Missing in Action – Good Customer Service – Has Anyone Seen It Recently?

Posted on December 13, 2011 by mjheeseyy8

Why are simple manners, such as please and thank you rarely used in the service industry anymore? Is it now so normal to encounter bad service, that we accept it and have become desensitized to it? adult internet chat Am I a dinosaur expecting the check out person at my supermarket to say “that will be $50 please?” I have to stop myself from inserting the word “please” like I would for one of my children. adult single chat Why should I accept a shop assistant gossiping with her work colleague rather than offering me assistance? When did this happen?

Did I at some point go into a coma and when I awoke the world was rude and ill-mannered? I implore people speak up, don’t accept poor service. Don’t accept poor manners anymore. We must re-educate people.

Everyone is telling us that retail is struggling. Yes it is, due to the economy. But surely the way to attract customers back would be to – ok, fix the economy, but also to provide the most incredible service, so that customers would want to tell everyone they know about their wonderful experience.

It used to be said that people would vote with their feet, in other words people just wouldn’t go back to a store or business that didn’t make the experience pleasant, but because it’s now normal for the service to be poor, we do go back, because what’s the alternative. Don’t buy the item?

TV current affairs programs are rife with cases of the under dog being poorly treated by big corporations like banks and insurance companies, who just don’t seem to care enough about service anymore. Its all just about money.

Now of course the rest of us are not going to necessarily go to the media, but we can react. We can do something. We mustn’t get complacent and believe that this is the way it has to be.

If a business wants our custom, and let’s face it they NEED our custom, then they MUST earn our custom. Get into a habit of letting people know.

If you are in a store and receive poor service ask the person for their name or note it from their name tag. Then contact their head office, its better if it’s by email, because you have a record of when you sent it. Site the time, date, person involved and the circumstances. You should by the way also do this if you’ve received good service, because it works both ways. Often people will only report the bad and not the good behaviour.

If a company receives enough of these emails they have to take action.

A few years ago, I had an experience where my family moved house. We informed the utilities company of our move arranging power off at one house and power on at our new property. 4 months later I hadn’t received a power bill, so I contacted the company. No problem, we’ll look into it. Another 3 months go by, and I call again. Of course I speak with a different person, again explain that I haven’t received an account. No problem, we’ll look into it. This happened periodically over 2 and half years. I started noting times, dates, and the person I spoke with. I kept stressing to the person each time that I wouldn’t be paying a large account if and when they sent it.

I finally received an account for $4500 with 2 weeks to pay it. Wow 2 whole weeks it’s only taken then over 2 years to send me an account. Of course I spoke with the power company explained that I was going to contact the ombudsman and advise them of the debacle created by poor administration within the power company.

Without boring you all with the to-ing and fro-ing that then took place over a period of 5 to 6 months. I had my account reduced by $2500 which I was then given the option to pay off at $58 every 2 weeks over 2 years. A friend of mine was amazed that I didn’t just pay the account; she said she would have paid it, thinking that she didn’t have a choice. But we all do have choices.

The moral is – If your not happy tell someone, if we don’t tell them how will they know that it needs correcting. If you’re happy tell someone. If they’re doing it right, they truly deserve to be told.

We must all educate businesses who are providing us with a service and are expecting payment for said service that they MUST treat us – their customer, their life blood properly.

Julia Sparrow is CEO of JS Internet marketing Strategies. She is based in Sydney Australia but has a client base nationally. She is passionate about customer service. She has been in customer service and marketing for over 20 years recently branching out into Search engine optimization – specializing in small to medium sized businesses.

This article may be freely reprinted or distributed in its entirety in any e-zine, newsletter, blog, or website. The authors name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.

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Who’s Exhausted?

Posted on November 22, 2011 by mjheeseyy8

I’m not a morning person, never have been. In fact, I have a love hate relationship with my snooze button. I need her, rely on her, religiously check on her just in case, but every morning I blindly smack her quiet for that luxurious ten more minutes of sleep. Who am I kidding? I set her for 6:30, but shush her half a dozen times before my husband has to coerce me out of bed with coffee at 7. And that’s on a good day.

