Here is part one of How to Keep Your Customers Happy & Increase Repeat Project

9. Know your products and services

Customers want to work with knowledgeable employees. Learn all you can about your products so you can be better equipped to answer customer questions. If you are unsure about something, ask for help.

10. Treat your customers individually

Not all customers are the same. Every customer has individual needs and concerns and they want to be treated with a personal touch that doesn’t make them feel like a number. Communicate the way your customers want to communicate.

11. Make it easy for your customers to complain

Your customers seem to have heard, especially when they are frustrated with the service they have received. Customers know what they like and at least about your service. Ongoing surveys are a reliable and consistent approach to getting feedback but don’t miss the opportunity when you’re with a customer. Just asking you sends a beautiful message about how you value your customers and their feedback.

12. Thank your customers for every opportunity you get

Thank you very much for your customers. Thank you for calling, bringing payment, meeting you at their home, calling for help, and yes, calling for a complaint! For many, there are options available and they chose your company over the competition.

13. Never accept your customers

Your customers are your business!

14. To be active

Don't wait for your client to reach you. Reach out to them in more than one way. Improving the first call resolution cases of the customer problem will improve the overall customer experience. Create a complete self-help interface, in which customers can solve their problems manually.

15. I will take responsibility

Tell your customer that you understand that you have a responsibility to ensure a satisfactory outcome of the transaction. Assure the customer that you know what she expects and will deliver the product or service at the agreed price. There will be no unexpected charges or costs to solve the problem.

Organisational Culture is an aspect that impacts every organization’s functioning. Keeping in view the vital role that plays in the success of any Organisation. I would like to mention the desired culture is the “OCTAPACE” Culture.

“OCTAPACE” culture is the best initiative for any Organisation, whether it’s an IT or Non-IT organization.

Let’s look at- what is “OCTAPACE” culture? How will it be helpful to Organisational Growth?

To recapitulate, Organisational culture represents Values, Beliefs, behaviors & Capabilities acquired by the members of the firm. We can truly say if the Organisation has all Dimensions of “OCTAPACE”, it is on the way to SUCCESS……….

• This library user for firebase integration dependencies 

• {
  implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-auth:19.4.0'
  }

• This permission use internet connection checking

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />

<com.facebook.login.widget.LoginButton
         android:id="@+id/login_button"
         android:layout_width="match_parent"
         android:layout_height="match_parent"
         android:layout_gravity="center"
         android:visibility="gone" />

• This permission user for user data get. Without this permission user data not meet
  
  

• “loginButton” This button is Facebook button 
  
  

• LoginManager.getInstance().logInWithReadPermissions(FacebookLoginActivity.this, Arrays.asList("email", "public_profile")); 
• loginButton.setReadPermissions("email", "public_profile");

void initializeAuthentication(){
                FirebaseAuth  mAuth = FirebaseAuth.getInstance();
             GoogleSignInOptions gso = new GoogleSignInOptions.Builder(GoogleSignInOptions.DEFAULT_SIGN_IN)
             .requestIdToken(getString(R.string.default_web_client_id))
             .requestEmail()
             .build();
    mGoogleSignInClient = GoogleSignIn.getClient(this, gso);
}

• This function user login result return

void faceBookLogin(LoginResult loginResult){
     setFacebookData(loginResult);
     Profile profile = Profile.getCurrentProfile();
     if (profile != null) {
       String avatar =  ImageRequest.getProfilePictureUri(profile.getId(), 200, 200).toString();
   }
   handleFacebookAccessToken(loginResult.getAccessToken());
}

• This token return firebase login fails or not an event

private void handleFacebookAccessToken(AccessToken token) {
AuthCredential credential = FacebookAuthProvider.getCredential(token.getToken());
    mAuth.signInWithCredential(credential)
           .addOnCompleteListener(this, new OnCompleteListener<AuthResult>() {
               @Override
               public void onComplete(@NonNull Task<AuthResult> task) {
                   if (task.isSuccessful()) {
                       FirebaseUser user = mAuth.getCurrentUser();
                       user.getIdToken(true).addOnCompleteListener(new OnCompleteListener<GetTokenResult>() {
                           @Override
                           public void onComplete(@NonNull Task<GetTokenResult> task) {
                               String token = task.getResult().getToken();

