What Makes an Excellent Customer Service?

                As you grow or start your own business, customer service will always play a vital role for your success. It’s not just about pakikisama. Customer will always expect the exceptional service from you even if they don’t say so.

                When I was still in the BPO industry (what most call Call Center), we were given excellent training to provide the best customer service that we can give. Since I was still an employee back then, I never recognized the importance of it. I just did what they want me to do. I didn’t know my actions were one of the many roots of the company’s success. 

                I learned the importance of L.A.E.G (more of this later) but never really understood what it did for the business. All I know was that it is good for the customer.

                Somewhat I’m correct about my latter statement.

                It is true that it is good for the customer, but, what benefits most is really the business.

                What an irony, right? You give the best service expecting that greater benefit goes to the one you are giving the service but the truth is the greatest benefit goes to the one giving it. 

                It is always in giving, not in receiving.

                L.A.E.G. simply means L (Listen), A (Apologize), E (Emphatize), and G (Give solution). Pretty simple, right? Yet, this is the key for most business success. It’s not just about cashflow. First of all, there will be no cash flowing in if you don’t give an excellent customer service.

Yes, We Deliver! (Even your smallest order)

                What you can see above is a picture of the product we sell. I am a feed distributor and also an advocate of natural farming. Aside from pushing natural farming, I am also obsess about giving the best customer service to my customers.

                Unfortunately today, there is a heavy rain and customers don’t have the guts (perhaps they’re just lazy. Don’t tell them I told you) to go to the store. Maybe they don’t want to get wet. Some stores will not do this. If I was wrong with that statement, let me correct it. Most of the stores will not do this even to their suki unless they buy a large amount that will cover the transportation expense. In this picture, we have prepared a 15 kilo Pre-Starter bag (for piglets) and a 5 kilo Grower bag (for adult pigs) and is ready for delivery. 

                Our motto is Turning Hog Raisers Into Businessmen and hopefully in delivering such a small order for free will be a role model for my customers in case they also want to create their businesses. It’s not just about earning money. It’s all about the connection and relationship with your customers. 

AGREECulture and FeedPro Seminar at Country Inn

                I would like to pass to you what I learned from a successful entrepreneur and speaker.

                Make meaning first then the money will follow. If you go the other way, I’m afraid you will never earn money.

                Take courage and do what everyone are afraid to do.

                See you at the top of your business!

Starting Natural Hog Farming Successfully and Efficiently

                Since you are reading this article, I’m sure that starting your own piggery or babuyan is bugging your mind. Somehow, there is a part of you that has a passion for agriculture (yey, that’s great). But, how do you start…really?

                If you’re a conventional person and only want to earn money, conventional hog farming will obviously be your choice. But, if you are a modern man, whose concern is not only to earn but also to innovate and promote a healthy living, natural hog farming would be a great idea (congrats).

                At first, you’ll think that budget is the biggest problem (perhaps only) you’ll encounter. Well, that’s not a problem at all. If you’re a great entrepreneur, you can always use OPM – Other People’s Money, and eventually OPT – Other People’s Time. 

                What you should be worrying about are the natural things that are needed in natural farming. There should be enough water to supply your farm. Electricity is not essential but if you’re living in a cold area, a heater must be provided for piglets (or you can use the natural way – init na galing sa dingas ng uling). Weather will greatly affect your farm so it should be greatly considered. Become familiar to the regular direction of the rain in your farm so that you’ll know what type of structure to build. 

                A conventional pen can be used if it’s already existing but we prefer the P.I.G.S. system from FeedPro. (Profitable Innovative Growing System). Check out the picture below.

                The advantage of this kind of structure is you no longer need to bath your pigs since there will be a wallowing pond (some say this is a swimming pool) where your pigs can play and dump their selves. It is also a lot easier to identify who is sick since pigs don’t like to get wet when they are not feeling well. Unlike in the cemented structure, diseases can be identified easier in the P.I.G.S. system. 

                Overcrowding should be addressed by providing adequate space for your hogs. 1 – 1.5sqm should be enough for a single head. 1 meter should also be allotted for the width of the wallowing pond and the depth can only be 2 – 3 inches. That depth of the rice hull, which will be the bedding of the structure must be 2 – 3 feet and should not be cemented at the base. 

