The live chat software with the live chat operators may know the visitors about referral source, searched keyword, pages browsed, time on site, and the other else thing. You can have the live support that you thinks will give you the other kind of the live chat that can be sales support or (post-sales) customer support to make your business get the best higher rank. The live chat software that you choose will give you the other kinds of increase reduces cost per acquisition, value per order, and you may convert more visitors into customers, and all those contribute to your profit growth in your new business in internet marketing.

For this need of communicating, the The List Company is the trustable one for the most reliable service.  They are the experienced one by being the mailing list company that has one of the largest databases which contains in excess of 14 million US businesses and 300 million US consumers. With so many customers that use their service, the company has provide the best most effective resources for all of your direct mail and telemarketing needs.

The company is the one that is experienced and trustable with the best services for the need of telemarketing lists, mortgage mailing list, and many others. The telemarketing list that is done by the company is the experienced and trustable to send targeted data and is guaranteed in writing.

Seems like a lot to hang on a luxury gift doesn’t it? However, the key word here is ‘luxury’. This isn’t just any old gift because we’ve been invited to a dinner party or because its great aunt Silvie’s birthday and we feel obliged. A luxury gift is usually chosen so that you can express the value that person has to you. This is why it’s important to get it right, along with the fact that if you are going to pay out for a gift of this caliber you want to make sure they enjoy it.

Top London stores are picking up on the hole in this market and, as such, are implementing ways of helping their customers chose the perfect luxury gift by dedicating whole departments to the process. Now this sounds like a way to while away an afternoon but I defy you to not come out with something for yourself too!

Harrods have recently opened their ‘gift and object’ room on the second floor of their Knightsbridge store. Stocking top brands such as Lladro, Jay Strongwater, Halcyon Days and others there will be a gift here to suit anyone.

If you want to check out Harrods competition, try Selfridges ‘Wonder Room’. Departments within departments to help narrow down your selection, you can choose from jewellery, fine wine and food, sunglasses, mobile phones or their innovative Concept store. The Concept Store is an area of Selfridges that stocks luxury gifts with a difference. From the quirky and unusual curiosities that you would never have dreamt of to fun, innovative and eclectic pieces that you simply know will be perfect for that special person in your life.

Jewellery is not such a cop out as you might think when it comes to giving someone a luxury gift. Gold, diamonds, platinum or silver from designers such as Dodo, Hermes, Kojis or Theo Fennell will turn up a completely unique piece that will be both stunning and perfect for your loved one. Sunglasses aren’t your average present but I, for one, would be grateful to receive some Prada shades encrusted with diamonds set on a precious metal frame. Not the usual treat that you would get for yourself which makes them an ideal gift idea.

Watches are something that people often buy each other. This is not only a way of timekeeping but the watch you give says something about you and what you think of the receiver. A top quality watch that reflects that persons personality, whether it be simple and stylish, contemporary or bedecked with jewels will be a gift to be treasured for life.

Wine and food are not something that many think of giving as a luxury gift but they are often well received. The average food shop will consist of the average food. To treat someone to the luxuries of food that they wouldn’t normally buy for themselves is pretty special as is purchasing them some decent wine. Wine buffs will always appreciate an addition to their collection, particularly if it’s something a little bit special. But how do you know what is special? Well, if you visit one of the in-store luxury gift departments, they will be able to help and advice to make sure you get it just right.

Expert buyer Catherine Harvey looks at the choice of Luxury gifts on the market today. To find out more please visit http://www.chronolux.com/catalog/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Catherine_Harvey

Those were the days when the owner of the business was pleased to see you.

Instead of cold impersonal shelves full of merchandise, the shop owner would often greet you personally and welcome you into his shop.

He would find out exactly what you wanted, and then do his best to supply it.

No ultra modern, plush interiors, just the basics for his trade.

The great thing was, you felt you were a person not another number.

You were the owner’s reason for his existence, and he knew it.

You were treated like the most important thing in the proprietor’s life because you were.

The shop owner was grateful for you visiting him and would do his utmost to make you feel wanted, and cater to your every comfort to make sure you stayed. Deliver your goods for you.

Quite simply, the customer was his business, not an interruption to it.

