2011年12月31日 星期六
2011年12月1日 星期四
Five ways to dramatically improve your resume - CBS News
Five ways to dramatically improve your resume - CBS News
(MoneyWatch)
If you haven't dusted off your resume in a while, it might be time to evaluate how well it sells your skills and potential. Hopefully by now you have eliminated meaningless expressions from your CV and fixed the 10 most common resume errors. Here are five more important resume tips:
Make terminology line up with the industry you're targeting. Many people fall into the trap of filling their resume with buzzwords and phrases that resonate with the company they're currently working for, forgetting that every business develops its own lingo. You'll want to include terms, phrases, and expressions that are general to your industry and can be picked up in automated keyword searches.
Don't overlook obvious responsibilities. Yes, you're a senior manager or a principal content architect or some other impressive sounding professional. But when HR or the hiring manager scans your resume looking for a fit, it can help to see details listed that demonstrate the nuts and bolts of what you do -- supervision, budgeting, public speaking, and so on.
Supply financial context. Everyone likes numbers. Especially when those numbers represent the impact you've actually had on the business. Always try to add numbers that speak to millions of dollars in sales, number of employees affected, and other meaningful, easily compared statistics.
Highlight the most critical accomplishments. Draw attention to the truly awesome accomplishments by culling them into a bulleted list, tasteful use of formatting light bold headings, and so on. Be sure that your big wins are listed distinctly from your usual duties.
Polish and improve readability. Even if you're not a strong writer, you need to take the time to create a resume that sings. I don't mean including goofy, clich?d prose or other things that turn off HR and hiring managers. Your CV should be free of typos; use proper grammar; not use random capitalization ("Attached you will find my Resume"). Format the document for readability and scanability. Remember -- most hiring managers won't spend more than 30 seconds reading it, no matter how long or short it happens to be. [via WiseBread]
(MoneyWatch)
If you haven't dusted off your resume in a while, it might be time to evaluate how well it sells your skills and potential. Hopefully by now you have eliminated meaningless expressions from your CV and fixed the 10 most common resume errors. Here are five more important resume tips:
Make terminology line up with the industry you're targeting. Many people fall into the trap of filling their resume with buzzwords and phrases that resonate with the company they're currently working for, forgetting that every business develops its own lingo. You'll want to include terms, phrases, and expressions that are general to your industry and can be picked up in automated keyword searches.
Don't overlook obvious responsibilities. Yes, you're a senior manager or a principal content architect or some other impressive sounding professional. But when HR or the hiring manager scans your resume looking for a fit, it can help to see details listed that demonstrate the nuts and bolts of what you do -- supervision, budgeting, public speaking, and so on.
Supply financial context. Everyone likes numbers. Especially when those numbers represent the impact you've actually had on the business. Always try to add numbers that speak to millions of dollars in sales, number of employees affected, and other meaningful, easily compared statistics.
Highlight the most critical accomplishments. Draw attention to the truly awesome accomplishments by culling them into a bulleted list, tasteful use of formatting light bold headings, and so on. Be sure that your big wins are listed distinctly from your usual duties.
Polish and improve readability. Even if you're not a strong writer, you need to take the time to create a resume that sings. I don't mean including goofy, clich?d prose or other things that turn off HR and hiring managers. Your CV should be free of typos; use proper grammar; not use random capitalization ("Attached you will find my Resume"). Format the document for readability and scanability. Remember -- most hiring managers won't spend more than 30 seconds reading it, no matter how long or short it happens to be. [via WiseBread]
2011年10月25日 星期二
Is Your To-Do List Too Long? | BNET
Is Your To-Do List Too Long? BNET
And when you aim to do only 3 things, you’re highly likely to get them done — and then move on. That beats shuffling the same 20 things from one day’s list to the next.
Of course, that begs the question: how do you get your to-do list down to 3-5 top priorities? This is not for the faint of heart. But if you’re looking to get a bit fundamentalist about your time management, here are three ideas:
1. Pretend your internet access is down. Reading and answering emails as they come in eats up an incredible amount of time. Indeed, it will expand to fill the available space. So give it less space and miraculously, it will take less time.
2. Write your year-end performance review. Right now. Now look at the accomplishments you plan to list in 2 months to your boss. Is anything on your to-do list contributing to those accomplishments? No? Then maybe you need to re-write the to-do list.
3. Repeat this phrase: “Just because I can do it doesn’t mean I should do it.” Are you micro-managing tasks that your team members can do? Would some task on your to-do list help someone else’s career development? Are you going to a non-essential meeting just for the face time and the pastries? A better idea: schedule one-on-one time with the person you’re trying to see, and get your own snacks.
There you go — you just freed up hours. How do you hack down your to-do list?
