As the workforce and consumers become more virtual, potential customers are increasingly turning to software and online services to meet their needs, and businesses need to find and leverage the appropriate technology to serve them.

It begins by building a strong business technology foundation. One built on what has become the “seven pillars of the customer experience”. These seven pillars can serve as a model for those executives grappling with this fast-changing digital transformation. These include…

1. Continuity. Businesses need to roll with the punches and maintain continuous operations when circumstances change quickly. If technology failed you when employees transitioned to remote work, it’s time to implement secure remote access and equip your team with the appropriate devices and software.

2. Communication. Modern customers expect to be able to get in touch with you easily and conveniently. When they reach out, they want to make certain they are heard. Minimizing wait time for responses and resolutions makes people feel cared for, especially when there are systems in place that keep them updated along the way.

This can include responding effectively via email, phone, and online outreach channels. Utilizing Cloud tools for efficient use with documents, forms, and templates, and implementing VOIP phone systems to help route calls, monitor communications, record calls, and more.

Good customer communication can be facilitated by giving employees accurate and up-to-date customer and business data. It will help with clear and effective communications during the entire customer experience.

3. Software. Depending on the nature of your company, your software needs may go much deeper than communication. Your IT team or an outsourced Managed Service Provider (MSP), can get access to the right tools and advanced integrations that bring it all together. They can help customize software to configure it for your specific business needs.

4. Security. Some consumers are still nervous about moving their customer experiences to the digital realm. They are wise to be cautious about security. Cybersecurity should be enhanced to the highest levels, if necessary, to build trust and make everyone confident that their customer data is safe.

5. Training. Employees should feel confident and comfortable with the technology systems they rely on to do their jobs. Customers get uneasy when the staff is struggling and getting frustrated. Better tools, role-based configurations, and effective training will help eliminate headaches.

6. Data Protection. Protecting data is a major focus on any customer service plan. However it is only part of what an IT team or an outsourced MSP can do. Better IT also produces better data in the first place, which allows you to refine business processes and improve the customer experience.

7. IT Recovery Solutions. Do you remember the time your company was down for a minute but got right back online? Probably not, because there’s nothing to remember. Downtime that lasts hours or days, though, is much more memorable and can create problems for employees and customers alike.

Gartner , the internationally known research firm has estimated that downtime costs businesses an average of $5,600 per minute (over $300,000 per hour), and that was back in 2014. Now it’s even more important to address problems and bounce back quickly. Every minute matters, so make sure your IT staff or support team has a good backup strategy and a disaster recovery plan.

Companies that build a customer service platform based on these seven pillars will not only amaze their clients but also win more business.

How data is lost and what can be done:

During various situations, data can be lost, or your drive might crash. Usually, physical damage might cause damage to the drive. But, sometimes, also, due to logical error, the drive might crash. Physical damage to the hard drives causes more damage, and it is hard to recover the lost data. Professional help should be sought during this. If data is lost due to no physical damage, any data recovery software can help retrieve the data back. However, professional service is always better than self-help to avoid chaos. The logical loss of data is usually caused if the files were formatted or deleted accidentally. This causes the loss of the reference to the files. But the files exist on the hard drive.

The basic mistake that people perform is that they try to empty and clear the recycle bin. This causes the deletion of the references of the files on the hard drive. If it is not overwritten, it can be recovered easily.

Formatting and Reformatting Options in Data Recovery:

Sometimes, you unintentionally clear your disk and realize that the important documents and files have been lost. This situation can occur when the drive is crashed, and the computer system suggests you format it, and all the files are lost. This usually happens deliberately, and some available software for recovery can help recover the lost data. Unlimited kinds of data can be retrieved.

How to avoid data loss from a Hard drive:

To avoid data loss from a hard drive, follow the below-mentioned tips:

● If you notice any sounds and noises like grinding and clicking, then stop the device usage right away. Create a backup to avoid any further problems.

● Use reliable antivirus software. It will keep the system safe from any malware and virus. Virus and malware attacks can result in the loss of files.’

● From time to time, backup of data should be taken to protect the information. It comes in handy in the time when data is lost.

● The storage device should always be kept away from direct sunlight or humid environment.

Recover the data on Hard Drive with Data Recovery Service:

If the hard drive is damaged badly and you are not capable of recovering it. Then a professional help can solve the HDD data recovery. The technical expertise can revert the damaged files, and data can be recovered easily no matter how badly the hard drive has been damaged.

Types of Artificial Intelligence

AI can be divided into two categories: narrow AI and general AI. Narrow AI is often considered as weak. It is specific task-oriented. General AI is considered to be strong. It can do a wide range of tasks, unlike Narrow AI.