Sigh those were the days.

Not a lot different from the recipe for success in the world’s oldest profession.

Customer satisfaction is high on the list of priorities for every call girl, street walker or prostitute, call them what you will.

A happy customer is a satisfied customer, and satisfied customers come back for more, no matter what you’re selling.

Remind you of something?

It should.

Because if you remove the mystique and secrecy spun by the so-called internet guru’s, it is exactly like the internet today.

On the internet, the customer is king, or queen, or in some cases both.

I have said it before and I will say it again, the mystery of the internet is a fallacy put about by those who stand to make money by perpetuating that myth.

Snake oil salesmen I called them, and so they are.

Rather than the wonder of the modern age, the internet is a great lesson in going back to basics.

Where Mr Entrepreneur sitting in his bedroom in front of a computer monitor can compete fairly with the biggest multinational company.

Providing you supply the right goods, of the right quality in the right place at the right time you can compete with the biggest and the best.

That quotation is attributed to Gordon Selfridge, an American, who opened Selfridge’s store in Oxford Street London in 1909 because he was unimpressed with the standards of service offered at that time.

His maxim, “The customer is always right” summed up his attitude to a service industry.

His staff was taught to do everything possible to make the customers visit enjoyable, which would in turn ensure the client stayed to spend money.

This is the blueprint for the internet today. It’s exactly what many of the internet “experts” preach.

There is no secret formula, except supplying your customer with what they want.

Gordon Selfridge had a very basic work ethos, and that attitude towards his customers is summed up in the title of a book he wrote, “The Romance of Commerce” which traced the sales process as far back as Greece and China.

Ancient merchants would travel the trade routes with their donkeys loaded with rugs and spices, tools and clothing to satisfy the needs of their customers.

They studied their market and bought the right goods to satisfy that market.

Trade at its most basic level.

Two thousand years later. Gordon Selfridge was using the same principles to serve his customers in his Department Store. And now, one hundred years on, the internet is using the same basic principles.

Customer satisfaction is the name of the game.

You see, things really haven’t changed.

It’s all about having the confidence in yourself to embrace what is effectively just a new design to the traditional shop.

Whether it be a street barrow, shop, upmarket boutique, or a high-class call-girl, the principles remain the same.

The creation and satisfaction of customers.

Mike Samuels

Writer, Editor, Journalist.

email: hmsesp@gmail.com

The internet is no secret place with magic keys to unlock golden doors.

The same basic principles apply that have been in existence for thousands of years.

Satisfy your customer.

That’s it. Nothing else.

All the rest is packaging.

Natural Born Selling

Marketing for the internet.

Time-tested marketing techniques that work.

Write Selling Blog

http://write-selling.blogspot.com

And me?

Fellow: Inst. Sales & Marketing Management (1989)- UK

Fellow:Inst. of Directors (1989)- UK

Clients include:

Sky Satellite TV News – UK

Daily Mail – UK

GMTV – UK

[http://www.write-selling.com]

[http://www.med-liv.com]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Samuels

“The customer is always right.”

“The customer is always right.”

When I first heard those lines, it sounded disturbing to me. At the age of 16, I got my first job experience working behind the cashier’s counter of a famous fast food joint (read: McDonald’s).

I remembered sometimes getting ridiculous requests, customers mentioning the wrong name of the meals when they actually wanted something else. And somehow, somehow… the customer was always right. And somehow, anyhow… it was my fault. It was my fault because I punched in the order that they didn’t want (hey I just take orders), there was salt in the fries and because McDonald’s doesn’t serve the same chicken as KFC’s.

At the rash young age of 16, it was natural of me to snap back at those ridiculous customers – something you don’t always see at McDonald’s – only to be lectured by my floor manager in the staff quarters.

“You’re a good employee Edmund, but the customer is always right.”

This scenario didn’t change much when I took on my next full time job in a chemical manufacturing company. My former boss chose his customers above his work force, even when a small slew of his customers were obviously “bad apples”.

You see, if you keep bad employees then you’ll drive away the good customers. And if you keep the bad customers – not only will you drive away the good customers, your good employees will be gone in no time too.

Now are things any different in the shoes of an Internet Entrepreneur? I may be working for myself now but bluntly speaking, not quite.

