Category Archives: Uncategorized

Customer Service, giving, Life Experiences, Uncategorized, Values

Service with a Smile

January 6, 2015 Toby Kennett

In the hectic lead up to Christmas, we missed getting our hands on one of the Aldi “Three Bird Roasts” and so in a mad panic, I called Jenny and asked her if she had any bright ideas. Her response in an understandably matter-of-fact style was along the lines of “DERRRR, have you called Tanya and Paul at RPT Promotions?”.

“Ummm….. No”, I replied somewhat flatly as my brain clicked in to gear and asked itself ‘now why didn’t I think of that in the first place, EJIT?’, (followed by a couple of expletives).

Anyhow, a call was placed to Tanya and was met with Tanya’s message bank, where I explained my predicament and went back to work. Not even 15 minutes later, the lovely Tanya was calling me back with Season’s Greetings and instructions for how to get a hold of Paul. Two minutes later I was dialing Paul’s number which was answered with Paul’s always happy & bubbly English accent. Once again I explained my stupidity and with a wry laugh and an eagerness you had to hear to believe, Paul was making arrangements for one of his Turduckens to be delivered to Gladesville RSL (in close proximity to my home) for me to collect.

I thanked Paul profusely and he promised to call me back to confirm when the delivery would occur and off he went. 24 hours later he was back on the phone, as promised, to let me know that the Turducken was en-route to the RSL Club as planned. He couldn’t have been any more obliging if he had tried. What I didn’t realise at the time was that Paul and Tanya were in the middle of one of their BIGGEST Christmas’ ever! They had orders stacked up to the rafters and were right in the thick of the logistical-challenge of getting everything delivered to the right place at the right time before Christmas Day!

The reason that I didn’t know just how crazy things were for P&T was because Paul made me feel like I was the only customer that he had, even though I was only after one item and it was probably (if I’m totally honest) a bit of an inconvenience. But Paul went out of his way to ensure that I would get my Turducken with a short lead-time, so that my family could enjoy their Christmas Dinner and BOY, OH BOY did we ENJOY IT!!!…

The pictures speak for themselves, so let me just add that we all thoroughly enjoyed the Turducken, so much so that we will be placing our order with Paul and Tanya EARLY next year for Christmas 2015!

And let me also add that we are all extremely grateful to them both for being such a pleasure to deal with and for making our Christmas Dinner so very special this year. Thank you both so, so much…

giving, Life Experiences, Uncategorized, Values

An Exceptional Man with an Inspirational Story

December 16, 2014 Toby Kennett

Here at White Now we are provided with opportunities to work with a range of amazing people and incredible businesses, including a large number of RSL Clubs.

After speaking with the exceptional, Geoff Evans (pictured here) who has served as a Commando in East Timor and Afghanistan, we couldn’t help but be moved by his own story and more significantly, what he is personally doing to make a difference. So we asked Geoff if he would write an article for us as a ‘Guest Blogger’.

(To read Geoff’s personal story, click on the image above, on his name or you can click here).

___________________________________________________________________________

Spare a thought for the thousands of Homeless Veterans sleeping rough at this time of year. The Australian Defence Force has deployed 67,000 troops to various conflicts since the Vietnam War.

Homelessness was a significant issue for Vietnam veterans and their families, and sadly, is endemic among younger veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. In the shadow of the centenary of the First World War, up to 3,000 diggers remain homeless on any given night.

What can you do to make a difference?

In March of 2014, RSL LifeCare established the Contemporary Veterans Homelessness and Assistance Program (CVHAP) in Narrabeen, NSW. Homelessness itself is a symptom of war caused mental illness, such as PTSD. To the right of the spectrum is suicide, to the left: alcoholism, drug abuse, depression and other problems.

We currently have 24 veterans and two families enrolled in the program, but we have been reduced to accepting only the most severe cases. This is not due to lack of accommodation, but rather through lack of funding to provide the necessary wrap around support services that make the program work. These include everything from providing tooth paste and furniture, to transport, case management and a toy or two for the children.

Since publicising the existence of the program just a few weeks ago I have taken requests for help from right across Australia. The common and sad refrain is that currently we can only provide housing at Narrabeen. As younger veterans have children and other commitments they often cannot leave their locality, and so they remain living in cars and on the streets. We have to do better.

