Keeping your customers happy is an important part of doing business. Not only should they be satisfied with your goods or services, you should also do your best to ensure they feel happy in dealing with and being associated with your business. Here’s a couple of top tips to keep your customers’ custom.

Packaging
This may work more effectively for your product when it expresses a widely held value, such as care for the environment, or serves a practical purpose, such as returning the empty container such as Ink Jet cartridges.

Delivery
Think convenience to the customer. Provide them with the narrowest possible delivery time window in advance. Call ahead if it’s a large delivery so the customer can prepare to receive the goods.

24/7
Office hours are a thing of the past. The increasing numbers of businesses operating from home and want to be able to access information round the clock. First Direct led the way in this area as they where one of the first companies to offer 24 hour access to a call centre.

User Instructions
Invite a panel of target users to write the instructions. Invite ‘Crystal mark’ to approve your paperwork for plain English. Include foreign language versions where appropriate.

Help Line
Use a customer help line to find out whether there’s anything else the customer needs. Use people instead of automated machines, they’ll tell you more and the personal service will be appreciated.

Thanks to Gordon Jones. For more marketing guidance visit http://www.successfulmarketing.co.uk/

Today, Liverpool Chamber witnessed the arrest of a criminal mastermind who for too long had made his colleagues’ lives a misery.

Joe ‘Catburglar’ Curran, from the Chamber’s Business Crime Direct team, was clapped in irons and taken into custody as part of the ‘Jail & Bail’ fundraising event, in support of the Stroke Association. Participants are collared by real coppers and thrown in the cells (well, given a glass of champers and some butties probably) until their bail is raised by sponsors.

‘Fingers’ Curran awaited his arrest in a police-issue paper suit. Unfortunately, this made him look less like a criminal mastermind than a freakishly large baby. The coppers couldn’t arrive a moment too soon!

At last the plod arrived, announced by a Town Crier who, despite fluffing his lines once or twice, added an air of Pickwickian drama to the event. Charged with ‘acting without a valid Equity card’ (although without talent could have been added to the sheet - ho ho), Joe ‘Gelignite’ Curran was cuffed by a large rosy-cheeked copper straight outta Trumpton, the kind of law enforcement officer not seen since Ladybird books went out of print.

Amid cries of ‘throw away the key’, Joey ‘Pliers’ Curran was led away. When last heard of, he was still a few bob short of his bail, so who knows when we’ll see him again. Fingers crossed, eh?

More shocking images of the arrest can be seen on the Chamber’s Flickr page.

Time to dust off those plus-fours! Liverpool Chamber’s Spring Golf Competition is on Thursday 24 May at Caldy Golf Club, Wirral.

We are now taking booking for teams of three. Tee off begins from 1pm, numbers are limited so early booking is essential.

There are also opportunities to sponsor one of the holes or prizes.

Caldy is a superb championship course enjoying breathtaking views across the River Dee to North Wales from the cliff-top holes, with the more tranquil rural vista of Thurstaston Hill from the heathland inner holes.

Caldy Golf Club will be serving soup and sandwiches from 12 noon to all golfers prior to teeing off and is included in the booking fee.

Dinner will commence at 7.30pm for 7.45pm and will be followed by the prize presentation. If you would like to bring further guests or partners for dinner, who have not played golf, you are welcome to do so at a cost of £23 per head. Unfortunately, due to demand it is not possible to book for golf only.

Main Prizes

• The Spring Golf Cup - awarded for the best individual card
• Team Trophy - awarded for the highest points aggregate of any team playing together
• Attacking Play Award - awarded for the most points scored by an individual from nett birdies and eagles

Only one prize may be won by the same team or team member

Additional Prizes

• Closest to the pin on the 8th hole
• Closest to the pin on the 17th hole
• Longest drive on the 16th hole resting on the 16th fairway

Book online or call Sue or Melissa on 0151 227 1234

The entire day costs £255* per team of three of £85* per person

*less £37 per person for members of Caldy Golf Club.

Sponsorship of holes £50 + VAT for information on sponsorship of prizes call Sue Platt on 0151 227 1234.

The Chamber’s resident Grumpy Old Man says:

It is really irksome to hear individuals and organisations continually expecting the city council and government departments and agencies to deal with most matters that with a small effort by everyone would be resolved - its not all the ‘Corpy’s’ job. There needs to be a real effort by everyone to take responsibility and release the public authority resources for other purposes.

There needs to a quantum leap in the city region’s performance to ensure success of the investments that are currently being made. There is a list of ‘must do’ items. The ‘welcome’ is important both in terms of the physical appearance and customer service ethic. I am particularly focussing on the physical appearance on this occasion.

On looking at many buildings, particularly above first floor level you realise that many buildings will deteriorate because of blocked guttering and broken or disconnected downspouts. It is in the occupiers and owners self-interest to clear guttering of debris and to keep down-spouts connected to ensure the building retains its value and can be used for its correct purpose. It is amazing that no one takes action to protect personal or corporate property by simple measures, often at little or no cost, and then have the nerve to complain about lack attention to these matters.

