Bane-Clene® News and Views

Friday, February 21, 2025

Treating Carpets for Ice Melt "stains"

Winter time is obviously upon us. Copious amounts of Ice Melt or other ice melting products are being used.

When tracked in, they either leave a white sticky residue or can turn a carpet yellow.

These problems can be easily resolved.

Vacuum up as much of the powder as possible.
Use a applicator or brush to apply undiluted Brown Out^®.
Leave the Brown Out on the area to be treated for at least 15 minutes or until the stain has disappeared.
Flush with water using one (1) wet and two (2) dry strokes with the cleaning head. It is important to thoroughly remove all the Brown Out.
Repeat the process if necessary.
After you are done, clean the carpet using PCA™ and Booster™.
Apply Sta-Clene^® or Bane-Guard™ Carpet Protector!

Thank you for reading Bane’s Blog^®

Please read the latest issue of the Clene-Times^® at www.baneclene.com/publications/.

Please visit our web site at www.baneclene.com.

The Bane-Clene^® Team.

Free packet of information about Bane-Clene can be obtained by calling toll-free 1-800-428-9512 (U.S. ONLY!). Your information packet will include a full color catalog and price addendum. Packets will arrive in approximately 2 weeks through standard United States Mail.

Friday, February 14, 2025

WHAT WE WANT

The Beatles wrote “All You Need Is Love” - that expression is certainly enough in many aspects of our lives. With that thought, in mind let’s explore some other wants that will give us what we need

People normally want to do the right thing. To treat others with respect and courtesy and in turn to be treated the same way.
To find better ways of doing things and accomplishing tasks. This makes people feel more important and needed.
To achieve goals of which they can feel proud. While all the time including others trying to achieve the same goal, thus encouraging team building and accomplishment
To earn respect and recognition for what they are and for what they achieve either individually or part of a group.

Many times What We Want may not be attainable the first time we try. But the goal should be to achieve as many as possible and then to keep trying.

Thank you for reading Bane’s Blog^®

Please read the latest issue of the Clene-Times^® at www.baneclene.com/publications/.

Please visit our web site at www.baneclene.com.

The Bane-Clene^® Team.

Friday, February 07, 2025

EXTRAS

Using service Extras when working for a customer not only builds good will but will assist in making them a long term customer.

We have all read and seen articles about the large number of customers who are dissatisfied with the service and or products they receive.

Beyond implementing the obvious practicesx

Showing up on time.
Employing prompt and clear communications.
Being courteous and thoughtful.
Being attentive to the customers needs.

Beyond presuming the above and other standard business practices are employed, what else can be done?

Using service Extras when working for a customer not only builds good will but will assist in making them a long term customer.

Offer additional services at a discount if done during this service trip.
Clean door mats at no additional charge.
If the customer lives alone or lacks the ability to remove furniture tabs, offer to return and remove them.

These are but a few of the Extras that will allow you to stand out and above your competition. Certainly there are others based upon clientele, geographic area and other statistical factors.

Ultimately learning to use Extras to your advantage will add to your success and profits.

Friday, January 31, 2025

ANNIVERSARY

Bane-Clene Corp.^® will celebrate our 63rd Anniversary - February 4th, 2025

We will presume you know the story of how a small start up Janitorial Service morphed into what we are today.

An International Manufacturer and Supplier of Cleaning Equipment, Chemicals and Accessories.

We don’t have to tell you that being in business has its trials and tribulations.

However, more importantly, it has its many rewards for which we are thankful.

Here is just a partial list of what we are thankful for:

An invaluable staff, without whom we did not and will not continue to grow.
Customers that compliment us for doing a good job.
Customers that point out our mistakes. We correct those mistakes, which makes us better.
Good Vendors that keep our supply lines full.
Expert Accounting, Advertising, Financial, Insurance, Legal and Technology Advisors.

Lastly, we are thankful that 63 years ago, Wm. F. Bane had a vision and we at Bane-Clene^® strive everyday to promote and build on his vision.

Thank you for reading Bane’s Blog^®

Please read the latest issue of the Clene-Times^® at www.baneclene.com/publications/.

Please visit our web site at www.baneclene.com.

The Bane-Clene^® Team.

Free Bane-Clene Information Package

You can also order the packet at the Catalog Request Form.

Friday, January 24, 2025

ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

When trying to close a sale it obviously is important to Ask the Right Questions.

The objective is diagnose the customer’s issues and or needs. Here are some suggested do’s and don’ts.