The worse days entail me waking up to my fourteen year old standing above me citing I have fifteen minutes to get dressed and out the door. Better believe I’ve long since given up fixing my face and hair unless I can work that in while I warm up the car. I usually focus on just trying not to wear the same outfit two days in a row and some weeks I don’t even manage that.

Life is exhausting. On the occasions I dare to glance in the mirror, I often find a haggard reflection of myself staring back at me complete with dark shadows that insist on making a permanent home just beneath my eyes, the twenty pounds I could stand to lose but instead rest comfortably around my waist and under my chin, and those stubborn loose strands of hair that never seem to make it into my imperfect pony tail.

I’m not exactly sure how I got here, I only know that I’m here now. It’s the story of my life, stressful and chaotic, twenty years running. I feel like the colored version of Roseanne Conner, armed with a comical snarky attitude to deal with the pandemonium that makes up my existence, only I don’t get paid a $100,000 dollars per nightly episode.

Some days are so crazy my brain hurts by noon. There’s just too much to remember, too much to do, and not enough time to get it all done before midnight, before my daily to do list renews itself and I find myself backed up several tasks from the day before. This is usually the grand entrance to one of my crap-I-don’t-think-I-can-do-this-anymore days.

I find myself secretly pining for a simpler life. One without all the madness, where the kids don’t outnumber the adults, the laundry is always done, peace and quiet is the norm not the exception, and my expenses never exceed my income. A life where my thoughts aren’t drowned out by the sound of screaming kids. One where I actually have time to blow dry my hair in the morning, maybe even curl it, and apply my make up in front of a full size bathroom mirror and not the rear view mirror of my car.

A life like that can sound pretty attractive sometimes. In the least, it sounds far less tiring than the bedlam I battle everyday just trying to get the kids to take regular showers or the dogs to stop eating from the bathroom garbage.

Of course, I eventually get to thinking some more – about my kids, my family, friends, work, school, my writing, all the things I want for myself and my kids. All these things that engulf me, try my will, my patience, and drive me nuts, they’re also what give me purpose. My rhyme and my reason.

This is where I have my moment of clarity, when I remember that the grass isn’t greener on the other side. Raising a family, being a good friend, having a career, just trying to live out life, daring to catch a few dreams for yourself while you’re at it, all of that takes hard work and yes, it is overwhelming, and exhausting, and emotionally draining, but when has anything worth having ever been easy?

At the end of the day, I believe we all have the lives we want, or rather the lives we’re willing to work for. This chaos, the noise and constant hustle that’s made up the last two decades of my life, is merely the rhythm to which I live, and truthfully, this crazy life of mine is worth all the effort I put into it.

Forget the simple life, I’ve got something much better.

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Vehicle Safety and Convenience Technologies Reduce Risk And Make Companies More Profitable

Posted on November 22, 2011 by mjheeseyy8

In this growing technology age, a company can take advantage of several solutions to protect drivers, customers and the companies bottom-line. GPS, Parking Aids, Navigation, Bluetooth & Back-up Cameras products are the fastest electronics needs in the Fleet Industry today. A risk manager needs to take careful consideration of what will benefit the driver and the company without adding an unnecessary distraction. The cost ratio of whether the expense of the product will justify reducing risk, liability and expenses is another important factor when considering an electronic solution.

The electronic products versus the older ‘non- electronic products’ has changed the way we do business and manage the Fleet. GPS and Navigation allows the driver and company to manage the route and become more efficient and profitable. No more city map to page through or employees stating I am working when in reality they are hiding at the local fast food restaurant.

Hands-free products mandates is growing and will continue to increase per state. How many times have you seen the video of the bus driver texting and then rear ending the car in front of him on the national news? Humans will not change ‘especially employees’ and will do what they want instead of what is best for the company. Bluetooth devices assist the driver to focus the ‘eyes’ on the road which is where they need to be. Another new product is an electronic ‘text & phone block’ device that will block texting & phone usage while driving which is another great solution.

