E-Procurement and E-commerce in Today’s Marketplace
What is e-procurement? 

E-procurement is the buying and selling of services or supplies from business-to-business  (B2B) over the internet.  An electronic procurement system that allows registered users to search and purchase your inventory over the internet.  The internet serves many B2B sites as an electronic marketplace where transactions are initiated and completed with just a few clicks of the mouse.

What is e-commerce?  E-commerce has the same fundamentals of e-procurement except it is on a smaller more personal scale.  Individuals who are registered on an e-commerce site may search for and purchase, or sometimes bid for, anything they need, normally over the world wide web.  Individuals and smaller businesses are also aggressively pursued by e-commerce purchase portals to sell their goods, of course for a commissioned fee.

E-procurement and e-commerce are changing they way the world does business.  It has opened up and opportunity for global markets to compete for business.  Any individual or business with a computer and internet connectivity can participate in e-procurement and e-commerce.  Many sectors of the economy are now approaching business in this way.  Businesses will benefit from e-procurement by eliminating overpayments and reducing the manual workload.  Individuals will benefit by having a wider variety of items to choose from and the added convenience of shopping from home.

Online purchasing can generate significant savings for organizations and corporations by making larger group purchases, greatly reducing the cost per item.  By doing so these entities also are increasing informational accuracies and streamlining the buying process.  Automation of ordering frees a lot of time for the big purchasers, giving them time to concentrate on negotiating better deals.

Suppliers of products or services who use e-procurement will benefit by reducing administrative and transaction costs.  They will also find that they have improved their manufacturing cycles.  In doing this they will ultimately increase their bottom line.

Software companies are making some great programs that have templates for quick and easy access to other operational systems.  Menus are provided for quick and easy access to accounts, human resources, and payroll. 

Some software is even changing the way businesses do inventory.  They have automated the re-ordering of supplies with no human contact needed.  It is simply keeping track as transactions are made.

Information from registered users of e-procurement and e-commerce sites can be gathered and used in a variety of ways.  Users may not realize that when they register to do business, fill out a questionnaire, or place an order,  demographic information is being gathered and shared among other online entities.  This is commonly called profiling.  Registered users now have the opportunity to decide how their information is used or shared. 

A large number of business web sites trying to get new e-commerce clients offer e-mail newsletters for subscribers.  The newest trend is the e-mail opt-in list where users voluntarily sign up to receive emails, normally containing sponsored ads, about their products and other subjects that might interest them.  This is just another way to put their products in your in-box.

E-commerce and e-procurement sites are able to do business twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, making their products and services more available than businesses that are strictly running out of a store front with no online presence.

It is imperative that in today’s market place a business must start taking steps to insure they keep up with technology so they don’t get left behind.

Detecting Online Scams

Before conducting any type of business with an online organization, it is a very wise idea to make sure that the organization is not a scam. Doing so will not only ensure that you are dealing with a legitimate organization, it will also save you time and money. Scam organizations are designed for the sole purpose of getting money from unsuspecting people. There are a multitude of scam organizations around these days and they are not only found online. Despite the fact that these scam organizations do exist, the good news is that there are ways to detect them before you waste any time or money on them.

The first way to potentially detect an online organization scam is by using the PageRank feature found in the Google toolbar. The PageRank feature gives you a general indication as to how long the organization has been in business. Typically, a well-established company who's had a website for several years will have a relatively high PageRank. Google normally updates the PageRank every 3 to 4 months, which means a new website will not have a PageRank right away. However, a website without a PageRank does not necessarily indicate that it is a scam so this method can be deceiving at times.

The second and more reliable way to check for an online scam is by performing a WhoIs Lookup. All you need to do to perform a WhoIs Lookup, is simply enter the website address of the online organization you want to check on in the Search text box and then click on the Search button. Then, under the WhoIs Output section, it will display all the information that is found for the website address you entered including the name and address of who the website is registered to, the date it was created and when it was last updated. Generally, if the creation date of the website you entered is several years old, it is a good indicator that the organization is well-established and has a good customer base.

Another way to check whether or not an online organization is a scam is by using the Internet. Through the use of a search engine, such as Google, you can find more information about the organization you are checking. Often times, people will share experiences they've had with online scams in forums, on message boards and even in blogs. Of course, anything written about the organization in question in these places should be taken at face value. It is not unheard of for people to make false accusations about online organization so this should always be taken into consideration.

