ask them about it, they shrug and say things like "That's the way we do it" or "It needed to be done." They have little concern or care for the thoughts of others who can't see the world through their eyes. They shrug and say "It's got to get done, and I'm the person to do it." You can't teach that.

4. Belief. The thought that someone feels completely, through and through that resonates deep inside them and tells them that they are on the right path. They don't need your beliefs, and are quite content to let you have yours.

Continue reading "5 Traits You Cannot Teach In Customer Service" »

Submitted by: Customer Service Associates
Customer Service & Quality Assurance Contancy
email: customerserviceassociates@gmail.com

Instead of introducing a new concept when it comes to customer service, it's time to re-introduce an old twist - kindness..

Back in the "day," if you wanted to be successful in business, it was all about kindness and the way people felt after leaving your establishment or after a business transaction. That is what truly kept them coming back, even if you product was mediocre.

Let's face it, we all want to be treated kindly in every circumstance of our life. But this seems to have gotten lost in the technologically advanced and fast-paced corporate world.

But consider this, there is a way to conduct business under these stressful conditions by adopting a new "old" philosophy that will set you apart as different and unique and it doesn't cost a dime. In fact, it saves money as people who are kind and happy are more likely to show up for work and more likely to stay with their company.

Start by incorporating empathy and compassion into your daily work life. By having the ability to look at business from the human side of things, this new business model based upon an old one can be reborn. But now it will appear fresh and new. Use the simplicity of kindness as the guide.

If you are on the fence about this, ask yourself this question: Is there a reason that each day cannot be the best possible experience for you and everyone you come into contact with? After all, the bottom line is that we are
human beings dealing with other human beings who have needs that must be filled. So why not fill them quickly and happily?

By putting a new twist on "service," everyone wins. And when people feel that they are being treated well and with respect while they are doing business with you, chances are that it will run smoothly, efficiently and expediently.

Continue reading "Conducting Business With Kindness" »

Academic Training Center
18 Dumbarton Ave. Kingston 10
Tel: 772-1139/ 504-4141/ 342-6556

Invites Persons to a seminar entitled:
"Personal Financing"

Date: May 26 & 27, 2008
Time : 10:00 AM
Cost: $3,500 (Each Day)

Topics Include:
Shopping Guides
Cash Budgetting
Saving Loans and Portfolio
How to own a house without havimg a cent in the bank
Retierment Planning
Limited Space! Register Now!

winburg05@yahoo.com

Academic Training Center
18 Dumbarton Ave. Kingston
Tel: 772-1139/ 504-4141/ 342-6556

Presents a "Payrolls Workshop"

Topics Include:
Basic Pay
Allowances
Gross Pay
Free Pay
Taxes: NIS, NHT, PAYE, ED TAX and Returns (Weekly & Annuals)
Voluntary Deductions
Net Pay

Limited Space! Register Now!

winburg05@yahoo.com

Continue reading "Payrolls Workshop Limited Space! Register Now!" »