The highest percentage of accidents is a back-up accident. Vehicles are not designed to go backwards they are manufactured to go forward. The blind zone of a vehicle can vary and it is not just the larger vehicles that have limited view ‘all vehicles have a blind zone’. Back-up cameras are a visual solution to assist the driver but are only effective when the driver is looking at the monitor. Back-up sensors are always working so you keep your eyes scanning on the side mirrors as you maneuver the vehicle in reverse gear. The best of both worlds is a system that combines the rear camera with rear sensors so you can have a visual and audio notifications.

No matter how large or how small your fleet is you should consider an electronic solution based on your companies needs. Look for proven companies and products and not the cheapest solution for protecting your vehicles and reducing the risk of your company. One accident or situation make cost your company $500 or $500,000.

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Breakdancing: The Roots of The Street Dance

Posted on November 22, 2011 by mjheeseyy8

Breakdancing is the street dancing which began around 1969. Most people will agree that the superstar James Brown began the whole thing with a dance called the “Good Foot”. James Brown was a real innovator and his dancing was something to behold. He did things with his feet that would give most of us a couple of broken legs!

Simultaneously in the ghetto, what is known as the “dance battle” became very popular and in many cases replaced gangster warfare as a method to end disputes. Breakdancing lent itself very well to the dance battle and the Good Foot was a perfect base for breakdancing.

Street dancers adopted the Good Foot which, for a short period, became known as the B-Boy and then breakdancing. Back then the dance moves were a lot different to the kind of breaking we see today. There were no popular, documented moves such as the headspin or the windmill. The dancers simply used their feet and nothing else. Some would argue that this “old style breaking” is more complicated than the kind of dancing we see these days.

Some of the floor work improvised back then was fantastically complex. If you go to a modern breakdancing competition you won’t see many of the old school moves but you will see a lot of gymnastics. Impressive though this is, there are those that think breakdancing has lost its roots a little. On the other side of the coin you have people saying that it’s just an evolution.

As a way to solve street battles and gang violence it was inspired. You were finding that amazingly, the gangs were using breakdancing instead of fighting. The breakdancing “battle” took on a world of its own. Of course there were still fights and inevitably sometimes a sore loser in a breaking battle would resort to violence.

Out of all this, breakdancing crews were formed. The members of a crew would practice and dance together. This is when the first very basic breakdancing choreography came about. One crew would invent a move which would inspire an opposing crew to go one better. For some of these guys breakdancing was literally the difference between life and death. They were very dedicated to what they were doing.

Just as all these new breakdancing crews were bursting onto the scene a guy called Afrika Bambaataa embraced the genre. Afrika Bambaataa is a legendary figure in the hip hop world. He was largely responsible for bringing breakdancing into the general public’s consciousness. He got to know all the crews and encouraged them to develop what they were doing. Bambaataa’s “Zulu Kings” breakdancing crew became a force to be reckoned with, winning many battles.

Since then breakdancing has continually progressed and more and more very talented dancers were bringing their skills into the arena. There were new moves being invented by the week and it wasn’t long before we had headspins, windmills, backspins and all the other high energy, acrobatic moves we see these days.

The “Rock Steady Crew” were one of the groups to pioneer this new school breaking. These guys along with Charles Ahearn who made the seminal hip hop movie “Wild Style” were to bring breakdancing fully up to date and the dancing phenomenon became much more popular. There was no stopping the onward march of the break dance.

Nowadays breakdancing influences a lot of the choreographed dance routines which are an integral part of a modern pop record release. You have young kids coming up who are really into it and the genre is experiencing something of a renaissance. There’s no doubt about it, breakdancing is here to stay and if you want more info a quick search on the Internet will turn up thousands of references to this modern art form.

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Online Dating And Internet Mail Order Brides

Posted on November 22, 2011 by mjheeseyy8

Are you having a difficult time finding a future bride for yourself? Inevitably you are not ugly or undesirable, in other words, you are not unattractive to a woman at all. But why is it that you just cannot find the right woman for yourself? Does the idea of dating and marriage seem to be out of reach for you? With the technological advances in technology, dating (and the finale which is marriage) should never be that complicated. The term “mail order bride” gives some people the negative connotation that it is something sleazy and illegal. But the reality is that if you do everything by the books, it is absolutely legitimate and can be rewarding in the end. So how do you go about finding your soul mate online?