Have Any Of These Ever Happened To You?
# Getting ridiculous refund requests from customers (and you know it IS ridiculous).
# For anyone selling products on ClickBank: you have people getting refunds for no disclosed reason. They got their money back AND your product.
# Get unpleasant emails from customers who are making unreasonable requests from your product or service that you render.
# Have customers who are quick to label you as a con-man before you could move a finger and are threatening to defame or sue you.
# Non-paying customers asking you a lot of questions via helpdesk or email.
# People buying your product with the intention of forcing you to do a Joint Venture with them, and on their terms, because they are already your customers therefore it seems obligatory.

If you answered YES to any of the above – high five, we’re on the same boat. NO? You’re either super lucky… or you’re not making any solid money yet. While this is expected to be parts and parcel of business of any kind, I personally found it that some recurring situations and scenarios are unique to the Internet Marketing arena.

For one common example, we have people using the tire-worn excuse “I didn’t have the chance to use the product therefore I want to ask for a refund”. There’s a ghostly chance of that happening in the off-line world, and usually what constitutes a valid reason in asking for a refund is if the merchant fails to deliver what he promises or that the product is not good/damaged.

Also, most people who are entering the world of E-Commerce as individuals are usually motivated by desperation. Thus it is also not uncommon to find people asking for their money back because of their bad financial circumstances.

So Is The Customer Always Right?

That depends.

Are human beings perfect? Nope. Are customers human beings too? Yeah, definitely. So, can they always be right? Not always.

I know this is an ironic catch-22 situation because as business owners, we need customers to keep our operations running, pay our bills, and we’re in it for profit, aren’t we?

But after having conversed with several business owners from different fields – and who are obviously more experienced than I am – they all agree one one thing: don’t just get any customer.

We always hear of consumers demanding for their rights, asking for whatever they are entitled to, and go as far as forming consumer bodies within their societies. Which is a perfectly fine thing to do to protect themselves from fraudulent merchants?

But what about the rest of us who are in business? We face the same problems as customers do in one area of effect: bad customers.

The Origin of the Phrase “The Customer Is Always Right”

My research suggests that the phrase was originally coined by Harry Gordon Selfridge, the founder of Selfridge’s department store in London in 1909. The quote was used to convince customers that they will get good service at this company while also convincing employees to give customers good service.

Good Customers, Bad Customers

Just as with people, there are good people and the bad guys, nice people and not-so-nice people. While the good news is that in general, most customers are honest, polite and have well intentions – there is a small fraction with the potential of giving one an unpleasant experience, enough to spoil the day.

The tell-tale signs are usually similar: making unreasonable demands and saying along the lines of “it’s my right” or “I’m entitled to this” (don’t you just hate those words?) and “If you don’t meet my demands then I will publish about your rotten service on HubPages, Squidoo, Twitter… and did I leave anything out?”

What Do I Do When I’ve Encountered A Rotten Customer?

Being offended by nasty remarks from a customer is a natural knee-jerk reaction for many of us Internet Marketers and business owners. The first thing to do is examine if there’s any truth in what he or she is saying, and why possibly could he or she say so.

It might be a genuine fault on your part, who knows?

Maybe you over-promised and under-delivered. Maybe your sales copy is sending a wrong message and perception to your customers (this is quite common actually). Examine all possible angles that it might be an innocent error on your part that is causing discomfort on your customer’s side.

However if the customer is downright rude and making unreasonable demands of your service, remember that even as a paid customer he has no right to hurl abuse at you.

In such event, don’t be afraid to exercise your decision in firing your customer (who says firing is just for employees?). It’s plain simple as said before: if you favor your bad customers over other customers and your staff, your good customers will go first. THEN your employees. And THEN your bad customers after you find out you can never please them.

If someone threatens you or is giving you a hard time, just say along the lines of “sorry but I have to let you go” and in exceptional cases, if refunding their purchase will keep them away do it. It’s not worth keeping a $37 sale and not be able to sleep at night. It may mean losing their business but you get to sleep better and keep your mind in a healthy frame so you can pursue more business with a better class of buyers.

