text:
Relationship Management By Jeff Marr Jeff Marr, Vice President of Consulting Services, shares his thoughts on the importance of building, managing, and growing relationships with customers. |
The 1960's housewife screamed, "Mother, I'd rather do it myself!" to her mother or in-law trying to help in her kitchen. I remember how this byline in a headache medicine commercial was repeated on playgrounds and campuses, in bridge parties and even sitcom skits. The ad must have built brand recognition for Anacin, but it also stated a basic human desire -- we want to do things ourselves.
Now a growing body of evidence says that customers are expressing that desire by seeking self service options. They think they will find it easier to do things themselves rather than going through live representatives. We are seeing this trend in our study of how B2B companies are striving to become easier to do business with. For product ordering and support, customers are increasingly asking for and using self service options such as product ordering websites. In addition, customers demand high functionality on these channels, in keeping with their experiences as consumers using Amazon.com, other online retailers or even banking online.
Moreover, customers expect any self-service channel today to be well-designed. To use the Anacin commercial analogy again, customers are irritable unless their self-service experience is pain-free. According to CEB research reported in The Effortless Experience, 2013, customers are not happy when they embark on your self-service but then have to still contact a rep for resolution; which still happens too often.
CEB confirms a key takeaway we observed from working with companies streamlining customer self-service -- becoming 'easier to do business with' offers not just a Win/Win but a 'hat trick' --
Win #1) Customers get an easier experience;
Win #2) Company receives higher customer loyalty and spend over time
Win #3) Company receives cost reduction by streamlining processes or customers shifting more to self- versus live-service channels or both
Here is a frightening but too-common scenario. A long-standing business customer has received top-notch product quality and support but suddenly decides to bid the work out. Or despite a long stretch of flawless performance from you as a key vendor, your customer (or his or her boss) over-reacts to a random or relatively small quality problem. In that case you naturally ask, "Why is this happening? We have delivered so consistently to this customer and handled whatever problems came up, so why now ?"
it can be a tough lesson to forget how the bar on customer expectations only moves in one direction -- up. When you execute consistently, the buyer will expect even more in due time or be promised more by your competitor. So be advised that customer experience delivery goals must be set higher and measures of success reset collaboratively between vendor and buyer from time to time.
I have become a big believer in quarterly business reviews (QBRs) with business customers becoming more than just updates on initiatives and issues. Including a, "What's New?" agenda topic allows your sales/account teams to hear new thinking, applications or client struggles using your solutions. In turn, your teams update their clients on relevant changes or practices observed in the industry. In executive interviews, buyers say how valuable it is hear from their vendor, stories of how other leading practitioners solve problems.
Another key opportunity for providers during QBR meetings is to sum up the full value being delivered. For example, show the progress made toward any mutual goals for success that were set earlier. For issues came up that quarter, tell how they were resolved and the positive impact for the client. If your team has any creative ideas or improvements for the way your clients uses your solutions or services, share those or sum up prior suggestions made. Last but not least, show the evidence of wider or more effective usage of your solution at the buyer or as it impacts their customers, to round out the value story that can be relayed in QBRs.
The only way you can be "too good" is when customers forget or never knew how good you really are. Thinking of your key accounts, do direct customer contact and other decision makers there know the value of what you do? How does that value get measured and communicated?
A quick, true story -- when delivering buyer insights years ago to a global manufacturing client -- a name we all would recognize -- the client leaders in the meeting were stunned by one of our key findings. Their products were top-notch as expected, but customers of all stripes were unhappy for a different reason. Many hadn't known who to contact for questions or service, and then struggled to access human contact in customer service calls.
On the spot upon hearing this, the COO asked his quality/Six Sigma executive, "What projects do we have in Customer Service?" The quality executive pulled up the file, glanced through it and had to respond that out of more than 100 formal improvements under way, zero were in Customer Service. Talk about a gap in priorities! Let's avoid the cliché, "What gets measured, gets done," and just say, "What was never initiated or finished is not getting done."
To add a powerful metric to any corporate scorecard, why not track the progress on customer-focused initiatives across the company? Then you keep senior managers abreast of projects enhancing customer experiences. Here are five tips to make this work:
Carefully select projects according to:
- The impact on customer loyalty/experience and/or on vendor choice
- The effort and cost of making the enhancement -- highest priority being projects of high impact/low cost, but high cost initiatives undertaken when impact deemed high enough
- In B2B, have initiatives underway at three levels – key accounts, business units (product or regional), and corporate or cross-functional.
- Report upward the # of projects on schedule/late or at-risk. Or with a small number of major projects, report progress.
- Tie some compensation to goals for individuals/teams responsible for the projects.
- Include the new metric in a scorecard or other metrics portfolio receiving monthly or quarterly review by senior management
Businesses tout customer-focus as a go-to-market strategy, but can they do that without accounting for customer-focused initiatives?
I'd say no -- no customer initiatives, then no customer focus.
So let's start counting our customer initiatives.
In B2B customer relationships, 'O what a tangled web we weave'
Wednesday, September 19, 2012 by Jeff Marr
The "tangled web" woven in this famous poem is about practicing deceit. Integrity makes life much easier in account managment too, but the "tangled web" in B2B is the complexity of roles and relationships that must be developed.
For example, large customer-side relationships include purchasing, corporate executives, key decision-makers and influencers by function and BU, and of course end-users. Channel partners add layers of relationships, including for customers behind the channel.
This complexity makes journey mapping the B2B customer experience quite challenging. The array of personas have varying expectations themselves, not to mention within unique customer segments or verticals served. For example, Purchasing and Decision-makers may well have total cost or ROI more top of mind than influencers and end-users, who care more about the core product's ease of use and product quality. Channel partners tend to look more for training and marketing support than direct customers, who seek technical support. But some of these priorities adjust according to buyers in markets as distinct as, say, telecom vs. financial services.
The myriad of relationships and expectations in B2B makes creating the maps all the more valuable, because they help clarify the internal message about what key customers want, from the the variety of personas. Which are the real "moments of truth" to emphasize, for not only account managment/sales, but support, marketing and R&D as well?
B2B journey mapping helps untangle the web.
What does cooking have to do with resourcefulness in growing key business accounts?
Thursday, July 26, 2012 by Jeff MarrNot a big reality TV fan, I admit being quite entertained recently seeing my first episode of "Chopped" on the Food Network. This cooking show challenges four competing chefs to create dishes in about a half hour. Each chef must work with the same set of ingredients, but no recipe. They are usually given odd bits such as sardines, or watermelon along with more conventional foods. A panel of judges watches and samples the final creations, then "chops" a loser after each course -- appetizer, entree and dessert -- leaving just one chef standing at the end.
The secret to winning? It was clearly in using practical creativity and resourcefulness. During the episode I saw, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese had to be used in the entree. This very concept disturbed the gourmet sensibilities of these chefs, but it was fun watching each one trying to make something of it and taking a unique approach.
Something similar takes place with account managers trying to win more share of wallet with customers. Key or strategic account managers must be resourceful like the chefs on the show -- by working creatively with available resources and aligning those to fit the demands of their "judges" -- their customers. Where chefs decide how to use available food and supplies, strategic account managers (SAMs) deploy people on their teams, gain endorsements from their executives and cooperation from extended staff and other parts of their organizations.
Like musical conductors, the best SAMs orchestrate the resources at hand. They marshal available technology, expertise, processes and plan how to scale these up according to the changing business needs of their customers. In the Strategic Account Management Assocation's 2012 Trends and Practices Study results, the best indicator of a successful SAM was effectively aligning resources from for customers.
Aligning for a customer means gaining a deep knowledge of the customer's business and collaborating with them on what they want, then in turn, creatively assembling the best solution from one's own company. An example in the fleet managment business was when global customers first wanted four and five year agreements that flew in the face of the traditional three year contracts on cars and trucks. With vehicle quality up and the ecomomy down, buyers wanted to squeeze more from the deals. Global account managers had to work through major hurdles with Corporate Legal, their own management and supplier relations to make the change.
When companies are too product or inward-focused as opposed to customer-focused, it may be in part not listening to their own strategic account managers, who must play on both sides of the fence. SAMs are the front line for gaining deep customer insight; but must also communicate inside their own shop, effectively negotiating for the right resources, support and alignment for their customers.
Sales and Marketing executives who must "place bets" on where to allocate resources sometimes ask, "Are we spending too much on customer/hospitality-related activities? What's the impact on earning loyalty?"
Entertainment's impact is hard to measure. It likely doesn't win business on its own, or act as a key driver of customer loyalty, However, hospitality can have a role in starting and building relationships. Most customers care most about how products/solutions help their businesses, but buyers need to know who they are working with, too.
In B2B sales, various relationships must be built and maintained within buyer accounts, including between executives on both sides. This often best occurs in informal settings – over a drink after work, dinner, hospitality suite during conference, etc. -- as well as in office meetings and of course phone or video encounters.
With travel, entertainment and sponsorship budgets under siege in recent years, here's evidence from Corporate Executive Board research about the danger of cutting back too much on hospitality measured in travel costs . Another take from CEB on the continued impact of having face to face contact. Of course those are office meetings as well as off-site.
In summary, managing the budget so that account reps deliver solutions desired by strategic accounts is always the single most important issue. Hospitality plays a key role in building some of the relationships necessary to make that happen.
The recent death of Steve Jobs and publication of his biography sparked public attention to business innovation. Apple's track record brings to mind a more old-fashioned word -- invention. New-to-the-world, breakthrough products or "disruptive" ones in the sense of their changing whole business categories. Most product innovation activity is actually making upgrades or iterations to existing products or services rather than new ones. But the brand new, disruptive ones attract the most attention because their impact can be enormous ... and awfully good for business.
Launching disruptive products is not exactly new. History notes the major global impact of the printing press, telephone, automobile and airplane. Entire lifestyles have been changed by new products, not to mention launching major business industries world-wide. But in business today, the strategic importance of achieving breakthroughs and innovation of entire businesses has picked up steam. It was recently reported in an Innosight study of the S&P 500 Index that up to 75% of listed companies probably won't be around in 2027. Where the average company in 1958 had been around 61 years, that average duration dropped to just 25 years old in 1980. The tenure today has dropped again dramatically to just 18 years.
So innovating and re-inventing the business has truly become an issue of survival. It's interesting that many companies and industries spawned by major inventions couldn't always follow that act up over time and eventually faltered. Kodak is one example. Its inventions helped people over the last few generations use affordable cameras and film and earned itself prominent listing on the S&P 500 for many years. But, with the advent of digital technology is struggling mightily today. In contrast the Innosight authors cite IBM, P&G, and J&J as three giants surviving the test of time and innovation turmoil by 1) operating effectively 2) creating products meeting market needs and 3) shedding their legacy businesses toward the end of their life cycles. Good survival strategy tips.
After all, taking customer-focused action is innovation. Adjusting a solution or service to fit what customers want is an upgrade, whether we call it "version 2.0" or not. People working on such projects become energized when they are recognized for creatively producing something new and important for the business.
The emerging practice called Lean Innovation offers a fitting tool for customer action planning because these principles begin and end with customer insights. For example, the first rule is knowing the customer's large "monetizable pain point", which of course would be a key driver of customer loyalty/retention -- which is what action teams typically work on today. Armed with customer relationship insights, teams start out a step ahead in the game of Lean Innovation.
However, the next Lean Innovation rule reveals where some action planning teams get off track. Customers can't tell you exactly how to fix the problem, just where the pain is. After you plan a change, customers will say whether the new approach helps or not. But action teams should be quickly creating the new concept/change to test on some customers, rather than spinning wheels seeking more data up front, hoping that customers will play the designer role. As the authors of the new book,Nail it Then Scale it say, "Entrepreneurs innovate, customers validate."
Action teams can become more entrepreneurial and effective by following principles of Lean Innovation. In the five stages posed in Nail it Then Scale it below which I adapted slightly to fit customer action planning, note how customers are kept engaged through the design process in the early stages:
1. Nail the pain -- fix on a key driver of customer loyalty needing improvement (based on feedback); craft a revised solution/service/process concept.
2. Nail the solution -- obtain customer reactions to the new concept, then to a simple prototype, then to quick iterations of same. Ensure your design reaches the point where the customers see real value, will pay more, etc.
3. Nail the go-to-market strategy -- learning exactly how the customer will effectively use and/or buy the new approach ; who's on the "committee" using it and deciding where the value is. Do real testing with real prices, if applicable.
4. Nail the business model -- use customer insights from above to work out predicted usage, revenue streams and costs; as needed probe customers on how they will use, what they will buy, etc. Keep initial applications limited until business side proves out.
5. Scale it -- once the business model is set and functional, the change can be rolled and grown.
Another term from design engineers that fits this approach to customer focused change is incremental innovation -- taking a worst-performing aspect of something key to customers and fixing it, then moving to other aspects. I hope more of those responding to customer priorities will see themselves as the innovators they truly are.
Business/channel partner relationships that are healthy produce a "win/win/win" -- across the supply chain for original sellers, partners and end-customers. Delivering and receiving value at each chain link should be the metric for healthy partnering. Inadequate value will break the chain. Without good enough incentives or training offered by the original seller, for example, partners can't perform as well for the seller or the end customer. Or if a channel partner fails to support customers post sale, then the lousy experience for customers pings back to hurt the reputation and share for partner and original seller alike. Nobody wins.
On a larger scale, I think the housing mortgage bubble had unhealthy partnership relationships, between banks and mortgage brokers, realtors, regulators and home buyers. Housing prices became inflated because borrowing too much was made too available to too many. Fingers are still being pointed for blame. Suffice it to say that in the end, all those groups and more -- arguably all of us affected by the bad economy -- suffered as a result.
While less documented, another economic bubble disaster may be brewing, related to college lending and borrowing. I agree with analysts who say that higher education prices are inflated because too many are borrowing too much, in terms of lacking ability to pay back and/or lacking quality jobs. The enablers? Here include the usual suspects -- banks/financial aid brokers and regulators. But include as well the colleges and trade schools encouraging over-borrowing, and students and their parents who borrow more than they can pay back, and those studying for careers that can't pay enough earnings to warrant the cost.
Parenting four, college-educated children gave me a birds-eye view of seeing some of these dynamics first hand. But the broader evidence has come from analysis such as here and here (scroll down to chart comparing housing and college inflation rates with the CPI).
Unholy partnering, or a lack of true value for throughout the chain, never ends well. And as we've seen, large bubbles make big messes. I hope some behavior changes and we don't see this next one burst as some fear.