                           }
                       });

                   } else {
                      String errorCode = String.valueOf(task.getException());
                       Toast.makeText(FacebookLoginActivity.this, "Login failed.", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
                    } 
            }
    });
}

• “Default_web_client_id” this keyword, not changes because creating google-services.json file time automatically this keyword in add values so this key work put at its

The Stripe Customer Portal is very useful for managing customer subscriptions like Upgrade, Downgrade, and Renew.

Customers can review their invoices directly and also check their history.

Portal billing setting

Do login into your stripe account

Navigate to the portal settings to configure the portal, and do below billing settings

Create Product

First of all, we need to create products. Follow the below process for creating products.

Click on the “Products” menu from the sidebar and click on the “Add Product” button on the top right corner of the products page and create a product.

Here is an example of how to create a product.

Create two or three products as shown below.

Select product In portal settings

If you want to allow your customer to change their subscription by an upgrade, downgrade, cancel or renew you need to set products in your portal setting.

Now navigate to customer portal settings again, in the Products section, you will find a dropdown “Find or add a product..”, click on it you will find the plan you have added, select the price of this product.

Don’t forget to save all these settings.

Then do the setup of your business information, also do branding settings in the “Appearance” section, and save it.

Once you are done with settings, you can preview the customer portal by clicking the Preview button beside the save button.

This will launch a preview of the portal so you can see how customers will use it for managing their subscriptions and billing details.

Integrate into Laravel

• Get you API keys
  • Go to “Developers > API keys” here you will find your “Publishable key” and “Secret key

• Create customer using stripe dashboard or by API
  • Create customer by Stripe API.
  • First of all, you’ll need to set your stripe secret key. For development mode, you can use test mode keys, but for production, you need to use your live mode keys

\Stripe\Stripe::setApiKey('sk_test_YOUR_KEY');

$customer = \Stripe\Customer::create([
    'name' => 'jenny rosen'
    'email' => 'jenny.rosen@example.com'
]);

• Once you create a customer using stripe API, now you can create a billing session for that customer using stripe API.
  • Create a billing session of the customer by API

\Stripe\Stripe::setApiKey('sk_test_YOUR_KEY');
\Stripe\BillingPortal\Session::create([
   'customer' => 'cus_HnKDAQNjBniyFh',
   'return_url' => 'https://example.com/subscription',
]);

You’ll get a response, like the below object:

{
  "id": "pts_c5cfgf8gjfgf73m5748g6",
  "object": "billing_portal.session",
  "created": 453543534,
  "customer": "cus_bGFsnjJDcSiJu",
  "livemode": false,
  "return_url": "https://example.com/subscription'",
  "url":
"https://billing.stripe.com/session/{SESSION_SECRET}"
}

In the response body, there is a URL attribute:

Now redirect your customer to this URL immediately. For security purposes, this URL will expire in a few minutes.

After redirecting the customer to this URL, the portal will open and customers can manage their subscriptions and billing details in the portal. customers can return to the app by clicking the Return link on your company’s name or logo within the portal on the left side. They’ll redirect to the return_url you have provided at the time of creating the session or redirect URL set in your portal settings.

Listen to Webhooks

You must have a question, what is this Webhook!!!

It’s just an event, which will fire when a customer does any changes in his/her subscription in the portal, we can listen to this event in our app and make appropriate changes.

For example,

If a customer cancels his/her subscription in the portal, then how we will know about it!!

For it, when customers do any changes in his/her subscription

“customer.subscription.updated” event will be fired and we can listen for this event and, get to know the customer has changed subscription so we need to do appropriate changes in our app also.

Set webhook in your app

In the webhooks.php (in routes folder) file set up a route for handle webhook.

You can use the [Laravel Cashier Package (https://laravel.com/docs/8.x/billing) to handle webhooks.

To set up a webhook for your portal navigate to the “Developers > Webhooks” menu you will find the below screen, here I have added a webhook to handle subscription cancel and update events, it will fire when customers update subscription, and you will receive it.