Sign up with a dating/mail order bride specialty website

It is imperative that you take advantage of the online dating websites. Besides having a huge catalog of available women, some of these website operators take their dating program one step further. Some of these operators will setup romance tours to the country of your choice to meet the women you have been conversing with. Therefore once you have setup an account with them online, make sure you take the time to use their service properly. Setup your profile and browse through the profiles of the eligible women. Then strike up a conversation, through email, chat, or even video chat with the women that interest you. Ideally you will find several women through these websites.

Take your time to visit the women and get to know them

Once you have a comfort level with some of these women, you can think about making a visit to the country where these women reside. If you are using the service of a reputable dating or mail order bride website, they normally offer “romance tours”. Romance tours are actual trips setup by these website operators which allow you to meet the women you have been talking with through their online website. When you embark on the romance tours, it is then up to you to get to know these women in person, because no technology or gadgets will be able to help you.

Internet dating is really not that difficult if you take it seriously. Do not have the ill conceived notion that you can find yourself a supermodel girlfriend overnight. Just because you have put up some pictures of yourself and struck up a conversation with one or two women does not mean that they are ready to marry you the next day. You still have to do some work yourself by getting to know the ladies first. You also will have to romance them and make them find you interesting. If you are looking to make one of these woman your future bride, do not just settle for the first one who strikes up a conversation with you. Remember, both you and the woman involved are evaluating each other as potential mates for the future.

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Choose Your Inner Circle Wisely

Posted on November 22, 2011 by mjheeseyy8

It’s common knowledge that we should choose our friends carefully. We’ve all heard the saying that you can either “soar with the eagles or fly with the turkeys.” Most of the time when we hear this advice, it is connected to being successful (career-wise or financially).

But it’s even more important from the perspective of living authentically, joyfully and peacefully. In other words, “Surrounded by people who love life, you love it too; surrounded by people who don’t, you don’t.” (Mignon McLaughlin)

Although we each have greatness within us, not everyone chooses to express and live from their greatness. We’ve all experienced this – the typical example is the proverbial water cooler at work – where you can choose to associate with people who are negative and complaining or with people who are positive and upbeat.

Clearly, you feel differently based on who you associate with. Their energy affects you, and vice versa. This is why it’s so important to choose very carefully who will be in your inner circle (the people you spend the most time with, the people whose advice and wisdom you value).

Another perspective on this is that we each see through our own lens – and what we see is a reflection of who we are and how we choose to be. “A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world; everyone you meet is your mirror.” (Ken Keyes, Jr.) What world do you choose to live in?

Ralph Waldo Emerson said it well, “People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.” It’s easy to tell if someone is living from their greatness….just listen to them talk for a while. Their views, opinions and perspectives on life will tell you everything you need to know about who they are.

This is obvious in the extremes – with those who are very negative about life, and with those who are positive and optimistic. “There are souls in this world which have the gift of finding joy everywhere and of leaving it behind them when they go.” (Frederick Faber) Now doesn’t that sound like someone you’d want to be friends with? And someone you’d want to be?!

I encourage you to make a conscious effort to choose your inner circle wisely – for who you associate with does affect you, and you affect them, on the deepest levels.

(Please also see my article titled “Do you have Life Support?” for more about the importance and benefits of our connections.)

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Is Your Marriage a Companionship or a Love Affair?

Posted on November 22, 2011 by mjheeseyy8

Every marriage is just like any relationship. They have their ups and downs, agreements and disagreements and good days and bad days. When you put two people from different backgrounds with different ideas, feelings and expectations together, you simply can’t expect everything to be wonderful all of the time! While some marriages have very serious problems that can only be solved by intense focus and even therapy, most marriages simply become ‘stale’ or uninteresting.

It is important to reflect on exactly what is causing any conflict or uneasiness in a marriage before acting on it. In a great many marriages, the excitement and ‘take my breath away’ feelings are fading or they are even gone. It doesn’t mean that the love is gone. Love sometimes needs a little stimulation in order to revisit and maintain the feelings we all crave and yearn for. That stimulation is called ‘romance.’