It often happens with large accounts that your buying customer is just one among several business units and groups in the corporation -- other product lines, BUs or Geos. Account managers responsible for penetrating the account further can be daunted by reaching out to start conversations with the right people in these groups.
I was struck observing the practices of highly successful Global Account Managers (GAMs) recently that a pattern emerged in how their business with that account accelerated, by:
1. Initially selling a small-to-mid-sized project -- "just got our nose under the tent," as one GAM related, for one area of the customer corporation.
2. Making sure the initial project was executed and paid off for the customer business -- top and/or bottom line
3. And here's the key point -- helping the customer contact assemble a case story about the successful project -- a brief but slick powerpoint with talking points and financial impact as the punchline; deliverable individually or jointly by the contact and the seller. The target audience: other parts of the customer business that would clearly benefit from a similar solution.
These GAMs were motivated to go the extra step of initiating the case story preparation in order to smooth their entry into other parts of the business; the buyer was motivated because telling the successful story accomplished career goals for leadership, knowledge sharing and of course networking elsewhere in their global company.
Top sales account or salespeople are often charged with selling to existing accounts and are told this is "low-hanging fruit" compared to adding new logos. But the low fruit reference may be a stretch -- if it was so easy, then it would show up in the numbers and shorter sales cycles. Developing real partnerships with the contacts you work with can be jump-started by co-promoting a success that you shared.
My friend probably made sure this vendor's plan fit their business well. Studies and personal experience show that customers want their vendors to know their business better. By doing homework and aligning their products with the business challenges and goals of customers, vendors improve chances to win and/or grow account and market share. But what about learning the goals and issues of individual contacts at key accounts as well? If they influence choice of vendor, and that decision reflects on them and their careers, then it would serve the vendor to know these individuals better as well as their business.
I suggest that knowing your customer contacts better can parallel the learning of their business. For example, when conducting due diligence on a key account, best practices would identify the challenges faced by the business, strategies undertaken, and most critical business performance measures, so your product can be adapted to fit into that customer reality.
But some answers needed about your contacts are similar -- their career goals and challenges, what they have accomplished to date, how they may be affected by the degree of success in the vendor/partner relationship. The outcomes will guide building in features and assurances that accomplish the personal needs of your contact along with the business objectives. This might include a preferred frequency or mode of communicating project progress, or preparing the ROI story a certain way for the executive audience.
Customer contacts will tell you they want effective solutions from vendors rather than to be wined and dined. But creating some social situations can pay off if that is where we learn about the client as an individual beyond what can be obtained through social media.
From personal observation and limited research on the topic, it appears that when considering vendors to hire, companies use some common elements, but vendor size isn't always one of them. For example, at or near the top would be Right Product Capabilities -- knowing that the vendor's product/service fits the goals and needs of the buyer.
In the next tier would come (order will vary based on company and situation):
- Technical Skill (for support and design)
- Capacity/Scalability The buyer company is not only growing and changing, but may also try out a new vendor with a small piece of business before ramping up the purchase.
- Competitive Pricing - the sum of vendor costs help keep the buyers competitive in their own markets
- Reputation/Brand counts, but often more as table stakes in B2B -- such as assuring financial stability, that the vendor stands by its work, etc.
Let me offer a few hypotheses regarding the impact of vendor size in the consideration and selection of vendors by many B2B companies.
1. There's a rule of thumb or "sweet spot range" on supplier size -- not too big or too small, (as measured by the percent of business the customer represents). If too small, say less than 1% of the supplier's business, and some believe you won't get enough attention. If too large, say over 10% of their business, then they may be over dependent on you and less able to withstand fluctuations in your volume (down or up). Here is one source supporting this notion and advising buyers to stay within the sweet spot range in picking vendors.
2. Bigger customers will look for big-enough vendors -- a minimal threshold to be of adequate size and/or brand/reputation to be considered. Part of the thinking has to do with Capacity/Scalability, but the other part is risk management for the company and the decision-maker. As the saying goes, "Nobody got fired for hiring IBM." Fewer are questioned in the corporate world for hiring a supplier of size and standing.
3. Bigger customers will lean toward smaller vendors as long as they are big enough (meeting other criteria). This is really a corollary of hypothesis #1. Large companies have been accustomed to being treated as major accounts with leverage in their supplier relationships. So they would rather represent closer to 10% than 1% of their vendor's business. This often means working with vendors that are not the largest in the sector.
For vendors, one implication is about marketing strategy -- realizing where the best match-ups might be in targeting customers, given your size. Also running through all the vendor choice criteria is the need to be customer focused. For example, as a market leader, vendors will have to remain nimble in order to compete with the smaller and ofter hungrier vendors in their space. They will also have to sell the buyer that they can "act small" in their customer focus and flexibility.
But then an intriguing ethical question ensued between commenters, posing challenges such as, "Aren't companies obligated toward even their 'low priority' customers"? "Isn't ... "(any) company that consciously jettisons customers... (treating) the customer as just a statistic?"
My response was simply, no. Business relationships should be win/wins; of mutual value to buyer and seller. Otherwise, the decision maker on either side has to make a call on whether to continue. Sellers have to be more tactful than buyers when disengaging, but they have the right to disengage, and perhaps the obligation to do so for the sake of the business owners.
A counter point was that businesses firing customers using the service/goods provided are treating them as less than "real people (or companies) with real needs." My answer: Sellers are people too, but who ever questions customers when they "fire" their restaurant, retailer or supplier, taking their business elsewhere? In fact, I think we call this, "shopping" and "choice."
Finally the questioner-of-ethics said he "would have difficulty accepting that it's 'win-win' to summarily turn away a customer who's dependent on the company to meet his or her need." I agreed with him that a company turning away a customer isn't a win/win -- it's a lose-lose. It's a loss to the customer, especially one dependent on the company, but it's a loss for the company, too -- in fact the company had already lost money, which was the point of making the separation.
As always, there are exceptions to rules on letting customers move on. Utility services come to mind, which have grace periods and other policies that protect customers who can't pay in the short run.
But commercial enterprise should be evaluating the relative value of customers, and there's certainly no ethical argument about "targeted marketing", which tends to do just that. One could even say that companies make a profit one customer at a time...(or lose money or just break even.) there is definitely a time to consider firing a customer.
These tangibles might be corporate but should be especially found within customer-facing processes or functions and strategic account teams. In each department it should be asked, "Where are the new projects and goals that will help earn customer commitment?"
I worked with a client some years ago that sold mission-critical equipment to businesses and was a global market leader at the time. They were very business development-oriented in their growth strategy. The feedback from buyers indicated a huge strategic opportunity for this company to enhance customer service, because salespeople didn't do much account management -- users were directed to call customer service with questions. Unfortunately, it wasn't always evident to the customer who to call or how to get their questions answered.
So this client made customer service a priority for improvement. And this was new thinking, because we found that despite having 100+ formal quality improvement projects underway company-wide, they had zero projects active within the customer service function, the number one customer-desired area to improve. This was shocking, but did lend urgency to making changes. They dramatically enhanced staffing and call software in customer service, made changes to the post-sale servicing approach, and have maintained their dominance in their global markets.
One lesson is in knowing the priority of your customers and doing something about it, but there's a bigger picture here. Customer listening should relate to the tangible initiatives underway in different departments and teams. As customer due diligence, the existence of those should be observed along with customer experiences.
The adage should probably be, "Without customer initiatives; we don't have customer focus."
Steep investments are being made in professional development such as sales technique, supervisory skills, professional certifications. Then consider variety of basic training -- on software, new products, computer skills, etc. The workforce is off the job quite a bit for the sake of learning, plus the direct costs. Managers should be demanding evidence of stickiness and return.
One framework lending itself to finding evidence of stickiness of learning comes from Donald Kirkpatrick who has long been a thought leader in professional training. Donald crafted his four levels of learning as follows:
- Reaction of student - what they thought and felt about the training
- Learning - the resulting increase in knowledge or capability
- Behavior or transferred learning - extent of behavior and capability improvement and implementation/application
- Results - the effects on the business or environment resulting from the trainee's performance
You partnered on a project with your client contact, usually a market researcher or product manager (or both) who was seeking market insights to grow or improve his or her brand, or help roll out something new. The stakes were high -- narrowing to the right decision on how to invest in the brand. The work was hard and the study had to be done right. You didn't dare talk about these projects to anyone, even family to secure knowledge that competing brands wanted to know.
Our company's business model evolved to advise B2B vs. B2C customer strategy but the brands my colleagues and I worked with thirty or so years ago are still around. Some of those are in the image to the right. Until speaking to an industry group last week, I had forgotten what tremendous companies these were.
And the main reason why these company brands have stood the test of time? The voice of the customer was sought out scientifically to anchor major product decisions -- on likes/dislikes, what outcomes the buyers were looking for and experiencing. The companies to the right, and many fast-moving consumer goods companies in the 20th century were customer focused... before it was popular.
Customer and operating scores -- Aligned, or like ships in the night?
Tuesday, April 12, 2011 by Jeff MarrThe rise in BI software and scorecards for business reviews makes senior managers more interested than ever in linking customer scores to operational ones. "Since we invest in tracking certain operational KPIs, let's make sure the metrics relate to what customers want," one customer process manager in a global enterprise told me. I couldn't agree more, and will simply share here four precepts for undertaking such alignment or linkage.
Do expect the right customer sentiment data to align with related operating measures. It may take exploring, mixing and matching to find alignment. Managers over customer functions should help identify internal metrics which possibly affect certain customer ratings. Analysis of data must often allow for lag time between the service experience and customer perception scores. The fact is that perceptions stem from customer experiences, which are in turn the outcomes of processes. Execution and measurement naturally precede the impact upon perceptions of customer audiences.
Do expect that some internal metrics will correlate more strongly than others with customer sentiment. The difference in correlation across measures is hopefully less about unveven quality of internal data but points instead to the experiences that customers care most about. When an internal measure is found to be a leading indicator it enables better tracking of improving operating areas in ways that please customers.
Don't expect every internal measure to correlate with customer sentiment. Certain items measure cost or risk managment more than customer value. An example would be the number of calls handled per hour in a call center -- an efficiency that customers may not see or care about, but which helps bottom-line performance. Metrics that help the business hit financial goals are keepers, whether they correlate with customer scores or not.
Do expect the alignment to indicate needing new or different internal metrics. What would you conclude when customers are unhappy about, say, deliveries being late, yet internal on-time delivery scores are very positive? To me, it implies re-checking how the internal metric is measured, since it obviously was not from the customer's point of view. What the customer cares about most can at times be very hard to measure internally, such as installed core product performing at the level the the customer expected. Ideally, you devlop ways over time to measure internally what matters most to your key customers.
I've been reminded lately that having strategic customer focus isn't about all your customer processes and touchpoints. Customer Experience or focus shouldn't mean executing every touchpoint throughout the lifecycle a certain way, but doing certain things so well that customers choose you.
In my household, we find ourselves choosing smaller, more nimble businesses to do business with, such as an electrician hired the other day over the company we normally use. He offered a shorter lead time and an appointment time rather than, "We'll be there between Noon and Five." I expected the other stuff to be done well enough -- like getting the fixture installed right -- but I hired him because he would come on a day's notice and meet at an appointed time, as that made life so much easier for us.
It's the same in B2B. Customers buy from those offering certain unique outcomes, while doing the other stuff well enough. The Corporate Executive Board (CEB) found in a recent study that companies aren't preferred because they perform all or most their customer touchpoints better. Instead, the winners, like my new electrician, were delivering certain unique benefits to the customers -- ones they couldn't easily find elsewhere that made customers' lives easier in some way. More specifically, they found that the preferred companies would:
- Choose a small number of "unclaimed" benefits to provide through their experience.
- Identify and overinvest in the one or two touchpoints where they can best showcase those unique benefits.
- Use other touchpoints to reinforce their unique benefits.
I didn't realize the extent of the IPod's dominance until seeing this WSJ article describing the demise of Sony's Walkman cassette player (at least no longer manufactured in Japan). The Walkman was itself a classic category-killer. Small radios, a staple in American culture, went by the wayside for the individualized experience of Walkman and other cassette players in the 80's and 90's. But then the coming of CD players (including Walkman's CD player) and especially Apple's IPod and its competitors meant that the days of the cassette Walkman were numbered.
Except for small fact.... the Walkman cassette is not completely dying. The manufacturing has been sold to a Chinese-based operation. Sony says it will continue to sell the product overseas especially in Asia and Middle East where tape Walkman demand is not "totally zero,…" The point is that in today's global economy, when your product cycle wanes in the core markets, there may well be a second life in other markets developing on a different cycle.
In some cases, demand for an old product put on the shelf may actually roar back because of renewed demand from a developing economy. In the automobile industry, demand for manufacturing and parts technology has been renewed due to growth in China and India. For technology providers, this sometimes means dusting off the processes and equipment for older generation parts that are still high quality and meet the immediate needs of the OEMs trying to meet end user demands.
So it seems that more traditional products shouldn't be shelved just because they've lived out their cycle in your core markets. Product managers should make more thorough checks around the globe to find the emerging pockets of demand. Hang onto those specs and blueprints.
This takes a different angle than customer focus. One can be focused on a customer or prospect without their best interests at heart, much the way the predator snake focuses on its prey. Most people can eventually discern the intent behind the interest someone shows them.
One test for being trustworthy in strategic selling is taking enough time to listen and think about the customer's problem and implications before offering a solution. Unfortunately, the tendency instead is to offer "premature solutions,"according to Neil Rackham, author of the classic, Spin Selling. In this interview with thought leader Charles H. Green, Rackham says we are often too eager solving the customer's problems with our products, services and tools before investing more detailed listening and consideration that their issue warrants.
The 80s comedy, "What about Bob?" is a family favorite for us and depicts a scene that illustrates giving "premature solutions" and worse. Egocentric therapist Dr. Leo Marvin (Richard Dreyfuss) offers new patient Bob Wiley (Bill Murray) a solution for Bob's numerous neuroses, after only a few minutes into his observing and questioning of the patient. Standing at his bookshelf Dr. Marvin says that there's a groundbreaking new book that can help Bob.... that he has it here somewhere..... oh here it is! Dr. Marvin then pulls from an entire shelf-full of identical copies his own brand new book on the therapy he is recommending.
Bob Wiley overlooked Dr. Marvin's duplicity but it's just a movie and his character was quite neurotic. Strategic customers and prospects are more perceptive. It won't help building trust if we prematurely offer customers our favorite or core product as "just happening" to be the right solution for them.


