Do you have the correct time set for your time zone on your blog? I have just figured out that my UTC time stamp has been set wrong for as long as I have had this blog, it has been set at -5 and it should be -4 so I have been 1 hour behind and why did I notice something so trivial? Because one of my posts should have had a time stamp at 12:45 and it posted for the day before which I had already posted for. I have now corrected my time and I feel so stupid when I realize these trivial mistakes.

I still haven’t figured out why Clicky’s time for 2 of my blogs are the same and this one is way off. I probably have something typed in wrong there that is trivial, but just haven’t figured it out yet and it also will be something small that will make me feel stupid again. I really do like having the correct time set though so that when I post for the next day that’s when it registers. I keep noticing while I am 2 finger typing that periodically the save button will activate. I wonder if it really is saving my draft or will I lose it if IE or FF shuts down without warning.

I have had no luck with the Google Chrome browser so I think I will uninstall it, all it’s doing is taking up space on my computer. I heard so many people raving about it that I had to try it and  it crashed, but maybe those people had a different system than mine. I love using IE and FireFox and I use them both for different things. There is no way I can drop EC’s with IE because it doesn’t recognize some widgets so I use FF specifically for that and IE for other things.

My mind seems to be jumping around way too much. I really need better concentration, I started out on a time issue and ended up on which browsers I use. Maybe I should simply call it a night and start fresh tomorrow, hopefully this will register for the 14th.

Computer Forensics or Electronic Evidence Discovery is being offered as courses in many Universities and you can even take courses online and get a certification. At times I really wish I was a geek and had been into computers and technology when they first hit the scene. Oh sure I know a little of the basics, enough to get by on, but I really don’t know if I would have the comprehension needed to learn all that would be required of me for a computer science degree.

Law enforcement, military, intelligence agencies and big corporations use computer forensic investigators to help solve cyber crimes and other actions that are committed by criminal minds. Along with the greatness of the Internet and everything it represents we unfortunately unleashed a new type of criminal that can so easily prey on the more naive among us and hack into top priority files at will.  (Apparently the fiends did it to my Facebook…Go figure)

I find it so fascinating how forensic analysts can conserve and restore information from a computer and other types of electronic media even when you think you’ve gotten rid of some type of information or records. Computer forensic analysts can retrieve data from a hard drive whose contents have been completely erased. They can distinguish and recover any corrupted, formatted, hidden or deleted files also from any electronic media.

They have to maintain the originality of the crucial data though otherwise it wont be accepted by the courts as evidence. Criminals are adapting to changes because they are aware of what law enforcement agencies do. Viruses and booby traps can be installed in a computer that can modify or damage evidence, making it inadmissible in the court of law. You can learn a lot from TV maybe too much.

Computer forensics is becoming more and more important as technology continues to develop and cyber crimes mount. The cyber criminal is usually very smart and I’m always amazed at some of the schemes and frauds that are perpetrated on a daily bases on the unsuspecting, ( which would be me). At least now people have learned to be more suspicious of everything and everybody and have stopped being so trusting on the Internet.

They have learned that not everyone in the world is their friend (except….me )  and they aren’t always who they say they are, some through personal experience unfortunately.

Customer service is very important for any business, it doesn’t matter if you have an online business or a brick and mortar establishment it is the most important part as far as I’m concerned. If it wasn’t for those customers you wouldn’t have that successful business and if it isn’t successful maybe you should check into how that part of your business is being handled.

I’m sure everyone has dealt with customer service at some point whether you dealt with a customer or you were that customer. I know people can’t be pleasant all the time, but if it’s your job and your getting paid you should leave all outside problems where they belong and be professional.

I have to admit I did love the power of being a bartender because people that drink are never right and it’s a tough job being courteous to someone when you’re flagging them and they’re calling you names or throwing things at you. As far as I’m concerned that’s the only job where the customer is not always right.

When I worked at Lowe’s they always had “mystery shoppers” come in maybe twice a month and you stay on your toes when you know you might be written up for something. Of course it’s nice when the reports are good, but believe me they aren’t always and several people were called out for not following Lowe’s policies. They always read these reports at the monthly meetings.

A few things to remember are to always acknowledge your customer and make them feel welcome and appreciated. You should always smile and offer whatever service you provide in a pleasant manner. When I did waitress work I found that regardless of how busy I was if I just took that one second to tell them I would be with them as soon as possible and give them a basket of bread and some water they were usually quite happy with me.

You should also make sure that the people that work for you are informed and know what’s going on. Nothing irritates a customer more than talking to someone that doesn’t know what they are talking about. If you don’t have the answer a customer is looking for then make sure you find someone that does as quickly as possible. Customers have a low tolerance when it comes to waiting and can get quite irritable.

Always make sure you thank that customer, that is very important. These are simple basic courtesies that should always be followed. You are always going to run into some very unpleasant people whether it has been you returning something and you’re upset or the representative that has had a bad day and takes it out on you. That’s simply not good for any business.

Most businesses know that customer service is very important and take steps for proper training, but some sour dour people do slip through the cracks. That was one thing I did like about the Lowe’s I worked at, they did try to make sure they had pleasant and knowledgeable people working for them. I know first hand that it’s not always easy dealing with the public and the idea that the customer is always right can be irritating at times, but it’s a good policy.

You should give your customers the benefit of the doubt even when you believe they are mistaken. You should at least give them the courtesy of listening to their complaint. Then do what you can to resolve it so they go away happy and content and have good things to say about your way of handling the situation instead of the derogatory comments that can really hurt your business. Everyone likes to feel special and appreciated so make sure your customers feel that way and your business will definitely prosper.

Bill/Vietnam

I wish a Happy Veteran’s Day to all that have served before and those serving now, but especially I would like to thank Bill for his service and I’m so happy he made it home. History Of Veterans Day for those seeking more information, they explain much better than I can.