Finally, the last viable method to detect an online scam is by doing a search for the company on the Better Business Bureau website. When doing a company search on the BBB site, you can either enter the name of the organization or the website address of the organization you want to look for. Once you do that and click the Search button, a list of matching companies will be shown. Clicking on the one that matches the one you searched for will bring up a new page displaying who the organization's website is registered to, when the website was created and most importantly, how many complaints have been filed against the organization. If there are a lot of complaints listed, it is a very clear indicator that the organization in question is more than likely a scam.

With the number of online organizations ever-growing these days, you will undoubtedly encounter some that are scams along the way. Fortunately, there are tools available to help you detect these scams way before they can do you any harm. The most important thing to remember when dealing with online organizations is to be sure that you check for the legitimacy of any organization you intend on doing business with.

E-mail Do’s and Don’t’s

E-mail is an integral part of most people’s lives these days. There are few people who don’t have it. It’s how friends and families communicate, not too mention many jobs. No matter who you are or what you do here are 4 do’s and don’ts that you should consider the next time you e-mail anyone:

1. Do: Be Concise
There is nothing worse than having to read an e-mail that is a jumble of this and that. The next time you reply to someone’s e-mail make sure you answer the questions that they may have posed to you. If you have a bit of news, share it. And lastly, ask a question of the other person. This is what keeps conversations going. An e-mail doesn’t have to be more than a few lines. It’s not like the olden days where letters were sent via snail mail and had to contain a lot of information about the last few months. E-mail is weekly and oftentimes daily. No need to jam everything into one e-mail.

2. Don’t: Expect Prompt Responses
E-mail is quick. You type out a message and hit send. Almost right away your e-mail will appear in your intended’s inbox. That all being said, it doesn’t mean that the recipient will get to it soon. Not everyone checks their e-mail daily. It’s not fair to expect them to either. So, don’t get ticked off if you don’t hear back for a while. Not everyone who has e-mail is completely attached to it.

3. Do: Mind Your Manners
Always be polite in your e-mails. Open and close with a greeting, especially if you’re not close with the person. With friends you might be more likely to be casual, but always be polite. If you ever write business e-mails, it’s especially important to be formal. E-mail doesn’t take the formality of communication. Don’t treat a boss, teacher, lawyer, doctor or co-worker as you would a friend.

4. Don’t: Send forwards and chain letters
There is absolutely nothing worse. They are simply as bad as spam. Don’t send them unless you find happen to find something you think a friend will absolutely enjoy. If you do this, clean up the e-mail: change the subject line from the annoying “FWD:fwd:fwd: You’ll love this” to something more personal to the person you’re sending it to such as “A joke you’ll enjoy.” In general, don’t send them. People don’t appreciate them. They don’t have the time to read them and people who send them often don’t hide the e-mail addresses of the recipients, which can in turn lead to more spam and forwards and other junk. Also remember, most of these jokes and other chain letters have been circulating for years. There’s nothing new out there.

How to Complain to Get Results

As a consumer, you have probably had to deal with pricing errors, being treated poorly by a salesperson, or simply not getting what you’ve purchased.  There are two common responses most people make.  Too many people ignore the problem and chalk it up to a hard lesson learned.  Others react emotionally, cause a scene, and too often take out their frustration on the wrong people.  There is, however, a simple way to form a clear, rational complaint that will be taken seriously and achieve the desired result.

This information is not intended to get you a lot of unearned freebies.  If you were legitimately wronged, the situation should be made right.  You should not try to defraud companies by demanding more than you deserve.  It only makes them take complaints less seriously.  If your complaint is real, you might receive compensation beyond what you spent, but that shouldn’t be your goal.  Your goal should be to correct the problem and have a better experience the next time you deal with the company.

Timing is Everything!

You complaint should be heard in a timely manner.  If you can’t complain at the time of the incident, it should be as soon as possible afterward.  It’s more difficult for the company to go back several months to research your dispute.

Documentation

Keep your receipt and inform yourself of as many details as you can.  If a product was on sale, include a copy of the sale flyer or coupon, if possible.  Get employee names, store numbers, and anything else that will prove your case.

