The Bunker Blog

Recently, I joined Peopleized.com, looking to network and get some exposure for this blog. Here are the benefits I’ve seen so far, besides the fact that it’s free to use

1. Get interviewed by interesting people, then post the interviews on your own blog.
2. Interview interesting people, and post that interview on your own blog.
3. Meet interesting people from all over, and find some really fantastic blogs.
4. For me, getting listed in the first ever “bloghology” is exciting! I’ll post a link when it is released.

In the meantime, here is my first interview from Peopleized:

Click on over and take a look. Peopleized could very well be the next big thing in blogging!

Popularity: 5% [?]

I have worn glasses since 7th grade. Without corrective lenses, my vision is 20/400. That means that what the normal eye sees at 20 feet looks like it’s 400 feet away for me. In other words, you wouldn’t want me to drive you home if I wasn’t wearing either my glasses or contacts.

About 10 years ago, I tried contact lenses. It was a terrible experience for me. I was prescribed at least 4 different brands of daily wear and extended (2-week) lenses, but I could never get more than 6 – 7 hours wear out of a pair of lenses before my eyes were so irritated that I had to remove them and put my glasses back on. So, I abandoned the idea because it was costing me a fortune trying different lenses and always having the same results.

About a year ago, while in to my new optometrist for my annual exam, he suggested I try contact lenses. I explained the difficulties I experienced in the past, but he told me that the technology today was much more advanced, and that he didn’t think I’d have that problem now. So, again I tried contacts. Mistake. We went through 3 different brands, and I still couldn’t get a full day out of a pair of lenses. So, again, I gave up and went back to the old glasses.

Last month, I was back to see my doctor for my annual exam. He asked me if my contact lenses were working out, and I reminded him that we had tried three different brands. I told him that, after the third, I just stopped trying, and went back to wearing glasses. He said that he thought he had a solution to my problem, and suggested I try some single-use, disposable lenses. He gave me a sample pack of Coopervision Proclear 1-day lenses, and boy has my life changed. I get a full 16-18 hours use from these lenses with NO discomfort. The next day, I pop in a fresh pair, and have not had one single problem so far. NOT ONE!

I can’t believe I’m the only person in the world who has this issue with contact lenses. So, if you’ve tried contacts, but just can’t seem to wear them for long periods without severe discomfort, you should ask your doctor about these. These things work for me. I have not had any undue eye strain, no discomfort at all, and zero issues.

I have been successfully wearing my new contacts for a month, now, and I’m loving it. No more heavy glasses sitting on my nose or wearing at my ears. No more blurred peripheral vision, no more glasses!! Take my advice: if you have issues wearing contact lenses, try these 1-day lenses. You may just find the answer to your problem.

Popularity: 55% [?]

Without customers, no business can survive, let alone grow. When it comes to loss prevention, it is sometimes difficult to maintain a focus on customer service. This is due to a couple of things. First, loss prevention tends to deal with the dishonest types more, and so we tend to be more suspicious of everyone’s motives. Secondly, loss prevention professionals haven’t historically been taught the power of customer service as a deterrent to theft.

Good customer service accomplishes two things related to the loss prevention strategy. First, it is the best deterrent to theft. No thief wants to be noticed, and if the employees are actively engaging the would-be thief in conversation, 9 in 10 will walk away without attempting to steal. Of the 10% who try anyway, 75% will get caught in the act if good customer service standards are being maintained. That’s a huge win for loss prevention, and it costs nothing, zero, nadda!

Second, good customer service boosts sales. Any loss prevention program that is not concerned with increasing sales is lacking a key element. It is possible to out-sell shrink, because shrink is a percentage of what? SALES! The more sales your company, region, district, store, etc. has, the less shrink based on the same amount in dollars! Here’s an example:

Say you have a store with $40,000.00 in shrink. If that store sells $5,000,000.00 that year, your shrink as a percent to sales is 0.8%. Now, say that same store maintains the same shrink for the next year, but increases its sales by 10%. The shrink, as a percent to sales, is decreased to 0.72%, for roughly a 10% decrease in shrink on the same number!

Now, let’s say you have a great customer service program, and at the same time you increase your sales by 10%, you decrease your shrink dollars by 10%. Your shrink of $36,000, as a percent of your sales of $5,500,000.00 is 0.65%! Never underestimate the power of great customer service. I know these numbers are wishful thinking for some, but there are companies out there who are posting shrink numbers right around this area (I know for a fact!).

Popularity: 11% [?]