text:
The New King of the World
To put this in perspective: When James Cameron's "Titanic" became the worldwide box office champion with $1.843 billion in 1997-98, it more than doubled the previous record set by "Jurassic Park" in the summer of 1993: $914 million.
In the 12 years since, and despite rising ticket prices , no film has gotten within 60 percent of "Titanic"'s total. "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" reached $1.1 billion in 2003-04, the second (and awful) "Pirates" movie reached $1.06 billion in the summer of 2006, while "The Dark Knight" grossed almost exactly $1 billion two summers ago. Those are the only other movies that even reached the $1 billion mark. Basically halfway there.
Until now. This week, "Avatar," Cameron's first movie since "Titanic," broke "Titanic"'s worldwide box office mark and currently stands at $1.861. And climbing. Fast.
Cameron's raising the bar when no one could even get close to the bar before. That's almost mean.
You may bypass the ID fields and security question below if you log in before commenting.
Click here to manage subscription
Twitter: @ErikLundegaard
Tweets by @ErikLundegaardRank the Academy Award's Best Pictures: 1927-2012

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Bianchi 6 Inside the Waistband Holster Right Hand Colt Detective Special, Ruger SP101, S&W J-Frame, Taurus 85 2" Barrel Suede Leather Natural
Product #: 489457
Bianchi #:
Suggested Products
- Howard Leight Leight Plugs Ear Plugs (NRR 30 dB) Package of 10... $4.09 Available
- Gateway Safety Starlite Shooting Glasses Anti-Fog Lens... $7.49 - $7.69 Select Options
- Galco Draw-EZ Holster Treatment 1/2 oz Bottle... $7.96 Out of Stock, Backorder OK
- EZ Target Handgun Silhouette Master Pack Target 14" x 22"... $12.29 Available
- Real Avid Zipwire Pistol Cleaning Kit .22 Caliber to .45... $30.99 Available
- Tuff Products Pocket-Roo Pocket Holster Ambidextrous Holds... $15.79 Out of Stock, Backorder OK
- KG KG-9 PTFE Micro Leather Kote 2 oz... $13.49 Available
Substitute Products
- DeSantis Summer Heat Inside The Waistband Holster Right Hand... $35.49 Available
- DeSantis SOF-TUCK Inside The Waistband Holster Right Hand... $20.49 Available
- DeSantis Pocket-Tuk Inside the Waistband or Pocket Holster... $15.49 Available
- Bianchi 6D ATB Inside the Waistband Holster Right Hand Colt... $23.99 Available
- El Paso Saddlery EZ Carry Inside the Waistband Holster Right... $34.99 Available
- Safariland 25 Inside-the-Pocket Holster Right Hand Colt... $20.22 Available
- Bianchi 6D ATB Inside the Waistband Holster Right Hand S&W... $23.99 Out of Stock, Backorder OK
Product Information
The thin profile of the 6 Waistband holster makes it ideal for concealment. Ultra lightweight suede design and heavy duty spring-steel clip lets you tuck your gun inside your waistband without having to worry about it falling down your pant leg or coming out when you draw your gun. Double stitched for strength and durability. Fits belts up to 1-3/4" wide. Open muzzle design.
Technical Information
Open muzzle
Worn inside the waistband
May be worn strongside or crossdraw
Double stitched for strength and durability
Thin profile provides optimum concealment
Heavy duty spring-steel clip fits up to 1-3/4" belts
Fits: 2" Barrels
Charter Arms Undercover
Colt Detective Special
Ruger SP101
Smith & Wesson 36, 38, 40, 49, 60, 640, 649 and similar J-Frame models
Taurus 85
Technical Information
Fits: 2" Barrels
Additional Information
Know someone who may like this? Email this Page to a Friend
Customer Reviews
The statements and opinions expressed within Customer Reviews reflect each author's personal perspective and do not imply endorsement by MidwayUSA, its Employees or any other organization. Customers should in no way infer that MidwayUSA has validated review information as safe, accurate or appropriate.
NOTE: Prices, specifications and availability are subject to change
without notice.
We reserve the right to correct typographic, photographic and/or descriptive errors.
We reserve the right to correct typographic, photographic and/or descriptive errors.