Don’t ask why they called, do ask “How May I Help You”.
Do ask, if they are a previous customer, if so prior records can be accessed providing a more efficient and quicker customer experience.
If the business provides products, do ask which products they are wanting to order.
If the business provides services, do ask which services they wish to have provided.
Allow the customer time to explain what they want, don’t interrupt them.
If the customer is having trouble explaining what they want, do try to interject ideas or suggestions.
When the conversation seem concluded, do ask if there is anything else the customer needs.
If you sell products, do provide the customer the date their order will be ready for pick-up or shipped.
If a service is being provided, do provide for their selection, potential dates when the service can be performed.

If you Ask The Right Questions and provide service and or products that satisfy the customer, your profits will increase and so will the success of your business.

Free Bane-Clene Information Package

You can also order the packet at the Catalog Request Form.

Friday, January 17, 2025

IT TAKES ALL KINDS

The customers that a business comes in contact with on a daily basis come in all shapes, sizes and personalities. Some are very easy to deal with and others can be difficult. No matter their temperament, without them a business would be less profitable and possibly even fail.

Customers are just like us, every day they encounter influences good, bad or indifferent that may shape the way they react in different situations. If things go badly, then people may become irritable and short tempered. Others may project a gruffness and toughness bordering on rude. Still others become indecisive, questioning and even skeptical.

If you suspect or unfortunately it’s obvious that the customer is not having a good day, then do your best to turn that around. Most people are basically kind and considerate. Develop the mindset that you have the ability and confidence to change a difficult situation into a positive and successful outcome.

Remember, It Takes All Kinds; don’t allow a difficult customer to alter your approach and the way you do business.

Free Bane-Clene Information Package

You can also order the packet at the Catalog Request Form.

Friday, January 10, 2025

GOOD MOMENTS

Interaction with customers can be short or long; what is done with that time is extremely important. There are opportunities during the interaction to make the interactions Good Moments. A comment or two when finishing your business will help solidify your interaction.

Before engaging in any “small talk,” it’s important to know your customer’s viewpoints. You don’t want to engage in topics that alienate your customer. For example, Politics and Religion are definitely not something to be brought up in casual conversation. Stick to topics that are relative to your area. For example the weather, the opening of a new restaurant or the completion of an infrastructure improvement.

Customer small talk should never be considered as an irritant or a time-waster for you or them. Keep the exchange short and sweet and have it end on a positive note.

Making brief moments stand out as Good Moments will enhance and solidify in building long term customer relationships.

Free Bane-Clene Information Package

You can also order the packet at the Catalog Request Form.

Friday, January 03, 2025

Is the Customer Always Right?

Customers are human like the rest of us and may be wrong, even though they feel they are 100% right. However, there’s a good reason the “customer is always right” precept has been drilled into us. The reason being it is not a prudent business practice to antagonize and possibly lose a customer who believes they are right.

Every successful sales or service business will proclaim that maintaining good customer relations is paramount to the growth and profitability of a company.

The caveat to “Is the Customer Always Right" depends on the amount of the adjustment, refund or other compensation. If the amount is insignificant, by all means settle quickly. However, what if the the customer’s erroneous belief will cost the company an absurd amount or unjust compensation? This is where management has to weigh the consequences of losing the customer and or the blow back it will cause in refuting the customer’s claim.

Winning the argument and losing the customer is never an ideal situation. Neither does capitulating, if it means a large settlement will translate to a BIG loss.

So the bottom line is this - “Is the Customer Always Right”? Yes, if the amount is small, a simple refund or can be negotiated to a reasonable dollar amount or just compensation.

Free Bane-Clene Information Package

You can also order the packet at the Catalog Request Form.

Friday, December 27, 2024

Happy New Year

January 1^st obviously ushers in a New Year. It’s a time that many reflect upon their previous accomplishments and failures. Then we look forward vowing to correct or not to repeat our failures. We also plot and plan for the time to come. Each of us has goals and aspirations. We should always strive to achieve them. If you are not moving forward, then it is inevitable that you will become stagnate or worse yet begin to move backwards.

So, after all that reflection, we usually come up with New Year Resolutions. They come in a variety of purposes, personal, family, business and community among them.

Improve physical well being.
Improve mental health.
Improve finances.
Improve career.
Improve knowledge.
Volunteer.
Spend quality time with family and friends.
Be more spiritual.

