Posted May 28th, 2010 | No Comments
‘People forget how fast you did a job – but they remember how well you did it…’ Howard Newton
I saw this quotation and it made me think. It’s absolutely right of course and any tradesman or service provider who values repeat or referral business must make sure that the work they carry out is of absolutely top quality if they hope to earn a referral or further business from that customer.
An adequate job is sufficient only to get paid but in these days of tight margins and increased competition no business should accept losing a customer through laziness or lack of attention to detail.
we should all be aiming for at least a referral or the knowledge that should our customer ever require services from a company such as our own, that they would make us their first port of call.
Remember that while a customer having been totally satisfied with a job completed by us may tell 3 other people, if they are not satisfied they are likely to tell between 7 and 9!!
It is everyone’s job within our company to ensure that our customers receive the best possible experience from their dealings with us, nobody should believe that their actions don’t matter!!
Never simply leave a job assuming your customer is happy, fluffing your feathers and feeling triumphant and thinking ‘I did a great job there’. Always ask the customer what they thought, after all, they are the ones paying your wages. Negative feedback may be uncomfortable but if embraced, dealt with and learned from can make the difference between a good company and a great company, after all it’s impossible to get everything right all of the time!
Even when a job hasn’t gone entirely smoothly, Authorized Access seeks customer testimonials and transparently displays them alongside others from jobs that went like a dream. This we believe gives our customers, old and new, a balanced view of what they can expect from us. Let’s face it when all you hear or see in testimonials is ‘glowing reports’, then one begins to doubt the authenticity of the whole thing.
A great way to gather and display testimonials from customers is to us the ‘Best Of’ response cards, which really are for use ‘any time anywhere’ and by returning them to the Best Of Bury have them posted onto their web site, where anyone searching for a supplier of our products or services can browse at their leisure.
To see what our customers think of Authorized Access, go to http://tiny.cc/y41v4
Tags: Business Advice, Business Analysis, Business Feedback, Business Growth, Business Testimonials, Locksmith Bury, Master Locksmith, Small Business Success | Posted in Business Advice |
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Posted May 17th, 2010 | No Comments
Authorized Access has been shortlisted for the Bolton and Bury Business Awards in the Customer Excellence category.
So what!
It’s a lot of work, time and effort to put together a convincing application, time that could really have been spent ‘working’, doing the things I’m supposed to do to make my business successful; you know, sales, marketing, networking, all those things that conventional businesses do.
Well actually, by taking the time to scrutinize what we actually do in our business that makes us think we are worthy of winning such an award allows us the opportunity to apply a different type of thinking, viewing our business the way a customer might view us, thinking about the things that as a customer would give us confidence to invite a company to deliver a service.
The process of evaluation and scrutiny of ones own business from the perspective of a customer is something that any business owner should undertake on a regular basis but I am willing to bet it’s something rarely done.
Whether we win the award or not, having undergone the process has given me a renewed understanding of just why we do certain things and provided the opportunity to remind my staff why I expect them to gain qualifications in relevant areas, wear clean identifiable uniform with clear identity badges, answer the phone with confidence within a certain number of rings and treat each and every customer, regardless of spend, with a friendly respect, along with all the other unmentioned things. Having done so, I am certain; we will have improved the experience each customer enjoys when they do business with Authorized Access.
Every business has customers, so if you own or work in a business, consider this:
What Is A Customer?
- A CUSTOMER is the most important person in any business.
- A CUSTOMER is not dependant on us. We are dependent on him.
- A CUSTOMER is not an interruption of our work. He is the purpose of it.
- A CUSTOMER does us a favour when he comes in. We aren’t doing him a favour by serving him.
- A CUSTOMER is a part of our business, not an outsider. A customer is not just money in the cash register. He is a human being with feelings and deserves to be treated with respect.
- A CUSTOMER is a person who comes to us with his needs and his wants. It is our job to fill them.
A CUSTOMER deserves the most courteous attention we can give him. He is the life blood of this and every business.
Tags: Bolton and Bury Business Awards, Business Awards, Business excellence, Customer, customer award, Customer Excellence, customer expectations, Customer service, customer standards, customer training, Improve customer service | Posted in Authorized Access News! |
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Posted May 6th, 2010 | 1 Comment
It’s decision time!
You now have the chance to decide your future, to choose which path to pursue – that of apathy or that of responsibility.
It’s time to vote. And I strongly recommend that you vote… For yourself.