And when you aim to do only 3 things, you’re highly likely to get them done — and then move on. That beats shuffling the same 20 things from one day’s list to the next.
Of course, that begs the question: how do you get your to-do list down to 3-5 top priorities? This is not for the faint of heart. But if you’re looking to get a bit fundamentalist about your time management, here are three ideas:
1. Pretend your internet access is down. Reading and answering emails as they come in eats up an incredible amount of time. Indeed, it will expand to fill the available space. So give it less space and miraculously, it will take less time.
2. Write your year-end performance review. Right now. Now look at the accomplishments you plan to list in 2 months to your boss. Is anything on your to-do list contributing to those accomplishments? No? Then maybe you need to re-write the to-do list.
3. Repeat this phrase: “Just because I can do it doesn’t mean I should do it.” Are you micro-managing tasks that your team members can do? Would some task on your to-do list help someone else’s career development? Are you going to a non-essential meeting just for the face time and the pastries? A better idea: schedule one-on-one time with the person you’re trying to see, and get your own snacks.
There you go — you just freed up hours. How do you hack down your to-do list?
How To Make Homemade Fish Fingers
How To Make Homemade Fish Fingers: Video : Homemade Fish Fingers Recipe. Traditional homemade fish fingers, perfect for the kids. Serve them with VideoJug's very own Chunky Chips recipe and a splash of lemon. Taste our Homemade Fish Fingers recipe. British.
Top ten easiest (and cheapest) meals to make | studentbeans.com
Top ten easiest (and cheapest) meals to make studentbeans.com
1 . Spaghetti Bolognese
An easy dinner and even tastier once it's frozen and eaten at a later date. Be sure to make a big batch when you cook this Italian favourite:
Brown 500g of minced beef.
Add chopped mushrooms and cook for three minutes.
Stir in one or two crushed garlic cloves and a 400g can of chopped tomatoes along with ¼ pint of beef stock and mixed herbs (optional).
Bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes,
Meanwhile, cook the Spaghetti (or other pasta of choice), drain and serve with your bolognese sauce on top.
Add cheese for extra YUM.
2 . Fajitas
Forget Old El Paso - it’s easy enough to create your own fajitas. What’s more you get to control the level of spice that goes in. Here’s a recipe for two:
Chop an onion, red pepper and two chicken breasts (in thin strips).
Put together in a bowl with one teaspoon of paprika (and the same amount of cumin, if you have it) and some salt and pepper and drizzle with oil.
Now to make your salsa: Chop some tomatoes, chilli and coriander, adding salt and pepper and lime or lemon juice with some oil and stir.
After leaving to marinade for a few minutes, cook in a pre-heated pan for about 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Warm some flour tortillas in the microwave.
Serve with your home-made salsa, grated cheddar, sour cream and guacamole.
3 . Burgers
Home-made burgers are the best. It’s just a fact. And it’s SO ridiculously easy that it makes you wonder why you ever bought them in the first place. This recipe will serve four hungry barbecue-goers:
Dice a small onion and tip into a bowl with 500g of minced beef and one egg.
Roll the mixture into four balls and flatten to make burger-shaped patties.
Put on a plate and cover. Leave in the fridge to firm up for about half an hour.
Heat the barbecue (or grill) and place the burgers on (or in), cooking for about 15 minutes, until cooked through. Turn once.
Serve with a sesame seed bun, salad and any toppings that you desire!
4 . Boiled egg
According to a recent survey, 14% of students have never boiled egg and because we’re kind, we’re going to show you how:
Start with your egg at room temperature (an egg straight from the fridge is at risk of cracking).
Prick the shell.
Bring a small pan of water to the boil. Put your egg on a spoon and gently lower it into the water.
Boil for 3 ½ minutes for a runny yolk.
Et voila! Serve with bread and butter cut into soldiers - perfect for dunking. Alternatively you can cook a hard boiled egg and mash it up with mayonnaise for some lovely sarnies OR chop up and put in a healthy salad. Simply boil you egg for 10 minutes and place in cold water for another 10. Then you can peel.
5 . Toad in the hole
Toad in the hole has to be one of our favourite winter recipes. The following recipe, courtesy of a certain Mr. Oliver, is for four people but you can vary the quantity of ingredients and even make it for one.
Tip 115g plain flour into a mixing bowl with three eggs, 285ml milk and some salt and pepper.
Mix these together to create a batter.
Put some oil into a baking tin and place in the oven at its highest temperature.
Add eight sausages and cook until lightly golden.
Pour the batter over the sausages and put back in the oven.
Remove from the oven when the batter has risen and is golden and crisp.
Serve with veg and onion gravy!
6 . Mushroom risotto
Risotto is surprisingly easy to make. Here’s a recipe for a tasty mushroom risotto to serve four people. You can always vary the ingredients, experimenting with the likes of chicken, prawns or other veg:
Chop an onion and mushrooms and crush one clove of garlic.