The following passage was written by Bishop John H. Vincent in 1909. It is appropriate not only on New Years Day but every day of our lives:

“I will this day try to live a simple, sincere and serene life. I will repel promptly every thought of discontent, anxiety, discouragement, impurity and self-seeking. I will cultivate cheerfulness, magnanimity, charity and the habit of silence. I will exercise economy in expenditure, carefulness in conversation, diligence in appointed service, fidelity to every trust and a child-like trust in God.”

Thank you for reading Bane’s Blog^®

Please read the latest issue of the Clene-Times^® at www.baneclene.com/publications/.

Please visit our web site at www.baneclene.com.

The Bane-Clene^® Team.

Free Bane-Clene Information Package

You can also order the packet at the Catalog Request Form.

Friday, December 20, 2024

Merry Christmas

December 25^th is celebrated as a religious (by a majority of Christians) and cultural holiday by billions of people around the world.

For Christians, it is marked as the day Jesus Christ was born in the town of Bethlehem.

Some believe Jesus was the Son of God or a prophet or others have no belief either way.

No matter what your beliefs are, take time to reflect upon the meaning of Christmas.

It is a time that promotes Peace on Earth and Goodwill to all.

May God bless you and your family.

Thank you for reading Bane’s Blog^®

Please read the latest issue of the Clene-Times^® at www.baneclene.com/publications/.

Please visit our web site at www.baneclene.com.

The Bane-Clene^® Team.

Free Bane-Clene Information Package

You can also order the packet at the Catalog Request Form.

Friday, December 13, 2024

HARD SELL

When dealing with potential or existing customers, be careful with your presentation. It’s good to be positive and enthusiastic but being overly zealous or aggressive can turn a buyer off because of a hard sell presentation.

Besides turning a buyer off, an overly aggressive approach might make a buyer wary. Enthusiasm is important but overdoing it makes a person cautious. It also might diminish the buyer’s trust and confidence. If a product or service isn’t right for them, suggest something else.

The key is to sell products and or provide a service with the buyer’s needs and desires in mind. The goal isn’t to sell your product or service, it's to have the customer become a buyer. Therefore, knowing what the customer wants or needs should facilitate them into becoming a buyer.

Show the buyer you are on their side. In the end, that will produce more sales and success and ultimately more profits.

Free Bane-Clene Information Package

You can also order the packet at the Catalog Request Form.

Friday, December 06, 2024

REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR

Became the battle cry of WW II. as President Roosevelt (FDR) uttered these words, “Sunday, December 7, 1941, a day that will live in infamy.” Thus on that fateful morning, the United States was propelled into WW II by the attack that took place as our Pacific Fleet lay at anchor.

According to news reports as of October 18, 2024 there are 18 known survivors.

As we commemorate the 83^rd anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, a thought comes to mind. Will “Remember Pearl Harbor,” “Remember the Maine” and “Remember the Alamo” become forgotten or irrelevant? Will 9/11 succumb to the same fate? Not because those that were there or were aware of it are gone. But because those events have been relegated to the back pages of History books or are routinely ignored by many schools as they “preach” not “teach.”

Unfortunately, there has been a tremendous cost in the loss of lives in these tragic events. Thank God for our brave troops and first responders who have been involved in them. In this land of plenty and freedoms, with all of our problems, people still yearn to come to live here and enjoy freedoms and certain inalienable rights which are under attack by politicians and groups that think they know what’s good for the American people.

Please remember “Freedom is not free.”

Thank you for reading Bane’s Blog^®

Please read the latest issue of the Clene-Times^® at www.baneclene.com/publications/.

Please visit our web site at www.baneclene.com.

The Bane-Clene^® Team.

Free Bane-Clene Information Package

You can also order the packet at the Catalog Request Form.

Thursday, November 28, 2024

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving is truly a special day. It was first celebrated in 1621 when the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Native Americans shared a fall harvest. In 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated each year on the fourth Thursday of November.

Thanksgiving Day is more than memories, food, football and parades. It is a day of thanks. On this day, we are reminded of the bounty of treasures that are a part of our everyday lives.

We spend a few, often too brief, moments in prayer or meditation before dinner to say thanks for our family, friends and the wonderfulness of our lives. The true meaning of Thanksgiving should not end there. Ponder the two words that are involved: thanks and giving. We should therefore be reminded to give thanks and to share. Take the time to share our economic benefits, material wealth and talents with those who can use our help.

Once again as you sit down to dinner, ponder the true meaning of Thanksgiving.

Thank you for reading Bane’s Blog^®

Please read the latest issue of the Clene-Times^® at www.baneclene.com/publications/.