We have also seen growth in our services to veterans and families who are at risk of homelessness. This can occur when, for instance, a young veteran leaves the military without an illness or injury being accepted by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. If they are unable to remain employed, as is often the case with mentally ill veterans, they lose their income. Homelessness can quickly follow. We are working to try and keep them in their homes. Entire families are at risk, and its proving a growth industry for us, as a decade of war collides with an inadequate repatriation system.

For those of us working with these remarkable young veterans it is soul destroying to watch them suffer for want of funding. All veterans entering the program suffer from mental illness, most enter with an intense sense of shame as well. They were our nations finest, help us help them.

If you can help, please visit the RSL Lifecare Page Here… (and scroll down).

Our Most Recent Resident: Case Study
Veteran X is 38 years old, and has served in Iraq and Afghanistan on multiple tours. He entered the program in mid-November 2014 and is our 22nd resident. Veteran X was still serving in the Australian military when he was admitted to hospital for treatment of PTSD and related alcohol abuse. Whilst he was in the hospital, the Australian Defence Force medically discharged him from service. This meant he was no longer entitled to a Defence house, and accordingly, his family was evicted while Veteran X was in hospital.

Tragically Veteran X’s relationship could not withstand the terrible strain of Veteran X’s condition and his circumstances. Veteran X’s marriage ended and his wife and children moved into their grandmother’s house. Sadly Veteran X no longer had access to his children. Veteran X has described to me the sense of utter desolation and helplessness he felt. “I just couldn’t believe this could happen to me” he said. “I devoted my entire life to serving the Nation, I was good at my job and I had a career”. A few weeks after his marriage failed he attempted suicide.

Many months later, as Veteran X approached the date of his discharge from hospital, he literally had nowhere to go. Like most of the young men and woman in our program he would have been living on the streets. Fortunately he met one of the young veterans we’d previously placed in the PTSD program, who gave Veteran X our details. Veteran X was initially quite a challenge, but we are a peer led program, and other veterans who have walked the same path took him under their wing. He has come such a long way; he has joined our AA support group and will shortly start a training course. A remarkable young man, like the rest, all he needed was a chance. A testament to his hard work and the program’s success: Veteran X spent Christmas Day 2014 with his children.

Uncategorized

Head Hunting Vs Advertising

November 24, 2014 SarahWatts

So what are our thoughts at White Now on ‘Head Hunting’ for candidates versus Advertising your vacancy?

Both certainly have merit and we would recommend using a combination of both. You may know of some people in industry that seem to be perfect for your role and may very well be, but what about those you don’t know of?

‘Head Hunting’ usually involves ‘tapping’ potential applicants on the shoulder and asking them if they would be interested in the vacancy. It may seem to be an easier and quicker option to fill your vacancy. But what about all that talent out there you don’t know about? By ONLY head hunting, you are missing out on a whole pool of potentially great candidates who may just be the perfect fit for your vacancy.

At White Now, we would suggest using both methods. If you have some candidates in mind that you think would be great for the role, then they can certainly be approached to apply, along with opening the role up via advertising and therefore getting a wider range of suitable candidates.

Its the best of both worlds and give the opportunity to compare candidates and get the BEST possible pool of applicants!

Recruiting Tips, Uncategorized

Closing Dates on Position Vacant Ads – to Include or Not to Include?

March 13, 2013 SarahWatts

A common question we are asked at White Now is whether or not to include a closing date on a Position Vacant ad and our recommendation, is not to. The reason for this is to gain exposure to the widest possible pool of applicants and not limit your possible applicants.

The majority of applicants will apply within the first two weeks of placing and advertisement and will be actively looking for a new role. But what about the applicant who is on holidays and not checking the Internet for those two weeks, who just might be the perfect applicant? You just missed out on them! What about the applicant who is not necessarily looking for a new role, but casually keeps an eye on job boards to ‘see what’s out there’ every couple of weeks or so, they might be the perfect applicant, but they missed seeing your ad!

Not all applicants check job boards every day. Not all applicants are actively looking, but might be inspired by the perfect job they just happen to see. You want to have the best possible pool of applicants to chose from, so you need to give your position vacant the best exposure possible to reach ALL those possible applicants. Ads can remain on www.whitenow.com.au for up to 30 days, with applications coming directly to your nominated email address. You can start assessing applications before the ad expires and then add in any additional suitable applicants as they apply with little disruption to the recruitment process. This ensures you have ‘spread the net’ wide and given your position the best chance of reaching the best pool of applicants.

It is always your choice to include a closing date, but remember, it may just eliminate the BEST candidate !

