sorry about the lack of recent updates

My apologies about the lack of new blog recently I have not had many ideas for topics that is all

The ABC's of customer service

We all remember the last shop we went in where we received a poor service. Weather this was from disinterested staff, rude staff , uninformed or just unhelpful staff or even a combo of them all don't we. But do you remember OK service or average service no of course not. Only exceptional service will stick in your mind. It that simple been average and part of the crowd when it comes to customer service is just no good.

You have to stand out catch the customer attention be remember-able for all the right reasons. A simple and often quoted fact is a happily a happy customer tells 4 people a angry customer 10. But a customer who got service which did not stand out one way or the other tells how many? 0 they will not even remember you.

Customer service and customer care are the biggest factor any company has to stand out it our USP . Price is important but I would rather pay a bit more for great service rather than less and be treated like dirt.

The long and short of it is try to go the extra mile it really does matter

But what do I ,mean by the extra mile?

It sounds like a lot of work. Not really it could be lots of small simple things and I mean on top of getting the basics right. For example showing customers you care using our market trading wing as an example on hot days we put water out for the dogs. Our been part of local life again we are proud to support Hull based Dove House hospice.

Small business have a great advantage we can know our regular customer by name and know their needs and wants leading to a more personal service and that breeds great service.

The point is there are many ways to archive this goal no more right than any other just what fits your team and your customer.

But it should feel forced and artificial to your people or the customer other wise it just want archive that stand out factor it should.

What is good Customer service? no correction great ?

I was in a store the other day where the staff id gave the staff tips on how to be better at customer service. Which got me thinking what makes great customer service?

It goes with out saying been rude would be terrible but can you be to polite say your p&q to often? I tend to think yes you would/will get to a point where it either seems forced or robotic and automatic off the staff member. While this will not make a bad experience it would not enhance it as is clearly the companies aim.

I personal prefer the following where the staff member engages with you the customer with a conversation it takes more thinking and show that the staff member cares about enhancing the customers experience. (Here at Clark trading we engage with our customers where every time allows with a conversation and where possible relate to the customer) (either where possible with shared experiences examples)

We pride ourselves on? (Clark Trading)

We pride ourselves on:

• Fast shipping 
• High customer care standards 
• The fact that we don't aim to meet customer expectations no we aim to exceed them each and every time other wise what is the point 
• Been a family owned and ran independent company 
•  Been both from and based in Hull 
• Supporting Dove House Hospice  
• Our CSR policy
• Our prices 
• Been honest (no spin or sales sepal or hard selling they are all banned around here )
• Been Friendly (We love a good chat and will where every possible take time to talk to people at the markets no matter how much or little they have spent   
• 
  

Help catch the Dove House Hospice van thief!

We are annoyed to hear this and hope the police recover Dove House Van. Lets Help them by keeping an eye out please.


''Dove House hospice''
We are sad to say that last night around 1am we had one of our vans stolen from the Dove House Hospice warehouse.
The white Ford Transit Luton Van, 3.5 tonne with tail lift registration number WF09 RWN, one of six we have, is used to take stock from the warehouse to the Dove House shops in Hull and the East Riding. If anyone can help, please get in touch.

I don't want to get in to a rant but stealing a van from a business would be bad enough but to steal from a charity that care for die people is beyond the pail

Hull calling

I love Hull there is so many reason to visit our great city and so much to do

1. The Deep
2. The Kc stadium 
3. Hull truck theatre
4. Wilberforce house museum 
5. Street life museum, 
6. The Spurn light ship museum
7. The Arctic cossair museum ship
8. Hull and East riding archaeological museum 
9. Ferens art Gallery 
10. Maritime museum 
11. The old white hart pub and it plotting parlour
12.  Plus it own Human skull 
13. The Black boy pub the most haunted pub in Hull 
14. Premier league football
15. Europa cup football 
16. Super league rugby league 
17. The Humber bridge 
18. Scale lane bridge 
19. White telephone boxes 
20. Beverley gate 
21. Holy trinity church 
22. The freedom festival
23. Yum yum festival
24. Several other festivals 
25. Ferry terminal 
26. Water (Rivers drainage channelS old docks) 
27. The marina 
28. The fruit market cultural area 
29. The fish trail
30. The Larkin trail 
31. The Victoria deck heritage trail 
32. Miles of river side walk ways 
33. Miles of old railway line cycle/walking tracks
34. 
    

What is different about Hull?

We often hear loads of things that are rubbish about our great city Kingston upon Hull. OK a little less since we won the city of Culture for 2017. But still at times all the negatives that the press can think of are trotted out when it suits the media. But I am not going to discuss the whys and the likes on this. Rather than all that I thought I would look at all the unique/great/good things about Hull.

