J Street is always buzzing, even when we’re drinking decaf! Here are some things I’ve been thinking about.
~ Armen Stein
BUSINESS ETIQUETTE
Business BUEtiquette 101
We live in a fast paced, always-plugged-in world. But sometimes we forget to take a moment before initiating – or reponding to – a business contact, friend, or family member.
Here is a great article on business etiquette. These are guidelines that we should all remember and practice!
Mission Juno
NASA has once again made history, with Juno successfully entering Jupiter’s orbit earlier this month.
Juno launched from earth on August 5, 2011 and reached Jupiter’s orbit July 6, 2016 – almost 5 years after its launch.
Imagine the planning and teamwork that has gone in to making this mission a success!
While we are not rocket scientists here at J Street, we strive to treat each project as a well planned mission.
Our planning and teamwork allows us to provide high quality services and to utilize each team member’s strengths to benefit our clients.
I think I’m a pretty easygoing guy, but there are a few behaviors I encounter in the business world that make me question the professionalism of the person I am dealing with. It doesn’t necessarily mean that I wouldn’t want to work with them, but those first impressions certainly have an impact.
1. Using “reply receipt” when sending an email – This is an outdated feature in Outlook that really should be removed. The reliability of email delivery is exceptional, and you have a copy of your email in your sent folder. Since the reply receipt can be (and usually is) ignored by the recipient, this “feature” just makes you look demanding and rude.
2. Using a generic email domain (e.g. AOL, Gmail, Hotmail) for your business email – Every business or professional should have a domain name and website these days. Your website host should provide email accounts (if they don’t you should look around!) Take the time to configure at least one email address with your domain name and use it for all professional business correspondence.
3. Not setting up a personal voice greeting on your voicemail – It just takes a few minutes. I want to hear your voice and know that I dialed the correct number. Please don’t make me question whether I’m leaving a business-related message on some random person’s voicemail.
4. Having a voicemail box that is full – Really? How many calls do you get? Modern voicemail systems hold a lot of messages. Delete your old, unnecessary messages so there is room for new ones – like mine!
5. Going dark after YOU initiated the contact – You contacted me and I responded promptly. Now you disappear, even after repeated attempts to reach you. If you don’t need us, or you chose another company, that’s fine! Just drop me a quick note to let me know – you’ll save both of us some time.
6. Answering your phone when you don’t have time to talk – Please don’t answer all flustered because you’re in an important meeting or trying to drive – just let my call go to your voicemail! Then respond when you have the time.
What are some workplace behaviors that bug you? Let us know by contacting us today!
Project Spotlight: Big Summer Golf Card
Big Summer Golf approached us in 2009 to help make their business more efficient. Offering value golf cards for many courses throughout Southwest, South, and Central Florida (and growing), BSG needed a flexible system that was easy to maintain and update as their business expanded.
They also needed an e-commerce site so golfers could order their cards online. Using our e-commerce platform we were able to build them an online shopping cart that fit their needs.
We also created an Access & SQL Server application that:
- Imports those online orders (with all of the golfer’s information)
- Sends each golfer’s information to the printer to create their personalized golf card
- Manages special events and random drawings for contests
- Tracks sales of cards onsite at each course location
Over the past few years, BSG has added new features to its custom system, making its office even more efficient and streamlined.
When CartGenie (our e-commerce platform) was decommissioned in 2015, we helped them transition to a new shopping cart. In fact, we still help BSG with their new e-commerce system!
We feel privileged to work with such a great company!