Melt some butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add the onion, cooking until soft.
Add the mushrooms and garlic and turn up the heat a bit, cooking for another two minutes.
Tip in 150g of risotto rice. Stir and cook for two-three minutes.
Pour in 600 ml of vegetable stock and stir until the liquid has evaporated.
Remove from heat, add salt and pepper and sprinkle some Parmesan on top.
7 . Jacket potato
We know the microwave is right there but seriously, potatoes are rubbish when you cook them in that fast-food machine. Prepare to wait for the perfect jacket potato...
Wash the potato and prick with a fork.
Rub salt evenly on the potato.
Place in a pre-heated oven at 220C and cook for about an hour, until the skin is crisp.
Cut open and accompany with your filling of choice. Cheese, beans, coleslaw, sour cream, cottage cheese, the list is endless...
8 . Soup
Yes yes yes, you can buy cans of soup. Or even that delicious fresh stuff that comes in cartons. But everything tastes better when you’ve cooked it. This is a scientific fact. Here’s an easy recipe for a lovely, warming French onion soup. Use a kilo of onions (which, depending on the size should be about five). If you’re cooking for one, freeze the rest for lunches and dinners in the future.
Add chopped onions to a pan of butter and cook on a low heat until soft.
Increase the heat and cook until the onion becomes sticky and caramelised.
Add 1.2 litres of beef stock, season and bring to the boil.
Simmer for 10 minutes.
Toast some bread (preferably baguette) and drizzle with some olive oil. Sprinkle with grated cheese and place under grill until golden.
Serve with toast on top.
9 . Omelette
An omelette is quick and easy and can be tailored specifically to your tastes. Just follow these basic instructions and you’re away:
Mix two eggs with two tablespoons of milk and some salt and pepper.
Heat some butter in a frying pan and add the egg mixture.
After one minute, stir and reduce heat.
Sprinkle your chosen ingredients (e.g. ham, mushrooms etc) on the surface and wait for the omelette to set underneath.
Sprinkle with cheese (if you want cheese, that is) and cook for two-three minutes.
Fold in half and serve.
10 . Beans on Toast
Obviously we’re big on beans. In fact, we consider ourselves to be chief bean advocates. Which is one of the reasons why ‘beans on toast’ had to make it onto our list. It’s cheap (if you don’t go for Heinz) and ridiculously easy. We advise adding cherry tomatoes, Lea & Perrins, grated cheddar cheese and lots pepper for a more ‘gourmet’ variation on the student classic.
1 . Spaghetti Bolognese
An easy dinner and even tastier once it's frozen and eaten at a later date. Be sure to make a big batch when you cook this Italian favourite:
Brown 500g of minced beef.
Add chopped mushrooms and cook for three minutes.
Stir in one or two crushed garlic cloves and a 400g can of chopped tomatoes along with ¼ pint of beef stock and mixed herbs (optional).
Bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes,
Meanwhile, cook the Spaghetti (or other pasta of choice), drain and serve with your bolognese sauce on top.
Add cheese for extra YUM.
2 . Fajitas
Forget Old El Paso - it’s easy enough to create your own fajitas. What’s more you get to control the level of spice that goes in. Here’s a recipe for two:
Chop an onion, red pepper and two chicken breasts (in thin strips).
Put together in a bowl with one teaspoon of paprika (and the same amount of cumin, if you have it) and some salt and pepper and drizzle with oil.
Now to make your salsa: Chop some tomatoes, chilli and coriander, adding salt and pepper and lime or lemon juice with some oil and stir.
After leaving to marinade for a few minutes, cook in a pre-heated pan for about 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Warm some flour tortillas in the microwave.
Serve with your home-made salsa, grated cheddar, sour cream and guacamole.
3 . Burgers
Home-made burgers are the best. It’s just a fact. And it’s SO ridiculously easy that it makes you wonder why you ever bought them in the first place. This recipe will serve four hungry barbecue-goers:
Dice a small onion and tip into a bowl with 500g of minced beef and one egg.
Roll the mixture into four balls and flatten to make burger-shaped patties.
Put on a plate and cover. Leave in the fridge to firm up for about half an hour.
Heat the barbecue (or grill) and place the burgers on (or in), cooking for about 15 minutes, until cooked through. Turn once.
Serve with a sesame seed bun, salad and any toppings that you desire!
4 . Boiled egg
According to a recent survey, 14% of students have never boiled egg and because we’re kind, we’re going to show you how:
Start with your egg at room temperature (an egg straight from the fridge is at risk of cracking).
Prick the shell.
Bring a small pan of water to the boil. Put your egg on a spoon and gently lower it into the water.