Narrow AI

This is seen in the computers we use. This type of AI is generally focused on a single task which it can do very well. Examples are virtual assistants that recognize speech and language, and cars that can self-drive. This type of artificial intelligence can only do a specified task given taught to them but cannot do anything more. Responding to customers questions and concerns is a common form of narrow artificial intelligence along with cooperating with other artificial intelligence for the tasks of hotel booking, helping radiologists to find tumors through X-rays that have the potential to turn dangerous, detecting troubles with elevators, preparing a three-dimensional model of the world, etc. It can only do tasks that are taught to them, unlike humans, and this is one of its biggest drawbacks.

General AI

This type of AI can be found in more refined systems. It can do several tasks that a human can do and use human-like intelligence to solve various problems ranging from a simple task such as cutting nails and hair and watering plants to a high skill task such as reasoning based on collected data. The themes of western movies are highly influenced by general AI. The data scientists argue that general artificial intelligence will rise to a huge extent by the year 2040-2050, and it would be the future of this universe by the year 2075, and it would dominate the whole world, including human beings. It would also be a threat to the human species. General AI is believed to surpass the cognitive human performance in virtual domains. However, many scientists have divided opinions over this. Many scientists believe that general AI is nowhere near becoming the future of the world. The pioneers of general artificial intelligence, such as Demis Hassabis, Geoffrey Hinton, and Yann LeCun, also have this view. They believe that there is no concrete basis for the fear that the human species will be threatened by general artificial intelligence in the near future.

What is the challenge we face? I sometimes find that time spent at home can be the busiest time, especially in the times we live in. Imagine someone working from home, home-schooling children, and sometimes even doing a side hustle. Imagine also the full-time home-based entrepreneur. How do they manage to do all they need to do in a day?. We are living in a time when many entrepreneurs and even company employees have adopted work- at – home culture. This comes with its challenges as the lines become blurred between home and work. These blurred lines and constraints on the limited resource called time result in over-worked, under-rested, burnt-out individuals. Whilst good time management has been encouraged and indeed, embraced in the workplace, I believe more needs to be done in changing the mindset for the elusive work-life balance to be achieved.

What are the tools at our disposal? To manage time effectively at home, there are many interventions one can employ including setting goals for the day, prioritizing wisely, setting a time limit for every task, organizing oneself, and instituting the discipline of appointments. Yes, an appointment at home! We can spend time pontificating on the pros and cons of each intervention, however, I believe we need to focus on appointments and see how this can powerfully change the course of one’s day regardless of whether it’s a workday or weekend. Life is busy as it is without any intrusions. The question is how do you handle the one who announces that they are at the gate. These can be friends, neighbors, a salesman of some product you do not even need. I am not promoting regimentation here but rather a culture of filling your day with what’s important. Everything that we succeed at is because we carefully plan and execute it. I am a firm believer that you cannot manage time if you do not manage yourself thus I implore you to incorporate planning and appointments into your repertoire. I am not talking about something I do not do. I have to achieve many things in a day therefore I set appointments with my work, others, and myself.

Could scheduling appointments and keeping them on the home front help us save time and prioritize? Whereas we have established that it is a normal business practice to set appointments and keep them, we need to abandon the liberal open-door policy of allowing all and sundry to have access to us as and when they please on the home front. Please understand where I am coming from. We each have greatness within us but for us to achieve it we need to culture great habits. Employing the use of appointments at home and seeing only those people you had agreed to see removes non-essential encounters especially during the most productive hours. I know this will vary with culture, geographical region, or even level of affluence, whether you live in a low density or high-density residential area, but doesn’t negate the need to be organized and effective. Controlling access determines how organized you are and how well you will work and rest when the time for scheduled rest comes.

What do we need to do differently? We need to be disciplined and diligent, learn to say no, now is not a good time, let’s make an appointment for next week. What are the benefits of this approach? You are not always fire-fighting to meet deadlines, You are not always tired because you have not taken time out to rest. You have set aside enough time to spend with your loved ones or a loved one. If you are a busy person, I am sure you appreciate what I am saying. Whether it’s time to work uninterrupted, family time, or “me-time”, it takes some kind of order to enjoy it.

I am not saying that those that come unannounced are bad people. No, not at all, they probably are people you enjoy spending time with. Nevertheless, there must be prior communication so that you can attend to your visitor(s) when it is convenient for both you and them. It can be quite disrupting and a whole day can just pass by without achieving anything that you had planned to do.

As we grow older we begin to appreciate that rest and recovery need to be scheduled. The fact that I am relaxing doesn’t mean that I don’t have anything to do. One therefore cannot assume that just because you are at home you are available. Maybe you have scheduled that time to rest. That is important. You need to make an appointment with yourself, spouses need to also set aside time for each other. Parents need to schedule a time to spend with their children. When you have some sort of order in your life you determine who sees you and who you see. It also means that your relationships will be healthy and that makes you a happier person.

