Monthly Archive for April, 2009

Customer Service in a Down Economy

Published
by
Jolee Hamman
on April 30, 2009
in Make Your Business Better
. 0 Comments

“Customer Service is Always King”

I have heard this conversation many times recently, in the office, with friends and at the Customer Service Excellence Award ceremony I attended. This is a program developed by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce to recognize people for their outstanding customer service. At the ceremony all of the nominees accepted their awards, had a picture taken with the mayor, picked up their snazzy pin to show off to everyone!cse_logo

Before distributing the pins, the host of the ceremony thanked everyone for a job well done and reminded everyone of the importance and the impact great customer service has during a slow economy. It can make or break your business. The concept seems like a no-brainer but to my surprise, I still hear stories from friends and colleagues about their awful experiences.  Keep in mind, when dealing with your customers that they are the key to your success.  Great customer service is essential all the time and especially during this rough economic time. We want to impress them and we want them to return. Customers are less likely to return to your business if they do not get the type of customer service they expect, or better. Make sure that you always follow through. Word of mouth is an effective, low-cost method of marketing. Remember, every customer who has a good experience will share it with 1 or 2 people. Customers who have experienced negative service will share that with 8 to10 people.

Check out customerservicezone.com for great ideas for almost every situation.

Ten Ways To Get (Stay) Motivated

Published
by
Jolee Hamman
on April 29, 2009
in Make Your Business Better
. 0 Comments

The sun is shining. Spring break has already passed. It just seems like most of us would rather be somewhere else doing something else. Sometimes even after a long weekend, rather than coming back refreshed and reinvigorated,  it seems more difficult to get back into the swing of things.  So how can you stay on task and avoid distractions? Read these 10 helpful ways to get your sparkle back!

  1. Collect all of the items on your ‘to-do’ list in one place. Clear your mind and then prioritize. Start with the most important items and watch the impact you make. Taking care of your highest priorities first will help the other pieces fall into place.
  2. Set up your plans and record your progress. Write an outline and mark items off as you complete them. Checking a box or marking an item done can be a great motivator.
  3. Set achievable goals and realistic rewards for yourself. Then treat yourself when you do reach your goal. Even if it’s something small like a banana split, you will remember the impact.
  4. Don’t underestimate the value of role models. Read about successful people that you admire and learn how they think and behave. You should even talk to your friends or invite a colleague to lunch to hear how they stay motivated.
  5. Keep a success diary. Record your successes and how you felt when you achieved the success. It will make a great read later when you might feel you need another boost.
  6. Listen to your body. It’s easy to become sluggish if you are not getting the proper rest and not eating properly. An adjustment to your sleeping patterns or diet might be just what you need.
  7. Make it a habit. It takes 28 days for a habit to start forming. The more consistent you are, the easier your daily tasks will become. Take advantage of the momentum you create for yourself.
  8. Make working towards your goals fun. For example, each time you make a sale, have customers ring a bell. It will also serve as a reminder of what a good job your team is doing.
  9. Enthusiasm is infectious. Attend networking events, read and list to others that are enthusiastic about their business and your industry.
  10. Work hard and play hard. You will enjoy work and leisure time more if you keep a good balance between.

Summer time means more vacations and leisure time. It’s easy to get side tracked, but remember these tips and make it a priority to stay focused!

Attaching Accounts Payable Invoices to Inquiry Screens

Published
by
Brian Rice
on April 23, 2009
in MAS 90 and MAS 200
. 0 Comments

How often do you refer to copies of your Accounts Payable invoices? If you are like most users, the answer is all the time and each time you need to see a copy of the invoice, you have to go to your paper files.apinvinquiryscript

Now, by using the scripting features available for MAS 90 and MAS 200, a link can be created between your Accounts Payable Invoice Inquiry screen and scanned copies of your invoices. From your desk, just open your inquiry screen, look up the invoice and click to see the invoice.

The scripting features can be creatively used in several different ways, so if you have any questions, just let us know.

Simple Steps to Customize MAS 90 Menus

Published
by
Brian Rice
on April 16, 2009
in MAS 90 and MAS 200
. 0 Comments

While I am writing a new class to show users how to customize their MAS 90 and MAS 200 user interface, I am reminded of other customization tools, including a Menu Maintenance utility that allows users to maintain menu items inside each module by sorting and renaming different tasks.

This utility won’t be included in the new class because it makes global changes, they affect all users, but the steps are truly simple. First, select File then Run from the toolbar. In the Run Program window, type SY_MENU_UI and click OK.

sy_menu_ui

Use the + and – to expand the menus.

menu-maintenance-1

Double-click the menu item to change the name. In this example, I have changed Customer Maintenance to Client Maintenance. We have tried to make the distinction before.

menu-maintenance-2

Your changes will show in both the Detail and Tree Views.

detail-view

tree-view

It’s a nice utility, but remember to use it wisely: any changes you make will apply to all users.