Boil for 3 ½ minutes for a runny yolk.
Et voila! Serve with bread and butter cut into soldiers - perfect for dunking. Alternatively you can cook a hard boiled egg and mash it up with mayonnaise for some lovely sarnies OR chop up and put in a healthy salad. Simply boil you egg for 10 minutes and place in cold water for another 10. Then you can peel.
5 . Toad in the hole
Toad in the hole has to be one of our favourite winter recipes. The following recipe, courtesy of a certain Mr. Oliver, is for four people but you can vary the quantity of ingredients and even make it for one.
Tip 115g plain flour into a mixing bowl with three eggs, 285ml milk and some salt and pepper.
Mix these together to create a batter.
Put some oil into a baking tin and place in the oven at its highest temperature.
Add eight sausages and cook until lightly golden.
Pour the batter over the sausages and put back in the oven.
Remove from the oven when the batter has risen and is golden and crisp.
Serve with veg and onion gravy!
6 . Mushroom risotto
Risotto is surprisingly easy to make. Here’s a recipe for a tasty mushroom risotto to serve four people. You can always vary the ingredients, experimenting with the likes of chicken, prawns or other veg:
Chop an onion and mushrooms and crush one clove of garlic.
Melt some butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add the onion, cooking until soft.
Add the mushrooms and garlic and turn up the heat a bit, cooking for another two minutes.
Tip in 150g of risotto rice. Stir and cook for two-three minutes.
Pour in 600 ml of vegetable stock and stir until the liquid has evaporated.
Remove from heat, add salt and pepper and sprinkle some Parmesan on top.
7 . Jacket potato
We know the microwave is right there but seriously, potatoes are rubbish when you cook them in that fast-food machine. Prepare to wait for the perfect jacket potato...
Wash the potato and prick with a fork.
Rub salt evenly on the potato.
Place in a pre-heated oven at 220C and cook for about an hour, until the skin is crisp.
Cut open and accompany with your filling of choice. Cheese, beans, coleslaw, sour cream, cottage cheese, the list is endless...
8 . Soup
Yes yes yes, you can buy cans of soup. Or even that delicious fresh stuff that comes in cartons. But everything tastes better when you’ve cooked it. This is a scientific fact. Here’s an easy recipe for a lovely, warming French onion soup. Use a kilo of onions (which, depending on the size should be about five). If you’re cooking for one, freeze the rest for lunches and dinners in the future.
Add chopped onions to a pan of butter and cook on a low heat until soft.
Increase the heat and cook until the onion becomes sticky and caramelised.
Add 1.2 litres of beef stock, season and bring to the boil.
Simmer for 10 minutes.
Toast some bread (preferably baguette) and drizzle with some olive oil. Sprinkle with grated cheese and place under grill until golden.
Serve with toast on top.
9 . Omelette
An omelette is quick and easy and can be tailored specifically to your tastes. Just follow these basic instructions and you’re away:
Mix two eggs with two tablespoons of milk and some salt and pepper.
Heat some butter in a frying pan and add the egg mixture.
After one minute, stir and reduce heat.
Sprinkle your chosen ingredients (e.g. ham, mushrooms etc) on the surface and wait for the omelette to set underneath.
Sprinkle with cheese (if you want cheese, that is) and cook for two-three minutes.
Fold in half and serve.
10 . Beans on Toast
Obviously we’re big on beans. In fact, we consider ourselves to be chief bean advocates. Which is one of the reasons why ‘beans on toast’ had to make it onto our list. It’s cheap (if you don’t go for Heinz) and ridiculously easy. We advise adding cherry tomatoes, Lea & Perrins, grated cheddar cheese and lots pepper for a more ‘gourmet’ variation on the student classic.
Top ten student cocktails made easy | studentbeans.com
Top ten student cocktails made easy studentbeans.com
Top ten student cocktails made easy
Trying to save some money by having some friends round for a party? Check out our top ten easy student cocktails...
10 . Cheeky Vimto
'WOW! It reeeeally tastes like Vimto!'
The slightly slurred first words of anyone trying this now classic student cocktail for the first time. Who'd have thought that combining what is generally regarded as an old man's drink with... well, Blue WKD, would create something so beautiful?!
All of the cocktails we're bringing you today (unless stated otherwise) are intended to be made in large batches for around 10-15 people, so you might need to find either a massive bowl or perhaps a (thoroughly cleaned) plastic bucket in which to make your lethal creations.
You will need:
1 Bottle of port1L Blue WKD(Add vodka to make it a Super Vimto, but don't blame the hangover on us.)
9 . Cherry cola
Let's be honest, Cherry Coke is the less popular second cousin of everyone's favourite soft drink. This cocktail recipe, however, takes it to a whole new level.