In conclusion, I believe that the work-life balance can be achieved. There are many tools at our disposal just like it is in the workplace.I believe we could do more and be happier if we are disciplined enough to make only the commitments we can keep.I am certain that setting appointments and keeping them at home help us save time and prioritize.

Fitzgerald Mujuru, a fusion of Business Coach, Personal Effectiveness Coach, Business Consultant, Marketing Strategist, Sales Zealot, Speaker, brand builder, with over twenty years in marketing and sales for globally known brands. He has vast commercial experience at management level in various sectors. His strengths include marketing, brand building, sales, business development, business strategy, management, and equipping leaders and teams with strategies for personal and team effectiveness. He has handled various consultancy assignments for companies in professional services, media, communications, training and development, non-profit organizations. He has released 4 books and published more than 200 articles online.

1) Interest rates: We have experienced a prolonged period of historically – low – interest rates. This has created easy money, because the cost of borrowing is so low. Both individuals and corporations have benefited, at least, in the immediate- term, permitting home buyers to purchase more house, because their monthly charges, are low, due to low mortgage rates. Corporate and government bonds, and banks, have paid low returns. It has stemmed, inflation, and created a rise in home prices, we haven’t witnessed, in recent memory. The Federal Reserve Bank has signaled they will be ending this propping – up, and will also raise rates, probably three times, in 2022. What do you think that will cause.

2) Auto loans, consumer loans, borrowing: The auto industry has been, significantly, impacted by supply chain challenges. When rates rise, auto loans and leases, will be more costly.

3) THis pattern began after the Tax Reform legislation, passed at the end of 2017, which created the initial, new, trillion dollars deficits

4) Government spending, caused by the financial suffering and challenges, because of shut downs, etc, because of the pandemic, created trillions more in debt. Unfortunately, debt must be eventually addressed.

5) Perception and attitude: The past couple of years,apparently, created a public perception, plus many fears, with a crippling economic impact.

Either, we begin to plan, effectively, and with common sense and an open – mind, many will be at – risk. Wake up, America, and demand better leadership, service and representation.

Successful people did not become successful because they were lucky.

They did not achieve success by accident. Being at the right place at the right time, meeting relevant people, reading the appropriate book, did not come about accidentally or by luck.

Luck is brought about by Labour Under Correct Knowledge.

Successful people prepared themselves. Instead of giving up on anything they started and wanted to achieve they got stronger by learning more.

Success is a methodical, orderly and deliberate process of deciding what you want to do with your life, what are the steps that you need to undertake to get you there, and lastly what you will do once you get there.

One of the most important aspects, if not the most important aspect to success, is the ability to visualise your successful outcome and stay focused on it until you achieve it.

“Imagination is more important than knowledge, knowledge is limited.” – Albert Einstein

Successful people understood the potential power behind knowledge, yet they also understood that, for them to close the gap between where they are and where they wanted to be, they would have to piece together the enigma that is most often referred to as “life”.

They had to build a picture, a vision, of success in their mind, and then go about taking action on creating that envisioned life.

In much the same way, you have to be serious about your present and future, you need to have the knowledge that is required so you, too, may close the gap: you need to be and remain determined to devote yourself to taking massive action to build your business of succeeding in life.

You, too, will need to see the end, your dream and destiny that you desire in your mind’s eye. It is up to you to take the necessary and relevant action to make it all happen. It’s just like going to the doctor with a particular health problem.

The doctor may prescribe a medication for you to take four times a day, yet he cannot be there with you to ensure that you are taking the medication.

It comes back to deciding to be responsible for your life.

Have you noticed how it all stems from that one attitude? Being responsible for your own life.

Your success, your being responsible 100% for you to live your dream life starts here.

When you accept 100% responsibility for yourself and your current life situation, you will have the power to move towards those things you truly desire in life: which is success in all areas of your life.

This life-changing article is about possibilities and opportunities, knowledge and tools. It will help expose your unique course in life.

It will inspire, support and motivate you to excel, to do what successful people do, to have all that successful people have, and to become a shining example of a successful person.

Here, you’re not being told what you couldn’t do, instead you are being told to shoot for the stars. And above all, you are being shown how to shoot for those stars.

“A person is what he thinks about all day long.” – Emerson

Interesting thought, wouldn’t you think? So much so, it’s worth repeating: “A person is what he thinks about all day long.”

Success and happiness cannot happen if you possess the same old thoughts and beliefs.

