 Hiking is a wonderful outdoor activity that promotes both mental and physical health. The exercise, the clean air, and exposure to the beauty of nature are all part of the benefits hikers can appreciate, either during group or solo hikes. While it is a rather straightforward activity, there are many different types of hikes according to the trail, landscape, and geography of a hiking location. And many different things can happen during a hike as well. We’ve put together a list of 5 essential tips for hikers that can be useful for the avid hiker or the beginner!
Some tips might seem like common sense, some may seem like overkill. But it helps to be prepared and it never hurts to be careful. Enjoy your hikes out there, explorers! Let us know where you like to hike in the comments below!  BASU.COM has an obsession with our customers and providing them with only the best. So how do we approach Customer Support? With excellence, of course, and with 100% satisfaction as the goal in mind. If you’re interested in some measurable steps we follow to reach this goal, keep reading!
So there you have it: three simple steps to providing excellent customer support from the team that always works towards 100% customer satisfaction. While these steps are simple, they’re extremely important and play a crucial part in any business, company, and organization. Assure your customers that they can reach you at their earliest convenience, that you’ll listen, and that you care enough to do something. Even if you can’t always fix the problem 100%, it always helps to check off these three things so that their whole experience is positive and not completely contingent upon the outcome of something that may have been out of your control to begin with.  We consistently talk about the importance of safety. After all, it is a basic need, and it is something that we can take personal ownership of. While we cannot guarantee the prevention of harm in the form of violence, robbery, accidents, etc., there are definite steps we can take to protect ourselves once we acknowledge that our safety is our responsibility. So it is helpful to think of safety as an investment. Most of us are already investing in our safety! Many of the important things we own come with locks, like our cars and houses, even our smartphones. These act as basic insurance, and the more important the object, the more we tend to insure. We insure with security cameras, high-tech locks, home and cyber security systems, and personal safety tools like the B A S U eAlarm and eAlarm+. We buy insurance for our homes, our cars, and other personal belongings in the unfortunate but possible scenario that something horrible should happen, because it is always better to be safe than sorry. So as you can see, we make decisions to invest in what is important to us every day. And according to Maslow and his Hierarchy of Needs, safety is an absolute basic need that is essential to the individual. Therefore, any cost that goes in to protecting yourself in the case of an emergency or potentially dangerous situation is actually an investment that could greatly pay off. It is absolutely better to be safe than sorry when it comes to protecting ourselves and our loved ones from physical, emotional, and financial harm.  We know that you’re depending on your B A S U eAlarm and eAlarm+ to work in any emergency situation that could occur. An important thing to do that will ensure your eAlarm is in perfect working condition is to test it once a month. The test itself is very simple! However, we do recommend that you or anyone testing the device remember the importance of protecting your ears. We strongly suggest wearing protective gear, like large over-the-ear headphones or ear plugs. This practice is extremely important because 120dB-130dB can cause significant hearing damage if ears are constantly exposed to this level of sound. The steps:
Once again, owners will want to test their eAlarms once a month. If you’d like to sign up for monthly reminders from us, just fill out your information on this page: https://www.basu.com/register.html If you’d like to watch a quick demonstration, click on the video below! Have you been anxious to explore lately? Need some destinations to check out? Traveling to new countries on different continents is always exciting, but you don’t have to go very far to explore something new! America is full of diversity and culture, offering fantastic places to explore. Exciting cities, wilderness, historical towns, and more adventures can be found all across the United States. Here are 10 places to explore in the US to get you started:
Where would you like to explore in the United States? Where have you been and what was fun? Let us know in the comments below!  Lack of view. Whether you’re an employee at a business or a volunteer for an organization you believe in, you need to know that your work matters. That happens when you understand how your work contributes to the bigger picture of what you and your team are trying to accomplish. There are tasks and goals, incentives and objectives, but we need to be able to understand how they all come together to produce a desired outcome. Without this understanding and concept of the bigger picture, it’s only natural to lose steam, have trouble getting motivated, and struggle with putting our best foot forward. So in whatever setting you’re in that requires you to be as productive as can be, take some time to map out how your assigned tasks and projects contribute to the whole. It’s always helpful to do this with your team and supervisors; in fact, it would be motivational for leaders to clearly paint the picture and provide that full view. But if that’s not possible, start by doing it for yourself! Outdated systems and processes. Sometimes a company just likes things the way they are or they do not see the value in upgrading to the latest technology, and this issue can be detrimental on two fronts: morale and efficiency. Both of these factors will impact productivity in turn. Outdated systems and processes can cause frustration among workers, lowering morale among many. Updating software/hardware may be expensive, but it is an investment that will pay off for both employees and in efficiency. And while the status quo may be attractive to some, it is always helpful to see if there are any new and improved ways to do something, accomplishing more in less time. Personal work space. Your working environment can greatly influence how productive you are. Distracting sounds or loud coworkers can interrupt and disturb your process. Do you sit close to a supervisor? This might inhibit your productivity due to the stress of working so closely to someone higher-up. Some people work well with music in the background while others find it distracting. And while working from home seems like a great perk and practice from time to time, many people actually find it to be less productive than working in a personal working space. Why? Perhaps it has something to do with the relaxed feel of home, and that mindset is hard to change fully into work-mode. Or it could have something to do with not having coworkers and supervisors to not only hold you accountable but also to encourage you to just get it done. Many people can establish what their optimal work space is, and while the size or placement of an office space may have some limitations, you can still use what you know about the working conditions you need to set up the best possible work space for maximum productivity. 