DON’T SCREW THEM BACK: like most of us, I admit that screwing those losers seemed like a perfectly nice thing to do. But more often the problem is that this will just give the bad customers “ammo” to fire back at you. And if it is in writing like email or letter, they will have something to hold against you. Stay polite and keep professional. Not an easy thing to do but remember about your career’s future, your other good customers, and your partners.

Another plus to this is that since you’re polite, they cannot have anything solid against you and would think twice about publishing about your business publicly (because others can clearly see what a nice person you are… and what a jerk he or she is!) And if you’re thinking of the possibility that they can fabricate the story, this is where keeping copies of your email correspondences pay off so that you can defend yourself.

The “It’s My Right” Mentality

You will find that this is a favorite line some of these rotten apples stick to. Firstly, it’s perfectly right for a customer to get what he or she deserves from a product or service. Things like good customer service, get your product delivered on time, getting warranties, etc.

But remember also that he or she is not entitled to taking up your personal time (unless you’re in the coaching business), getting the rest of your stuff for free, abusing your helpdesk and support, and certainly not walking away with your spouse!

So is the customer always right? If you still think they are, then be prepared for sleepless nights!

Tired of guessing in the dark? Go to my website now and discover how YOU can start up to 19 totally different, low-cost, high-profit Internet Business Models that you can copy for your own. Click here now: http://ebizmodelsyoucancopy.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Edmund_Loh

Launching their own version of a penis stretcher, the device can easily be found in Selfridge’s soon at a price of $250, and already it is attracting a lot of attention.

Producing average penile growths of 0.6 inches in length, consumers are commending Harley fit – the creators of this device – for its lasting results.

What exactly is an extender?

Clinically proven to encourage penis growths of up to 0.6 inches in girth and 1.6 inches in length, the device can comfortably be worn underneath your clothing without putting your penis at risk of damage.

However Selfidges is not the first to produce such promising results.

Penis extenders have been available online for many years and customers and their lovers have been enjoying the results.

These very same devices can be found online for as little as $149

Traction devices – how do they work?

Structured using a similar traction technique used in orthopaedic surgery and by women of the Paduang tribe, the extender gently applies traction to the copora cavernosa of the penis, causing cells to break away and replicate.

As this tissue accumulates within your penis chambers, this helps your penis to hold more blood and permanently increase in length and girth.

However this is not all that these traction devices can do. Worn for a few hours every day, the extender devices – can also:

• Correct penile curvatures by 70%
• Improve stamina and endurance
• Stop post surgical penile retractions
• Treat peyronies disease

Visit Penis Stretcher Info for more honest penis enlargement information

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R_Parker

An even more unlikely occurrence is the availability in high street stores apart from those specifically geared towards adult products.

All this appears to be changing. Selfridges, a large department store in London, will be the first to stock a traction device aimed at increasing penis size.

The Wow Willy is the brand name of the medically approved and clinically trialled Andro Penis extender from Andro Medical. Husband and wife run Harley Fit have patented the Wow Willy brand and will be the first company to stock a penis enlargement traction device in a store that has a family oriented customer base.

This is major breakthrough for the penis enlargement industry.

In an industry diluted with highly suspicious products with less than credible credentials the Wow Willy has science and clinical evidence on its side. The Andro Penis, to which the Wow Willy is a branded version carries the CE mark of approval for safety and is classed as a medical device type 1.

It is the penis enlargement pills, patches and oils and herbal based ingestible products that throw the serious and more importantly, effective method s of penis enlargements into doubt.

Penis traction is thought to be the number one most effective method to enlarge a penis outside of surgery. Penis surgery potentially offers a quicker reward but also is very expensive and can also lead to permanent damage or disfigurement on what is mans most valuable bodily asset.

50% of penile cosmetic surgical procedures are successful, but it is the other 50% where the concern lies.

Wow Willy’s newly appointed sales manager Jojo Kovacs recently described his unique marketing approach in an interview conducted by Metro London, a popular newspaper with the city’s commuters. “I will just walk up to a gentlemen in the vicinity and ask him … do you have a small penis” This tactic is sure to be met with high degree of approval from casual male shoppers.