text:
Mr. Hip Presents: Reading Series continues to bring the poetry, art, spoken word, and music community together for memorable times. Back for its fourth installment, the event wll be hosted at the UFORGE Gallery in Jamaica Plain, MA. One of Boston's most engaging and interactive reading series, the evening's reading will feature poets Frank Bidart, Eve Strillacci, Elizabeth Doran, Betsy Gomez, Eloisa Amezcua, Rudacious Rudy, Pablo Medina, and more.
There will be a soul, pop-like and jazzy music performance by JULEA (LiGregni) with the Jordan Carter Trio. Come be cool. Come see some 'hip' poetry.
($8) For more information visit: http://deardonaldvincent.com/events


text:
Deborah Bradley, left, and Jeremy Irwin in the lobby of a Kansas City hotel on October …In a weekend interview with Fox News Channel's Megyn Kelly, Deborah Bradley, whose 11-month-old baby Lisa Irwin was reported missing from her Kansas City home earlier this month, says that she had been drinking and may have blacked out the night that her baby disappeared. And, while talking to NBC's "Today" show on Monday, Bradley admitted that she last saw her baby hours earlier than the time she had previously told police.
On "America Live with Megyn Kelly," Bradley explained that she had been drinking with a neighbor, but didn't know if the neighbor had gotten as drunk as she had. "I don't think so, I don't know," she said. "We haven't really talked a whole lot about all of the stuff. We're not sitting around comparing notes."
Surveillance video shows Bradly buying a box of wine at a local grocery store at about 5 p.m. on October 3, Reuters reported. Bradley said that she "probably" had more than five drinks that night, but said that she didn't have a drinking problem. "She was sleeping," she said. "You know I don't see the problem in me having grown up time. I take good care of my kids."
But she also said point-blank that she did not remember the evening, and said that blacking out was "a possibility."
"Just like anybody when you drink you don't remember the things that happened," she told Kelly.
Bradley's husband, Jeremy Irwin, told police that he discovered that his baby daughter was missing when he got home from working his first-ever night shift around 4 a.m. on October 4th. The front door was unlocked, Bradley, an electrician, told police, and extra lights were on. A window also appeared to have been tampered with.
In previous interviews and when questioned by police, Bradley had said that she last saw baby Lisa when she put her in her crib at about 10:30 p.m. the night before, but in an interview with Peter Alexander on the "Today" show she changed her story, saying instead that she last saw her baby nearly four hours earlier, at 6:40 p.m. The baby's 8- and 5-year-old half brothers were also in the house at the time of the alleged abduction; both Bradley and Irwin have not allowed police to re-interview them, and Bradley said that while the boys said that they heard noises that night, she has not talked to them about it "specifically to not have to put them through anything else."
Bradley also told "Today" that, after she put Lisa to bed, she drank "enough to be drunk," but insisted that she did not and would not harm her any of the children.
"No, no, no,'' Bradley said. "If I thought there was a chance, I'd say it. I don't think that alcohol changes a person enough to do something like that."
Her husband agreed, adding that the fact that she changed her story doesn't mean she's guilty of anything. "No, there's no question to be had there," Irwin said. "I know the kind of mother she is, and I know what kind of person she is in general."
No suspect has been identified in the case, though police have interviewed both Bradley and Irwin extensively. Bradley has also admitted that she failed a police-administered lie-detector test ("They said that I failed when they asked me where she was (and) if I knew where she was," Bradley told "Today").
"The main fear is that if they arrest me, people are going to stop looking, and I'll never see her again, and I'll never know what happened," Bradley said.
Also on Shine:
Missing baby Lisa Irwin's mom admits she was drunk when her baby disappeared
By Lylah M. Alphonse, Senior Editor, Yahoo! Shine | Parenting – Mon, Oct 17, 2011 11:44 PM EDTMOST POPULAR
Today on Yahoo
1 - 6 of 48


text:
Honey-Lemon Butter
Serve this sweet, nutty butter with warm rolls or breakfast waffles or pancakes.
Yield: Makes about 3/4 cup
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
- Stir together first 3 ingredients. Roll mixture on wax paper, forming a 6-inch-long log. Roll log in chopped pecans. Wrap in wax paper; chill 1 hour or until firm.
Honey-Lemon Butter Recipe at a Glance
- COURSE: Sauces/Condiments
- CONVENIENCE: Kid-Friendly, Make-Ahead, Quick/Easy, 5 Ingredients or Less
- CUISINE: American
- OCCASION: Autumn, Spring, Summer, Winter
- PUBLICATION: Southern Living
More Recipes for Sauces/Condiments
Orange Blossom Honey Butter
Cooking Light -
Gingerbread Butter
Coastal Living -
Lemon-Herb Butter
Southern Living
Find out what we've got cooking...
Get our Free Weekly Specials Newsletter filled with our favorite recipes, seasonal menus, and special features.
We Respect Your Privacy. Privacy Policy


text:
A Charlotte job fair hosted by Bojangles will now take place Wednesday and Thursday, extending the event by one additional day.
The job fair will be held both days from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express at 9420 E. Independence Blvd.
Applicants can attend either day, but Thursday will be the only chance to meet with Bojangles area directors, who control hiring decisions. On Wednesday, attendees will meet with Suzanne Young, recruiting coordinator at Bojangles, and store directors.
The job interviews will be for a soon-to-open restaurant at 6120 E. Independence Blvd., between Conference Drive and Wallace Lane. The restaurant, slated to open July 8, aims to hire 100 employees of all positions, including salaried and hourly managers.
McCabe: 704-358-5197; On Twitter: mccabe_caitlin
Subscribe to The Charlotte Observer.
The Charlotte Observer welcomes your comments on news of the day. The more voices engaged in conversation, the better for us all, but do keep it civil. Please refrain from profanity, obscenity, spam, name-calling or attacking others for their views.
Have a news tip? You can send it to a local news editor; email email@example.com to send us your tip - or - consider joining the Public Insight Network and become a source for The Charlotte Observer.
Read more


text:
Total AG Ratings: 2,586
1. Type your Review (required)
2. Rate the Game (required)
Such a sweet game, played it again after clocking it first time it ages, still cool.
it's nice to play for a while
The game is cool... better not play it too much, it gets boring.
i agrre with all of you but its very simple to play and is fun
nice i guess
Epic Game and yeah could be better
not sure if i like it or not...
Kill stik people iz funnnnn this game is funnnnn
AMAZINGLY borning.


text:
GRAND PRIZE (@wiimoms) The Wii Mommies- Hoover Platinum Windtunnel Vacuum
Julie's Prize (@Momspective) Momspective- Harry Potter for the Wii AND the DS!
Jenn's Prize (@SuperJennBlogs) Super Jenn- The Sims 3 Collectors Edition (sold out in most places!)
Sarah's Prize (@RealLifeSarah) Real Life Blog- A copy of EA SPORTS Active!
Come join the fun!
(must come to twitter party and enter at sites above to be eligable to win prizes)


text:
pygame is
pygame.org is
PyAsteroids - 2.5pymike (pymike)Tags:DescriptionA "souped up" version of Asteroids. Game features multiple ships to play as, different alien enemy types, powerups, upgradeable ship abilities, cheats, and more! Feedback and criticism is appreciated. Changes* Fixed (I think) filename issues in source release. * Added windows executable. * Updated the input box. * A few minor fixes. LinksScreenshotReleases
Pygame.org account CommentsIf you wish to leave a comment with your pygame.org account, please sign in first.