Commuting is a necessary evil for many workers in cities across the United States. A recent study by the Robert Half Executive Recruiting Firm reported that the average commute time in San Francisco, CA was 59.20 minutes! That’s the average time it takes for employees to arrive at work in the City, including people who live in San Francisco and those who do not. For many, commuting can be a daunting and stressful daily event. Here are some things to try and see if you can’t make the experience a little better:
The entire experience does not need to be unpleasant. Day in and day out, it is a time set apart that you can choose to fill. Try some new things so that the time spent commuting to and from work can be more enjoyable! Do you have any tips or suggestions to making the average commute a more pleasant experience? Let us know in the comments!  Have you heard of performing “stand-up” at tech companies? No, not as in stand-up comedy, but as in having a meeting/report of individual priorities for the day. This is NOT: a mandatory list solely for the benefit of the supervisor to be “in the know.” What it IS: a daily check-in that opens up your tasks and challenges to the team. This is extremely helpful because it truly invites other team members to contribute and help you accomplish the tasks on your list. Projects and assignments with barriers or challenges are reported and other team members can help you resolve and finish whatever is on your list. Stand-up operates as a team-building activity that builds rapport and trust in addition to helping individuals effectively finish projects and attack deadlines. In addition to the team aspect of its benefits, stand-up is extremely helpful to the individual as well. Sitting down and sorting out exactly what you need to accomplish for the day is a proven way to achieve maximum productivity. How? Having a visual list, typed or handwritten, that you think of and process imprints the information in your brain, allowing you to have a clear understanding of your priorities for the day. Once that information is processed, you also have the list to reference throughout the day whenever you are side-tracked by other tasks and projects. Bottom line: your objectives are clearly communicated to yourself and to your team, making this process of meeting in person or communicating over the team channel an entirely beneficial practice. mo·bile adjective ˈmōbəl,ˈmōˌbīl/
Team B A S U [-_-] is passionate about keeping our customers mobile.That’s why our products are engineered with you in mind! Whether you’re commuting through the city or catching a plane to your next adventure, hiking that challenging trail or just walking to your next class at night, we know that you have a lot of things to do throughout your day. Places to go, things to do, people to see. And with all of these tasks or destinations to attend to, a lot can get lost in the dust. Here are some quick helpful tips to think about as you prepare for the next day: adventure, job, journey, or commute.
 Dictionary.com provides these three definitions for meritocracy:
 Ultimate meritocracy is our philosophy here at B A S U, where each team member is not judged and valued by his or her previous accomplishments, but by what he or she is currently contributing. The justification behind this lies in the simple fact that someone can graduate from an excellent university, but he or she was great at being a student and may not be wonderful at fulfilling the needs of the company. On the other hand, someone may have performed poorly in a previous role or company due to life circumstance or even laziness. This person can prove his worth by demonstrating stellar performance now within his current role.
