Get The Hang of Social Media Before It Hangs You

Posted on by Jeff Posted in good business ideas, web development — No Comments ↓

ted_head.jpg We got to the web early-almost 15 years ago-and at least partly because of that we were able to claim consistent page one search results for relevant key words like gaffers tape,  Procell batteries, and microphone stand.  In those early days, a reasonably well designed web site with good meta tags and some incoming links from other sites gave you a very good chance of scoring high search engine rankings.  It was a tremendous help in  growing our business.

Well optimized web sites may have gotten us to page one, but it certainly won’t keep us there.   That’s because search engines are looking in a lot more places in order to determine the rankings that web sites are given.

A search engine is as likely to return a posting from this blog about one of our products as it is to provide a link to one of our primary websites.

You’re almost as likely to be led to a video on our youtube channel as you are to be shown the same animation on our own site.

We try to present lots of good practical tips regarding how to get the best use out of our products, but search engines may now provide a link to the tips on twitter as well as on our own web pages.

It means a lot more work to keep your name in front of your customers, but it also gives us lots of new ways to be found.  Even though our newsletter is distributed to thousands of readers every month, you’re just as likely to encounter it in a Myspace search as you are at the newsletter’s own site.

The best part about developing a social networking initiative has been the opportunity to build a community and have a real dialogue with customers and prospects.  Answering questions, locating difficult-to-find products and solving problems dramatically change how the web works for us now.

What’s your social networking plan?  Please share it with us.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Shurtape gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  We enjoy sharing ideas about web development with you.  Want to know more?  Please subscribe to our newsletter.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Posted on by Jeff Posted in customer service, good business ideas — No Comments ↓

good-idea-jeff_small_bigger.jpg When I called AT&T this morning to inquire why my IPhone wasn’t working, I didn’t really expect it would become a big deal.

After 10 minutes on hold, the customer service rep I finally spoke with informed me that my service had been suspended because my payment was past due.  After a quick check with our bookkeeper, I was able to inform her that the payment had been made almost two weeks ago and that it must have been misapplied.

My expectation was that a company that had worked so hard to get me to become a customer would simply allow me to pay online, adjust the misapplied payment and get the phone working again.

Boy, was I wrong!

She proceeded to tell me that she had no record of a payment and that the service would remain suspended until the payment was received.  Moreover, she informed me that  I would be charged a $36.00 reconnect fee and it might take several days to reactivate the phone after payment was received.   Finally, she went out of her way to lecture me on the point that I should make my payment at least 10 days before the due date to give them time to apply it properly.

It was clear that she didn’t believe me when I said I intended to terminate my contract.

It’s now five hours later.  The AT&T contract is terminated.  I have a new account with Verizon (at a considerable savings) and a brand new Google Android phone.  It took Verizon all of 15 minutes to port my number and activate the phone.  (AT&T had taken two days!)

I had gone to the Verizon store just to see what my options might be for new phone service, but was met with such a high level of customer service by a knowledgeable sales person that I left with the new Google smart phone and new phones for everyone else on  my account as well.  It was the first time I had ever left a cell phone store not feeling like I had been beaten with a rock.

Tomorrow I’ll return the AT&T Microcell that I had to buy to get cell coverage at my home, even though the AT&T service maps show that my location should have been covered.

As to the $175.00 AT&T termination fee, I’ll gladly pay it and make a matching charitable contribution as well.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  I enjoy sharing observations about customer service with my readers.  Want to know more?  Please subscribe to my newsletter.

When A Mailbox Full of Spam Is Worth The Irritation

Posted on by Jeff Posted in customer service, good business ideas, web development — No Comments ↓

ted_head.jpg I’ve been doing business on the internet for almost 15 years and have my email address on hundreds of web pages.  Needless to say, I get a lot of pointless email.

Still, the thousands upon thousands of spam messages I have to wade through (even after applying spam filters) are just one of the costs of doing business.  I know that there are other ways to have people get in touch with you, but I don’t regret having my email address so widely available.  Nothing works as well for one-on-one communication.

The idea that the inconvenience of dealing with spam would force me to give up the most direct way for someone interested in our products to get in touch is just too high a price to pay.  It just doesn’t make sense to create barriers that stand in the way of a real dialogue with anyone who takes time to look at our web offerings.

We do use contact forms and our toll free phone and fax numbers are prominently displayed on all our web sites.

In case your interested, the address is jeff@harrisonbros.com.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  I enjoy sharing good business ideas with our readers and customers. 

How Do You Get To Carnegie Hall? Join the Stagehands Union

Posted on by Jeff Posted in audio visual, customer service, good business ideas, Other News, Pro lighting, Pro Sound — No Comments ↓

good-idea-jeff_small_bigger.jpg I spent a number of years working as a union stagehand, rising to the position of vice-president of my local and enjoying a steady income while seeing lots of great shows.  I gave this sort of work up several years ago, but an article in yesterday’s New York Times is making me rethink my decision.

