| December 6, 2007 | News for the wholesale distribution industry |
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| News and Trends |  |  |
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- Airgas acquires three companies
Airgas, Inc. has bought industrial gas and welding supply distributor Wright Welding Supply, of Des Moines, Iowa., and purchased two other distributors: Basin Welding Supply in Odessa, Texas, and Mainland Welding Supplies, based in Surrey, British Columbia. Modern Distribution Management
(12/3)
| Best Practices | | |
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- How IT executives can keep their staff happy
IT executives should ensure the happiness of their employees by addressing smaller issues in lieu of go-to gifts for the holidays, suggests this article in CIO Insight. Among issues mentioned are allowing the option of telecommuting, reimbursing for job-relevant training, and banking vacation time. CIO Insight
(11/30)
- Build customer relations before, after deal
Companies within the service industry can build strong customer relationships with practices such as planning and discussing a customer's needs before they arrive. And on the other end of the transaction, when the customer checks out, the exit should be considered a new beginning and a chance to review how the transaction went and how it could be improved next time. CEO Strategist
(12/3)
| Sales | | |
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- Confront offensive co-worker
Salespeople who have complaints about the behavior of their co-workers should first know that the situation is not uncommon and then make sure they're not creating unattainable standards and judging others by those standards. Then, they should try to talk to the offending person about the issue and see how it could be addressed. DaveKahle.com
(11/28)
| Small Business Manager | | |
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- Take complaints seriously, keep customer in loop
Most small businesses face unhappy customers from time to time, but now the dissatisfied customers can post rants on the Internet. This kind of virtual bad-mouthing can damage a business's reputation, says one lawyer, who suggests that as a first line of defense, SMB owners should create a company Web site that lists affirmations from pleased customers. BusinessWeek
(12/3)
| Executive Life | | |
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- Airlines may continue to raise fares amid soaring oil prices, expert says
Airline fares have increased sharply over the past few months, said Rick Seaney, owner of FareCompare, a Web site that tracks ticket prices. In a Q-and-A with the Fort Worth Star Telegram, Seaney said the high price of oil may continue to push fares higher. "But clearly there's a tipping point somewhere, particularly for business travelers. At some point, they skip the trip and do their business on a conference call," he said. Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, Texas)
(12/5)
- Chocolate IS good for you, but only the right stuff
Julie Pech ate chocolate daily for a year and a half in the name of research. Now the author of "The Chocolate Therapist: A User's Guide to the Extraordinary Health Benefits of Chocolate" says that the nutrition value is found in cocoa, so the healthy version is dark chocolate with a minimum of 50% cocoa solids. "Inferior selections filled with sugar, fat and fillers crowd candy shelves everywhere," she writes. "The chocolate content in many of the mainstream brands doesn't even top 20 percent, much less the 50 percent required to qualify for healthy dark chocolate." Orlando Sentinel (Fla.)/The Denver Post
(12/4)
| NAW Insider | | |
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Order best-selling Facing the Forces of Change report
Facing the Forces of Change®: Lead the Way in the Supply Chain by the NAW Institute for Distribution Excellence is a best seller! This all-new study provides practical insights into key trends impacting the wholesale distribution supply chain and is packed with specific action ideas and planning tools that executives can use today to lead the way in their supply chains.
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