Please visit our web site at www.baneclene.com.

The Bane-Clene^® Team.

Free Bane-Clene Information Package

You can also order the packet at the Catalog Request Form.

Friday, November 22, 2024

PROBLEM SOLVING “QUIZ”

Problem Solving is defined as the process of finding solutions to difficult or complex or even everyday issues. Therefore in business, it follows that the more problems solved the more success for the Company and theoretically there will be more profits.

Problem Solving requires separating facts from fantasy. It may also require thinking on our feet. As owners or managers, we should ask ourselves these basic questions.

If we encounter a previously resolved problem, are we quick to react and solve?
If it’s a new problem, do we look for similarities with previously resolved problems
Can we see a problem from several different angles?
Do we spend too much time gathering information, therefore delaying resolution?
If needed, can we break complex problems into parts and solve each part in order to resolve the issue as a whole?
Are we willing to listen to our “gut” when contemplating a resolution?
If we are stumped, are we willing to ask for help?

Simply put, the more “yes” answers the more adept at the basics of Problem Solving.

Free Bane-Clene Information Package

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Friday, November 15, 2024

ROBOTS

Robots have definitely made life easier. They have increased production in manufacturing, warehousing, logistics and many other industries. But some say, and rightfully so, they have obviously taken the person to person relationship out of business and perhaps someday every day life.

When you call most Companies today, you need to navigate a menu. The majority of the time, that takes you in a circuitous route. Maybe that route “allows” you talk to a virtual assistance which tries to help you and when finally that is deemed not possible you are transferred to a live person in a customer service position. You are immediately told that due to an abnormally large number of calls your wait time may be longer than usual, whatever usual is.

Customer Service is very important in any business. Large Companies can employ Robots, whether human or artificial, and survive because most of the time we need them more than they need us. Think of the Government, Utilities, Banks, etc.

However, Small Business can not because it’s obviously easier for a customer to go elsewhere. So in customer service, avoid becoming another of the Robots by employing a few simple techniques.

Do not brush off a customer’s concerns or questions.
Converse with customers in a friendly and sincere voice.
Speak to customers as equals.
Don’t speak with “scripted” replies.

If customers feel they are being treated professionally and with care, they will be more apt to deal with that Company now and in the future.

Free Bane-Clene Information Package

You can also order the packet at the Catalog Request Form.

Friday, November 08, 2024

VETERANS DAY

In America, we enjoy many of our freedoms because of the dedication and courage of all our Veterans.

Veterans Day will be celebrated on November 11th. It is the day that we honor those Veterans.

Veterans Day originated as Armistice Day and marked the end of hostilities of World War I that occurred at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. The first Armistice Day was commemorated in 1919.

The day was originally set aside to honor the Veterans of World War I. After World War II and the Korean War, Congress recognized a need to expand the meaning of the day and recognize ALL veterans.

So in 1954, the word “Armistice” was replaced with “Veterans” as a way to include all Veterans of all American wars.

Veterans Day is a federal holiday which many cities celebrate with parades and ceremonies.

In Washington, D.C., the celebrations include a wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.

Veterans Day is a day not only to honor those that made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, but also to recognize those who continue to serve today.

Take this time to thank a Veteran who fulfills this patriotic duty to maintain the freedoms of our country.

We can show the respect we have for them by properly honoring and displaying the American Flag.

Another way that is accomplished is by always standing and placing your hand over your heart during the playing of the National Anthem.

Thank you for reading Bane’s Blog^®

Please read the latest issue of the Clene-Times^® at www.baneclene.com/publications/.

Please visit our web site at www.baneclene.com.

The Bane-Clene^® Team.

Free Bane-Clene Information Package

You can also order the packet at the Catalog Request Form.

Friday, November 01, 2024

VOTE

November 5th is obviously election day.

Besides electing a new President on this day, there will be many other elections of significant importance.

Also, many of the members of Congress, Governors, Mayors, Local Representatives, etc are being elected all of whom will have an impact on us. Even local school boards influence how and what our children are taught. If you have not already done so, PLEASE exercise your right to vote.

As small business owners, whoever is in charge has a tremendous effect on yours and all of our businesses. We need leadership that is Pro Small Business and fiscally responsible.

Thank you for reading Bane’s Blog^®

Please read the latest issue of the Clene-Times^® at www.baneclene.com/publications/.

Please visit our web site at www.baneclene.com.

The Bane-Clene^® Team.

Free Bane-Clene Information Package

You can also order the packet at the Catalog Request Form.

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