This does though rather beg question, is the subject of penis enlargement better off left in the anonymity of the internet. Certain products are subject to the embarrassment factor – penis enlargement is certainly one of those. The Wow Willy will go on sale later in 2009. Read the Wow Willy review.

Tony Jay writes for http://www.mypenisenlargement.co.uk/ a penis enlargement and male enhancement resource highlighting the effective methods of penis enlargement from the dubious.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tony_Jay

When was the last time someone came into your business, or called on the phone, or better yet emailed you with a throbbing case of the nasties? Our business is located just outside of the city with a bus stop in front. We also own several niche market web sites. Do you suppose we get our share of interesting characters?

Somehow, this philosophy/policy of, “The customer is always right” has been branded into the consumer’s psyche and repeatedly shoved in the face of business owners, managers, and employees. Having worked in Law Enforcement for several years, we’re taught by our instructors and leaders to consider “the spirit of the law” versus “the letter of the law.” These considerations dictate whether or not the cop is going to give you a ticket for going 5 miles over the speed limit. If we’re to follow the “letter of the law,” we’re going to go by the book each and every time without exception. It’s the “spirit” that allows us discretion to listen to a creative story of how your lover caught you with your spouse again and “thank God you’re here to protect me, Officer… and that’s why I was speeding. I was trying to get away!”

Shouldn’t we, as business owners and managers, have that same option of discretion when a less than reasonable customer approaches chanting that misguided mantra? Now, of course, this is not to say that we should not recognize our positions as “authority figures” and practice a higher degree of professionalism, diplomacy, and tact. All of which are vital to your business. Professionalism is the difference between giving the appearance of genuine concern, and wrapping your knuckles on someone’s forehead to see if anybody’s home. Diplomacy is being able to give your customer the perception that you owe them, and have provided them with, an apology by stating something to the affect of, “I’m sorry you feel that our policy has inconvenienced you.” instead of actually apologizing and admitting fault for something that your company is righteous in maintaining. Tact is being able to tell your customer that it appears that your (policy, sign, product, etc.) was simply misunderstood without having to tell him/her that they’re a complete moron.

Now, I’m also not condoning never admitting fault or accepting responsibility for genuine wrongs and doing everything within your ability to correct them. And there are schools of thought that strictly forbid admitting fault. Their mantra? “Better to ask forgiveness than permission.” However, by the very nature of such an absolute statement such as, “The customer is always right,” provides people, who for no other reason but a sense of entitlement, a free pass to come into your business with the expectation that they’re going to be able to conduct themselves however they wish. This includes treating you and/or your employees with utter disrespect and rudeness. As a result, our employee attrition rate is relatively low because we allow them the discretion of practicing professionalism, diplomacy, and tact.

Fortunately, most of our clientele allow us the opportunity to provide them with genuine friendly service and resolve any issues with a mutually beneficial outcome. Unfortunately, every once in a while, you come across a customer, who no matter what extraordinary efforts you deploy to appease, is simply unreasonable. With that, you must then make an executive decision and these are just a few questions that should be considered in rapid-fire succession almost immediately. Is this customer worth keeping? How adversely will kicking him in the pants affect my business? Am I able to resolve this issue with little impact on my business or bank account? Am I going to diminish my employee’s sense of empowerment and/or sense of dignity by overturning their reasonable decision? I’m sure there are other considerations that you’re likely to make, but these are the very minimum.

Incidentally, the person responsible for us having to endure the phrase, “The customer is always right.” was a gentleman by the name of H Gordon Selfridge. Mr. Selfridge was the founder of Selfridge’s Department Stores widely known across the United Kingdom. Perhaps Mr. Selfridge was stuck in the “letter of the law,” as he died insane and bankrupt. Food for thought.