text:
Distance [?] Use Distance Search to find Ads based on where you are and how far you want to travel.
Featured Ads:
- All Featured Ads
Additional Info:
- All Ads
Get a daily email with the newest ads in this category.
Sign Up
Blonde cutie at Misericordia
I came into the urgent care department at Misericordia hospital today (Sunday March 9th) feeling awful but when I saw you I suddenly felt so much better. You are gorgeous with amazing flowing… |
< 5 hours ago |
Transit #160 Bus 1/8/14 farter
I was on the bus, sitting near the back. I was listening to music, earbuds in. I farted. I couldn't hear it, but by the looks on the peoples' faces it must have been a good one. You smiled, held up ... |
06/03/2014 |
@ charmers & watt @ the blinking red light I was trying too cross& I snuck behind this black truck& the other truck who almost hit me he wasn't looking both ways & almost hit me!! Too the lady who… |
05/03/2014 |
Elevator and a Smile
I sat across from the entrance of a elevator. With a ding the doors opened and you peered in my direction. Your smile peered into my very existence, changing me. The doors closed and your gleaming… |
03/03/2014 |
Winners in garden city
You are the blonde woman that was working Saturday night we made eye contact but was to shy to talk to each other was in there just before close. |
02/03/2014 |
Looking for Sarah Dubois
I still have your D.J. Spooky and Peanut Butter Wolf cd's that you lent me after we 'watched' Waking Life, so many years ago. |
01/03/2014 |
wish i wasn,t so shy,i would have talked to you
your the lady with the beautiful smile at polo park.we passed each other a few times.yes,i noticed you noticing me.i think we were passing because both of us liked what they saw. let us notice each… |
01/03/2014 |
Girl at Denny's
We made eye contact and you said I was very polite and made your day |
27/02/2014 |
Girl in Sociology Class, 2011 @ U of W
Hi, looking for a girl who was in an intro to sociology class in winter term 2011 @ u of w. We both sat in the back row and you had a green bag. This ad was posted with the Kijiji mobile app. |
25/02/2014 |
Golden Girl
To the blonde bombshell I danced with in that creepy basement in Wolseley, was your name Dorothy? or Blanche? I could have sworn. Your on-the-spot rap solos tickled the cockles of my heart. I think… |
25/02/2014 |
Met you at polo park,2 weeks ago.
Your an Asian lady,maybe from Cambodia or Vietnese. we talked ,kimbitzed back and forth although we were strangers,we liked each other.Should have gotten your email address so we could be friends. |
24/02/2014 |
ZAKK WYLDE - looking for man, young, blonde, long hair, slim
I had to stand by you and your 2 friends for the last song before squeezing by you on the end. I was the curvy brunette, Older than you. You and I made eye contact, we both appeared to want to stop… |
24/02/2014 |
looking for jamal curtin
really need to contact you found your mercanaries 2 so just go on xbox and accept my request |
22/02/2014 |
The hot girl I saw at Starbucks on Corydon
We made eye contact the whole time and you eventually sat closer to me. I was too nervous to say hello, but I should've said at least something. If by the off chance you see this, email me what I ... |
21/02/2014 |
11 crestview bus, February 19th, towards polo
You kept looking at me on the bus, you were sitting across from me in the back. You smiled at me when I first sat down. I'm a big baby and was too shy to say hello... Tell me what stop you got off… |
19/02/2014 |
Mardi Gras. Friday
Guys I got mad at in coat check.. Sorry I was having a bad night.. I feel like a douche. Please e-mail so I can apologize properly. |
15/02/2014 |
My beautiful stranger...
A year ago today I was lost in you. A year later I miss you... I still pray for you... This ad was posted with the Kijiji mobile app. |
15/02/2014 |
Joggin lady on St Mary's rd past permeter
I see you jogging early in the morning when I go to work. I admire your commitment! Freezing cold and slippery and yet you jog. You have become my new inspiration :) |
14/02/2014 |
Rachelle L. are you out there?
Sounds like you needed someone to talk to but when we bumped into each other it was too cold to stand around and chat.... let's try this again... hope you see this, I dont have your number. P.S. I… |
14/02/2014 |
To The Wandering Winter Warrior
To the wandering winter warrior You were riding a black mountain bike wearing an orange jacket and black helmet. I was riding a red free spirit, white helmet and brown jacket. We were both riding… |
13/02/2014 |
Feeling talkative? Visit the discussion forums to chat with other Canadians.


text:
You must log in to access this feature. Sign in with Twellow or Facebook to get started.
By signing in to Twellow, you indicate your agreement to our terms of service.
or, connect with Facebook.
Privacy Policy | Terms of Service
Click the button above and you'll be taken to your Twellow profile editor.
Simply connect with Facebook and kiss those password blues away, or go here to reset your password.
I am a 13 year old boy. I have asperger syndrome and ADHD.If you met me you wouldn't notice it. I like boogie-boarding, gardening and I love animals.


text:
Franklin >
Gifts & Novelties > Zoo & More The Gift Shop58 E Central St, Franklin, MA | Directions
Sign in with Facebook Sign in with Facebook to see what your friends are up to!
Do you have a review of Zoo & More The Gift Shop on your blog? If you include the Citysearch image link (shown below) in your post, we'll automatically link to your review from the business profile page. Here's how our Linkback system works:
The Linkback system is free and automatic. It's really that easy.
To link to our business profile page, copy the html below to your web page.


text:
A versatile, young, blond performer, Rapaport segued smoothly from standup comedy to acting with a 1990 guest shot on ABC-TV's "China Beach" and a starring role in "Zebrahead" (1992) as a white high schooler involved in a tense interracial relationship. For the latter, he garnered good notices and an Independent Feature Project Spirit Award nomination. More TV work followed including a recurring role on the fleeting but acclaimed comedy-drama "Middle Ages" (CBS, 1992).
Rapaport's film career took off in 1993 with appearances in four diverse projects, including the delirious Quentin Tarantino-scripted crime adventure "True Romance". Playing the edgy actor friend of Christian Slater, Rapaport held his own amid the formidable ensemble. He also had a small role in writer-director John Singleton's "Poetic Justice" that year. Rapaport graduated to a major role in Singleton's "Higher Learning" (1995) playing a not entirely unsympathetic Midwestern college student who becomes a skinhead in a misguided effort to forge an identity for himself. Later that year, he won praise for his role as a not-too-bright boxer being set up with a prostitute in Woody Allen's "Mighty Aphrodite". In Ted Demme's "Beautiful Girls" (1996), Rapaport was Matt Dillon's roommate who was fixated on models. He appeared in supporting roles in "The Pallbearer" (1996), "A Brother's Kiss" (1997) and headlined Nick Gomez's "illtown" (1998).
Please support TCMDB by adding to this information.
Click here to contribute


text:
Iran says it is converting uranium, easing bomb fears
Israel needs to dial down the rhetoric; they're the one destabilizing the region with their constant invasions of other countries and bombing throughout the Middle East. No one considered Israel a threat until they made themselves a threat by arming to the teeth, invading other nations and seizing territory that wasn't theirs. Their aggressive imperialism, and their apartheid against the people of Palestine is 100% of the reason why their neighbours hate them.
All military funding to Israel needs to be stopped, and serious sanctions placed on it until it dismantles ITS nuclear weapon stockpile, tears down the walls in Palestinian territories and remove all barriers to supplies and aid coming into Gaza and the rest of the Palestinian stories. Then it needs to evacuate all enclaves living on land that is not theirs, and come to the bargaining table prepared to give away their own daughter's virginity if necessary to create a two-state solution. It's Israel's greed and intransigence that is causing the crises in the Middle East, not Iran.
"…..an Israeli official who declined to be named"
Is no one in Israel accountable?
Israel is hell-bent on dragging the US into another conflict to benefit only the ego and power plays of Mr. Netanyahu
@McBob "Mcbob" really Achmed?
Israel has been the one attacked since it became a state, or do you forget that only Jordan and Egypt actually have a peace treaty with Israel. The rest of the Middle East is still technically at war with Israel.
Please blame Algeria, Tunisia, Mali, Egypt and Syria on Israel. It only proves that an ignorant Muslim could belive that and still be called sane around here.
a more realistic view of Israel. please tell me where this is incorrect.
Israel has a couple of hundred nukes, and if that isn't enough to make it feel safe, what will? Why have them if they don't bring security? They are certainly not bringing peace to them or the region.
While feeling free to develop nukes, Israel insists it is the only regime that should own them, and jealously guard that exclusivity. To that end, they have been claiming for 2 decades that Iran is mere months from building nukes…yet that never seems to come to pass.
The alleged threat of Iranian nukes has brought 20 years of actual threats from Israel. Every intel agency in the US and even Israel, say Iran has not decided to build nukes…yet Netanyahu keeps insisting that Iran must be attacked…but not by them, Israel is giving the USA it's marching orders…attack Iran or else.
So the Iron dome and nuclear deterrent isn't keeping Israel safe…what will? They can't kill Iranian knowledge. I'm pretty sure Iran has managed to figure out what the Manahattan project managed 60 years ago…so what can they hope to accomplish?
If Iran wanted nukes, they'd have them…simple as that. They could buy them from Pakistan or N.Korea or just make them in secret.
Former IAEA inspector and nuclear engineer Robert Kelley openly mocks Amato and his obsession with Parchin. Satellite imagery shows that while Iran has been remodelling parts of Parchin, (one of their largest military bases), the land on two sides of the building in question hasn't been touched at all.
So more noise from Netanyahu and much ado about nothing. If Israel felt they could attack Iran, they would have by now and Obama isn't inclined to start another war. Since Bibi can't stand being out of the news for more than a day, expect more noise. Thankfully, most are bored with his wolf crying and now his tales of woe are just sounding sad.
- Malaysian PM says lost airliner was diverted deliberately |
- Malaysia PM says lost plane's movements indicate a deliberate act
- Exclusive: Radar data suggests missing Malaysia plane deliberately flown way off course - sources
- UPDATE 2-Satellite data shows missing Malaysia plane may have flown thousands of miles-source
- UPDATE 1-Rolls-Royce concurs with Malaysia on missing jet's engine data


text:
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Regular-season major college football is more of an NFL market attraction these days. Just check the current and future schedules.
The new Yankee Stadium is getting into the act. So is Soldier Field. Ditto the new Meadowlands home of the Giants and Jets, and the Georgia Dome. Jerry Jones is staging Texas-sized neutral dates at the Cowboys' palace in Arlington. The Alamodome in San Antonio is on that list, too.
Already deep into the game, however, is FedEx Field. The Washington Redskins' 91,700-seat stadium in Landover, Md., announced two more dates last week, including a BYU-West Virginia game for September 2016.
For the Mountaineers, it's a bus trip for a $2.25 million guarantee. It gets WVU into the nation's capital market in a season when Maryland will visit Morgantown. It's an attractive game against a national program that will be a football independent (and could be a BCS player by then).
It didn't happen overnight, however. The Redskins discussed several teams and several years with WVU, before the Cougars - looking for high profile games as they hope to become the "Mormon Notre Dame" in football - were the pairing.
"It's something we've been working on for the better part of two years," said WVU Deputy Athletic Director Mike Parsons, the point man on Mountaineer football scheduling. "With it being in 2016, there was no rush to have conversations every day.
"The other names are ones you heard of (he wouldn't reveal them). The stadium is looking for schools and matchups that will sell tickets. The way it works out, with our (recently signed) deal with Maryland, we'll be going over there three straight years (2015 and '17 at Byrd Stadium).
"It's a great opportunity for us. It's a name, quality opponent, a marquee game, in an area in which we have a lot of alumni presence. We talked off and on about various scenarios, but BYU is a very good opponent, a national name.
"We have a good fan base over there. We always easily sell our allotment of 4,000-5,000 tickets when we play at Maryland, and when we play Georgetown over there in basketball, we have a really good turnout of Mountaineers."
The WVU Alumni Association reports more than 35,000 Mountaineer grads in the Washington-Baltimore metro area (including Frederick, Md., and Martinsburg). The BYU game will make plenty of money for both programs and the stadium-owning Redskins.
Although there have been media reports that BYU also is getting $2.25 million, the private university doesn't talk dollars - and it's unlikely the Utah school is getting those kind of bucks as a "visiting" team.
For example, when Boise State downed Virginia Tech at FedEx earlier this month before a sellout crowd of 86,587 (the Redskins didn't sell some partially obstructed view seats it peddles for NFL games), the Hokies received a $2.35 million guarantee; Boise took home $1.25 million.
There's another piece of the BYU-WVU arrangement that has been mostly overlooked that was crucial. The telecast rights are under contract to the Big East Conference, with WVU as the designated home team.
"When you play (home-and-home), the home team owns that TV rights," Parsons said. "When you only play one, you have to define who owns them. We've talked a lot before about how the Big East TV package needs quality non-conference opponents. BYU gives us that.