So here we go:

1. Only Premier league football club in Yorkshire Hull City Afc and  playing in  the European league Europa cup 
2. Home to one of only 2 successful millennium projects the Deep 
3. We spark the English civil war 
4.   Our free museums 
5. Hms bounty was built in Hull original a shallow draft coal ship  
6. Home to the largest single span suspension bridge in the UK 
7. Hull has 3 royal charters and they can be seen in the city archives (one of them at least )

The problem with Ebay!

As a company Clark trading use among other things EBay (Ashleyc119) which has many positive and to be honest (trying hard here not to have a anti EBay rant) many faults. Which make selling on there a major headache.

1. EBay's focus

Is wrong as a seller we pay Ebays fees and are their customer but they seem to think that our customers the buyers are their customer. Which is not the case they are my customer it is my job/our job as seller to look after customers (buyers) not theirs. Their incorrect focus has and does leave seller at time open to all sorts of abuse from the minority I repeat minority of bad and dishonest customer. EBay's rules and regs are so focused on the buyers it leaves us sellers open (most customer are great ) EBay has via it's incorrect focus created a uneven playing field where it rides rough shot over every seller to meet it ends. Protect at all cost my customer the buyer (weather they are right or wrong ) (Even helping the unscrupulous buyer break the law) and not protecting it customer the seller. (this attitude of theirs makes Ebay a dangerous place for the seller when it should be  a safe place for every body)(Seller and buyer)

(I am all for protecting customers and fully support All British trading laws DSR sales of goods act Etc. This is not what this about it about EBay not protecting it customers the seller. And as a company we aim to work with our customers to 100% satisfaction at all stages of the buying experience and fully comply with all British laws and where possible/applicable exceed them to meet our goal of exceeding customer expectations each and every time) (This is only about our believe EBay needs to change to be a better and fairer platform for both the seller and the buyer.

E bay  needs to be a level playing field for every body the current focus is driving honest traders from Ebay.

Ebay business culture is not customer focused (The buyer is the seller customer not Ebay's

Ebay's customer is? That right the seller who they forget about. 

Dove House Hospice part 2

I think one of the scariest things about been human I think is the fact we are aware we are going to die as far as we know we are the only species with this morbid knowledge. But what Has that got to do with Dove House Hospice ? Lots as an organisation Dove House Hospice look after people (18 years and older from Eats Yorkshire/Hull) who have a life limiting terminal illness and it not just that nasty cancer either it a wide range condition they care for. And that is what my opening statement has do with Dove House. They treat and people who know they are going to die a lot earlier in many case then they should and in pain. But the hospice is not a dark place. The staff aim to make it a nice and relaxed place for both the patients and familys. But they can not do that with out our help(every body I mean by our). Here at Clark trading we are proud to support Dove house in any way we can from blog entry's like this one and that one and all my entry's about Dove House are part of our #Target1000. Or raising funds we took part in 2013 Help the hospice month in October and We aim to raise in general more funds each year for Dove House and we are on course to meet and exceed that goal for 2014. We have for example a collection tub for loose change in the office that I aim to personal put at least £1 each week in (£4 plus this week already) and these are only a few examples of how we are helping Dove house and Why.

We promise to support Dove House Hospice until the day all terminal life limiting illness are defeated and not before. 

The mighty River Humber

While the Thames may flow thought London and get some attention is it an important river? I not going to answer this as this blog is all about the Humber.
One of the most important river in the UK if not the most important river (Yes the Mersey the Seven and Forth  all can also make this claim)

A few facts.

1. The Humber drains 1/5 of the land mass of England 
2. Is home to 3 ports (Hull, Immingham, and Grimsby) the busiest port complex in the UK (including Goole on the River Ouse) 
3. The port of Hull is the largest Soft wood port in the UK 
4. The largest power plant in Europe Drax's coal and biomass come through the port of Hull and Immingham 
5. The Humber flow at 7 knots an hour on average and is the fastest flowing river in the UK plus one of Europe's most dangerous rivers 
6. (Which leads me nicely into 6 and 7) The Humber is home to the only paid full time RNLI Crew at Spurn point 
7. The Humber is one of only a few Shipped rivers in the UK and Europe that require pilots (The Humber pilots provide now by ABP but previously a self employ group) 
8. The Humber at it widest it about 3 miles across around the mouth and about 1.5 miles at the point the Humber Bridge cross it (The longest single span suppression bridge in the UK)

Happy Yorkshire day

Yorkshire England's largest country a green and pleasant land from the north sea to the pennines . A country full of diverse landscapes and city's Hull, Leeds, York, all as different from each other as is possible in so many way but all sharing the common thread of been Yorkshire's city's.
A country that has inspired many a novel and poem from Bramstokers Dracula in glourous Whitby to the various Larkin peoms in Splendid Hull. A hot be of over 2000 years history. Need I say more Expect

Happy YORKSHIRE day