California Department Of Consumer Affairs

in the run-up to Christmas programs on television reminded me of the stories I had heard before. It's all about the event which began on Christmas Eve 1914th

First World War began. British and German soldiers were locked in a terrible conflict and fighting in the trenches. But as Christmas approached guns fell silent.

the Germans began to sing Silent Night and lit lanterns. And shouts of "Merry Christmas!" went through the no man's land in darkness.

peace continued in Christmas. And at dawn the soldiers on both sides cautiously climbed out of trenches. They met in no man's land, where they talked, shook hands and exchanged small gifts.

started with the lower ranks first. But the truce quickly spread upward from the private to the corporals and sergeants.

When facing an enemy who does not behave as one, the normal rules of engagement do not apply. For many, this is the first time he had ever met the enemy.

joint Carol Concert was held. The senior officer joined the scene with two bottles of Fortnum and Mason's rum.

One of the German officers proposed a one-day truce to finish at 8:30 pm on Boxing Day.Ponuda was accepted by the British. And by noon nearly half the British front line was included in fraternising -. Offense of treason is punishable by firing squad

Later in the day of a soldier from Lancashire Regiment produced football and the game began. In addition to the trenches all the other soldiers used the ball as perfect as they could play football.

at 8:30 am on Boxing Day, the truce formally came to an end, but not a shot fired in anger that day or the next.

Some of the Germans went on strike, but then realized that their protest was futile. Both sides opened fire, but without causing any injuries. This is probably a sniper's bullet that brought peace and end the war continued.

This was the most spontaneous act of peace without war.

A year later, with another million victims, nothing moved. And the same next year. However, changes in the way war is conducted, including the introduction of gas, stop any recurrence of the truce.

If the soldiers knew what was to come, they would have gone back to war?

Everyone is going to work with the best intentions in mind. There is no person with an ounce of integrity, who starts a new job with the deliberate intention to disappoint our customers. Nor can any sane person deny that the job will be times when things get a little out of hand resulting in a less than stellar reviews for their customers and their business. No matter how hard we try to please everyone, but we still need to plan for that kind of day that our "mom (and) said it would be this ."

A few years ago, when bad things happened by chance that a good share of customers were not as high for the business. Then it was much easier to isolate the problem, calm down the customer and try to make things right before they went ballistic and began a crusade of Consumer Affairs. In those days, the angry customer will most likely start the ball rolling by filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau or the local office of Community Affairs. Although certainly not a desirable business outcome, the situation was easier to control, because the complaint escalation process moved more slowly than they are now allowed to slowly cool down over time, leaving more time for negotiations and problem solving prijecijeli long ago the world was informed of the complaint via the Internet .

from the Internet at your fingertips and with dozens of consumer complaint sites are available, an angry customer now has the opportunity to pour out his liver, only a few moments after he or she feels that they somehow were inconvenienced and disappointed at the end of the business. Speed ​​and convenience are certainly not an ally of business where the buyer can ask for during his or her initial outbursts of anger. It's quick, simple and deadly insults to the business.

This is why any new business and its staff must heed this warning and give some thought worse case scenario of the customer relationship and the proper way to conduct when dealing with unhappy customers. Blowing off angry customer was never really an option before. With the internet available, no doubt you will have the last word, perhaps, the last laugh.

I know of several cases in which the exasperated customer recorded and broadcast (on-line) service representatives nasty reluctance to provide adequate services. A few years ago, Comcast Cable let the technician, who was shot (the buyer) fast asleep on the couch day sobe.Isječak went viral on YouTube, in fact.

"Some people believe that the public flogging of a company or business person on the web is the best way to get their attention and change their negative behavior," said Rich Abernathy, a local consumer advocate. "People are going to be very sensitive to that and hopefully - will be notified ."

"I think the inherent nature of the Internet brings the inner complainer in us," said Ray Collier, another local dealer I recently talked s.

Here are some useful tips to avoid viral customer complaints:

• The apology is often calm dissatisfied customers.

Try the following to say - and believe it:

"I am very sorry for this situation, Ms. Jones. We both wanted to get this issue resolved quickly. Let me see what I can do this work satisfactorily ."

• The buyer must always know that you care. Send the buyer a brief but sincere apology with something special to acknowledge their patience and understanding.

• Offer choices angry users. If you love your job, sometimes you have to let the buyer - to go to a competitor. If this is a solution that helps them move on without further animosity towards you and your business to make it happen.

• Do not argue. It does not matter what you think about the angry customer or even the validity of their complaints. Just explain to them what to do to set things straight. Fix the problem as soon as possible and politely. Things will be better when it is calm and rational thinking in progress.

Not all customers complaining takes place within the limits of his story (even if they have a brick and mortar business), so you might not know about their existence, unless you stumble on them accidentally. It is very important to monitor the web and hear what others are saying about you and your business. Fortunately, there are some very good tools available for use. Most are free. Here's what minimum is suggested.

• Set individual Google Alerts for yourself, your company and its products. It will come to you every day and soon you'll be able to determine what if anything should be the answer to. Remember, pick your battles carefully. Count to ten before deciding whether or not to respond to what they read, and - if you decide to respond - and, as

• Use Google Blogsearch and / or Technorati to see what people are saying about you, your company and its products and services.

• Setting up Twitter Search to follow what others May be tweeting about you on Twitter.
Good customer service is so important and, ironically, there is so little that it can meet these days. What we can provide today is considered the edge - if your service and says its customers - May not always agree with you - at least, realize that you care and be kind to them at any time. If you can actually meet them and give them what they want to -. Even better

social media sites of all kinds have become a powerful channel for companies to be used for smart marketing strategy that will attract targeted segments of customers continue to evangelize their brands.

Impact of online discussion on customer loyalty is unmistakable. Social media channels - including blogs, message boards, networking sites, and more - are full of comments from customers who offered opinions, complaints, compliments and advice to millions of brands and products

customer service strategies to understand social media, online buzz, to analyze, develop smart strategies uniquely designed for your company, then respond to customer comments to build relationships, dispel myths, reverse complaints, commendations and awards. In a few words, this is the essence of Customer Service:. Listen to your customers and answer their questions and resolve to drive loyalty

Here are answers to some common questions:

I need to keep track of online consumer discussion?
Absolutely! May there be thousands of people talking about your brand is now on-line that could have a significant impact on your image.

There are so many sites out there, who should pay attention to?
There is no secret formula or set of sites that are of universal magic bullet for every company. It is important to know what was said about the brand, and then begin to monitor for trends.

I need to respond to consumer comments online?
Maybe. There are certain things you will want to answer, while others, not so much. For example, some consumer comments can be via the web pages that have large audiences, others may not have the same impact and reach.

Social Media is not just a fad?
Not likely. Social Media has been around for years in various forms, and has gained popularity exponentially in recent years. Studies suggest that social media is here to stay.

How can I monitor if it changes all the time?
Monitoring online consumer conversations is not a one time event. It requires daily monitoring and analysis to understand when rumors trends in your business change.