The times reports that Dennis O’Connell, the props manager at Carnegie Hall, earned $530004.00 in pay and benefits last year.  That’s right.  Over a half million dollars income working as a stagehand.

These figures come from the Carnegie Hall’s 2007-2008 tax return and it shows that  several other stagehands had compensation packages that exceeded $400,000.00.

The times went to some length to point out that stagehand pay many times far exceeded the amount earned by well known performers actually appearing on the stage.

The top executive at Carnegie Hall, Clive Gillinson, actually defended the pay, saying that stagehands “have huge and varied jobs to carry out”.

Now, I’ve been to Carnegie Hall (my wife & son performed with The Duke Chapel Choir there) and I’ve seen these stagehands at work.  Moving risers, setting up the conductors podium and controlling the lighting may require some special abilities, but probably not on par with a skilled surgeon.  I’m not sure that they even require any specific education.

I remember in detail the “huge and varied jobs” I did as a stagehand-everything from unloading a truck to climbing a lighting truss-and how happy I was to earn $15.00 an hour.  I seemed like a fair wage at the time, and some of the work I did was so interesting that I probably would have done it for free.

Sure, there is some wear and tear on the body, but I’m guessing that the earnings of a Carnegie stagehand, including double and triple overtime, compensation for unsed vacation, and various union-mandated payouts, go a long way towards easing the pain.

The next time you pay $100 for a ticket and go to a concert, pay careful attention to the stagehands you see.  They may be the highest paid performers in the building.

Want to know more?  Here’s a link to the Times article.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Shurtape gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  Check back here often for my random observations about show business.

I’ve Seen The Future-It’s Called “Roku”

Posted on by Jeff Posted in audio visual, good business ideas, Other News, web development — No Comments ↓

ted_head.jpg I occasionally have lunch at a Chinese restaurant near my office. Next door, there is an empty storefront that used to be a video rental store.  It’s long gone, and the mall owner has had no luck in finding a new tenant.  I wish them well in filling this space, but you can be sure that whoever eventually takes it won’t be in the video rental business.

The days of going to the video store are over forever.

About a week ago I purchased a gadget called a Roku box and signed up for the basic $9.00 a month Netflix account.  I don’t watch a lot of television, but this little gadget may change my habits. Roku allows you to stream Netflix content through your wi-fi connection to your digital television directly-no computer needed.

With the set top box and the Netflix subscription, you can watch thousands of Netflix movies and television shows instantly-no need to mail DVD’s back and forth anymore. The price stays at $9.00 a month regardless of how much content you watch. It works incredibly well and doesn’t seem to significantly impact our overall internet speed and capacity.

Unlike watching streaming video on computer services like Hulu, the Roku box almost never stops for “buffering” issues even when streaming full screen images on a 37″ display.  You can watch directly on you computer as well, so you have access to Netflix content anywhere wi-fi is available.

Unless Blockbuster has plans to roll out something similar soon, they should be very afraid.  Roku is the future of streaming media.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Shurtape gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  I enjoy sharing gadget reviews with our readers and customers. Let me know what you think.

What Big Companies Tell Us About Small Ones

Posted on by Jeff Posted in audio visual, batteries, gaffers tape, good business ideas, Pro Sound — No Comments ↓

spokesguy  Public companies, whether they like it or not, are required by law to reveal a lot more about their finances and operations than they probably want to.  They are owned by their stockholders and regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

An article in Pro Sound News about Harman International caught my eye over lunch.  It was about Harman’s finances and it was as dry as toast.  I read every word.

Why?  Because Harman’s customers are my customers.  This company that did almost $3 billion in sales last year sells some of the most desirable brands in pro audio.  If you use equipment from makers like JBL, Souncraft, Crown, dbx or lots of other well known brands, you are a Harman customer.

Harman reported a decrease in pro audio sales of 26% in their last quarter.  If your sound business is not strong enough right now to buy a new JBL line array, then you are probably not doing enough shows to need a lot of gaffers tape.  If a new AKG wireless mic is not on your shopping list, then you probably aren’t going to be ordering ProCell batteries for it.  No dbx processing gear means no Hosa patch cables.

Two years ago the stock price for a share of Harman International was $100.00.  Yesterday, it closed at $37.00.   That’s up almost 10% since the first of this month and a near doubling of the price since October of last year.

How goes Harman, so goes the pro sound industry.  We wish them well.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.   Click here to sign up for our newsletter.  Here’s a link to our new “How To” animation series.