“Is the Customer Always Right” article authored by John R Valente of http://www.IndieRetailer.com

John Valente is co-founder of IndieRetailer.com, a search engine, resource center, and blog specifically designed for the independent retail industry. John, and wife Jennifer are independent retailers who have owned and operated a brick and mortar store as well as several websites that include [http://www.fantasticfelines.com], http://www.AromatherapyCandle.com, CaliforniaEbooks.com, and CreativeOutsourceGroup.com to name a few since 1998.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Valente

If you are looking for a lovely family run 3 Diamond Bed & Breakfast in a restored Victorian listed building, then the Athena Hotel in Sussex Gardens W2, located in a beautiful tree lined avenue, is what you are looking for. Seven minutes walk from Hyde Park, the Athena Hotel is Ideally located being the perfect choice for holiday makers, business executives and shoppers. Being minutes by taxi to London’s West End, Knightsbridge and not far from the city, this is the ideal base to explore London. A short distance from Paddington Station, many more attractions are located a short distance of the hotel
including restaurants, shopping, Madame Tussaud’s, Oxford Street and Marble Arch or if you prefer being only two minutes from Paddington station, Hyde Park and being close to Lancaster Road and Bayswater Road, then the Shaftesbury Premier London Paddington on Westbourne Terrace, is set back in a private terrace but accessible from all major routes into and out of the heart of London and offering spacious executive, family and standard rooms, with rooms being en suite and having been designed to make your stay as comfortable as possible with warm colours and furniture. All rooms have a plasma TV and complimentary 24/7 broadband internet access, with their Eclipse Bar/Restaurant being a sophisticated, spacious and elegant dining and meeting point for friends and family.

In Orchard Street W1, the Selfridge hotel combines traditional comfort with the convenience of modern facilities. This deluxe hotel offers the best in service and a relaxing atmosphere. Guests can choose from a sumptuous selection of executive rooms, studios and suites. Rooms are equipped with modem points along with Wireless Internet in all bedrooms, meeting rooms and public areas. Situated in the heart of the West End with Marble Arch, Bond Street, Oxford Street, Regent Street and Selfridges being just a short walk away. The exciting night life of the West End waits on the hotel’s doorstep. If you prefer your hotel to be in a garden square and just a few minutes walk from Hyde Park and Paddington
station then try the Quality Crown Hotel Hyde Park in Talbot Square Paddington, this contemporary yet classic hotel is renowned for its hospitality and surprisingly tranquil location. The hotel is just 15 minutes from Heathrow Airport via the Heathrow Express. And in spite of its quiet location, you will find unparalleled access into the heart of London. With Oxford Street, Kensington and Marble Arch being near. The attractive town-house style blends with the up to the moment amenities including wireless and ADSL high speed internet access, flat screen TV and on-demand movies and music.

In a lovely tree-lined street in Sussex Gardens sits the Gower Hotel, a small family-run bed and breakfast hotel. The Gower Hotel is conveniently situated in the Paddington and Hyde Park area. The owners, the Stavrou family, pride themselves on providing a personalised service, making their guests feel very comfortable along with reception staff assisting with directions, sightseeing and theatre bookings. Being within close distance of Paddington station, restaurants, shops and famous London attractions, the Gower is also near Hyde Park, Madame Tussaud’s, Oxford Street, Marble Arch and many more attractions. With the Best Western Shaftesbury Paddington Court hotel on Devonshire Terrace being only 300 metres from the Heathrow Express Terminal and yet set amidst traditional surroundings that recapture some of the elegance and charm of Victorian England, this hotel is ideally located for both the business and leisure traveller. Being in a perfect central point from which to explore London, near to the Paddington and Lancaster Gate underground stations with Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Marble Arch, Edgware Road and Oxford Street are all within five to fifteen minutes walking distance.

Friendly service ensures that your stay in the Queensway Hotel in Sussex Gardens will be an enjoyable one. Ideally situated for shopping in Oxford Street, Bond Street and Knightsbridge. The Queensway Hotel is located next to Hyde Park in Paddington, Central London. They provide a high standard of comfort which combines nicely with a wide range of facilities. All rooms have private baths and/or showers and toilets, television, direct dial telephones, tea and coffee making facilities, trouser presses and hairdryers. Both Paddington and Lancaster Gate Underground stations are close by and there are also several bus routes giving service to theatres, museums, galleries and historic monuments. Being in one of the most desirable areas of London, the Abbey Court Hotel Hyde Park, is located in the quiet tree-lined avenue of Sussex Gardens and provides an ideal base for exploring London. Being popular amongst tourists and business guests because of its location and reasonable rates, it is close to Oxford Street and Marble Arch for shopping and within a three minute walk of Hyde Park which offers jogging,
cycling, sailing and riding facilities. Within a five minute walk are the Paddington, Lancaster Gate and Edgware Road stations, numerous bus routes, as well as the Heathrow Express and Air Bus Link (A2) to Heathrow Airport. Also within easy reach are the famous tourist attractions of the West End including theatres, museums and London’s shopping centres.