Business Brands, Recruiting Tips, Social Media, Uncategorized

Are you CRAZY or CLEVER to you use an 18 year old to run your Facebook and Social Media strategy ?

August 23, 2012 Jenny White

Are you considering putting on someone to look after your social media ?
Are you wondering what type of person would be best to run your social media ?
Are you looking for advice on what type of person to hire ?

When I hear the following words come out of one of our clients’ mouths,

“we have a great 18 year old who loves Facebook and said that she is very keen to run our Faceboook page”

………I shake in my ugh boots and hope that they have really thought seriously about this decision.

Being very aware of how to effectively run a company’s social media strategy, my immediate priority is to make sure that I am advising clients in the best possible way to ensure that they are positioned to highlight their brand in the social world in the smartest and most professional way whilst making sure that they eliminate any possible risks that may leave themselves open or liable for legal action or bad PR.

The decision on who should manage your social media channels is not actually ever about the age of the person, but what skills, experience and dedication they bring to the table. When saying ’18 year old’, I don’t mean the age, but really I am trying to make a point that so many people think that the younger the person, the more socially savvy they are. They may be socially savvy with their friends but are they socially and business savvy ???

With this in mind, we ask our clients the following questions about the person that they want to hire or appoint to look after their social media;

“Does this person have the experience and skill set that includes all of the following?
1. complete understanding of the legislation and regulations surrounding your business;
2. complete understanding of your business’s overall values and business strategy;
3. superior communications skills that are both mature and social so that they can reflect your brand;
4. depth of experience using higher level customer service skills and etiquette;
5. the ability to handle your business’s public relations and/or media relations in sticky situations;
6. the ability to manage a complaint so that it does not escalate, whilst ensuring that your brand stays true;
7. the ability to manage a crisis at any time whilst thinking on their feet;
8. a level of humour that can appeal to all followers without offending anyone;
9. the ability to understand and interpret the analytics and measurement tools that come with social media;
10. the ability to turn opportunities into business revenue;
11. the ability to turn prospects into customers;
12. the ability to work within and in line with a social media strategy;
13. the maturity to separate business from personal ‘Facebooking’;

We then ask “is this the person you would trust to stand up in front of the whole of Australia with cameras and microphones in front of them and let them talk about your business whilst being fired questions and complaints about your business with no notice at all ?”

If your social media person does not come with these skills you could be setting yourself up for a legal or a public relations nightmare.

It’s actually not about what age the person is at all. I just wanted to make a point that just because a person loves Facebook or says that they are great with Facebook, does not mean that they can represent your brand professionally on the world stage.

We have so many examples of sticky situations or possible PR nightmares that have arisen that had to be handled with the expertise of highly effective, aware and savvy marketing/customer service people. We have been able to save many businesses from disasters by assisting with social media strategy. Trust me, you need a person who can truly represent your brand professionally.

DO NOT HIRE SOMEONE JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE ACTIVE FACEBOOK USERS. Use the list above to see if your social media person has ALL of these skills !

You can call us at Social Media Now for advice any time if that helps on 0417 223 286.
Socially yours – Jenny (Social Media Now)
www.socialmedianow.com.au

Give a Family a Day with Thomas the Tank Engine, giving, Uncategorized

Can YOU Choose a Family That Really Deserves 5 FREE PASSES to enjoy a day with THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE ?

June 28, 2011 Toby Kennett 15 Comments

NOMINATE A FAMILY TO BE GIVEN A SPECIAL DAY OUT WITH THE KIDS

EVERYONE deserves a bit of fun and happiness, but unfortunately some families just don’t get enough of either! Trainworks, at Thirlmere have teamed up with White Now to provide an opportunity for TWO deserving families to enjoy a “Day Out with Thomas”. You choose who we send !

WHAT THE GIVEAWAY IS:

– FIVE (5) Tickets per Family for TWO (2) Families to attend “A Day Out with Thomas” on either Saturday 30^th July OR Sunday 31^st July 2011
– One (1) ‘Showbag’ of Thomas The Tank Engine Toys per Family

(Note: Trainworks is in Thirlemere NSW, near Picton. Families must be able to make their way to Thirlmere for the day)

HOW TO NOMINATE:

Click on comments under this blog (bottom right hand corner under text)
Complete the form (please note: name and email fields are mandatory so that we can contact you)
In the text box, tell us about a family that deserves a ‘Day Out with Thomas’ at Trainworks and WHY you believe they should be considered. (You don’t need to name the family if you don’t feel that it is appropriate.)