Whichever politician gets in today, their focus is not yours or your families individual security but that of Britain as a collective although they’re all set on convincing you of how important they are to you and your life.
The truth is, our goal as responsible people, spouses, parents and business people is to make politicians irrelevant to the security of our lives.
I think elections are fascinating but I’m under no illusion that the ‘right’ choice will make a huge difference to my future or yours. Their decisions will certainly influence you and your family’s future but only within the context of UK PLC.
Yours and your families personal security is in your hands, take the time to have your security at home and work checked by a professional. AUTHORIZED ACCESS is a Master Locksmith’s Approved Company who offer a FREE of charge, NO OBLIGATION security survey to ensure that your security complies with the Minimum Security Requirement on your insurance policy.
We have the knowledge and are able to help, but only if you invite us to and sometimes that’s the hardest step. Give yourself peace of mind and contact AUTHORIZED ACCESS today to arrange your FREE of charge SECURITY AUDIT.
Security is a selfish thing, it doesn’t stop crime but it moves the criminal down the street to the next weakest link. Give yourself peace of mind, don’t be the weakest link.
“Remember – Always use a Master Locksmiths Association ‘Approved Company’ when securing your property, where you can be assured that trained staff will provide a quality service with integrity to give you total peace of mind.”
For assistance contact AUTHORIZED ACCESS or call 0161 762 9936, where our fully trained staff will guide you through the process.
Tags: Home security, Locks, Locksmiths, Master Locksmith's Association approved Company, Minimum Insurance Requirement, Security Audit, Security Survey | Posted in Authorized Access News!, Security Advice |
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Posted April 22nd, 2010 | No Comments
Securing your home or business against crime need not be an expensive or time consuming exercise.
Restricted key systems are available for home use as well as business. Restricted keys enhance the security provided by any lock and without them, even ‘high security’ locks can be compromised by the keys being copied at random with little or no control.
At Authorized Access we can fit a security lock to your door then register its keys to you; this stops duplicate keys being cut without your knowledge or say so and provides you with total control of the keys to your home or business.
Restricted keys allow you to provide a tradesperson the key to your home and as long as you get it back, you know they will have been unable to obtain copies. At work, staff issued with keys to premises are unable to have extra keys cut without your express permission, again giving you total control over who has access to your premises.
Where would this be useful?
- Business premises with multiple key holders.
- At home where keys are made available to cleaners, tradesmen etc.
- Any situation where key control is required.
Looking after property, stock and the people who work within the business makes great business sense. Being responsible for the security in your business, it is vital that you make sure that the security measures taken are appropriate, realistic and cost effective. You need to keep criminals out while allowing your customers, suppliers and employees in.
Your business activity will guide your approach to security. In simple terms, high value products will attract more criminal activity and demand a higher level of security, however even those items with a perceived low cost value will be attractive to somebody. Taking a logical approach to securing your business will help ensure you don’t miss anything that might help deter crime. “In the current climate, the effect of interruption to business is greater than ever before.
By changing the locks you can guarantee that you are in total control of who has keys to your property
Choosing a Lock- Things to consider:
- Insurance requirements-Does your lock need to conform to British standards for insurance purposes BS3621
- One Key House/Business – Would I like all my locks to be operated by one key? This avoids having bulky key rings, never loose the back door key again!
- Master Keying of locks- makes great business sense. Only give access to areas of your business to people that need to be there.
- Speciality Locks- Do I need locks for a special purpose eg escape function.
- High Security Locks- Do I need locks with enhanced security features eg Restricted keys, having control of who can copy your keys, locks with anti pick and anti bump features.
“Remember – Always use a Master Locksmiths Association ‘Approved Company’ when considering restricted keys as a means of securing your property, where you can be assured that trained staff will provide a quality service with integrity to give you total peace of mind.”
For assistance contact http://www.authorized-access.co.uk/contact-us or call 0161 762 9936, where our fully trained staff will guide you through the process.
Tags: High security locks, Home security, Master Keys, Master Locksmith, Restricted keys, Security keys, Security Locks | Posted in Security Advice |
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Posted April 12th, 2010 | No Comments
1st April 1989, so full of anticipation and expectation. New van, new uniform and new customers. This was going to be easy; I was going to single handedly secure the whole of Bury and beyond.
1st April 2010, 21years later, still here (phew). Many lessons learned, not quite so ‘gung ho’ and needing to conquer the world. Some of those people from way back then, still loyal customers and many many new ones along the way. Realised early on that giving my customers the great service they deserved was the only way, forget that and your customers will let you know one way or another.
