National Clothesline

Those not looking forward to shoveling snow from their front walks in mid-January may want to opt for Plan B: the National Cleaners Association’s Brainstorming with the Best conference.

The event is set to take place at the Ritz Carlton Montego Bay Hotel & Spa Resort in Rose Hall, Jamaica, from Jan. 14 to 17. The accommodations will be luxurious as the Ritz Carlton is the only five-star hotel on the island.

NCA has secured a discounted rate there for cleaners who plan on attending the Brainstorming conference. The cost is $471 per night for double occupancy in a garden view room. The single occupancy rate for the same room is $419 per person.

For a room with an ocean view, the nightly rate rises to $532 for double occupancy and $480 for single.

The discounted rates are good for up to three days prior to the conference (Jan. 11) and three days after (Jan. 20).

During the conference, cleaners will have three informative and in-depth educational sessions, including one on “WAYMISH” or “Why Are You Making It So Hard... for me to give you my money?” from 9 a.m. until noon on Friday.

The program will be presented by Chris Considine and Lee Tomlinson who seek to help attendees eliminate any displays of apathy towards customers that may lead them to believe that your company doesn’t want their patronage.

During the three-hour session, the duo will discuss the importance of resolving customer complaints quickly, putting common sense ahead of plant policies and listening closely to precisely what the customer is telling you.

If you can catch the “WAYMISH” symptoms early and put an end to them immediately, it will greatly cut down on the outflow of unhappy customers and it will also increase consumer loyalty.

On the following morning, John Jantsch will take to the podium for a session from 9 a.m. to noon on “Social Media for Small Business: The Duct Tape Way.”

Jantsch is the author of the best-seller “Duct Tape Marketing - The World’s Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide” and his blog was selected as the “Best Small Business Marketing Blog” in 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Marketing Sherpa.

During his program, cleaners will learn how to market in ways that are designed to be low in cost but high in effectiveness, including modern techniques of social media and referral marketing.

For the Sunday program, NCA has enlisted labor and human rights attorney Steve Morelli to speak on avoiding lawsuits by disgruntled employees. “An Ounce of Prevention: Avoiding Employee Lawsuits,” will run from 9 to 11 a.m.

Those who attend will learn how employers inadvertently sow the seeds of their own destruction. Morelli will discuss what attorneys look for when building a discrimination lawsuit against employers.

He will also share some simple steps that can be taken in order to protect yourself from complaints to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). There will be plenty of time for a question-and-answer session at the end of the program.

Registration for the Brainstorming with the Best conference is $595 for members and $245 for member spouses or significant others.

Non-members must pay $695 each, and spouses and significant others of non-members pay $295 each.

Slots are limited; NCA recommends registering as early as possible by calling Ann Hargrove at (800) 888-1622.

In addition to the educational programs, cleaners will have some down time to relax and network with their peers. A welcome reception with free food and drinks will take place on Thursday evening.

Also on the social agenda is a round of beach volleyball on Friday afternoon and dinner and music on Saturday night.

Admission to all social functions are included in the registration and room fees.

For more information, visit the NCA’s web site online at www.nca-i.com.



		National Clothesline



	NCA ready for Bahama brainstorm

	Those not looking forward to shoveling snow from their front walks in mid-January may want to opt for Plan B: the National Cleaners Association’s Brainstorming with the Best conference. The event is set to take place at the Ritz Carlton Montego Bay Hotel & Spa Resort in Rose Hall, Jamaica, from Jan. 14 to 17. The accommodations will be luxurious as the Ritz Carlton is the only five-star hotel on the island. NCA has secured a discounted rate there for cleaners who plan on attending the Brainstorming conference. The cost is $471 per night for double occupancy in a garden view room. The single occupancy rate for the same room is $419 per person. For a room with an ocean view, the nightly rate rises to $532 for double occupancy and $480 for single. The discounted rates are good for up to three days prior to the conference (Jan. 11) and three days after (Jan. 20). During the conference, cleaners will have three informative and in-depth educational sessions, including one on “WAYMISH” or “Why Are You Making It So Hard... for me to give you my money?” from 9 a.m. until noon on Friday. The program will be presented by Chris Considine and Lee Tomlinson who seek to help attendees eliminate any displays of apathy towards customers that may lead them to believe that your company doesn’t want their patronage. During the three-hour session, the duo will discuss the importance of resolving customer complaints quickly, putting common sense ahead of plant policies and listening closely to precisely what the customer is telling you. If you can catch the “WAYMISH” symptoms early and put an end to them immediately, it will greatly cut down on the outflow of unhappy customers and it will also increase consumer loyalty. On the following morning, John Jantsch will take to the podium for a session from 9 a.m. to noon on “Social Media for Small Business: The Duct Tape Way.” Jantsch is the author of the best-seller “Duct Tape Marketing - The World’s Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide” and his blog was selected as the “Best Small Business Marketing Blog” in 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Marketing Sherpa. During his program, cleaners will learn how to market in ways that are designed to be low in cost but high in effectiveness, including modern techniques of social media and referral marketing. For the Sunday program, NCA has enlisted labor and human rights attorney Steve Morelli to speak on avoiding lawsuits by disgruntled employees. “An Ounce of Prevention: Avoiding Employee Lawsuits,” will run from 9 to 11 a.m. Those who attend will learn how employers inadvertently sow the seeds of their own destruction. Morelli will discuss what attorneys look for when building a discrimination lawsuit against employers. He will also share some simple steps that can be taken in order to protect yourself from complaints to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). There will be plenty of time for a question-and-answer session at the end of the program. Registration for the Brainstorming with the Best conference is $595 for members and $245 for member spouses or significant others. Non-members must pay $695 each, and spouses and significant others of non-members pay $295 each. Slots are limited; NCA recommends registering as early as possible by calling Ann Hargrove at (800) 888-1622. In addition to the educational programs, cleaners will have some down time to relax and network with their peers. A welcome reception with free food and drinks will take place on Thursday evening. Also on the social agenda is a round of beach volleyball on Friday afternoon and dinner and music on Saturday night. Admission to all social functions are included in the registration and room fees. For more information, visit the NCA’s web site online at www.nca-i.com.



John R. Graham is president of Graham Communications, a marketing services and sales consulting firm. He is an author of several books, writes for a variety of publications and speaks at association meetings. He can be contacted by phone at (617) 328-0069. His company’s web site is www.graham comm.com.