Understanding the Customer's Point of View

To whom are you selling your products and services? The customers! Who boosts your sales and builds your profits? The customers! Who does your customer service revolve around? Hmm, not so sure? Of course, customer service is about the customers, but is it really designed with those important people in mind? Unfortunately, the answer is not always yes. If you really will create a customer service culture within your business, customer service must be designed around the customer's point of view. Make a List Everyone is a customer sometimes, and you should think about the service you receive and what you like or don't like about it. Make a list of the characteristics you look for in a business and the service qualities that keep you coming back for more. Enhance this list with input from coworkers, organize the characteristics and add and subtract categories as needed. Post this list in your business or circulate it throughout your staff. Help everyone remember what it feels like to be a customer, which will help them perform your daily operations with customers at the forefront of their minds. Know Your Customers Unfortunately, many businesses equate their customers down to mere numbers that exist so the business can exist. They are not always regarded as human beings with unique needs that you are expected to fill. You can return the human aspect to your customer service by taking the time to get to know as many of your customers as possible. Learn their names, the names of their family members and what they do for a living. Take the time to chat about their favorite sports teams or movies. By getting to know your customer on an individual basis, it will be much easier to see your service from his point of view. Listen to Your Customers Do you know what your customers really want? How do you know? If you are not taking the time to listen to what they have to say, then you probably dont know your customers needs as much as you think you do. Move beyond the basic transaction to the information you are learning about your customer's life. Has he been frustrated about the amount of time he spends waiting in line at your establishment? Does he get irritated when phone calls aren't returned in a timely fashion? Does he greet you with a bit more gusto when you call him by name as he walks through the door? The only way you can learn the answers to these questions is by tuning into what your customers are saying to you. Customers are more than just numbers used to boost your profit margin. They are real people with real needs, wants and annoyances. By tuning into your customer's perspective, you will get a much better idea of how to serve him and your customer service quality will increase tenfold for your customer's sake, of course. - Meredith Estep

SONA President Benigno Simeon PNoy Aquino III delivered his fourth annual State of the Nation Address in Batasang Pambansa Complex, Quezon City on July 22, 2013 with the theme, Sa Gitna ng Daang Matuwid.

The midterm SONA marked his third year in presidency and opened the 16th Congress in a joint session of both houses. The annual address started at exactly 4:03 PM and ended at 5:46 PM. It was the longest SONA he had given so far, earning 88 rounds of applause from Senators, Congressmen, government officials, local and international media and other dignitaries and important personalities in the country. PNoys speech was very comprehensive, covering a lot of areas which include the accomplishments of his administration in political and economic aspects, praises for public servants and government departments who made outstanding services for the country, and also strongly-worded criticisms against corrupt public servants and erring government agencies. The President mentioned the fresh mandate from the people via domination of his senatorial candidates in May 2013 elections, the Bangsamoro peace framework, success of his Pantawid ng Pamilyang Pilipino Program, more TESDA scholars, housing program for informal settlers and the 7.8% GDP last year. He also hailed the passage of RH Law, Sin Tax Law, AFP Modernization Act and the K-12 Law. PNoy specifically lauded three police enforcers for their great acts that helps lift the image of the PNP, and also department secretaries Albert del Rosario of DFA, Armin Luistro of DepEd, Rogelio Singson of DPWH and the late Jesse Robredo of DILG for a well-done job. On the other hand, he minced no words in castigating corrupt individuals, specifically former TESDA Administrator Boboy Syjuco, and the agencies of Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Immigration and National Irrigation Administration. The almost 2-hour speech also included a video testimonials of the exemplary public servants. He ended his speech with words, I am Noynoy Aquino, and I proudly say to the world: I am a Filipino. How wonderful it is to be a Filipino in these times. In my own humble opinion, President Aquino was successful in relaying the inclusive growth of his administration and regaining the trust of the Filipino people in the presidency, and his SONA exuded the confidence he has with his accomplishments. However, I felt that the speech was too long to miss on some important issues like the passage of Freedom of Information bill, amendment or repeal of Cybercrime Act, and especially the P10 Billion pork scam. True or not, he shouldve mentioned the scam, for anti-corruption is his main thrust in the Daang Matuwid platform. Of course, we all know that the President cannot reform the country all by himself, and his theme of beginning the change and enjoining the citizenry to work arm-in-arm with the government in achieving these goals is very laudable. We must support PNoys programs so that we can fully feel the trickling down of economic gains of his administration. And also, we must remain active in urging the him make true to his promise of curbing corruption that is consuming most of our governments coffers.