The local campaign to ‘Stop the Rot’ has been successful in drawing attention to the worst cases but there is a need to ‘STOP THE ROT STARTING’.

In addition litter on premises is often considered to be a problem created by someone else. If all premises were kept clear of litter by the owners and occupiers, using correct disposal methods and without incurring risk, imagine what a difference it would make to the city and how the environment would improve. Builders in particular need to ensure that plastic sheeting does not get blown around and get entangled in fences and hedges. If all concerned acted responsibly it would prevent recirculation of litter and release valuable resources to concentrate on cleaning the unavoidable dust and grime that will always accumulate.

It is essential that at all levels we contribute to good housekeeping by correct disposal of all forms of rubbish and particularly the items that attract so much negative publicity and costs e.g. cigarette butts and chewing gum (improvement noted in some areas where new style bins have been installed)

We can all make a difference in ensuring the city has a Happy 800th Birthday and European Capital of Culture Year free of the litter & debris described above.

What do you think? Leave us your comments.

Innovation has shaped the world we live in today. The Merseyside Innovation Awards have been designed to encourage and enable people and businesses in Merseyside to develop and realise their innovative ideas. By recognising and rewarding the use of innovation the awards boost growth and profitability.

The Awards are open to individuals or companies with less than 50 employees who are based within Merseyside. The winners receive:

• £10,000 in cash
• £4,000 worth of legal, business, accounting or design consultancy
• support from some of the region’s leading business advisors
• publicity for the idea.

Chair of the judging panel, Brian McCann, of Vanguard said: “Over the last few years the number of applications has soared. Merseyside is a breeding ground for many world-class innovations and the next few months will be an exciting time as we examine all the entries and select the shortlist. I would urge anyone with a great idea or product to fill in an application form and see what happens.”

Each month from now until May a winner will be selected to join the shortlist before the grand final in July. Here three finalists will showcase their products before an audience of entrepreneurs and other leading figures in the business community.

Each monthly winner will receive a commemorative certificate and a licence to use the Awards for marketing purposes.

To apply visit the Innovation Awards website.

The Bishop of Liverpool, The Rt Rev James Jones, visited Liverpool Chamber today, Thursday 22 March.

He was here to meet Chamber staff and members, see how we work and learn more about the Liverpool business community.

He gave an inspirational speech on the regeneration of Liverpool, and the importance of the public and private sectors working together to achieve common goals.

He is pictured above with David Wade-Smith, Chamber Chair and Matt Johnson, Board Member and Chair of Mando Group.

Our new quick poll, on the Chamber’s main site homepage, is asking Liverpool businesses if they think this budget will be good news for them.

Obviously a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer can’t cover all your views, so if you’ve got something to say following Gordon’s latest dispatch, you can do so here by leaving a comment.

The Chamber is here to represent your views, so we really do want to hear what you think.

The results from our last poll - ‘Are you ready to go Smoke Free?’ showed that 57.75% of respondents felt they were ready, to 42.25% who weren’t.

Commenting on the announcement by Alan Johnson today which details the plans to increase the school leaving age from 16 to 18 David Frost, director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce said:

“The BCC is in favour of increasing the compulsory education leaving age to 18 in order to improve the current participation rate in education and employment amongst young people in the UK.

“It is imperative that all young people get a solid foundation in skills and qualifications. This will give both individuals and businesses the necessary skills to drive the UK economy forward in the face of continuing globalisation.

“We recognise that the proposed changes may present challenges for some businesses and we are working with the Government to enable a smooth transition.”

The £1M ICT Investment Fund is over half allocated!

The fund was set up to help SMEs on Merseyside improve their competitiveness and turnover by investing in technology.

Liverpool Chamber of Commerce is managing the programme on behalf of the Government Office North West.

ICT Fund Administrator, John Blades says: “We’ve granted funding to 29 companies ranging from manufacturers to accountants.

The fund provides up to 40% towards investments in ICT. Grants are available from between £10k and £25k. John continued: “There has been a great deal of interest in the project and I estimate that we will have allocated the remainder of the fund by August.”

Recent beneficiaries include charted accountants and business advisors, Wilson Henry Partnership who purchased a new telephony system and supporting IT that enabled them to increase employee flexibility and contact with the office and clients.

Southport-based manufacturer of filing systems, Railex used the bulk of their budget for upgrading their back office system to an SQL based database providing better information throughout the company and to customers.

Director, David Windsor explained: “The funding has enabled us to put in place a system of dealing with order requests where none existed previously. Without the ICT fund we wouldn’t have been able to buy the software which has given us new capabilities and opportunities.”

If you would like further information or help with an application, call John Blades on 0151 - 227 1234 or email john.blades@liverpoolchamber.org.uk. More details can be found at www.ict-invest.info

Here is an update on the engineering work taking place on the West Coast mainline for all the Virgin Train users amongst you.

Full details after the jump.

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