Ok, now for a giggle, do you remember when…
Mobile phones were rare in business and those that did have them needed a back pack to carry them round. I considered myself cutting edge though having a pager, available 24/7 to all who needed me. Hilarious to think that when this little gadget ‘went off’ all you got was a name, telephone number and a cryptic message, you then had to hot foot it to a working pay phone with your 2p and try and contact the person. Nothing like spontaneity and availability!
Communication…well you have heard of snail mail and it truly was! Not just a slur on Royal Mail’s performance, it was everything from typing the perfect letter (Oh and don’t forget the carbon so you can keep a copy!) with no spell or grammar check, to waiting for returned telephone calls or written orders to be received. Everything took so long! I remember my huge deliberation over whether the business actually needed a fax machine, it seemed so unnecessary.
Cash Is King… I smile when I receive letters stating that companies will no longer be accepting cheques as payment. How long will it be before we no longer accept cash in the same way? People always carried cash and a cheque book; hey you even had a lovely leather bound holder to stop your cheque book from creasing! Credit cards were for the rich and famous, you really knew you were dealing with someone of substance if they produced an American Express Card and you would run to get your manual swiper, rummage around to find the dockets and try to remember how it all worked!
In current times we have a world of instant communication. Mobile phones strapped to our ears, e-mails delivered in ways which I still don’t understand and no matter how much money is taken on credit card, if there is little cash in the till, I struggle to see it as a good day. Don’t get me wrong I am no dinosaur and at Authorized Access we have systems coming out of our ears to make business life more effective. But…..old habits DO die hard!
Were we any better off when the pace of business life was slower? I am not so sure and wouldn’t like to give up my modern goodies and go back to the old ways, even though I sometimes curse the intrusion of my mobile phone. I bet I am not alone having taken a business call on the beach.
Where will business be in another 21years!
Tags: Business, Business Life, Communications, Customer service, Locksmith Bury, Loyal Customers, Master Locksmith | Posted in Authorized Access News! |
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Posted April 5th, 2010 | No Comments
Customers, Friends and Colleagues
We would like to say a great big thank you to all those who came and supported us for our 21st birthday celebrations on Thursday 1st April, no it wasn’t an April fool and we did indeed give away free safes, a 3 course meal for two at the Metro Fish Bar and a whole host of other prizes. We were grateful to the Deputy Mayor who came along and said a few complimentary words and Radio Rossendale for proving some great sounds.
For those who didn’t manage to come along on the day we will be continuing our celebrations for the first 21 days of April, with all customers receiving a free gift from the ‘Lucky Dip’ bran tub! Gifts include Safes, Alarms, Free Labour and many novelty items.
As a side issue, we believe we may have upset a few people (not many but even only one would be too many!) Our email campaigns are designed to be informative, fun and providing added value to the reader. Some are selling product on special offer while others just want to share some good news or valuable information. We believe that by using email, we are able to reach people without interrupting their working day and these can be read (or deleted) at the reader’s convenience. However there has been an oversight and we have omitted to include an ‘opt out’ facility. Let me assure you, this was an oversight and never intended as a ‘back door’ way of forcing people to receive unwanted mail.
In today’s climate, like all businesses, we are simply trying to reach as many people as possible in the most cost effective way. We accept that a large percentage of what you receive may, at the time, not be relevant however we hope that the content will give you a flavour of what Authorized Access is about, its values and customer service ethos and come the time you or your business requires security then you will bear us in mind.
From here on in you will see a caption on all our e-mails with instructions on how to unsubscribe to our mailing lists. We hope you won’t but understand if you do.
Here’s looking forward to the next 21 years.
Tags: about local businesses, Business Success, Deputy Mayor of Bury, Growing Business, Locksmith Bury, Master Locksmith Bury, Master Locksmith's Association approved Company, Metro Fish Bar, Rossendale Radio, Safes | Posted in Authorized Access News! |
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Posted March 22nd, 2010 | No Comments
21st Birthday Party
Authorized Access cordially invites you to attend their 21st Birthday celebrations
Thursday 1st April 2010
Between 12pm and 2pm
RSVP
0161 762 9936
info@authorized-access.co.uk
50b Bolton St Bury BL9 0LL
As a thank you to our customers Authorized Access will be holding
21days of Celebrations starting on 1st April at our birthday Party.