Tips for Marketing in a Down Ecomony

Published
by
Jolee Hamman
on April 9, 2009
in ACT
. 0 Comments

If our economy has changed, it only makes sense that some of our marketing processes should change also.  I’m not advocating making sweeping revisions, but now is a terrific time to take a different approach or try some new ideas.  Here is a short list of cost efficient ideas and tips for a modifying your marketing process right now.

  • Analyze your list of leads. It is important to get the the right information to the right people.
  • Offer something soft like a white paper, newsletter, free trial, or webcast.
  • Create an offer with a high perceived value and a low- cost fulfillment that is unique to your company. Your offer should have specific benefits and a sense of urgency like limited quantities.
  • The offer must relate to the main benefit of your service or product.
  • Follow the rule of 3 by mentioning your offer three times. It will help the idea stick.
  • It is wise to include a guarantee with your offer.
  • Keep in mind, the most powerful word in marketing is free.

Now is the time to develop new ideas to promote your products and services. Let us know what changes you have made to your marketing plans by commenting below.

MAS 90/200 User Group Scheduled

Published
by
Brian Rice
on April 9, 2009
in MAS 90 and MAS 200
. 1 Comment

The second MAS 90/200 User Group meeting of 2009 has been added to the schedule for Thursday, May 14 from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm.

Acuity has been hosting these User Group meetings every quarter for over six years. Each is an opportunity for end-users or anyone curious about Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200 ERP to meet with other users, experts and support professionals to discuss how the group can help members with their issues, plans or goals. Each meeting also offers a chance to learn about different features, enhancements or development plans.

If you would like to receive reminders closer to the meeting date, just send a note. Leave a comment with questions about the meeting or if there are particular topics you want to hear about at an upcoming meeting.

Sage Spring Promotions for MAS 90 and MAS 200

Published
by
Brian Rice
on April 7, 2009
in MAS 90 and MAS 200
. 0 Comments

The most wildly useful Sage promotion of all time has officially  and the Spring 2009 promotions are here. I will run down each if you promise to keep in mind that I am not suggesting they will be useful to every end-user.

Migrate Your Sage MAS 90 Grandfathered Customers to Sage MAS 90 or 200 Extended Enterprise Suite Now!
There is a 50% savings available to Sage MAS 90 and MAS 200 end-users to migrate to Sage MAS 90 or 200 Extended Enterprise Suite which is a bundle of applications including MAS, FAS and CRM. FAS is Fixed Asset Accounting and CRM is Customer Relationship Management. If you have multiple needs to address, this might be useful. There is also a 0% financing option available.

Enroll in Sage Payment Solutions and save $1,100 on the Sage MAS 90 and 200 Cash Flow bundle
This is the same promotion from last quarter. Because it is so convinient, I continue to argue that without accepting credit cards, you are cramping your cash flow.

Add EES CRM users to the purchase of Sage MAS 90 or 200 Extended Enterprise Suite for $795 each! A maximum savings of $1,455 each!
This affects anyone currently using the Sage MAS 90 Extended Enterprice Suite I described above.

Optimize Your Sage MAS 90 and 200 Customers’ Systems with Extended Solutions!
This is tricky because, while some Extended Solutions are listed with the promotions, Sage isn’t offering any pricing concessions. Sage has officially taken the buy-one, get-one free promotion off the table, but if these are any others are enticing, let me know and we can see what can be done about extending that great promotion.

AR-1115 Enhanced Credit Checking ($895 + $265 Maintenance)
Manages past due receivables and provides a credit warning window pop-up if an account has past term invoices prior to taking new orders

AR-1216 Invoice History Collection Notations ($1295 + $265 Maintenance)
Adds collection notes to AR Invoice History Records so users can track collections activities on an invoice by invoice basis

AR-1054 – Automatic Credit Hold Utility ($795 + $265 Maintenance)
Set a customer’s Credit Hold flag by printing the Aged Invoice Report

SO-1121 Multiple Sales Orders on a Single Invoice ($1095 + $265 Maintenance)
Create a single Sales Order Invoice with lines from multiple Sales Orders for the same customer

SO-1241 Invoices with Multiple Due Dates ($1195 + $265 Maintenance)
Provides a ‘payment plan’ to customers, to establish installed payments toward a large invoice

AR-1235 Statement Printing with Sales Order Selection ($895 + $535 Maintenance)
Provides a consolidated billing document for customers with multiple Sales orders.

AR-1068 National Accounts ($1195 + $265 Maintenance)
Designate a ‘Bill to’ customer for their “Sold to” customer accounts.

AR-1200 Cash receipts by Invoice Number ($995 + $265 Maintenance)
For companies who receive payments referencing a third party or DBA, where the company name on the payment doesn’t match the company name maintained in Sage MAS 90 or 200.

AR-1239 Multi Company Customer Synchronization ($1095 + $535 Maintenance)
For customers who maintain more than one company in Sage MAS 90 or 200 and also have the same customer in multiple companies.

All of the available Extended Solutions are listed at the online Product Directory.

Take advantage of Sage MAS 90 and 200 v4.3 with the new Get Back on Track plan
To the few customers without a current Sage subscription, there are options for waiving Sage’s penalties and reinstatment fees. They are, of course, too complicated to list here.