Click on the “Add endpoint” button and the below pop up will open. In Endpoint URL set the route you have created in the webhooks.php file. Select subscription updated and deleted events.

All done.

For more details, you can use stripe customer portal integration

Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) is a cross-platform messaging solution that lets you deliver messages for free.

It allows you to send push notifications from the Firebase console or from the application server or some trusted server where logic runs.

Step 1:- Create a new Android Studio Project

First, create a new Android Studio project and add the dependencies. First set up Firebase in your project. You can find a good tutorial.

Add Firebase messaging dependency to your app-level.

build.Gradle
dependencies {
  implementation 'com.google.firebase:firebase-messaging:19.0.1'
}

Step 2: Create a Firebase Service

The next step is to create Firebase Services:- MyFirebaseInstanceIDService and MyFirebaseMessagingService. first MyFirebaseInstanceIDService service will handle the device registration process and the second MyFirebaseInstanceIDService will handle the reception and display of notifications. The services have no visual interface and are used for operations that run in the background. To create a service, right-click and select the Applications folder New -> Service -> Service.

Type in your service name, and click the Finish button. Repeat the same steps for the second service.

AndroidManifest.xml file and update your service declarations under the application tag. Also, add INTERNET and CLOUD TO DEVICE MESSAGING permissions so your app can interact with the FCM server.

To handle the device registration process, MyFirebaseInstanceIDService must increase the FireBaseInstenside service class. Under this service, override the tokenrefresh() method so that whenever the system decides to refresh the tokens, it will be requested. This usually happens when the user installs/reinstalls the application or when the user clears the application data.

Since you are sending notifications between devices, each user must subscribe to an issue with a different user_id. This ensures that users receive notifications sent to topics that match their user_id. Here is the implementation of MyFirebaseInstanceIDSericiclass.

public class MyFirebaseMessagingService extends FirebaseMessagingService {

  private final String ADMIN_CHANNEL_ID = "admin_channel";

  @Override
  public void onMessageReceived(RemoteMessage remoteMessage) {
    final Intent intent = new Intent(this, MainActivity.class);
    NotificationManager notificationManager = (NotificationManager) getSystemService(Context.NOTIFICATION_SERVICE);
    int notificationID = new Random().nextInt(3000);
   /*
    Apps targeting SDK 26 or above (Android O) must
    implement notification channels and add their notifications to at least one of them. Therefore, confirm if the version is Oreo or higher, then setup notification channel
   */
    if (android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES.O) {
      setupChannels(notificationManager);
    }

    intent.addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP);
    PendingIntent pendingIntent = PendingIntent.getActivity(this, 0, intent, PendingIntent.FLAG_ONE_SHOT);
    Bitmap largeIcon = BitmapFactory.decodeResource(getResources(), R.drawable.notify_icon);
    Uri notificationSoundUri = RingtoneManager.getDefaultUri(RingtoneManager.TYPE_NOTIF CATION);

    NotificationCompat.Builder notificationBuilder = new NotificationCompat.Builder(this, ADMIN_CHANNEL_ID)
        .setSmallIcon(R.drawable.notify_icon)
        .setLargeIcon(largeIcon)
        .setContentTitle(remoteMessage.getData().get("title"))
        .setContentText(remoteMessage.getData().get("message"))
        .setAutoCancel(true)
        .setSound(notificationSoundUri)
        .setContentIntent(pendingIntent);

    // Set notification color to match your app color template
    if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.LOLLIPOP) {
      notificationBuilder.setColor(getResources().getColor(R.color.colorPrimaryDark));
    }
    notificationManager.notify(notificationID, notificationBuilder.build());
  }

  @RequiresApi(api = Build.VERSION_CODES.O)
  private void setupChannels(NotificationManager notificationManager) {
    CharSequence adminChannelName = "New notification";
    String adminChannelDescription = "Device to device notification ";

    NotificationChannel adminChannel;
    adminChannel = new NotificationChannel(ADMIN_CHANNEL_ID, adminChannelName, NotificationManager.IMPORTANCE_HIGH);
    adminChannel.setDescription(adminChannelDescription);
    adminChannel.enableLights(true);
    adminChannel.setLightColor(Color.RED);
    adminChannel.enableVibration(true);

    if (notificationManager != null) {
      notificationManager.createNotificationChannel(adminChannel);
    }
  }
}

Step 4: Implement the notification sending logic

This is the most important part of the whole article. This is where you define the content of the instruction and how it will be modeled. However, before you dive into coding, follow these steps to get your server key from the Firebase console.