Together, we can make a small difference to families in need by putting a smile on their faces for just a couple of hours!!!

So please, tell your story about your nominated family in a COMMENT BELOW NOW ….!!!!

If you would like to find out more about the day, click on the following link here: http://www.trainworks.com.au/event/event/a_day_out_with_thomas

On Friday, 15^th July 2011 one representative from Trainworks and one from White Now ! will choose the two most fitting nominations. Contact will then be made with the individual that nominated them via email so that plans can be discussed regarding collection of tickets and the showbag for each family. Tickets are not transferable & may not be redeemed for cash. A total of ten tickets & two showbags will be donated. This is not a game of chance

Follow the WhiteNow Wizard on Facebook on www.facebook.com/wizwhitenow

Business Brands, Life Experiences, Uncategorized, Values

Listening to Customers

May 4, 2011 SarahWatts

I recently purchased the NEW Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief Toothpaste that has been advertised widely. Having sensitive teeth, the ad totally hooked me and the next time I was looking for toothpaste I decided to give it a go!

When I first went to use the product I was unable to open the ‘tamper-proof’ cap, so went to my husband for help. In the end, we had to take to it with a knife and cut the secure cap off! Rather extreme for toothpaste!

I thought that this was so dangerous and ridiculous that I decided to contact Colgate and let them know. If we had this much trouble, how would someone like my 84 year old mother in law, with arthritic hands and living on her own, ever get the cap off?! I went onto their website and found the ‘contact us’ section and sent them a polite email describing the problems I experienced. I quickly received back an equally polite email that essentially ‘fobbed’ me off. Oh well, I thought, I won’t be buying that product again, regardless how good the toothpaste maybe, it’s just too hard to get to.

I forgot all about it and returned to another brand of toothpaste with any easy-access cap. This week I received a parcel in the post from Colgate. Seems I must not have been the only one to comment on the cap and they have redesigned it and sent me a tube to trial plus a questionnaire to answer.

Well today I tried the new cap which is still ‘tamper-proof’ but I am pleased to say VERY easy to open and access the toothpaste inside!

All of this really impressed on me how important it is to listen AND respond to customers. I felt great that my comments had been heard and acted on and my further opinion was then sought. I am sure I was one of many people who made comments about the cap, but if no one had said anything and had just never bought the product again, Colgate would have been left wondering what the problem was – the toothpaste? the taste? packaging – WHAT?! By receiving and acting on the feedback they have been able to make a small change and thererfore, hopefully retain customers and gain new customers, when they spread the word.

So, the moral of the story is to firstly let companies/organisations know if you find a problem with their product or service so they can take action – its then up to them. Secondly, if you are that company/organisation receiving that comment, WELCOME it with open arms and see at as the opportunity that it is to make your service or product even better! I will now continue to buy Sensitive Pro-Relief Colgate!

Life Experiences, Social Media, Uncategorized

Car Stickers!

March 10, 2011 Toby Kennett 2 Comments

FiestaStickers — Side View of One of the Social Media-machines!

Just recently we had all of the company cars decked out with our company branding! The White Now-mobiles got a purple and yellow wizard, whilst the Social Media-machines received the purple and turquoise Social Wizs, along with web addresses etc, etc!

I personally live in a busy street in the Inner West of Sydney, one that people wander up and down each morning and evening, to/from Victoria Road, to/from bus. The day after my car had been done, it was parked in the driveway as I diligently worked from home (at least that what I told the MD I was doing) and yet it managed to earn the business some money!

You see, a lady wandering past my driveway on her way to her part time job in the city noticed my car and something about the little bare-bottomed Wizard (oh, I forgot to mention – Social Wiz and Wiz have dropped their cloaks in the name of promotion) drew her attention to the message plastered ALL OVER my car! She then proceeded to look us up on the web once she got to work and made contact with us through our “enquiries” email. The rest, as they say, is history……….she has signed up as a client and we are working hard on designing, developing and delivering a social media strategy and presence for her business.

I have always been an advocate for NOT plastering a car with stickers (more from an obsessive-compulsive stand point when it comes to my cars), but since Social Wiz and I have started ‘driving around’ town together, he and I have started to gain quite a lot of attention and not due to my poor driving, I might add.

So, if you happen to see one of the White Now-mobiles or Social Media-machines out and about, give us a wave or let us know where you saw us. And if you are ever thinking about getting your car covered in naked bottoms or just stickers in general……..I can tell you from experience that it works!!!

Bloggin' White Now !……….