                That means if you plan to raise 10 pigs, your structure must have 10 – 15sqm for the bedding not including the 1 meter width of the wallowing pond.

                Your structure doesn’t need to be expensive. You can use indigenous materials to lessen the expenses. Remember, some of the indigenous materials can be much worthier than expensive ones so use them wisely for your advantage.

                Finally, you can never have natural farming if you’re still using feeds that have antibiotics (you know them). Just because they have commercials don’t mean that they are as effective and healthier as the ones who don’t have. Choose wisely, choose AGREECulture. 

                For interested hog raisers, you may visit our store at Iglesias st., Pob. North, Sta. Cruz, Zambales or contact me at levipierce@outlook.ph.

                Take courage, great entrepreneur.

Turning Hog Raisers Into Businessmen

Why We Invested in Natural Farming (and Why You Should Too!)

            First of all, I will not be writing this if I’m not doing a business related in natural farming. I would like to share to you all the hardships of this business, why you would want to enter this industry, and the wonderful rewards it can give you.

            So clearly, this is for you.

            Entering the natural farming industry can greatly impact your life. Especially if you have been living in an urban area for most of your lives. It’s not only refreshing but it can also help you appreciate the nature. Waking up early during mornings will surely make you feel good!

            Imagine yourself staring at the sky or the field near your farm between the end of dawn and morning and hearing chickens and other animals around you. In my case, seeing this almost every day of my life gives me a positive mindset and a clearer goal.

            Okay, let’s talk about the businesses you can make out of natural farming.

            A business is an institution that solves problems of individuals, groups, or institutions. In short, a business is a problem solver. Determine the problems you currently have – what businesses solve them?

            If you are hungry, you go to Jollibee or Mcdonald’s (I'm not paid by these corporations to mention their names). In times you want to go shopping, SM solves your problem. Any problems of your life can easily be solved by any businesses or entrepreneur!

            What kind of problem do you want to solve?

            Just like in any other kind of business, you should also solve problems using your natural farming business. Why? It’s because if you only create a business just to earn without the goal of solving a problem, it will surely fail. That’s one of the reasons why 9 out 10 businesses fail.

            As Guy Kawasaki said, “Make meaning first then the money will follow”

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            So what problems in natural farming can you solve then?

            In my case, I’m greatly involve in the hog raising industry and the problems facing this kind of industry are very wide. Here are some problems that I have solved and currently solving:

·         Antibiotic residue on meat products

·         Conventional hog raising is greatly abused and it led to horrible odor on pig pens and farms

·         The price of the market pig is low but the price of the feeds is always getting higher

·         The used of darak is greatly adopted (wow!)

I don’t know about you but I don’t want to eat these kind of meat products. Before I knew this, I was a meat lover but after someone gave me this information, I turned green – no, not the Incredible Hulk but The Green Man.

What I did was I became a distributor of a natural feed product. Yes, I am selling feeds in our town and I’m the only one doing that. All my competitors are selling antibiotic feeds (yikes!). My goal in doing this is to make the price of the feeds cheaper. I even sell my products lesser than the SRP!

AGREECulture store at Iglesias St., Pob. North, Sta. Cruz, Zambales

            We also implemented seminars to teach town folks about the new way of natural farming. I think this is really helpful but people still need a follow up before they comply. This is normal if you’re a businessman. It seems that they don’t understand you at first meeting but eventually they will patronize you.

            The result of our hard work is paying earlier than I expected. Soon, months after our seminars our customers started selling their pigs and the results are excellent! They are surely amazed on the fact that they can already sell in just 2 months (the conventional way is you need to wait for 4 months before you harvest). Some of our customers even experienced unusual positive things like the meat buyer asks them about the feeds they used because the meat is really good and tastes good.

            Today, we are still planning of new activities that will uplift natural farming in our town. We have already conducted many activities but I never get tired because this is my passion. So I suggest if you really love farming, go for it! It’s just like doing what you really want and earning money is just a bonus from your enjoyment.

            Entrepreneurship is now entering a new era and it is the natural farming. Maximize what you can use to boost your farm or business using internet or any other tools that you think can help you. Don’t forget, make meaning first before you make the money. That’s what I learned from Guy.

            See you at the top of your business!

Turning Hog Raisers Into Businessmen