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QLD Man Arrested For Hacking Neighbours’ WLAN

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A Rockhampton man who reportedly used his neighbours’ wireless internet connections to send dubious emails in an effort to extort money has been arrested in an undercover sting, according to the Associated Press (AP).

For several months, the 22-year-old man allegedly accessed other Rockhampton residents’ wireless connections and sent emails that could not be traced back to him, via his handheld computer or PDA, also accessing a “masking” service that allowed him to send the alleged threats to a variety of people using a magazine editor’s email address, Queensland police reported.

Police in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria – as well the Australian Federal Police – were involved in investigating the emails, said AP.

Rockhampton police said investigators thought they had traced the offender’s IP address to a home in the city’s north last week, however when officers arrived at the home, they discovered that the elderly couple living there had their wireless internet accessed by someone else.

“In the area, in North Rockhampton, 12 separate homes have been identified (as having emails sent from their connections),” Senr-Sgt Pickless told AP.

The breakthrough in the case reportedly came when the man allegedly demanded money to be dropped off at a certain location and was arrested by undercover officers there.

He has been charged with attempted extortion and sending hoax messages and police were analysing the man’s PDA and PC, said AP.

Digital Marketing Group Buys Into PR Market

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Blue Freeway a digital marketing group has snapped up local PR group Spectrum Communications the PR agency for the likes of Intel, Google and Acer.

Spectrum Communications Group has been sold but will remain in Australian hands after ASX-listed digital marketing conglomerate BlueFreeway acquired 51 per cent of the company for $1 million.

The remaining 49 per cent of the group – which includes the Spectrum Communications, Spectrum Life and Max Australia brands – will be sold down over a three-year period, based on BlueFreeway’s earnout model.

Co-founders Wendy Docherty and Naomi Beames said they decided to enter into the agreement with BlueFreeway, as they felt their clients would benefit from the digital and online advancements that BlueFreeway can offer.

”We’ve been assessing our service offerings for our clients for some time now, alongside looking at how the PR industry is changing and we believe we’re on the cusp of the PR industry fundamentally changing,” said Docherty.  ”In looking at this, we met with Blue Freeway. They’ve got an amazing folio of companies that they’ve acquired already, but the gap in their offerings was in the PR sector, and obviously that’s what we do, so it was a meeting of minds and we believe it will enhance our offerings to our clients.”

 

 

”We’ll now be part of a global company that will offer many enhancements to our clients that they haven’t had access for. It gives them the best of both worlds,” added Beames.

 BlueFreeway Chief Executive, Richard Webb, said he’s looking forward to working with the Spectrum Group.

”Spectrum Communications bring to Blue Freeway a highly reputed team and we are eager to integrate their skills with the expertise across the group, to deliver best practice online reputation management on behalf of our clients,” he said in a statement.

Docherty said the staff at Spectrum will remain unchanged, as will both her and Beames’ roles in the company. Similarly, the Spectrum brand and identities of its sister groups, Max Australia, Spectrum Life and Spectrum Communications, will not be affected. Spectrum’s clients have also been advised that the company will continue offering the same services as before. Clients include Blackberry, Intel, Google, Commander, Acer and Symantec.

Spotify, iTunes Pump Up Music Industry

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Digital driving music higher ..but Google streaming could really pump up the volume
The music industry’s global revenue grew 0.3 percent to US$16.5 billion in 2012, the first increase since 1999, “is on a path to recovery,” the industry body said today. 

The rise, although marginal, was attributed to more people using legit music downloads and online streaming sites like iTunes and Spotify. 

Digital music is now “accelerating” says the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), thanks to the massive rise of smartphones and the spread of legit music services.

Digital sales now account for about one third of total music revenues, up almost 10% to $5.6 billion.

Subscribers to online music services soared 44% globally to an estimated 20 million in 2012, IFPI said.

There’s now a proliferation of music streaming services in Oz like JB Hi-Fi Now, which the retailer says is doing well, Telstra MOG, Samsung Music Hub and the hugely popular Spotify service, each flogging all-you-can-eat subscriptions for as little as $10 a month.

Spotify Australia told SmartHouse 30% of its users are paying subscribers – larger than the 25% figure for the rest of the world – and Australia is the fifth biggest music market globally.