text:
The Best CSS Hacks
Posts tagged aimbot
New CSS Hacks by Xeon!
Aug 3rd
www.FPSCHEATS.com has brand new CSS hacks by Xeon! These are 50+ Featured hacks and can do everything from hacking legit to cheating and raging with the hack. If you want the best CSS Hack in the world download them now at www.FPSCHEATS.com
CSS Hack Feature List – Aimbot
Aug 4th
Welcome to the www.MYFPSCHEATS.com new blog for Counter Strike Source! We are now offering the world's best aimbot/instantkill hack on our site. Check out the video below and notice how accurate this hack is. You can go all out and kill everyone on the other team or tone things done with options for clan matches, etc.
The CS:S Hack includes the following features
- The WORLDS BEST Aimbot/InstanKill
- Bone Aim
- PERFECT No Recoil
- PERFECT No Spread
- 3D Bounding box/Radar ESP
- Wallhack w/ chameleon chams (different colors behind wall/in view)
- Weapon chams (different colors for different types)
- Custom Crosshair
- No Fog
- Anti Flash
- Anti Smoke
- Minimap Hack (enemies on radar)
- Menu
GET THIS CS:S HACK AND OTHER HACKS ON OUR WEBSITE AT: www.MYFPSCHEATS.com


text:
The Florida Panthers have traded Jordan Leopold to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a second round pick in 2010.
Leopold had seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points in 61 games with Florida this season. He was minus-7 with 22 penalty minutes.
In his NHL career, Leopold has 36 goals, 91 assists and 127 points in 416 games. His career plus/minus rating is -22, and he he has logged 184 total penalty minutes.
Leopold has played 46 career NHL playoff games, counting no goals and 15 assists with a +9 rating and 18 penalty minutes. He was a member of the Flames squad that reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 2004. He notched 10 assists and had a +5 rating in 26 games during that playoff run.
Leopold has been traded five times in his NHL career. He was originally selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the second round of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. Before playing an NHL game, he was traded to the Calgary Flames in September of 2000. Leopold played three-plus seasons in Calgary before getting traded to Colorado in 2006 in a deal that saw Alex Tanguay go to the Flames. Leopold was traded back to the Flames at the 2009 trade deadline, in exchange for Lawrence Nycholat, Ryan Wilson and a second round pick. After the 2009 Entry Draft in June, Leopold was traded to Florida as part of the deal that saw Jay Bouwmeester head to Calgary. Leopold ended up re-signing with Florida as an unrestricted free agent last summer.
Leopold won the Hobey Baker Award as the top U.S. Collegiate player in 2002, his senior year at the University of Minnesota.
Martin St. Louis is a Ranger, Matt Moulson is a member of the Minnesota Wild and the Montreal Canadiens have Thomas Vanek. Look back at all the big name deals that went down.
Complete Trade List
Photo Gallery: Behind the scenes at TradeCentre
Download the TSN Hockey App
Join the conversation on Twitter with #tradecentre
Get in-depth player stats, real-time on the ice matchups, Twitter Trender and so much more. Follow every play for every game.
GameTracker - Full Schedule
Are you ready for the Challenge? Select your roster of 6F, 4D, and 2G each week during the regular season, and you could win a New 2013 Kia Optima Hybrid! Compete against the nation and your friends. Play now!


text:
End of the year pricing, this is a once in a blue moon offer!
This wood table is gorgeous, the inlay detail on the legs is a perfect traditional touch without making a room look too clunky.
Dimensions: 55" (W) x 31 1/2" (D) x 28" (H)
End of the year pricing : $500
Original pricing: $850


text:
Flow battery
This article may be too technical for most readers to understand. (April 2013) |
A flow battery is a type of rechargeable battery where rechargeability is provided by two chemical components dissolved in liquids contained within the system and separated by a membrane. Ion exchange (providing flow of electrical current) occurs through the membrane while both liquids circulate in their own respective space. Cell voltage is chemically determined by the Nernst equation and ranges, in practical applications, from 1.0 to 2.2 Volts.
A flow battery is technically akin both to a fuel cell and an electrochemical accumulator cell (electrochemical reversibility). While it has technical advantages such as potentially separable liquid tanks and near unlimited longevity over most conventional rechargeables, current implementations are comparatively less powerful and require more sophisticated electronics.
Construction principle[edit]
A flow battery is a rechargeable fuel cell in which an electrolyte containing one or more dissolved electroactive elements flow through an electrochemical cell that reversibly converts chemical energy directly to electricity (electroactive elements are "elements in solution that can take part in an electrode reaction or that can be adsorbed on the electrode" [1]). Additional electrolyte is stored externally, generally in tanks, and is usually pumped through the cell (or cells) of the reactor, although gravity feed systems are also known.[2] Flow batteries can be rapidly "recharged" by replacing the electrolyte liquid (in a similar way to refilling fuel tanks for internal combustion engines) while simultaneously recovering the spent material for re-energization.
In other words, a flow battery is just like an electrochemical cell, with the exception that the ionic solution (electrolyte) is not stored in the cell around the electrodes. Rather, the ionic solution is stored outside of the cell, and can be fed into the cell in order to generate electricity. The total amount of electricity that can be generated depends on the size of the storage tanks. One benefit to this design is that the cell can be recharged simply by changing out the tanks.
Classes of flow batteries[edit]
This section needs additional citations for verification. (August 2013) |
Different classes of flow cells (batteries) have been developed, including redox, hybrid and membraneless. The fundamental difference between conventional batteries and flow cells is that energy is stored as the electrode material in conventional batteries but as the electrolyte in flow cells.
The redox (reduction-oxidation) cell is a reversible fuel cell in which all electrochemical components are dissolved in the electrolyte. The energy capacity of the redox flow battery is fully independent of its power, because the energy available is related to the electrolyte volume (amount of liquid electrolyte) and the power to the surface area of the electrodes. Redox flow batteries are rechargeable (secondary cells).[3] Because they employ heterogeneous electron transfer rather than solid-state diffusion or intercalation they are more appropriately called fuel cells than batteries. In industrial practice, fuel cells are usually, and unnecessarily, considered to be primary cells, such as the H
2 system. The unitized regenerative fuel cell on NASA's Helios Prototype is another reversible fuel cell. The European Patent Organisation classifies redox flow cells (H01M8/18C4) as a sub-class of regenerative fuel cells (H01M8/18). Examples of redox flow batteries are the vanadium redox flow battery, polysulfide bromide battery (Regenesys), and uranium redox flow battery.[4] Redox fuel cells are less common commercially although many systems have been proposed.[5][6][7][8]
The hybrid flow battery uses one or more electroactive components deposited as a solid layer.[9] In this case, the electrochemical cell contains one battery electrode and one fuel cell electrode. This type is limited in energy by the surface area of the electrode.
Hybrid flow batteries include the zinc-bromine, zinc-cerium [10] and lead-acid flow batteries.
This battery employs a phenomenon called laminar flow in which two liquids are pumped through a channel. They undergo electrochemical reactions to store or release energy. The solutions stream through in parallel, with little mixing. The flow naturally separates the liquids, eliminating the need for a membrane.[11]
Membranes are often the most costly component and the most unreliable components of batteries, as they can corrode with repeated exposure to certain reactants. The absence of a membrane enabled the use of a liquid bromine solution and hydrogen. This combination is problematic when membranes are used, because they form hydrobromic acid that can destroy the membrane. Both materials are available at low cost.[12]
The design uses a small channel between two electrodes. Liquid bromine flows through the channel over a graphite cathode and hydrobromic acid flows under a porous anode. At the same time, hydrogen gas flows across the anode. The chemical reaction can be reversed to recharge the battery—a first for any membraneless design.[13]
One such membraneless flow battery published in August 2013 produced a maximum power density of 0.795 w/cm2, three times as much power as other membraneless systems— and an order of magnitude higher than lithium-ion batteries.[14]
In 2013 researchers announced the use of 9,10-anthraquinone-2,7-disulphonic acid (AQDS), a quinone, as a charge carrier in metal-free flow batteries. Each of the carbon-based molecules holds two units of electrical charge, compared with one unit in conventional batteries, implying that a battery could store twice as much energy in a given volume.[15] AQDS undergoes rapid, reversible two-electron/two-proton reduction on a glassy carbon electrode in sulphuric acid. An aqueous flow battery with inexpensive carbon electrodes, combining the quinone/hydroquinone couple with the Br
redox couple, yields a peak galvanic power density exceeding 0.6 W cm−2 at 1.3 A cm−2. Cycling showed >99 per cent storage capacity retention per cycle. The organic anthraquinone species can be synthesized from inexpensive commodity chemicals. This organic approach permits tuning of the reduction potential and solubility by adding functional groups. Adding two hydroxy groups to AQDS increases the open circuit potential of the cell by 11%.[16]
Metal hydride[edit]
Proton flow batteries integrate a metal hydride storage electrode into a reversible proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell. During charging, PFB combines hydrogen ions produced from splitting water with electrons and metal particles in one electrode of a fuel cell. The energy is stored in the form a solid-state metal hydride. Discharge produces electricity and water when the process is reversed and the protons are combined with ambient oxygen. Metals less expensive than lithium can be used and provide greater energy density than lithium cells.[17][18]
Couple | Max. cell voltage (V) | Average electrode power density (W/m2) | Average fluid energy density (W·h/kg) |
Bromine-hydrogen | 7,950 | ||
Iron-tin | 0.62 | <200 | |
Iron-titanium | 0.43 | <200 | |
Iron-chrome | 1.07 | <200 | |
Vanadium-vanadium (sulphate) | 1.4 | ~800 | 25 |
Vanadium-vanadium (bromide) | 50 | ||
Sodium/bromine polysulfide | 1.54 | ~800 | |
Zinc-bromine | 1.85 | ~1,000 | 75 |
Lead-acid (methanesulfonate) | 1.82 | ~1,000 | |
Zinc-cerium (methanesulfonate) | 2.43 | <1,200–2,500 |
Advantages and disadvantages[edit]
This article contains a pro and con list, which is sometimes inappropriate. (November 2012) |
Redox flow batteries, and to a lesser extent hybrid flow batteries, have the advantages of flexible layout (due to separation of the power and energy components), long cycle life (because there are no solid-solid phase transitions), quick response times, no need for "equalisation" charging (the over charging of a battery to ensure all cells have an equal charge) and no harmful emissions. Some types also offer easy state-of-charge determination (through voltage dependence on charge), low maintenance and tolerance to overcharge/overdischarge.
On the negative side, flow batteries are rather complicated in comparison with standard batteries as they may require pumps, sensors, control units and secondary containment vessels. The energy densities vary considerably but are, in general, rather low compared to portable batteries, such as the Li-ion.
Flow batteries are normally considered for relatively large (1 kWh – 10 MWh) stationary applications. These are for
- Load balancing - where the battery is connected to an electrical grid to store excess electrical power during off-peak hours and release electrical power during peak demand periods.
- Storing energy from renewable sources such as wind or solar for discharge during periods of peak demand.[19]
- Peak shaving, where spikes of demand are met by the battery.[20]
- UPS, where the battery is used if the main power fails to provide an uninterrupted supply.
- Power conversion - because all cells share the same electrolyte/s. Therefore, the electrolyte/s may be charged using a given number of cells and discharged with a different number. Because the voltage of the battery is proportional to the number of cells used the battery can therefore act as a very powerful DC/DC converter. In addition, if the number of cells is continuously changed (on the input and/or output side) power conversion can also be AC/DC, AC/AC, or DC/AC with the frequency limited by that of the switching gear.[21]
- Electric vehicles - Because flow batteries can be rapidly "recharged" by replacing the electrolyte, they can be used for applications where the vehicle needs to take on energy as fast as a combustion engined vehicle.[22]
- Stand-alone power system - An example of this is the telecom industry for use in cellphone base stations where there is no grid power available. The battery can be used alongside solar or wind power sources to compensate for their fluctuating power levels and alongside a generator to make the most efficient use of it to save fuel.[23][24]
See also[edit]
- ^ Science-Dictionary.org. "Electroactive Substance" 14 May 2013.
- ^ T. Fujii, T. Hirose, and N. Kondou, in JP patent 55096569 (1979), to Meidensha Electric Mfg. Co. Ltd.
- ^ Bartolozzi, M. (1989). "Development of redox flow batteries. A historical bibliography". Journal of Power Sources 27 (3): 219–234. doi:10.1016/0378-7753(89)80037-0.
- ^ Linden, D.; Reddy, T.B. (2002). Handbook of Batteries (Eds.). McGraw-Hill.
- ^ L. H. Cutler, in US Patent 3607420 (1969), to E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co.
- ^ Shiokawa, Y.; Yamana, H.; Moriyama, H. (2000). "An Application of Actinide Elements for a Redox Flow Battery". Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology 37 (3): 253. doi:10.1080/18811248.2000.9714891.
- ^ Leung, P. K.; Ponce-De-León, C.; Low, C. T. J.; Shah, A. A.; Walsh, F. C. (2011). "Characterization of a zinc–cerium flow battery". Journal of Power Sources 196 (11): 5174. doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2011.01.095.
- ^ W. Borchers, in US patent 567959 (1894)
- ^ W. Nernst, in DE patent 264026 (1912)
- ^ R. M. Keefer, in US patent 3682704 (1970), to Electrocell Ltd.
- ^ Kummer, J. T.; Oei, D. -G. (1985). "A chemically regenerative redox fuel cell. II". Journal of Applied Electrochemistry 15 (4): 619. doi:10.1007/BF01059304.
- ^ [25][dead link]
- ^ P. M. Spaziante, K. Kampanatsanyakorn, and A. Zocchi, in WO patent 03043170 (2001), to Squirrel Holdings Ltd.
- ^ Talk by John Davis of Deeya energy about their flow battery's use in the telecomms industry on YouTube
- ^ "New rechargeable flow battery enables cheaper, large-scale energy storage". KurzweilAI. doi:10.1038/ncomms3346. Retrieved 2013-08-20.
- ^ Braff, W. A.; Bazant, M. Z.; Buie, C. R. (2013). "Membrane-less hydrogen bromine flow battery". Nature Communications 4. doi:10.1038/ncomms3346.
- ^ Performance Testing of Zinc-Bromine Flow Batteries for Remote Telecom Sites
- ^ Huskinson, B.; Marshak, M. P.; Suh, C.; Er, S. L.; Gerhardt, M. R.; Galvin, C. J.; Chen, X.; Aspuru-Guzik, A. N.; Gordon, R. G.; Aziz, M. J. (2014). "A metal-free organic–inorganic aqueous flow battery". Nature 505 (7482): 195–198. doi:10.1038/nature12909. PMID 24402280.
- ^ "From Harvard, a Cheaper Storage Battery". New York Times. January 8, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
- ^ "Electric Vehicle Refuelling System (EVRS) used in conjunction with Vanadium Redox Flow Technology". REDT Energy Storage.
- ^ REDT Energy. "Storing Renewable Energy".
- ^ "Proton flow battery simplifies hydrogen power". Gizmag.com. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
- ^ Andrews, J.; Seif Mohammadi, S. (2014). "Towards a 'proton flow battery': Investigation of a reversible PEM fuel cell with integrated metal-hydride hydrogen storage". International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 39 (4): 1740. doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2013.11.010.
External links[edit]