At our party we will be giving away 21 safes
(£1000 cash rating worth over £65 each supported by Burton Safes)
through a variety of traditional party games.
Come along and have a go.
For the next 20 days, every Customer will be given the opportunity to take part in our ‘Lucky Dip’ and the chance to win anything from key cutting vouchers to a free safe.
A prize every time!
We will be ‘shaking the tin’ for Bury Hospice on the day, our nominated charity for this year
We will be welcoming the Deputy Mayor who opened our new premises in 2008 and Rossendale Radio a great new community radio station.
Come along to support us and join in the fun, what better way to start the Bank Holiday Weekend
For advice on the best solution for your business security,
contact Authorized Access
phone 0161 762 9936 or call into our showroom at
50b Bolton Street, Bury,BL9 0LL
and our helpful staff will advise and assist you
Tags: Business Success, Businesses in Bury, Key Cutting, Keys, Locks, Locksmith Bury, Locksmiths Bury, Master Locksmiths, Safes, Security Centre | Posted in Authorized Access News! |
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Posted March 19th, 2010 | No Comments
It’s that time again, the silly season, when companies and organisations panic in an attempt to make sure their entire financial budget is spent. We all know the sentiment, we all agree it’s crazy but there it is, if you don’t spend it, you lose it and next year you may be penalised for it.
If you fall into the category of Financial Manager, Budget Manager or simply work in an organisation where this culture applies and you have been asking for that important piece of equipment all year and the answer has been “I don’t know if we can afford it”, NOW is the time to bang the desk and insist that you have your share of the spend. Don’t let the surplus be wasted on frivolous hasty purchases. You only have until 31 March to get that purchase authorized!
If you are responsible for allocating budget and you find that you have a surplus, have you considered SECURITY as an area to spend it?
- Protect your assets
- Duty of care to your staff
- Protect your Intellectual goods
- Remove temptation
Remember – Spend It Or Lose IT!!
For advice on the best solution for your business security,
contact Authorized Access
phone 0161 762 9936
or call into our showroom at
50b Bolton Street, Bury,BL9 0LL
and our helpful staff will advise and assist you
Tags: annual budget, budget breakdown, budget excess, budget ideas, budget planning, Budget surplus, financial budget, how to protect your assets, protect assets, Protecting assets, Security ideas, security solutions | Posted in Security Advice |
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Posted March 12th, 2010 | No Comments
What a week! Not only did our customers vote us the Best Service Provider in Bury 2010 in the Homes & Garden category, through the ‘Best Of Bury’ website but we also became the 3rd ‘Most Loved Locksmith’ in the whole UK in a nationwide campaign competed for through the Best Of Websites.
The local award was won by a straight vote between twelve local companies, votes coming from their highly satisfied customers, who took the trouble to register on the Best Of Bury website and vote specifically for their chosen company.
The national award was as the result of a nationwide competition in which over 30,000 UK businesses received nominations and Authorized Access emerged as the third placed business in the Locksmiths Sector.
Owner, David Ramsden says “We are all thrilled and highly honoured that our customers feel strongly enough to have bestowed these awards upon us and thank everyone who voted. We also hope that this will give anyone thinking of using the services of Authorized Access, total confidence that we will satisfy all their security needs.” David believes their success is due to a great team, who’s dedication to exceptional customer service is paying great dividends.
Authorized Access, Bury’s only Master Locksmith’s Association Approved Locksmith, celebrates it’s 21st anniversary on 1 April this year and is supporting Bury Hospice as it’s chosen charity throughout it’s year of celebration.
Tags: Best Of Awards, Best Of Bury, Bury Hospice, Locksmith, Master Locksmith, Master Locksmith Bury, Most Loved, Most Loved Locksmiths, security | Posted in Authorized Access News! |
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Posted March 5th, 2010 | 1 Comment
Crime Alert
Homes and Businesses are being targeted for their IT equipment.
This equipment can be stolen and moved on quickly by organised theives.
Save the heartache and disruption
Secure Your IT Equipment NOW before it’s too late!
Watch this space and Sign up for our
Free Security Updates and Special Offers
For advice on the best solution for your home or business security,
contact Authorized Access
phone 0161 762 9936 or call into our showroom at
50b Bolton Street, Bury,BL9 0LL
and our helpful staff will advise and assist you.
Tags: AV Security, Computer Cabinets, Computer enclosures, computer security, Laptop lock, Laptop security, laptop security cable, PC Cage, PC Security, secure my PC, server cabinets | Posted in Security Advice |
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