The Four Star Shaftesbury Premier London Hyde Park hotel on Westbourne Terrace, offers 119 rooms, while being situated close to London’s Hyde Park and only three minutes from Paddington Tube and the Heathrow Express. Originally The Hyde Park Paddington, the hotel was renamed as The Shaftesbury Hyde Park Paddington being newly refurbished in March 2006 and is now fully air conditioned. Offering spacious executive rooms, family rooms and standard rooms to meet the guests requirements, the rooms have been designed to make your stay as comfortable as possible with the choice of warm
colours and furniture. Each room being provided with 24/7 complimentary broadband access, direct dial telephone, interactive TV and supplying you with tea and coffee making facilities. Offering a splendid base for your stay in London, the Abba Queen’s Gate Hotel in Queen’s Gate SW7, has been kept in its original classic Victorian splendour, with freshly refurbished rooms offering a wonderful mix of classic and contemporary style and offering bathrooms that have both tubs and a shower. Family rooms are spacious and offer comfortable living space when staying. All the rooms have free tea and coffee making facilities, modem-point telephones, wifi and work desk along with Pay-movies, Terrestrial TV and radio channels.

The Westpoint Hotel in Sussex Gardens Hyde Park, is always a popular choice with tourists and business guests alike because of their excellent location and reasonable rates. The Westpoint has excellent access to all the famous attractions whilst being located in the quiet, tree-lined avenue of Sussex Gardens. With a choice of 71 bedrooms, all with private showers and toilets and having the convenience of there being lifts to all floors. Close to Oxford Street and Marble Arch for shopping
and only a three minute walk of Hyde Park which offers jogging, cycling, sailing and riding facilities. Looking for hotel in a former stately Victorian terraced town house, then the Darlington Hyde Park in Sussex Gardens, offers high standard accommodation with modern facilities, which ensure that the expectations of both the business and leisure traveller are fully met. Less than a 5 minute walk from the Heathrow Express terminal at Paddington station, this 40 bedroom converted hotel prides itself on its attention to detail, cleanliness and hygiene combined with a high level of professional customer service, ensuring that the Darlington Hyde Park is always an enjoyable stay. The Darlington Hyde Park
prides itself on being a strictly non-smoking establishment.

With a dedicated ‘Business & Service Centre’ offering secretarial support, word-processing, photocopying and faxing the Radisson SAS Portman Hotel on Portman Square is dedicated to the needs of both the business traveller and those on holiday. Located in a secluded corner of picturesque Portman Square near Marble Arch, the hotel is in the heart of London’s West End, with Selfridges, Marks & Spencers and the famous shops of Oxford Street and Bond Street being just a few minutes walk away. Hyde Park is also just around the corner offering a peaceful haven in which to walk and relax. There is also a mobile telephone hire facility, and in addition, business travellers will appreciate the hotel’s close proximity to the commercial districts. Alternatively, Paddington Court Rooms in Devonshire Terrace, is situated just a five minute walk from Paddington station. This hotel is ideally located for many of London’s top attractions including Hyde Park and Oxford Street. Offering 17 guest rooms all of which have private en suite bathroom facilities with the rooms being decorated to a high standard,
which ensures guests have a comfortable stay when in London.

The exciting new central London based Quality Crown Hotel in Paddington’s Praed Street, brings a modern designer-style at an affordable price based at the heart of central London’s tube and bus network. Contemporary and Executive rooms are all non smoking and feature air conditioning, wired and wireless high speed internet, large flat screen TV with on-demand movies and CD’s, sound-proofed glazing and over-sized power shower. The Gallery Lounge and Bar features Sky Sports on a 42 inch plasma TV and the hotel boasts a Fitness Centre, atrium-style Executive Lounge and Conference Rooms for 12 delegates.