text:
Nice to meet you here at Audiko.net, where you may search for killer ringtones for your Android smartphone. Today we have a ringtone of "funk soul brother" by Fatboy Slim as well as 1295 other ringtones by Fatboy Slim. You can listen to all 31 Fatboy Slim – "funk soul brother" ringtone variations available here and download it for free to your computer. You can also explore other 17 albums produced by Fatboy Slim for all time. "funk soul brother" is referred to Electronic, and we have a huge amount of Electronic tracks absolutely for free. And finally, we have collected lyrics for this track and you can view it here as well. So feel free to browse, listen, download ringtones at Audiko.net. Make your phone sound cool!
Fatboy Slim Funk Soul Brother Ringtone
Similar Ringtones
Browse Genres
Alternative Big Beat British Dance Electronic House Rock Techno
Funk Soul Brother 4:00
Fatboy Slim
Albums by Fatboy Slim
Top ringtones by Fatboy Slim
- Fatboy Slim - Ya Mama
- Fatboy Slim - Right Here, Right Now
- Fatboy Slim - Eat Sleep Rave Repeat (Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike & Ummet Ozc
- Fatboy Slim - The Rockafeller Skank
- Fatboy Slim - Wonderful Night
- Fatboy Slim - Theme FIFA 99
- Fatboy Slim - Eat Sleep Rave Repeat (Calvin Harris Remix Edit)
- Fatboy Slim - Right Here Right Now
- Fatboy Slim - Praise You
- Fatboy Slim - Gangster Tripping
New ringtones
- Spiel mir das lied vom Tod - Lied vom Tod
- - prince royce - Prince Royce - Stand By Me
- 3m8s - Don't You Worry Child - Swedish House Maffia
- Nazar - Sweet 16 feat. Projekt Elias
- Nazar - Pyramiden Hinterm Mond feat. Projekt Elias
- Optiv & CZA - In Too Deep
- Bicycle Horn Sound Effects - Bicycle Horn Sound Effect Ringtone
- Volxsturm - Nur wir 2
- 乧뭬 - 倀漀爀挀攀氀愀椀渀 倀爀椀渀挀攀猀猀ᤠ 倀愀氀愀挀攀
- hey hey - v


text:
©MMXIII Tank Productions, all information, and team names are property of the National
Basketball Association. This site is not affiliated with the Oklahoma
City Thunder or the NBA. This site is maintained for research purposes
only. Page created on November 27, 2008. Last updated on December 10, 2013 at 11:45 pm ET. Back to NBA Main Western Conference Index HOME |
Kevin Durant 2008-Present |
Chesapeake Energy Arena 2008-Present |
Nick Collison 2008-Present |
Jeff Green 2008-2011 |
Nenad Kristic 2008-2011 |
Thabo Sefolosha 2008-Present |
James Harden 2009-2012 2012 Sixth Man |
Russell Westbrook 2008-Present |
Serge Ibaka 2009-Present |
Kendrick Perkins 2010-Present |
Visit our Sponsors Partner of USA TODAY Sports Digital Properties |
Kevin Martin 2012/13 |
Jeremy Lamb 2012-Present |
Reggie Jackson 2011-Present |


text:
Gold Vault Inn
Travel Blogs from Radcliff
... we are ready. We had hoped we could make it to Cincinnati tonite so that we could stop at John's daughter's house, but we are still about 2.5 away. Too tired to drive any farther, so we will have to stop there tomorrow.
(John) We stayed at a casino campground last night and it was a good campground with all the facilities with a good concrete pad to park the motor home. The campground was nice, but the ...
To Ralph's in Vine Grove, KY
The trip from Charleston to Vine Grove was pretty uneventful, but from the moment we got to the Louisville area it turned into an Alaska Revisited party. Wonderful to see Ralph and his mother again, and to meet his sister Brenda, and see their houses. Then we went (with a view of Ft Knox on the way) to see and hear ...
... a plane but we'll see!
I got most of my packing finished yesterday and tonight I am just finished up packing carry-on bag since I'm adding thing I use everyday into that bag.
This will definitely be a new experience for me.
Amber Tuell
Tuesday 9-3-2013
Day 82 - Churchill Downs - Falls of the Ohio
... visited the Millionaire boxes, Jockey club and other luxury areas. We were early enough we got to see some of the horses working out -- including packs of 3 or4 horses galloping at full speed - very exciting. Other horses and riders were around so we got pictures of them.
The infield people are mostly college kids looking to party and get drunk [according to our guide] - university of Louisville is in walking distance. ...
Day 81 - Pigeon Jam and 3-state car wash
... the traffic slowed to a crawl. It took us about an hour in the Pigeon Jam to get through Pigeon Forge - we figured that everyone was checking out of their hotels and hitting the road.
As we got to I-40 headed for Knoxville the traffic got lighter but the rain kept going. We got delayed so much that we stopped for lunch a few miles north of Knoxville - and the rain was coming ...