INTRODUCTION

President Aquino on Monday, July 22, 2013 delivered his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA). It was Pnoy's longest SONA so far but has been applauded less frequently compared to last year.

Watch: Pnoy's SONA 2013 speech full replay

Be guided with our analysis and review of SONA 2013. Students may use this as reference for their reaction paper:

SONA this year were focused on the achievements of the government on his term such as approval of the Sin Tax Reform Law and Responsible Parenthood Law (RH Law), reforms in Education System(K12), Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), increase in number of TESDA graduates, increase in Philhealth enrolles from 62% to 81% and improved benefits, allocation of P6.2 billion for flood control in Metro Manila, completion of 9,377 housing units for Typhoon Sendong victims, 63% reduction in number of private armed groups, 21.4 increase in foreign tourist arrivals in 2012 and 7.8% GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth during the first quarter of 2013.

However, it also highlights some of the changes to hike SSS contributions and train fares.

"We believe that it is time to amend the SSS Pension Scheme. We must establish measures that remedy the outflow of funds. If we add 0.6 percent to the contribution rate, it will immediately deduct P141 billion from the unfunded liability," Aquino said.

Pnoy said the need to reform pension scheme is necessary to avoid depletion of SSS funds in the next 28 years. He also explains that fare hikes in MRT and LRT will be implemented. The government subsidizes each passenger's fare by as much as P45 and said to be unfair to residents from Visayas and Mindanao who never set foot on the trains but fund the train operations.

But according to critics or analysts, President Aquino did not mention solid agenda on how he will lead us to his 'daang matuwid' campaign until 2016. Nancy Binay highlights that Pnoy didn't include on his speech ways to improve employment rate in the country.

Inspite of the gross domestic product (GDP) growth for 2012 and various economic reform programs of Aquino government for his three years in the Palace, Philippines is still has the worst unemployment rate in Asia. More than 11 million Filipinos are jobless according to SWS and IBON Foundation survey results on the first quarter of 2013.

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Saturday, July 27, 2013 PNOY SONA 2013 REACTION PAPER, OUTLINE, GUIDE Still on Search PNOY SONA 2013 REACTION PAPER, OUTLINE, GUIDE Still on Search

Its almost a week now when President Aquino III, Jr or PNOY delivered his 4th SONA on July 22, 2013. But still the searches for the reaction paper of SONA 2013 are still a big hit on the web. It seems like a lot of students from various levels it may be college, highschool or elementary are still searching for the full information regarding the SONA 2013 Reaction Paper.

So for those students who are still searching for the full highlights or main points of SONA 2013, I hope the information below might help compose a very good reaction paper.

Here are some of PNOY SONA 2013 Main Points or Highlights President Aquino started to deliver this 4th SONA at 4:03 pm. Aquino said its his fourth SONA, 2 more remaining. He said he is aware of the challenges facing his leadership.

 The President hailed domination of Team PNoy senatorial bets in the 2013 elections. He cited the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and increase in number of TESDA graduates. He said the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program will cover families with high school students, not just elementary pupils, starting next year.

An example of reaction paper is also provided below.

First Create the outline. Once you already created the outline then start composing your reaction paper with an Introduction the concise the better. Avoid circumvention in stating your opinion.

For more info on reaction paper you might also visit slideshare.net/jwalts/sample-reaction-paper Posted by Joseph at 11:07 PM