Navigate to the Cloud Messaging tab, and copy your Server key

Implement the Sending Logic: An FCM server with the following request properties only needs an HTTP post request to send a push notification:

Method Type: POST

URL: https://fcm.googleapis.com/fcm/send

Headers:

Authorization: key="Firebase server key" Content-Type: application/json

Body:

{
 "to": "/topics/notification_userId",
 "data": {
  "title": "Notification title",
  "message": "Notification message",
  "key1" : "value1",
  "key2" : "value2" //additional data you want to pass
 }
}

With these concepts in mind, you will first create a JsonObject of Notification body within your activity class. This object budget will contain the subject of the receiver, the title of the notification, the notification message, and the other key/value pair you want to add.

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
  EditText edtTitle;
  EditText edtMessage;
  final private String FCM_API = "https://fcm.googleapis.com/fcm/send";
  final private String serverKey = "key=" + "Your Firebase server key";
  final private String contentType = "application/json";
  final String TAG = "NOTIFICATION TAG";

  String NOTIFICATION_TITLE;
  String NOTIFICATION_MESSAGE;
  String TOPIC;

  @Override
  protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
    edtTitle = findViewById(R.id.edtTitle);
    edtMessage = findViewById(R.id.edtMessage);
    Button btnSend = findViewById(R.id.btnSend);

    btnSend.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
      @Override
      public void onClick(View v) {
        TOPIC = "/topics/userABC"; //topic must match with what the receiver subscribed to
        NOTIFICATION_TITLE = edtTitle.getText().toString();
        NOTIFICATION_MESSAGE = edtMessage.getText().toString();

        JSONObject notification = new JSONObject();
        JSONObject notifcationBody = new JSONObject();
        try {
          notifcationBody.put("title", NOTIFICATION_TITLE);
          notifcationBody.put("message", NOTIFICATION_MESSAGE);
          notification.put("to", TOPIC);
          notification.put("data", notifcationBody);
        } catch (JSONException e) {
          Log.e(TAG, "onCreate: " + e.getMessage() );
        }
        sendNotification(notification);
      }
    });
  }
  private void sendNotification(JSONObject notification) {
 ...
  }
}

The next step is to request the network server using the library volley, then use the parameters to the root server will request notification on the target device.

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {

  ....

  private void sendNotification(JSONObject notification) {
    JsonObjectRequest jsonObjectRequest = new JsonObjectRequest(FCM_API, notification,
            new Response.Listener() {
              @Override
              public void onResponse(JSONObject response)
              {
                Log.i(TAG, "onResponse: " + response.toString());
                edtTitle.setText("");
                edtMessage.setText("");
              }
            },
            new Response.ErrorListener() {
              @Override
              public void onErrorResponse(VolleyError error) {
                Toast.makeText(MainActivity.this, "Request error", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
                Log.i(TAG, "onErrorResponse: Didn't work");
              }
            }){
          @Override
          public Map getHeaders() throws AuthFailureError {
            Map params = new HashMap<>();
            params.put("Authorization", serverKey);
            params.put("Content-Type", contentType);
            return params;
          }
        };
    MySingleton.getInstance(getApplicationContext()).addToRequestQueue(jsonObjectRequest);
  }
}

Finally, add a MySingleton class that will serve as a request queue for instruction requests.