Placing Orders Over The Phone

Posted on by Jeff Posted in good business ideas, web development — No Comments ↓

spokesguy We get phone calls every day from customers who find us online but decide to place their orders over the phone.  The standard response is that they don’t trust the internet with sensitive credit card information.  We’re happy to take the order on the phone, but I’m afraid that I have some bad news for them.  As soon as we complete the phone call, we validate their credit card information on the internet.  

It’s not just us either. Almost all call centers that take orders process the transaction over a secure internet connection. The alternative (a phone validation) is slower, less efficient, and a whole lot more expensive for everyone involved.

I’m willing to bet that these customers wouldn’t hesitate to hand their credit card over to a waiter, who immediately leaves their sight for as  much as ten minutes, and they don’t think twice about giving our order takers the information over the phone.

If your search for a product begins online and your order taking process includes internet research relating to features or price, then why would you think that online purchasing is not a good idea as well?  Even with all the warnings we get relating to online fraud and identity theft, your information is much safer posted to a secure web site than it is in a face-to-face or telephone based  transaction.

The information will end up on the internet either way.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.   Click here to sign up for our newsletter.  Here’s a link to our new “How To” animation series.

Put Some Power In Your Clicks

Posted on by Jeff Posted in batteries, customer service, flashlights, good business ideas — No Comments ↓

fred looks right Google news alerts served up this article today about a new Duracell program to distribute flashlights and batteries to fire departments.

Duracell’s “Hours of Power” program will make donations  to fire departments  in New York, Chicago, Knoxville Tenn., Springfield Mo. and Wichita Ks.   These local fire department will then distribute Duracell flashlights and batteries to city residents at no cost.

Best of all, you can participate and help maximize the value of Duracell’s program.  Every time you visit Duracell’s Hours of Power web site and click on the 100 Hours Button Duracell will increase the value of their contribution.  To date, 49,600 “Hours of Power” have been donated.  Their goal is 10 million hours which will convert to lots of flashlights, batteries and chargers donated to first responders and local citizens.

We live in a community that is regularly hard hit by weather-related power problems caused by hurricanes and ice storms.  It would be great if theis program was so successful that Duracell extended it to some cities in North Carolina.

This program continues through Nov. 15.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.   Click here to sign up for our newsletter.  Here’s a link to our new “How To” animation series.

A Job That Comes With A Target On Your Back

Posted on by Jeff Posted in customer service, good business ideas, Uncategorized — No Comments ↓

ted_head.jpg As part of their plan to roll out a retail store initiative, Microsoft is hiring away Apple Store employees to run the new Microsoft Stores.

These ever loyal Apple employees are apparently jumping at the chance to make a little more money.

According to The Loop, a tech blog that covers all things Apple, Microsoft is approaching managers of Apple Stores and offering them positions with Microsoft at significantly higher salaries.  Once on board with Microsoft, these managers are then contacting Apple Store employees who are apparently also succumbing to Microsoft’s generous offers. I guess that’s why Apple calls them geniuses!

After 20 plus years of banging my head against the wall over countless Microsoft software problems, I am really looking forward to being able to put a face on Microsoft. Getting a one on one explanation of why a simple OS upgrade takes two days and two dozen system reboots is something on my “must do” list.

Unless they lock the doors to anyone except purchasers of a new Zune, there are going to be so many angry MS customers lined up at the “Guru Bar” (Microsoft’s version of Apple Store’s “Genius Bars”) that people interested in making a purchase won’t even be able to get into the building.

As to those former Apple Store managers, they can go ahead and start thinking about what they’re going to do once  the plug is pulled  on this project.

Microsoft has really raised the bar on billion dollar bad ideas.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.   Click here to sign up for our newsletter.  Here’s a link to our new “How To” animation series.

Why This News Stuck In My Mind

Posted on by Jeff Posted in audio visual, batteries, microphones & mic stands, Pro Sound — No Comments ↓

mike2 I normally don’t pay any attention to television in the morning, even though it is usually on in the house when I get up.  It’s just background noise.

For some reason, however, a Today Show video clip from the Video Music Awards caught my ear.I don’t usually watch awards shows, but the story about Kanye West jumping on stage during Taylor Swift‘s acceptance speech stayed on my mind all morning.

Finally, about lunch time, it dawned on me why i couldn’t get this off my mind.

We had provided all the batteries for wireless mics used at the VMA Awards.

The batteries in the mic that Kanye West grabbed out of Taylor Swift’s hand had come from us. About two weeks ago we shipped a huge battery order to Radio City Music Hall for Moonman Productions, the video production arm of MTV.  It was a great order, but I didn’t really give it much thought.  Now we’re a side note to entertainment history.

I am usually proud to proclaim the reliability of ProCell batteries, but, just this one time, it might have been better if there had been a catastrophic battery failure.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.   Click here to sign up for our newsletter.  Here’s a link to our new “How To” animation series.

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