text:
All Are Welcome
Todos Son Bienvenidos
Welcome to Holy Trinity Catholic Church. Staffed by the Vincentian fathers for over one hundred years, Holy Trinity serves the uptown community near Oak Lawn and Lemmon Ave. Please take some time to explore our ministries and programs. You will find that Holy Trinity is truly a parish to come home to!
Schedule for Lent
Stations of the Cross
Every Friday during Lent
6:00 pm English
7:00 pm Spanish
Friday Fish Fry sponsored by the HT Choir
Friday, March 14, 28 and April 11
5:30 - 7:30 pm in the Community Life Center
$8 for Adults $5 for Children
Soup Supper hosted by Beyond Sunday
Friday, March 21 and April 4
6:00 pm in Trinity Hall
No Charge
Our School is turning 100!
Holy Trinity Catholic School celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2014. All parishioners, parents, students, and alumni are invited to take part in our celebration. For more information and to find out how you can be a part of the celebration, click here!
Click here to Set up your OnLine Donation!
Sunday Mass Schedule |
Saturday |
5:00 pm Vigil |
Sunday |
8:00, 9:00, 11:00 a.m.
Monday through Friday |
12:10 p.m.


text:
Written Answers - School Transport.Tuesday, 27 April 2010 |
Dáil Éireann Debate
417. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Science the number of CIE school buses in operation annually in the past five years; the cost of operating this service annually for the past five years; the hours of operation daily of the CIE school buses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17038/10]
Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science (Deputy Seán Haughey): Bus Éireann is responsible for the day to day operation of school transport services throughout the [608]country. This is a complex national operation supporting in the region of 65,000 post primary pupils, 52,000 primary and 8,000 special needs pupils.
The number of Bus Éireann vehicles operating within the School Transport Scheme varies throughout the course of a school year. The following list shows the number of Bus Éireann vehicles that operated daily during the month of October for each year:
Year | School |
2005 | 539 |
2006 | 530 |
2007 | 541 |
2008 | 520 |
2009 | 508 |
The cost of providing school transport services, using a mix of almost 4,000 Bus Éireann and private contractor vehicles each school day over the last five years, is:
Year | € million |
2005 | 106 |
2006 | 126 |
2007 | 146 |
2008 | 162 |
2009 | 159 (est.) |
The planning, routing and timetabling of school transport services is an operational matter for Bus Éireann and routes are coordinated to ensure that buses are fully utilised in an efficient and cost effective manner. In this regard, Bus Éireann vehicles operate for a period of about 4/5 hours daily providing transport services to both primary and post primary pupils.
Last Updated: 31/03/2011 17:31:01 | Page of 289 |


text:
Riverside Mechanical27 Rebecca Way, Falmouth, ME 04105http://www.riverside-mechanical.com
(207) 874-1992
Are You the Business Owner?Claim your free business listing on Superpages.com and add important information about your business online. The more reviews and additional information you provide about your business, the easier it will be for customers to find you online.
Search Nearby |


text:
Featured events
Berkeley sites
- 510 Families
- Another Bullwinkel Show
- Bay Nature
- Berkeley Afoot
- Berkeley Art Center
- Berkeley Artisans
- Berkeley Blog
- Berkeley Byte
- Berkeley Chamber of Commerce
- Berkeley Community Fund
- Berkeley Council Watch
- Berkeley Daily Planet
- Berkeley Dwellers
- Berkeley Film Foundation
- Berkeley High Jacket
- Berkeley Historical Plaques Project
- Berkeley Neighborhood Council
- Berkeley Parents Network
- Berkeley Partners for Parks
- Berkeley Path Wanderers
- Berkeley Property Owners Association
- Berkeley Public Library
- Berkeley Public Schools Fund
- Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board
- Berkeley Startup Cluster
- Berkeley Street Cleaning
- Berkeley Tenants Union
- BHS Development Group
- Buy Local Berkeley
- Cal Performances
- Claremont and Elmwood Kids
- Claremont Elmwood Neighborhood Association
- Déjà vu: down memory lane in California
- Downtown Berkeley Association
- East Bay Ethnic Eats
- Ecology Center
- Elmwood Merchants Association
- Eye on Berkeley
- Fiat Lux!
- Friends of Lorin Station
- Friends of the Berkeley Public Library
- Habitot Children's Museum
- Humans of Berkeley and the Bay Area
- In Dulci Jubilo
- Infospigot: The Chronicles
- Jewish Music Festival
- Lettuce Eat Kale
- Locate In Berkeley
- McGee-Spaulding-Hardy Historic Interest Group
- Open Town Hall
- Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
- Quirky Berkeley
- Rookie Moms
- Solano Avenue Association
- Telegraph Berkeley
- Telegraph Berkeley
- Telegraph Merchants Association
- The Berkeley Blog
- The Berkeley Diet
- The Daily Californian
- The Nature of Berkeley
- Thousand Oaks Neighborhood Association
- UC Berkeley Extension
- UCPD Crime Alerts
- University Avenue Association
- Visit Berkeley
- What I Saw in Berkeley Today
- Work it Berk
Tag Archives: Temra Costa
Eat Real Lit Fest features Berkeley scribes
The second annual Eat Real Festival, a three-day showcase of the best of the Bay Area's street food carts, local growers, artisan beer and wine purveyors, cheese makers, urban homesteaders, and other local food crafters kicks off tomorrow at Jack London Square in downtown Oakland.
The event that promises to "Put the Food Back in Fast," is the brainchild of Anya Fernald, the executive director of Slow Food Nation, a 2008 gathering of gourmands held in … Continue reading »
Berkeley Bites: Novella Carpenter
Each Friday in this space food writer Sarah Henry asks a well-known, up-and-coming, or under-the-radar food aficionado about their favorite tastes in town, preferred food purveyors and other local culinary gems worth sharing.
Novella Carpenter grows greens and raises rabbits, goats, chickens, and bees on a dead-end street in the ghetto. The dumpster diver and salty-mouthed author of Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer (paperback due out May 25) has cultivated land for the … Continue reading »


text:
Dear Partner, Thank you for your interest in becoming a member of the SEOhaus Partner Program. As a SEOhaus partner, we hold you in high regard and try our best to ensure that you have unlimited access to product information and continued product support. Below is a list of benefits to consider:
• Dedicated live and online technical support for Partners • Free product and market training. Plus competitive analysis & Q&A's • Invitation to annual partner conference • Opportunities to attend and utilize our free online web seminars (webinars) • Access to top sales tools • Please click here to submit partner inquiry.
If you have questions and wish to speak directly with the Partner Program Manager, then contact us directly by phone or e-mail.
Best regards, Michael Harbron Sales & Marketing Director 619-269-3500 firstname.lastname@example.com
Results | Services | Specialties | Case Studies | Pay-Per-Result | SEO Blog Our Philosophy | News | Resources | Tools | Partner | Free Quote | Privacy Policy | Sitemap | Contact
©2014 SEOhaus - a San Diego SEO & Internet Marketing Company - Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Internet Marketing 1047 University Ave. San Diego, CA 92103 | 59 Crosby St. #1 New York, New York 10012


text:
Was £40.00
Now £36.00
10% Off
Save a total of £4.00
points could be earned with purchaseItem not in stock
Standard Delivery
Click & Collect
Tight & Day Cellulite buster pack gift set
Item No.1570859143
The ultimate dimple dashing duo! Our best selling cellulite busters combined in a set to combat cellulite 24 hours a day!
Also available in this range
Item in stock
Item in stock
Item in stock
Item in stock
Contents: FatGirl Slim 6oz and FatGirl Sleep 6oz. Worth £61.30 - over £20 saving!
- Free gifts are while stocks last. Gift is out of stock if not added to bag & NOT valid if used with a discount promo code
- FatGirlSlim - The number 1 selling slimming cream in the US! Like a spinning class for your not-so-skinny cells, this topical treatment cream targets problem areas by energizing lethargic lipids to let loose and go 'lymphatic'.
- FatGirlSleep - Dreaming of slimmer sides and thinner thighs? Bliss has your 'back' with fatgirlsleep, a potent PM version of our famed fatgirlslim skin firming cream.
Debenhams is happy to exchange or refund your purchase within 28 days providing the goods are in a fully resaleable condition (including tags) and not within the exclusion policy*. This policy does not affect your statutory rights. You can return unwanted items either by visiting your local store (the fastest way to get a refund), by arranging a courier collection or returning by post. Exclusions apply to selected products. For instructions on how to return products and information on Debenhams refund policy visit the returns and refunds section of the website.


text:
- maniacal-marshmallow likes this
- gilli-chan reblogged this from blackatdp
- gilli-chan likes this
- yoshi12370 reblogged this from blackatdp
- yoshi12370 likes this
- zetzumi likes this
- blackatdp reblogged this from thingsfortwwings
- blackatdp likes this
- thingsfortwwings reblogged this from sharorama and added:
[Image: Clint Barton and Bruce Banner with their cheeks pressed together; Clint is smiling and Bruce is frowning with...
- sailorniou likes this
- captaindick likes this
- starsaber likes this
- acklesaway likes this
- channingtateyum reblogged this from sharorama
- a-necessary-fiction likes this
- actualjo reblogged this from sharorama and added:
WELL, Okay. Just this once. …. several more times after this.
- dragonwrangler reblogged this from sharorama
- dragonwrangler likes this
- idrials likes this
- sharorama posted this


text:
Speaking for Wildlife Resources
Information for Presenters & Volunteers
If you are scheduling a walk or talk and need to sign out the kit, please check the calendar below for kit-availability in your county. To reserve the kit please contact your county forester. (click to see brochure with kit locations & contact information)
Please email Haley Andreozzi with any other questions or concerns.
Presentation Calendar
Presentation Materials
Click on links to access a list of materials you'll need for your presentation:
Fill this form out after you've done your presentation
Additional Resources
- Presenter's Checklist - use to plan for all indoor talks
- FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
- List of Handouts & Kit Contents for Presentations - includes re-ordering instructions and weblinks
- Program Brochure - used to promote the SFW program with community groups
- Volunteer Agreement - the volunteer agreement required to participate in SFW
- Find Photos for your Presentation


text:
Friday, March 15, 2013
Watch Brand Ads and earn Cash instantly (Worldwide)
Do you like this Post from FforFree.net?
The best brands value your time. Thanks to Jingit, they show how much with real, instant cash! Watch an ad and You'll earn cash, the brand gets your attention. Win-win. Start earning now CLick Here
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)