You will need:
1 Bottle of vodka1/2 Bottle of Cherry Sourz4L Cola
8 . Gin & Tonic
The recipe for this one is very tricky to remember, so be sure to write it down.
You will need:
1 Bottle of gin4L TonicWedges of lemon and lime.
7 . Damp kangaroo
This tastes a lot nicer than an actual damp kangaroo - we know, we checked.
You will need:
1 Bottle of vodka1 Bottle of Apple Sourz4L Lemonade
6 . Gin appletini
If you like Scrubs you'll find this one funny. if you don't, well, it'll still get you good and drunk. This one is pure booze, so small glasses please people...
You will need:
1 Bottle of gin1/2 Bottle of Apple Sourz
5 . Cuba libre
Sounds fancy doesn't it...? It's not. It's actually just a posh name for a rum and Coke.
You will need:
1 Bottle of rum4L Cola(Add lime juice to make it at least a little bit like a cocktail.)
4 . Sangria
It's definitely not summer anymore, but drink enough of this stuff and you'll start to think it is.
You will need:
2 Bottles of red wine1L of lemonadeSliced unpeeled fruit (apples, oranges, lemons)Ice
3 . Fat frog
OK people, it's time for cocktail maths...
1 Brightly coloured alcopop X 3 = Skittles
Strange but true, if you mix the three drinks below you are left with a bright green cup of joy that tastes EXACTLY like Skittles. Try it, and tell us how right we were.
1 700ml Bottle of Smirnoff Ice1 700ml Bottle of Blue WKD1 700ml Bottle of Orange Bacardi Breezer
2 . Sex on the beach
Not QUITE as much fun as it sounds, but nearly...
You will need:
1 Bottle of vodka1 Bottle of peach schnapps1L Orange juice1L Cranberry juice
1 . Snakebite and black
OK, so this isn't a cocktail as such, but it involves a few ingredients, and you can't be a student without it.
No matter how much or little you're making, all you need is equal parts of lager and cider, and then some blackcurrant cordial to make the whole thing palatable.
Top ten student cocktails made easy
Trying to save some money by having some friends round for a party? Check out our top ten easy student cocktails...
10 . Cheeky Vimto
'WOW! It reeeeally tastes like Vimto!'
The slightly slurred first words of anyone trying this now classic student cocktail for the first time. Who'd have thought that combining what is generally regarded as an old man's drink with... well, Blue WKD, would create something so beautiful?!
All of the cocktails we're bringing you today (unless stated otherwise) are intended to be made in large batches for around 10-15 people, so you might need to find either a massive bowl or perhaps a (thoroughly cleaned) plastic bucket in which to make your lethal creations.
You will need:
1 Bottle of port1L Blue WKD(Add vodka to make it a Super Vimto, but don't blame the hangover on us.)
9 . Cherry cola
Let's be honest, Cherry Coke is the less popular second cousin of everyone's favourite soft drink. This cocktail recipe, however, takes it to a whole new level.
You will need:
1 Bottle of vodka1/2 Bottle of Cherry Sourz4L Cola
8 . Gin & Tonic
The recipe for this one is very tricky to remember, so be sure to write it down.
You will need:
1 Bottle of gin4L TonicWedges of lemon and lime.
7 . Damp kangaroo
This tastes a lot nicer than an actual damp kangaroo - we know, we checked.
You will need:
1 Bottle of vodka1 Bottle of Apple Sourz4L Lemonade
6 . Gin appletini
If you like Scrubs you'll find this one funny. if you don't, well, it'll still get you good and drunk. This one is pure booze, so small glasses please people...
You will need:
1 Bottle of gin1/2 Bottle of Apple Sourz
5 . Cuba libre
Sounds fancy doesn't it...? It's not. It's actually just a posh name for a rum and Coke.
You will need:
1 Bottle of rum4L Cola(Add lime juice to make it at least a little bit like a cocktail.)
4 . Sangria
It's definitely not summer anymore, but drink enough of this stuff and you'll start to think it is.
You will need:
2 Bottles of red wine1L of lemonadeSliced unpeeled fruit (apples, oranges, lemons)Ice
3 . Fat frog
OK people, it's time for cocktail maths...
1 Brightly coloured alcopop X 3 = Skittles
Strange but true, if you mix the three drinks below you are left with a bright green cup of joy that tastes EXACTLY like Skittles. Try it, and tell us how right we were.
1 700ml Bottle of Smirnoff Ice1 700ml Bottle of Blue WKD1 700ml Bottle of Orange Bacardi Breezer
2 . Sex on the beach
Not QUITE as much fun as it sounds, but nearly...
You will need:
1 Bottle of vodka1 Bottle of peach schnapps1L Orange juice1L Cranberry juice
1 . Snakebite and black
OK, so this isn't a cocktail as such, but it involves a few ingredients, and you can't be a student without it.