public class MySingleton {
  private static MySingleton instance;
  private RequestQueue requestQueue;
  private Context ctx;

  private MySingleton(Context context) {
    ctx = context;
    requestQueue = getRequestQueue();
  }
  public static synchronized MySingleton getInstance(Context context) {
    if (instance == null) {
      instance = new MySingleton(context);
    }
    return instance;
  }
  public RequestQueue getRequestQueue() {
    if (requestQueue == null) {
      // getApplicationContext() is key, it keeps you from leaking the
      // Activity or BroadcastReceiver if someone passes one in.
      requestQueue = Volley.newRequestQueue(ctx.getApplicationContext());
    }
    return requestQueue;
  }
  public  void addToRequestQueue(Request req) {
    getRequestQueue().add(req);
  }
}

With it, you're done creating your app. You can start sending push notifications between devices without typing any server-side code. Always make sure that the notification will not be delivered to you if the subject of the recipient is correct. If you do everything right, you will get the same result.

composer require ladumor/one-signal

php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Ladumor\OneSignal\OneSignalServiceProvider"

Ladumor\OneSignal\OneSignalServiceProvider::class,

'OneSignal' => \Ladumor\OneSignal\OneSignal::class,

ONE_SIGNAL_APP_ID=XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX
ONE_SIGNAL_AUTHORIZE=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
X
ONE_SIGNAL_AUTH_KEY=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

use Ladumor\OneSignal\OneSignal;
$fields['include_player_ids'] = ['xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxx-xxxx-yyyyy']
$message = 'hey!! This is a test push.!'
OneSignal::sendPush($fields, $message);

Image Source

Shreemad Bhagavad Gita has a lot to speak about business management. In the last Post of Karma-Yoga, we have seen how our actions should be for the benefits of the others. Today, let's see Chapter 4.

In Chapter 4, Karma-Brahm-Arpan-Yoga (Jñāna Karm Sanyās Yog), verse 13th and 14th, Lord Krishna said,

चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागश: |

तस्य कर्तारमपि मां विद्ध्यकर्तारमव्ययम् || 13 ||

The four categories of occupations were created by me according to people’s qualities and activities. Although I am the creator of this system, know me to be the non-doer and eternal. (source: holy-bhagavad-gita.org)

પ્રકૃતિના ત્રણ ગુણો એન્ડ કર્મોના વિભાગ પ્રમાણે મેં બ્રાહ્મણ, ક્ષત્રિય, વૈશ્ય અને શુદ્ર એમ ચાર વર્ણોની રચના કરી છે. તેનો હું કર્તા હોવા છતાં પણ તું મને અકર્તા અને અવિકારી જાણ.

न मां कर्माणि लिम्पन्ति न मे कर्मफले स्पृहा |

इति मां योऽभिजानाति कर्मभिर्न स बध्यते || 14 ||

Activities do not taint me, nor do I desire the fruits of action. One who knows me in this way is never bound by the karmic reactions of work.(source: holy-bhagavad-gita.org)

કોઈ કર્મો મને લેપતા નથી, કેમ કે કર્મોના ફળમાં મને લાલસા નથી. આ રીતે જે મનુષ્ય મને જાણે છે, તે પોતાના કર્મો વડે બંધાતો નથી.

Based on occupation & activities, God created the following 4 Varnas:

• Brahmins - predisposed toward teaching and worship (how to get the God or go to heaven)
• Kshatriyas - inclined toward administration and management of the kingdom
• Vaishyas - form the business and agricultural class (Businessmen)
• Shudras - working class (The actual person who works)

In the same way, we also need 4 Departments in our Business.

• Brahmins - Marketing - Do the marketing & they actually help us to meet our God (Our Customer).
• Kshtriya - HR - Form a Business, Hire Team, Appoint People, Make Policies, define Penalties, etc.
• Vaishyas - Operations - Administration & Management (or your Top Management Team).
• Shudra - Technical - Actual working people, our employees who actually do work

What God did is, created these 4 Varnas and given them their duties and activities that they need to perform and he simply became A-Karta (non-doer and eternal).

We as CEO, also need to do that same thing. Create these 4 Departments, assign them their duties and just become an external observer. Then all you need to do is, whenever they got stuck, help them, guide them or train them. That's it.

So just simply, Be a God of your Company.

You can also listen to full podcast here.