Letters = Action

It’s often best not to complain in person at the time.  Some people get frustrated and find it difficult to put their words together on the spot.  Others get emotional and yell or cry when they feel particularly strongly about something.  If you are upset about the circumstances, it’s better to hold your tongue than to not be able to effectively complain in person at the time of the incident.

Don’t call.  When you get home and get your thoughts together, avoid the urge to call the company to complain.  You never know who you’re talking to when you use the phone.  It might be the rude employee pretending to be the manager, and you can’t produce documentation over the phone.

Writing a letter is the most effective way to get results.  A letter is much more difficult to ignore.  Your letter will more likely go to the right person.  You can include facts, documentation, and express yourself in a logical and straightforward manner.

How To Write Your Letter

The most important thing is to send your letter to the right people.  Do your research.  Find out who the manager of the company is, and be sure to carbon copy your letter to the owner and/or president of the company, even if the situation seems insignificant.  Often a customer complaint sent to an owner or president of the company is the only way they will really know what is happening in the company.

You want to appear competent and intelligent, so compose your letter in the traditional style of a business letter.  It’s easy to use software like Word or Wordperfect to get a business letter template where you simply fill in the facts and the recipient information.

Begin by stating the facts:
“I dined at your restaurant in (city, state) on (date).”
“At store number______ in (city, state), I purchased _____, model number ______, on sale for (price).”
“I stayed at your _____ hotel in (city, state).  My room number was _____, and the date was _____.”

If you know the employee’s name, use it, but make absolutely sure it is correct.  If you don’t know the store number or any other detail you need, visit the company’s website or make a phone call to find out the facts.

Next, objectively describe the events.  Don’t be overly dramatic, but get your point across.  Rely heavily on facts and details, not judgments and feelings.

At this point, tell the company what you would like to be made whole.  Ask for a refund of the amount you spent, the difference in the amount you were wrongly charged, or a replacement product.  Be sure to include a photocopy (not the original) of your receipt.  If you have to send a product back to the company, ask to be reimbursed for shipping costs.

Explain that you would like action taken to remedy the situation within a reasonable amount of time (a week, 10 days, two weeks).

Be sure to include your phone number and address and offer to be contacted for any questions they might have.

Send copies to the manager, the owner and/or president, and keep one for your records.

Be Calm and Cool

Don’t threaten the company with legal action.  If you were scammed or you believe your mistreatment was malicious or designed to defraud you, tell them that you will report them to the Better Business Bureau unless the situation is made right.

Otherwise, let them uphold their reputation and their drive to satisfy the customer through the action they take to correct the problem.  Many companies rely heavily on word of mouth.  They take pride in their ability to please a customer, and they will often go out of their way to make sure you are happy if you have a complaint.

Follow Up on Your Complaint

If, by the time period specified, you have not had a response, then it’s time to write another letter.  Be sure to include a copy of your original letter, and explain that this is the second time you’ve written about the problem because your first letter went ignored.  Be sure to copy the owner and/or president of the company.  It’s likely that they thought the problem was solved.  A second letter to them lets them know that the manager has not taken care of the situation.

If you receive a phone call from a customer service representative, ask for anything they offer you in writing.  Also, get the name of the representative.  It’s best to be able to have documentation in case that person hasn’t told the necessary people or there is another mistake.

Above all, don’t give up!  Most consumers are happy with the majority of their dealings.  When we are mistreated, it’s often because we allow it to happen.  Stand up for your rights as a consumer and as a human being.  If you take the time to rectify the situation, you’re more likely to have a satisfactory experience the next time.

Most people only communicate with a company to complain.  If you’ve had an exceptional dealing with a company, drop them a letter of commendation.  Include facts and names just as you would a complaint letter, and let them know that they are doing something right!  The best way to maintain levels of excellence is to let the important people in the company know what is good or bad from the customer’s perspective.

Voicemail and Toll-Free Numbers: The Backbone of Your Business

It’s tempting, in the age of websites and email, to fall into the trap of believing that your business can be conducted exclusively online.

Your customer finds what they want on your website, clicks a button and hey presto, they’ve got the product they want and you’ve got another sale. Ninety percent of the time, that’s how it works. It’s the other 10% that’s losing you business.

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