No matter how much or little you're making, all you need is equal parts of lager and cider, and then some blackcurrant cordial to make the whole thing palatable.
2011年7月17日 星期日
5 Things You Should Never Put in an Email
When it comes to customer service, some things are better handled by phone. You’d expect a headset manufacturer like Plantronics to understand that.
Apparently not.
I refer to the recent exchange between the company and author Sharon Drew Morgen. She’d ordered several headsets from Plantronics that didn’t work, and the company tried to replace them with a refurbished model.
That provoked the following rant on her blog:
“As you can see, they truly care … about themselves,” she wrote in a follow-up post yesterday.
And that got me thinking. Some of the smartest companies I know limit the email interactions between customers and their service department, precisely because in an age of Web 2.0, an email exchange can easily be published. While most of the written communications are mundane and done by the book, they can also be taken out of context in a way that makes the company look bad, if not incompetent.
Here are a few things you should avoid putting into an email, if possible.
A rejection. If you have to tell your customer “no,” an email is sometimes the worst way to do it. I’ve seen clever companies ask customers they’re about to turn down to “please call” to discuss the matter. While this is frustrating to customers, it can help a company save face.
An excuse. If a company must defend a policy that, to customers, is indefensible, an email may be the worst way to do it. And yet many companies do it anyway. They blame their competitors, calling something an “industry standard” and insist that they must do something in order to remain competitive. In fact, these emails make them look awful when they’re published on Facebook or Google+.
An ultimatum. If the exchange with a customer has deteriorated to the point where you’re ready to refer the matter to your legal department, email is the wrong way to continue. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen an exchange that ends, “Any further correspondence with this office will not be answered.” Why put that into an email? Why not just let your actions speak for themselves?
A non-answer. Many companies have pre-written “form” answers that they simply cut-and-paste into the body of the email. Problem is, they sometimes don’t take the time to actually read the question and ensure the form answers the question. That makes the company appear distracted and clueless.
Anything you wouldn’t want to see published. If you wouldn’t say something to a customer in person, why would you put it into an email? And yet every day, I see customer service representatives addressing a “Mr.” as a “Ms.” or sending emails to “{Insert Firstname}” or including internal emails in which the case is discussed frankly, and without any of the pleasantries you’d expect from a customer service agent. Needless to say, they can be avoided by reading before sending.
Advice for Customers
Increasingly, the smartest companies will try to limit their exposure to any form of media that can be republished. That might include shifting customer-service calls to online “chat” where the windows can’t easily be copied (a low-down dirty thing to do, in this consumer advocate’s book) or insisting that any bad news be delivered by phone.
As a customer, it’s your job to keep the correspondence in writing, as much as possible. So when a representative says “no” ask for it in writing. When someone gives you a reason for a rejection, get it in an email — if you can.
Apparently not.
I refer to the recent exchange between the company and author Sharon Drew Morgen. She’d ordered several headsets from Plantronics that didn’t work, and the company tried to replace them with a refurbished model.
That provoked the following rant on her blog:
Why would a vendor have me pay for a faulty phone, send me a refurbished phone to replace the new one, and then want me to pack everything up for them and get it all back to them? Not to mention that this has all taken three weeks, and I need my damn phone! Asking a bit much from a customer, no? What am I missing here?Because Morgen confined her subsequent exchanges to email, she captured every company response after that, including a dismissive email from a manager.
“As you can see, they truly care … about themselves,” she wrote in a follow-up post yesterday.
And that got me thinking. Some of the smartest companies I know limit the email interactions between customers and their service department, precisely because in an age of Web 2.0, an email exchange can easily be published. While most of the written communications are mundane and done by the book, they can also be taken out of context in a way that makes the company look bad, if not incompetent.
Here are a few things you should avoid putting into an email, if possible.
A rejection. If you have to tell your customer “no,” an email is sometimes the worst way to do it. I’ve seen clever companies ask customers they’re about to turn down to “please call” to discuss the matter. While this is frustrating to customers, it can help a company save face.
An excuse. If a company must defend a policy that, to customers, is indefensible, an email may be the worst way to do it. And yet many companies do it anyway. They blame their competitors, calling something an “industry standard” and insist that they must do something in order to remain competitive. In fact, these emails make them look awful when they’re published on Facebook or Google+.
An ultimatum. If the exchange with a customer has deteriorated to the point where you’re ready to refer the matter to your legal department, email is the wrong way to continue. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen an exchange that ends, “Any further correspondence with this office will not be answered.” Why put that into an email? Why not just let your actions speak for themselves?
A non-answer. Many companies have pre-written “form” answers that they simply cut-and-paste into the body of the email. Problem is, they sometimes don’t take the time to actually read the question and ensure the form answers the question. That makes the company appear distracted and clueless.