If you do not change your mind, if you do not get rid of the unsupportive thoughts and beliefs, you will inevitably remain stuck in your old ways. Not much, if anything, will change.

Let’s give you a quick overview on how change comes about:

Your BEHAVIOUR, how you act (or perhaps do not act), controls your success or failure. Your ability to attain high levels of success is dependent upon your actions and behaviours. Your results are the outcome of your behaviour. Now let’s consider where your behaviours come from and what controls them?

Your FEELINGS command your behaviour. Every action that you take is first filtered through your feelings that reside in your subconscious mind. How you feel about something determines what you do and how well you do it. So where do your feelings come from?

Your ATTITUDES create and influence your feelings. Your attitude is your perspective from which you view life. Whatever attitude you have about anything will affect how you feel, which, in turn, affects how you act. Where do your attitudes come from?

Your BELIEFS create, control and influence your attitudes. What you believe about anything will determine your attitude about it, which will create your feelings, and then which will direct your behaviour and action. Belief patterns are so powerful that two people who are in the same situation could perceive things completely differently. It only requires us to believe what we see and how we see it. We all have thousands of beliefs – big and small. And where do your beliefs come from?

Your THOUGHTS create, control and influence your beliefs. Your thoughts are real and are immensely powerful. Everything you accept from the outside world and everything you feed yourself from within is a product of your thoughts. Everything starts as a thought.

So, it goes without saying you need to learn to control your thoughts. And when you do, you will automatically control your beliefs, your attitudes, your feelings and, consequently, your behaviour and actions.

The big secret to success:

Learn to control your thoughts and you will influence your behaviours and actions. It’s all a mind-set. That’s what we’ve been saying all along.

Success is predictable and is not achieved by accident.

Have the mind-set of the successful people and you will achieve success. Believe and it is yours!

“There is a great future in front of you, you can leave your past behind.” – Joel Osteen

Science of success experts have concluded that the brain is a goal-setting organism.

That is fantastic news for us: for whatever goal we give to our subconscious mind, it will work for us day and night, 24/7, to achieve it for us; to make it a reality.

The principal breakthrough that scientists made was that we do not need to waste our precious time and effort trying to change old thoughts and behaviours: we just simply create new ones.

And the other discovery they made was that we can continue to create new thoughts, new memories, new behaviours, new skills, and learn new things for as long as we are alive on this earth.

Now, with the new discoveries in recent years, it has been scientifically proven that our capacity to achieve and succeed literally has no limits.

Our brain has the capacity to continually learn during our entire lifetime.

Our brain can form new thoughts, can have new memories, and can learn new things by the millions, no matter what your age is. By the millions.

That’s how many new things we can learn, that’s how many new skills we can learn, that’s how many new thoughts we can have, that’s how many new behaviours we can adopt.

This is encouraging because there is no limit on your capacity to achieve new things.

No limits whatsoever for the human brain to learn, memorise, develop, achieve and perform at higher levels than ever imagined. It makes no difference what your age is: you are capable of learning anything new that you want to learn.

That adds to what we spoke of earlier: no more excuses.

“The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X

Your brain has the capacity to achieve way beyond what was ever thought possible. So now is the time to break out of your limited thinking and start dreaming big and imagining unlimited possibilities.

Becoming successful is not impossible.

It is a choice you make through a decision. Every day, step-by-step, you may climb the mountain of success if you’ve decided to do so, if you’re committed to accomplish what the others think impossible.

Design your future now.

Prepare to receive what you desire.

Thanks to the phenomenal advances made in cognitive science and the development of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), personal change, personal transformation, has come a very long way.

In fact, personal growth is no longer a mystery.

NLP has brought to light that change, transformation and growth can be fast, reliable, and even fun. It has shown us that we do not need to spend thousands of hours slaving away to increase our creative-thinking abilities.

By practicing a few simple exercises and applications, you can start your creative juices flowing, and you may even amaze yourself at the quality and quantity of good ideas that you can come up with to expedite your success.

It can allow you to achieve something you seek within days and months as opposed to years and decades. That’s the power of the progress science has made on how the brain works, and also how you can have your mind to be your best ally in achieving anything you want.

Learn to live as you like by no longer living as you dislike.

Are you ready to get on the road to success and fulfilment?

Bear in mind, much like everything else in life, success requires practice and massive, consistent action.

“Success doesn’t mean the absence of failures; it means the attainment of ultimate objectives. It means winning the war, not every battle.” – Edwin C Bliss

Hani Al-Qasem has been a self-improvement educator for more than 18 years.

You can download your copy of “Wealth Attraction: How To Reprogram Your Mind For More Money” FREE eBook where you can begin the automatic reprogramming of your brain for wealth, success, and abundance, in just six easy steps.