Adele’s 21 was the best-selling album and Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe was the best-selling single, while our own  Gotye came in at No. 2 wit the hit single Somebody That I Used To Know

Frances Moore, chief executive of IFPI said: “It is hard to remember a year for the recording industry that has begun with such a palpable buzz in the air.”

Moore admits the music industry has “battled” and transformed over the last decade but says the figures show how the industry has “adapted to the internet world, learned how to meet the needs of consumers”

However a key priority is to secure cooperation from ‘intermediaries,’ like ISPs like Telstra and iiNet, to agree to block illegal music sites, and search engines, like Google and Bing, who effectively direct users access to such sites.

 

Google is currently rumoured to be launching a music streaming service globally and nab some of Apple’s iTunes share of music market, which currently stands at 60% of all digital music sales.

Francis Keeling, global head of digital business at Universal Music Group, believes Google will give digital music a “funnel” on the Internet, and help turn music fans to legit sites and would “have a very positive impact on the business.”

“We talk about for subscription services, the need to have a funnel. Google, with its hundreds of millions of users through search, YouTube with its more than 800 million users, arguably is the biggest funnel we could have.”

Optus Fined $3.6M While Google Gets Off Scott Free

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Funny thing, the law. Google Australia will get off scott-free – apart from picking up legal costs – for the conduct of its popular search engine, ruled by the Federal Court to have been “misleading” and “deceptive”, while Optus Australia has been fined $3.6 million for a similar offence, also deemed to involve misleading the public – in its case in advertising claims for its broadband plans.

What Good Customer Service Really Is

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Finding new customers is much more expensive than retaining existing ones. Customer service is more than just keeping customers happy. It’s about revenue, because a lost customer means lost revenue and an unhappy customer can damage your reputation.

Some aspects of effective customer service are:

knowing your customers’ needs;
identifying your key service activities;
delivering superior service;
follow-up.
In a competitive marketplace it makes sense to aim to provide superior service.  Customers base their purchasing decisions on the service they receive, not just price, quality and availability.

Build superior customer service into your business:

Incorporate customer service strategies into your business and marketing plan.
Develop a business vision that reflects your commitment to good customer service and let your customers know about it.
Make sure everyone involved in your business shares your commitment.
Customer service check:

Do you tend to over-promise and under-deliver?
Are there opportunities to improve your service?
Do you know if your customers value your customer service initiatives?
Do you have systems in place to deal with unhappy customers?

 

What Superior Customer Service Means

Word-of-mouth referral is the most effective form of promotion.  It costs nothing and carries a lot of credibility as it is based on personal experience.

Satisfied customers not only tend to return to buy again from you but are also likely to talk positively about your business to others.  A bad customer service experience is shared with around 10 other people who are likely to tell another 10.

Superior customer service is service that exceeds your customers’ expectations and will make your business stand out from your competitors’.  To be effective, customer service must be consistently good in every part of your business.  From the moment the customer thinks of purchasing, right through to the final sale, there are opportunities for the business to add customer service to the process.

 Better Business Tip
Go to any amount of trouble for all of your customers.  Don’t treat “big” or “small” customers any differently.  Customer referrals are powerful and a customer who feels complimented that you’ve gone out of your way to help them with a small matter is very likely to know someone who’d fit into your “big and best” customer category.


Top of Page

Knowing Your Customers’ Needs

There’s no point providing services that are not valued by your customers.  It’s, therefore, important that you develop a good understanding of their needs.

Some ways of achieving this are:

Regularly ask your customers about your business services.
Provide feedback forms for your customers to complete.
Phone or visit customers at critical points, eg after the initial sales, and ask if your product or service meets their needs.
Consider using an outside agent to get feedback from your customers.
Welcome customer complaints and manage these promptly and positively to avoid loss of customers and negative word-of-mouth.
Keep a list of customer complaints to identify any patterns and the cause of dissatisfaction.
Learn what your competitors are doing to achieve customer satisfaction.
Customer feedback is most effective when:

you hear both positive and negative feedback;
you obtain feedback regularly;
the feedback is focussed on what the customer wants or doesn’t want.

 

Identifying Your Key Service Activities

Every interaction you have with your customers offers you an opportunity to impress them and create a positive perception of your business.  It is useful to identify those key service activities so that you can review your performance and decide on what initiatives you can take to provide superior service.