Anything you wouldn’t want to see published. If you wouldn’t say something to a customer in person, why would you put it into an email? And yet every day, I see customer service representatives addressing a “Mr.” as a “Ms.” or sending emails to “{Insert Firstname}” or including internal emails in which the case is discussed frankly, and without any of the pleasantries you’d expect from a customer service agent. Needless to say, they can be avoided by reading before sending.
Advice for Customers
Increasingly, the smartest companies will try to limit their exposure to any form of media that can be republished. That might include shifting customer-service calls to online “chat” where the windows can’t easily be copied (a low-down dirty thing to do, in this consumer advocate’s book) or insisting that any bad news be delivered by phone.
As a customer, it’s your job to keep the correspondence in writing, as much as possible. So when a representative says “no” ask for it in writing. When someone gives you a reason for a rejection, get it in an email — if you can.
Everything You Need to Know About Google+
By David Rogers | July 13, 2011
it launched in limited release, Google’s new social web service Google+ has exploded onto the digital scene.
In the first week, 35% of all news links shared on Twitter were news about Google+. With only a limited number of “techie” insiders allowed in for the initial test of the service, the clamoring demand for Google+ was deafening (with the requisite online scammers luring the unsuspecting with promises of “invites” to Google+).
Within days, pundits were declaring that G+ (as it’s being abbreviated) would spell the end of Facebook, the end of Twitter, of LinkedIn, of Skype, even of email. Others have been far more skeptical of G+’s ability to compete against the enormous beachhead of Facebook’s 750 million users, and their inertia towards moving to another system.
What do brands and businesses need to know about Google+ at this early stage?
Following is a primer of where I think we stand today.
1. What Is Google+? A new social networking service. It allows you to share either with people you actually know (sort of like Facebook), or with anyone in the world who wants to follow you (sort of like Twitter). It is currently only available by limited invite, but will launch for the general public soon.
2. Why would anyone join Google+ when there already is Facebook? The key “Circles” feature allows you to categorize the people that you know –so you can share a thought, link, or photo with your grandmother, your boss, or your girlfriend, without having to share it with all three. “Hangouts” and “Huddles” allow you to join in group video chats or group instant messaging with a small group of friends. (This squashed Facebook’s subsequent “big announcement” last week that it was introducing one-on-one video chat.) Overall, the look and feel is quite similar to Facebook, but it is much simpler, cleaner, without all the ads and the spammy Farmville updates.
3. Will Google+ Kill Facebook? G+ is not likely to kill Facebook, certainly not anytime soon. In order to get real traction, it will have to prove it can draw fans from many other circles besides the “tech geek” crowd predominating (and seeming to love it) in the early trial. It is less certain that the teens and grandmas who drive so much of Facebook will find the benefits of G+ worth the effort of switching. More likely, many users will dabble in both, as tools emerge to allow both businesses and individuals to simultaneously manage Facebook and G+ accounts. G+ may also force Facebook to be both more innovative, and more concerned with user privacy concerns.
4. Will it kill anything else? (And can I drop something from my “social media to-do list” now?) This is where the most speculation has been about dead bodies about to fall. My own predictions, for “Will Google+ Kill This Medium?”:
Email: No. Frequently underestimated. Everyone hates it. Few can work without it.
LinkedIn: Very doubtful, although G+ might reduce the sharing of news on Linkedin, which has been growing quite rapidly this year.
Twitter: Very unlikely. Love it or hate it, the experience of Twitter’s “flow of headlines” is radically different than either G+ or Facebook.
Blogging: No, but G+ may reduce the numbers of blogs, just as Twitter did. In other words, traditional blogging will be increasingly reserved for the people and businesses that are willing to invest the time required for longer, thoughtful, well-developed pieces–not just re-sharing something interesting they’ve read, along with a small dash of personal observation.
Skype: Maybe. G+ could easily trump the videochat capability of Skype, which would leave users only with cheap international calls to landline phones as a (much reduced) reason for using Skype.
5. Should My Brand Be on Google+ Yet? Actually, Google has now asked brands not to set up profiles yet (although a few like Ford had already jumped the gun). Google is enlisting a few brands to try out business features in a very limited test, and the company likely be opening up G+ to businesses in a matter of weeks. While some pundits said that businesses can safely ignore G+ for a year or so, I disagree.
If technology early adopters and social media influencers are particularly important to your business, then you should keep a close eye on it, and try to start experimenting ASAP, in order to show that you’re in this new space along with them. If these folks are not very important to you, keep your powder dry, you don’t need to join yet. Google+ users are a small group now, but could grow extremely fast, given the interest and Google’s reach. Already, users are reporting that features like the group video chat could offer exciting new opportunities for brands to interact with customers. More are sure to follow.