While each member of the team has specific roles and duties, everyone knows how to perform the general tasks required for the company to succeed. This is a wonderful strategy that works within a team because business won’t stop when one person is sick or has an emergency. Ultimate meritocracy enforces teamwork as it allows us to trust and depend on one another to perform what is asked of us but also ensures that anyone can step up to the plate and hit a home run for the sake of the company. Ultimate meritocracy is liberating because it does not limit the individual to a previous standard. Whether prior performance was poor or stellar, what matters is the current delivery. Thus, the individual is punished or rewarded based on her live contributions and efforts, because that is the true measure of a person’s value to a company. It’s about proving yourself, without the cushion of precedent status or the constraint of poor performance in the past. You come in, you are expected do your best despite the past, and are acknowledged for the quality you contribute. Thus, ultimate meritocracy is just another philosophy that allows for BASU.COM to provide only the best. Exploration is a fun and arguably necessary part of life. Discovering new places, cultures, and things to do provides opportunity for adventure that can be enjoyed in places across the world, or maybe even in your own backyard. While you may not be charting completely new territory like Lewis and Clark, it’s still important to keep some rules in mind as you explore in this modern day and age.  Rule #1: Know where you are going
Even if you’re backpacking through Europe, have a good foundation of information and resources to rely on as you explore new cities and/or wilderness. Do some research about the cities, cultures, and types of people you’ll be around, and be sure to collect key information in case of emergencies. Rule #2: Let people know where you are going This may seem redundant or unnecessary, but it is crucial, especially if you are exploring in less populated areas or out of the country. Again, this is important in case of emergencies! Rule #3: Plan Ahead This goes in line with the first rule, but it is important to remember to plan ahead. Bring the appropriate safety kits, enough cash, underwear, socks, etc. Because it never hurts to be over-prepared and planning ahead allows for a smoother experience. Structure what you need and go with the flow where you can, just keep in mind the basics before you jet off to your next destination. Rule #4: Try something new Whether you’re setting out to explore and re-discover your city or braving the heights of Machu Picchu, be sure to try something new! It can be as simple as exploring a new corner of the city or trying a new type of food before you set off on your epic quest to hike the Lost City Trek in Colombia, your adventure is enriched when you intentionally seek new experiences. Because exploring is not just about the destination, it’s about the journey getting there! And last but not least: Have fun! In this modern era of instant information and speedy transportation, the destinations and possibilities seem limitless! There are so many places to explore and you should! Enjoy yourself the entire way, even when new things feel uncomfortable, because all of these new experiences have the potential to be extremely meaningful. You can meet new people from all over the world, immerse yourself in a new culture, try an abundance of new foods, and see practically all of the sights the world has to offer. Enjoy and have fun as you explore our modern world!  Quality is extremely important to Team B A S U. Excellence is our goal and standard, making excellent quality the desired outcome for each product and interaction, every time. Because quality is so integral to B A S U’s entire framework, we wanted to address 3 misconceptions regarding quality.
1.“Quality is too subjective to define” While it is true that the definition of quality may vary according to perception, quality is definitely definable, and more than that, it is recognizable. Also, to dismiss the pursuit of great quality simply because it is difficult to objectively define, it is a premature acceptance of failure. Accepting that quality cannot be measured or controlled is the easy way out, something B A S U is not interested in ever practicing. So, with a subjective term like quality, what do we recommend? Make the quality so superb, so outstanding, that it is undeniably excellent. 2. “Quality is the responsibility of one person/group within a company/organization” Quality should not fall upon one person or one group. The “burden” of quality falls upon everyone, and to place all of the burden on an individual or group allows too much room for error. The most successful approach to providing excellent quality is to have the expectation set high within the foundation of the company or organization. That way everyone is contributing to ensuring the quality, not just those who perform QC and QA (Quality Control and Quality Assurance). 3. “Quality is an expense” Quality should be thought of as an investment. To produce great quality can only benefit a project, company, and organization. If quality is standardized and incorporated into all processes, both risk and cost are reduced. So while there may be a higher cost upfront, it is absolutely an investment that could lead to savings but definitely leads to the better overall health of a company. (Source: https://www.mastercontrol.com/gxp-lifeline/four-quality-misconceptions) Safety is important to us because we know it’s important to you. In fact, it’s a fundamental need on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. We’ve compiled some surprising facts and statistics to keep in mind as your commute, work, travel, and go about your daily lives:
Remember: Your safety is your responsibility: Make sure you’re always aware of your surroundings and go prepared for any situation. (sources:https://www.huffingtonpost.com/pauline-paquin/10-crazy-safety-facts-you_b_9186138.html, https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/07/130724-surprising-facts-cities-safer-rural-areas-injury-deaths/ )  |
RSS Feed
|
Looking for eAlarm? Shop at myeAlarm.com
|
GO AIR FORCE!
|