Many people mistake a marriage that seems to be ordinary or unexceptional as lacking love. It simply isn’t the case! Most marriages do not lack love, but they do lack romance! Love is easy and peaceful, while romance is what makes a relationship hot and arousing.

Every single person on earth in any type of relationship desires passion and romance in his or her life. Unfortunately, there are a few things about romance most people don’t understand. The most common problem in creating romance in a relationship is that people simply don’t know how to do it! Other times, people are fixed in cultural classifications and their partners are unable to appreciate them for their own special and unique qualities. Ultimately, some people have simply given up on their search for romance.

In a time where everything is convenient and available almost at the touch of a button, the effort of romance seems as if it takes a good deal of effort. It is very possible to take some old-fashioned romantic ideas and make them work in a modern world while maintaining the genuine intention behind each thought and act. Romance today can be filled with unique ideas, creativity and passion. Romance is simply the way you express your love for another person. It is vital to keeping love fresh, exciting and alive. Without romance, love can become tiresome and even worse.

The expression of love through romance keeps it alive, fun and worthwhile. Romance is only true, though, when carried out with no ulterior motives. The only reason romance should be initiated is in an attempt to show love and appreciation. Romance with true intentions is when you want to show your mate that you are thinking about them and they matter enough to make the effort to bring your love to life through action.

Romance is more like an artistic creation as opposed to an exact science. Those who tend to feel competitive in almost everything they do will need to check that attitude at the door when initiating romance. Love and romance should not be considered a contest that should be outdone time and again. It should be considered a cooperative activity. While love and romance take two in order to work, you can be extremely romantic while still keeping your individuality. Love and romance make perfect partners and can make you and your partner ‘perfect’ companions as well!

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Learn To Salsa DVD – The Secret To Sexy Hip Movement

Posted on November 22, 2011 by mjheeseyy8

How is it that someone who maybe doesn’t have the biggest hips in the world can look and dance just like the professionals do? Well listen up, even if you are a person with no hips or no butt you can still dance just like all of the pro’s on t.v. All you have to do if follow my simple instructions.

First of all there are many ways to make yourself seem like you are moving your hips more than you really are just by picking out the right clothes. Did you know that you can go into your closet and pick lets say a dress and look like you’re a professional dancer?

Well the secret is knowing the right dress to pick. Obviously you can’t just pick a tight dress and think you can salsa dance in that because honey, tight dresses are not meant to dance salsa in. When you look for the right dress try and make sure its loose and flows so that when you move the dress moves too.

The reason why all ballroom salsa dresses look the same is because the dress makes the dancer look like they’re moving their hips way more than they really are. If you are still not sure of the type of dress I’m talking about go to Google and type in ballroom salsa dresses and you’ll see exactly what I mean. Those salsa dresses have extra material on the butt area to enhance the movements in that area to make you look like and feel sexy.

Another great secret is how the dancers move. So once you have your dress on, you have to make your dress move with you while you dance. So what you do is put as much weight on to one leg as if you have no weight on the other leg. While you’re doing this try and poke out your hip to make it look bigger. This momentum of changing your weight from one leg to the other will not only make you look like you have hips, but it will make you feel like you have sexy hip movements going on.

Make sure that when you are changing you weight when you’re doing the basic 3 step move that you make every move connect. Connecting the movements will make your dancing look natural instead or looking like a robot dancing. Another way to think about it is kind of like riding a bike. When you ride your bike your moving the weight of your body from side to side. That is how you should do the basic 3 step move to make you hips look sexier.

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Advice On Singing Training

Posted on November 22, 2011 by mjheeseyy8

If you are blessed with a melodious voice, then you should be motivated to work toward maintaining and improving it as much as possible, by doing regular singing training. Singing requires practice to be able to do it well just like any other new thing. Those who are involved in sports or learn to be proficient at playing a musical instrument must practice for hours on end. Likewise, learning to sing correctly will take a good deal of motivation and practice for you to excel at it. Also, natural ability does play into your singing somewhat. You can never sing any better than your own natural ability. So accept what God has given you, develop your own personal style, and get a little singing training to help you improve your voice as much as possible.