Typical interactions include:

responding to phone calls;
providing product and service information;
taking customer orders and discussing service requirements;
sending follow-up documentation, eg to confirm orders;
billing and managing payments;
after-sales service;
dealing with after-sale complaints.
 Better Business Tip
When communicating with your customers, keep your language positive.  Rather than say, “We won’t be able to see you before Friday”, rephrase your statement to “We’ll be able to see you on Friday.”  Presenting a positive manner and approach in even the smallest ways contributes to an overall positive impression of your business.

 

Delivering Superior Service

Consider some key factors that contribute to superior customer service.

Provide a complete experience  Step back and make sure that all your customer needs are met from the beginning to the end of the sales process.  Make the customer feel valued, even after the sales process is complete, eg by offering after-sales help such as installation.

Reliable service  Deliver your products and services on time and as requested.

Accountability  Take full responsibility for providing high-quality products and services.  Make sure you honour guarantees/warranties on your products.

Efficiency  Deliver your product/service with minimum hassle for your customers.

Assurance  Create customer confidence in you through your professional approach and demonstrated knowledge of your product/service.  Customers must be able to trust your word so always act on your promises.

Attention to detail  Attend to even the smaller details.   Show you care and that you are prepared to provide individual attention to every customer.

Appearance  Make sure your image and appearance reinforce customer confidence in your services.

Keep in touch  Keep customers regularly informed on progress and developments – but make sure this is welcomed by the customer.

Recovery strategies  Put processes in place to allow you to recognise problems when they arise and take action to fix them.

Value adding  Explore how you can offer that little bit extra, such as supplying complimentary products or services after the initial sale, or providing valuable follow-up information.

 Better Business Tip
One of the most important things your customer expects from you is accuracy.  You’ve probably thought the same yourself as a customer.  “If they can’t even send my account to the right address, how can they look after my …”, or “I ordered herb bread and you’ve brought out garlic.  How hard is it to get THAT right in a restaurant?”  Make sure your employees are well aware that any information given or sent to customers must be accurate.

 

Follow-Up

Your customer service initiatives don’t have to stop when the sales process is complete.  Following up with your customers can reap benefits through repeat purchase and referrals.  However, any initiative you take must be seen by the customer to be value adding.

Initiatives to consider:

Send thank you notes.
Make follow-up calls to check that the product or service has been satisfactory.
Provide an e-newsletter or use email alerts for new products/services.
Recognise customer achievements through certificates or awards.
Make follow-up visits without necessarily making a sales pitch.

Written By NSW Department Of Business Development

No Credit For Shippers Set To Hurt Technology Industry

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Consumer electronic and PC technology companies could be facing a shortage of stock running into the peak Xmas buying period because global shipping is grinding to a halt because of the refusal of banks to issue letters of credit.


Australian distributors and vendors who are expecting their biggest shipments of the year over the next two months have told ChannelNews that they are aware of the problem but are still waiting on shipping advice from their parent Companies or overseas vendors.

Alan Kohler of the ABC and a writer for Business Spectator said that he was alerted to this by TJ Marta, of RBC Capital Market’s New York-based fixed income strategist on the weekend, during an interview for the ABC’s Inside Business program.

He said that the Baltic Dry Index of bulk shipping rates has collapsed by 89 per cent – from 12,000 in May to 1355 last night. In October alone it has fallen 61 per cent.

In his column in the London Telegraph last night, Ambrose Evans-Pritchard wrote that he believed shipping was now slowing as fast as it did in late 1931.

The Business Spectator went on to say that Khalid Hashim, managing director of Precious Shipping, Thailand’s second-largest shipping company, was quoted in the Taiwan News yesterday as saying: “Letters of credit and the credit lines for trade currently are frozen. Nothing is moving because the trader doesn’t want to take the risk of putting cargo on the boat and finding that nobody can pay.”

 

Here’s another quote, from Steve Rodley, director of a London based shipping hedge fund called Global Maritime Investments: “The whole shipping market has crashed. But the biggest ships are suffering particularly.”

Letters of credit are issued by banks to guarantee payment at the other end of a shipping transaction. In effect, the bank substitutes its own credit for that of the customer, so the shipper doesn’t have to hunt around in a foreign land trying to track down payment.

Exporters are getting caught up in the problem because their customers are saying “we can’t pay you until our customers pay us”, so there is a knock-on effect that is affecting manufacturers and bulk goods suppliers everywhere.

See Business Spectator for more on this story see www.businessspectator.com.au