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Archive for May, 2009

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-05-31

Posted in: Twitter by Brian Cauble on May 31, 2009

Five reasons Apple gets it (Customer Service)

Posted in: Blog, Customer Service by Brian Cauble on May 29, 2009

I want to share a quick story with you.  My macbook started getting a crack in it a few months back on the case.  Well, the little crack started to get bigger and bigger until some of the casing was chipping off.  Needless to say, I felt that this shouldn’t happen after just over a year.  In fact, this is a know issue for plastic macbooks.  As luck would have it, my warranty was up when this started.  I was just going to put this off until it got back enough.

Well, the other day it dawned on me that I purchased my macbook on my American Express.  Why does that matter?  Because Amex extends your warranty by a year at no cost.  Maybe just maybe, I wouldn’t have to spend $200 or $300 dollars to repair the computer.  So I called Amex up to inquire about the warranty figuring that it probably wouldn’t get covered due to fine print.  I figured they would say that we only cover PC purchased between January and March in New Delhi.  Who knows.  I was ready for excuses.  To my surprise, Amex was very easy to reach and very helpful.  They needed 3 things. My receipt, my credit card statement from the purchase, and a repair estimate.  Not too bad.  For several hundred dollars, I’ll do that.  

So I got the paper work and headed off to the Apple store for an appointment to get the repair estimate.  Let me first say that Apple makes it so easy to get checked in at the store.  They have a constantly updated list of who is next in the wait list projected on the wall, and you don’t generally wait very long.  So they call out “Brian C with a Macbook”.  I go to the desk and explain to the tech what the problem is and that I just need a repair estimate because Amex is going to cover the repair.  Lo and behold, he looks at the laptop and says “we’ll cover it no charge. We can have it ready for you in 24 hours or less.  Is that ok?”  After reviving myself from a sudden fainting spell, I said sure.  7 hours later, I get a call from Apple saying I can pick up my computer.

Now I know they did exactly what they should but I want to list the things that impressed me.

1. Apple knew they had a problem and admitted it.  How many companies make you fight with them and go to a manager before they give in?

2. They fixed it quickly.  How many companies would have to ship it off for a week?

3. They communicated well.  From the time I showed up at the store, I was constantly updated by a updated list, by reps asking how they could help, and by someone calling me to tell me everything was good.  How many times do you have to call and deal with one person after another just to find out if your repairs are done?

4. They didn’t hide behind another company. The tech knew that Amex was going to cover the cost but he knew it was Apple’s design issue and so he fixed it.

5. They give their employees power to make decisions. In most of my dealings with Apple, you can tell that the employees have the power to satisfy the customer without asking a manager.  That isn’t always true, and shouldn’t be, but it is most of the time. 

So I have to give Apple big props.  Instead of irritating me, they confirmed my decision to buy a mac as a good one.  So when you setup customer service at your company some day, go to the Apple store.  They just seem to get it.

PS. I have to give a little bit of love to Amex.  They handled everything nicely also and made it a fairly easy process to fix my laptop.  That is a really nice benefit and a good reason to purchase major items on my Amex in the future.

Test post for technorati

Posted in: Uncategorized by Brian Cauble on May 27, 2009

Technorati Profile

In This Economy, Play “Small Ball” for Success!

Posted in: Blog by Glenn S. Phillips on May 19, 2009

Everyone loves the “Home Run,” whether it is in baseball or business.  That one play (or project) that scores for sure, makes the paper and even has a clear hero!   Unfortunately for many teams and businesses, home runs are not the most common play.  And in a slow economy, the home run deals become even less common for businesses, potentially putting companies at risk.

So if you are a good coach or manager, what do you do when the big hits are slumping?  You recognize the situation, you take what the opponent is giving and you adjust.  You deliberately play “small ball.”   That is, you manufacture scoring by patiently hitting singles, bunts and taking the walks.  You suggest smarter projects to the client for things they really need or did not have time for last year.  You find creative ways to setup projects and flexibly payment plans.  Does all this have more overhead and effort?  Probably.  However, it typical has less risk too and, in some ways, that reduces the overhead of all the strike outs you get swinging for the home runs.  

It the current economy, most businesses that may hire your company will likely have slowed or stopped the big projects for at least the short-term.  But business and commerce has not stopped, it continues on.  That means the companies that can step up and “take one for the team” by accepting smaller, flexible projects from their clients can stay busy and successful.  These companies also demonstrate stability that can add to their reputation when business heats up again.

Keep in mind that playing “small ball” with projects does not mean unprofitable.  Playing “small ball” in business means you are still advancing the bases, still limiting strikeouts and still playing the game with discipline.   In some ways, you are even playing with more discipline.  That can be a good thing for you and your clients!

Temporary finance for your business

Posted in: Blog, Funding by Brian Cauble on May 15, 2009

Imagine for a second that your business is experiencing a shortage in cash flow. You sitting at your desk late at night looking at the screen wondering how you make payroll. The funny thing is that accounting shows that you are profitable. You have made money. The problem is that your money is tied up by people who owe you money (accounts receivable). If you could only get those people to pay your invoices, you would be fine. So how do you do it? You can’t.

However, you can get the money that is owed to you through a method called Factoring. Factoring means that you are selling your invoices at a discount. Factors will buy (most of) these invoices and they will collect it. The upside is that you get your cash immediately, and you can make payroll. Another upside is that you don’t have to collect the money. The factor now owns these invoices. The downside is factoring can be an expensive form of financing. However, some times it can be a good form of temporary financing in your business.

If you have relatively good credit, you should consider borrowing against your assets instead of Factoring. You can borrow against your A/R, Real Estate, Inventory, Purchase Orders and anything else of value that can be liquidated. This is called Asset Based Lending and it works much more like a home equity loan for business. Except your collateral is not your house. It is your assets. Just like any loan, you pay a rate (normally lower) on only what cash you borrow and you pay it back in the future.

These are both good alternative methods of getting cash when you are generally a strong company but in need of temporary cash. Just use them sparingly and make sure that you shop around for the best rate. The are thousands of Factors and practically all banks will lend you on your assets. Good luck!

Networking is hard work, but totally worth it

Posted in: Blog, Networking by Brian Cauble on May 1, 2009

I have spent the better part of the last month networking. I have been to event after event all over town. OSBO, BNI, Innovation depot seminar, Bar Camp, Birmingham Entrepreneur meeting, Career seminar at New Horizons, Tech Birmingham breakfast, and more that I don’t remember. I have also spent hours responding to emails asking questions about what people are doing and finding ways that I can help them.

I know what you’re thinking. “I am way too busy” or “Why bother?”. Because frankly, this is how business is done and reputations are built. There are truly amazing people in Birmingham, and there are good opportunities in Birmingham. If you find yourself complaining about your job, I challenge you to become active in the community. Go to a variety of activities around town. You may not be able to attend them all or you may have to rotate each of them to get them all in, but do it. It will help you find wonderful opportunities and people.

My final points are simple. Be genuine and helpful whenever you can. The more you help other people, the more you get back in return. Offer to introduce people or pass resumes on. Just help them when you can. Second, become a leader of something. Create a group or join a group and volunteer to help organize. Being a leader opens doors that you didn’t even know were closed.

Truth be told, it is really hard work. I am tired. I was tempted to not even post tonight. Then I thought back to just people I met this week and I realized that it was totally worth it!