A few of us are born with exceptional singing talent. This is not the case with most of us. Most of us will have to work hard to develop what we have. And this is why you should start by getting some professional singing training. When given from the right teacher, someone who is experienced. This individual will be able to offer you some valuable guidance and support. Even if you cannot afford to take a lot of vocal lessons, you should invest in a few. They will get you started right.

It may be a good idea for you to record these lessons so that you can will not forget the things you were taught. You can take the tape home and use it for reference time after time. This can also help you practice warming up from day to day.

Which is one of the most important things to remember when you are practicing. You should never start a singing routine without first going through a few routine warm-ups. A professional teacher can help you learn a few warm-up routines, such as scales. It is good to start with lower notes, working your way up. Many experts suggest humming the scales first and then singing them a few times to warm up your voice.

It is actually possible to hurt or strain your voice by singing incorrectly. This is one of the reasons that you should start your efforts by obtaining some singing lessons from a professional. They can teach you the proper way to sing, implementing breathing techniques and enunciation methods that will ensure you are practicing the right way and not straining your voice.

While you are singing, listen carefully to yourself. By carefully taking note and being critical, you can recognize your mistakes and work to improve upon them. Many recommend recording yourself singing. When you listen to the tape on playback, you will recognize things you need to work on that you could not hear while you were singing.

Breathing is one of the most important parts of singing. To sing well, you have to be able to breathe well, and deeply, from the diaphragm. This does not come naturally for most. Many singers perform regular physical exercises to strengthen their stomach muscles and help them strengthen the muscles in this part of their body so that they can hold breaths for longer periods of time. Also, the more you practice breathing the right way while singing, the easier it will become. If you want to be a strong singer, able to hold out some very long notes, you should definitely tend to your breathing. You should see your stomach, not your chest, expand and contract when you breathe, as a signal that you are breathing properly.

All of the tips tin the world will not prove to be helpful in the least if you do not practice. Those who want to excel at anything practice. As the saying goes, Practice makes perfect, and if you want to perfect your singing skills, you will consistently work at it.

If you take these tips to heart, practicing them with care consistently, you will definitely begin to see some improvement in your singing. You will enjoy your singing much more, and many others will benefit from it as well. Singing can help you relax, release tension, worship, and express your emotions effectively. And it can also have a calming effect on others as well. Not to mention the gratification you will receive from actually working at something until you succeeded. You will also receive a lot of compliments on your well trained voice, and can help others learn the same thing you have worked so hard for.

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He is Ready to Ask the Big Question – But is He Really Ready?

Posted on November 22, 2011 by mjheeseyy8

He is ready to ask the big question but is, he really, ready for marriage? You may also need to ask yourself this question as well. You must examine all the factors involved in a relationship for the both of you. Have the two of you been going together long enough that you truly know each other? Have the two of you been through the good time and the bad and stayed strong?

If the answer to these questions is yes then he may in fact be ready for the next step. If however the answer is not to one or more of these important questions you may want to wait a little longer for the next step. Marriage is not to be, entered into lightly.

Therefore, you want to make sure that your love for each other is strong enough to pull the two of you thru anything life will throw at you. Life will challenge the both of you and it will do it often. There are temptations, drugs, alcohol, and then there is family tragedy like death and illnesses.

The two of you must be able to look these things in the face, trample over each one and keep moving onward. You must talk and talk daily about anything and everything that is even a small concern. Without the ability to talk, you will grow apart and distance is a murderer of a good marriage.

A good strong marriage means that you communicate, you play, and you sacrifice for one another and you take when the other is giving. If the sacrifice is equal then one is not feeling deprived and left out of the good benefits.

The ability to play and laugh with and at each other when the times are good make good strong lasting memories for the rough times. Two people also need affection and this should be frequent as well. Touch and a good love life help to build a sound relationship and marriage. If your lovemaking and touch are frequent then there is less chance of the other feeling rejected or straying to find it elsewhere.

You must hold your future husbands affection and keep the love interesting as this like anything else can grow boring and tiresome. Keep it new different and exciting as well as passionate. Let him know that you desire his affections above all else. All of these factors will let you know if he is really, ready for the next step.

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