Philip runs the travel website http://www.travel05.co.uk Flight, hotel and travel booking.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Philip_Graham

The question I want answered is; did he ever work with
customers on day-to-day basis and if so, was he some kind of
saint?

Let’s face it; customers can be a real pain in the neck. You
move heaven and earth for them, you respond to their every
whim, you give them time to pay and they still try to screw
your prices down.

Just when you’ve done all that, they leave you and start
buying from one of your competitors.

Wouldn’t running a business be a whole lot better if we
didn’t have customers? Well, as we know only too well, we do
need customers and lots of them. We want them to stay with
us and we want them to say nice things about us to other
people.

We also want them to pay us on time and accept the fact that
we might be a bit more expensive than others.

So how do we perform this miracle? It’s dead easy really;
you only have to consider two factors: be reliable and be
likeable. First off, let’s consider what we mean by being
reliable.

Reliability is about your product or service doing what you
say it will do. It comes in two parts, the first part being:
doing it right first time and doing it on time.
If you can’t get this bit right then you’re going to have
big problems. Customers will accept the occasional mistake,
but too many and you’ve had it, so let’s look a bit closer
at reliability.

We’ve come a long way in recent years in terms of product
and core service reliability. Nowadays when people buy a
product or service they expect it to work. You don’t buy a
computer, a washing machine or an automobile and worry that
it might not work. You know that it will. You also know that
if it didn’t, it would be replaced without quibble.
The only thing is, that if you deliver this type of
reliability in your business then don’t expect any brownie
points from your customers, they merely take it for granted.
Where you are more likely to slip up in the reliability
stakes (and this is the second part) is in what some people
still regard as minor issues:

*Failing to phone back when we said we would;

*Failing to deliver when we said we would;

*Failing to send information when we said we would;

*Failing to include something extra when we said we would.

The ironic thing is that some customers often regard these
failures as quite normal. However, these people won’t stay
with you, they don’t say nice things about you to other
people and they’ll complain about your prices.

If you say you’ll phone a customer back by 5pm then phone
before 4pm not the following day. If you say someone will
call between 9am and 12noon, then do everything you can to
ensure that someone calls closer to nine than 12. Don’t
think for a minute that calling at 11.55 impresses the
customer because it doesn’t.
So let’s just repeat it so there’s no misunderstanding later
on: firstly your product or service has got to be reliable,
secondly, everything you say to the customer has to be
reliable.

However, I believe that more than anything you, your product
or service and your people have to be likeable.

Too many organisations forget that their customers are
humans and the thing about humans is that they don’t always
make decisions logically. You may have a reliable product or
service, reliable delivery time and competitive prices. But
it’s not enough.

Customers are driven by their emotions and it helps a heck
of a lot if they like you and feel good about your business
and your people.

“Our customers do like us,” I hear you say, “except maybe
the difficult ones, the awkward people, the ones who are
never happy, the miserable devils – need I go on?
Have you ever heard the saying “you only get the customers
you deserve”?

Run your eye down the following list and see how many you
can tick off.

*We always have a genuine smile for every customer.

*We are warm and friendly to all customers.

*We listen carefully and make it obvious that we are
listening.

*We use the customers name and our name appropriately.

*We give the impression that we care.

*We empathise with problems or complaints and respond
quickly.

*We occasionally do something to pleasantly surprise the
customer.

*We always keep our promises.

*We give the impression that we are fun to deal with.

*We treat the customer the way they want to be treated, not
the way we want to be treated.

How well did you do? If you’ve got a lot of ticks then you
probably have lots of customers who like you.
Just a word to the managers and employers amongst you. Run
your eyes down that list again and replace the word
“customer” with the words “employee” or “staff colleague.”
How many ticks did you get this time? Lots of ticks mean
your staff like you and it probably follows that your
customers do as well.

Have you noticed how being likeable costs so little? A lot
less than advertising or other promotional activity required
to replace lost customers.

Maybe the customer isn’t always right, but if you want to
keep them, make sure they like you.

Discover how you can generate more business without having to cold call! Alan Fairweather is the author of “How to get More Sales without Selling” This book is packed with practical things that you can do to – get customers to come to you . Click here now http://www.howtogetmoresales.com/Without%20Selling.htm

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