More Work, More Opportunity
Sadly, Google+ does not yet remove anything from your list of to do’s, and it won’t likely do so anytime soon. For bigger organizations with a diverse online presence, it will likely mean one more outlet to manage, along with Facebook, Twitter, and possibly others. For small enterprises, it may force a decision later this year based on where your customers are going: Facebook? Twitter? Google+? Can you pick two out of three?
On the plus side, Google+ will almost certainly open up new opportunities for business as well: new forms of customer interaction, new insights from customer sharing and public behavior, as well as new opportunities for advertising, thought leadership, or sponsored content. Keep your eyes on Google+.
Within days, pundits were declaring that G+ (as it’s being abbreviated) would spell the end of Facebook, the end of Twitter, of LinkedIn, of Skype, even of email. Others have been far more skeptical of G+’s ability to compete against the enormous beachhead of Facebook’s 750 million users, and their inertia towards moving to another system.
What do brands and businesses need to know about Google+ at this early stage?
Following is a primer of where I think we stand today.
1. What Is Google+? A new social networking service. It allows you to share either with people you actually know (sort of like Facebook), or with anyone in the world who wants to follow you (sort of like Twitter). It is currently only available by limited invite, but will launch for the general public soon.
2. Why would anyone join Google+ when there already is Facebook? The key “Circles” feature allows you to categorize the people that you know –so you can share a thought, link, or photo with your grandmother, your boss, or your girlfriend, without having to share it with all three. “Hangouts” and “Huddles” allow you to join in group video chats or group instant messaging with a small group of friends. (This squashed Facebook’s subsequent “big announcement” last week that it was introducing one-on-one video chat.) Overall, the look and feel is quite similar to Facebook, but it is much simpler, cleaner, without all the ads and the spammy Farmville updates.
3. Will Google+ Kill Facebook? G+ is not likely to kill Facebook, certainly not anytime soon. In order to get real traction, it will have to prove it can draw fans from many other circles besides the “tech geek” crowd predominating (and seeming to love it) in the early trial. It is less certain that the teens and grandmas who drive so much of Facebook will find the benefits of G+ worth the effort of switching. More likely, many users will dabble in both, as tools emerge to allow both businesses and individuals to simultaneously manage Facebook and G+ accounts. G+ may also force Facebook to be both more innovative, and more concerned with user privacy concerns.
4. Will it kill anything else? (And can I drop something from my “social media to-do list” now?) This is where the most speculation has been about dead bodies about to fall. My own predictions, for “Will Google+ Kill This Medium?”:
Email: No. Frequently underestimated. Everyone hates it. Few can work without it.
LinkedIn: Very doubtful, although G+ might reduce the sharing of news on Linkedin, which has been growing quite rapidly this year.
Twitter: Very unlikely. Love it or hate it, the experience of Twitter’s “flow of headlines” is radically different than either G+ or Facebook.
Blogging: No, but G+ may reduce the numbers of blogs, just as Twitter did. In other words, traditional blogging will be increasingly reserved for the people and businesses that are willing to invest the time required for longer, thoughtful, well-developed pieces–not just re-sharing something interesting they’ve read, along with a small dash of personal observation.
Skype: Maybe. G+ could easily trump the videochat capability of Skype, which would leave users only with cheap international calls to landline phones as a (much reduced) reason for using Skype.
5. Should My Brand Be on Google+ Yet? Actually, Google has now asked brands not to set up profiles yet (although a few like Ford had already jumped the gun). Google is enlisting a few brands to try out business features in a very limited test, and the company likely be opening up G+ to businesses in a matter of weeks. While some pundits said that businesses can safely ignore G+ for a year or so, I disagree.
If technology early adopters and social media influencers are particularly important to your business, then you should keep a close eye on it, and try to start experimenting ASAP, in order to show that you’re in this new space along with them. If these folks are not very important to you, keep your powder dry, you don’t need to join yet. Google+ users are a small group now, but could grow extremely fast, given the interest and Google’s reach. Already, users are reporting that features like the group video chat could offer exciting new opportunities for brands to interact with customers. More are sure to follow.
More Work, More Opportunity
Sadly, Google+ does not yet remove anything from your list of to do’s, and it won’t likely do so anytime soon. For bigger organizations with a diverse online presence, it will likely mean one more outlet to manage, along with Facebook, Twitter, and possibly others. For small enterprises, it may force a decision later this year based on where your customers are going: Facebook? Twitter? Google+? Can you pick two out of three?
On the plus side, Google+ will almost certainly open up new opportunities for business as well: new forms of customer interaction, new insights from customer sharing and public behavior, as well as new opportunities for advertising, thought leadership, or sponsored content. Keep your eyes on Google+.
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