United States Military Travel Rates

United States Military Travel RatesUnited States Military Travel RatesMilitary members who travel on official duty (either temporary duty travel or permanent change of station), can request mileage reimbursement for their travel by personally owned conveyance (POC), instead of a government purchased an airline ticket. This offers flexibility in scheduling but the reimbursement process can be a bit convoluted and vary depending on whether your travel is for temporary duty (TDY) or a permanent change of station (PCS). Its best to verify what the tarifs are before you travel to ensure that the cost and potential wait time for reimbursement are worth it. Temporary Duty (TDY) Travel For both uniformed personnel as well as DoD civilian personnel, there are some rules dealing with POC use if travel by POC is not in the Governments interest (namely limits on payment). The best rule of thumb is that the method of travel needs to be specifically mentioned in your orders if you wish to be a ssured of reimbursement. Uniformed personnel may request (or commands may provide) actual expense reimbursement instead of the mileage for TDY travel. Under federal law, TDY mileage rates are based on cost data collected by the General Services Administration (GSA), and even then, the TDY mileage rate can never be higher than the rate allowed by the Internal Revenue Service. In addition to the mileage rates, military personnel members receive a per diem for each day of travel. The per diem amount is separate from the travel reimbursement and is paid separately. Permanent Change of Station (PCS) Travel Rates for PCS travel, known as MALT (Monetary Allowance instead of Transportation), are different (lower) than TDY travel. It is because TDY travel rates are specifically designed to reimburse the military the member for traveling on official duty. The MALT/PCS mileage rates do not reflect the price of gasoline. TDY mileage rates, on the other hand, are based on the costs to operat e a vehicle (gasoline, insurance, etc.) and are intended to reimburse the expense of using a POC for the official government travel. Remember, the reimbursement rate is based on a per car calculation, not per person. In addition to the mileage rates, military personnel and their dependents receive a per diem for each day of travel. Generally, 1 day of travel time is allowed for every 350 miles of official distance of ordered travel. If the excess is 51 miles or more after dividing the total number of miles by 350, one additional day of travel time is allowed. When the total official distance is 400 miles or less, 1 days travel time is allowed. When traveling via commercial airline (or other means of travel such as bus or train), theper diem for the member is computed under lodgings plus at the rate for the new permanent duty station, or the rate for the delay point if the member stops overnight. Per diem for the dependents is 3/4 of the members applicable rate for each dependent 12 years old or older and 1/2 of the members rate for each dependent under 12 years.

6 Ways to Keep Your Customers Loyal

6 Ways to Keep Your Customers Loyal6 Ways to Keep Your Customers LoyalIf your competitors are trying to grow new business, its almost inevitable that some of them will start sniffing around your customers, trying to lure them away. Unless you take a few precautions, you could find yourself losing your customer base before you even know whats happened. 01Stay in TouchJose Luis Pelaez Inc/Blend Images/Getty ImagesHow often do you pick up the phone and call your existing customers? Almost certainly leid as often as you should. Yes, it takes time away from other sales activities,but think of the five minutes you spend talking to your best customer as customer insurance.As a rule, the more important your customer is, the more frequent your check-ins should be, but dont neglect any of your customers. Youre also not just limited to using the phone email and even snail mail can be great ways to maintain contact.02Add ValueWhen you call up those customers, dont just say hi. Always try to find a way to offer something of value. It could be a fact youve uncovered thats relevant to your customers business. It could be a news article thats appeared recently that somehow relates to your customer or a suggestion youve come up with on how to maximize the return theyd get using the product theyve already bought from you.If a customer starts thinking of you as a valuable resource over and above what your product does, theyre far less likely to drop you for a competitor.03Build IntelligenceAsk your customers to let you know after theyve been approached by a competitor. If you have a good relationship with the customer, you can just request it as a favor.For new or very major customers, consider offeringsome kind of bonus, like a discount on their next purchase or a freemium of some kind.Once your customers are in the habit of telling you about any poaching attempts, not only will you have a much better chance to salvage the relationship, but youll have an excellent opportunity to spy on your competitors strategies.04Become a ResourceThe more you know about your product and the related industry or industries, the more valuable you can be for your customers. Encourage them to ask you questions, and if you dont know the answer, find out.This will make your relationship with them much stickierbecause even if theyre tempted to ditch your product, theyll hesitate to lose you as a source of information.Build up your knowledge base by reading industry-related books and magazines and by mining information from coworkers in customer tafelgeschirr departments.05CounterattackIf a particular competitor has been approaching or stealing your customers, its time to turn the tables. Go after that competitors customers, and youre likely to distract him from poaching and turn them instead to guarding their own accounts.Once youve built an intelligence network with your own customers, youll be able to launch attacks on competitors at the first sign of poaching so you canstop t hem before they really get started.06Prepare for Price WarsWhen a competitor gets serious about building new business, theyll often start by dropping prices to ridiculously low levels. Be ready to respond to such undercutting as quickly as you can.Providing extra value will help you to lay the groundwork and at least get your customers to think twice before they jump ship.When the inevitable happens and a customer calls to say that Company X is offering them a super price, you need to have a list of reasons on hand why your product is ?still a better deal.

9 ways to get a more fulfilling nights sleep starting now

9 ways to get a more fulfilling nights sleep starting now9 ways to get a more fulfilling nights sleep starting nowFeeling as though youve woken up on the wrong side of the bed and the hustle and bustle of your commute is more of a bug-bare than normal? If you get even a couple of hours less sleep than usual, then this could be a reason why youre feeling more grumpy,according to research from the Iowa State University.To prevent feeling cranky and having a shorter fuse try and include these health tips into your daily routine, to help you get a fulfilling nights sleep1. Night sweats are not to be ignoredIf you find yourself waking with night sweats you want to be clear whether you have woken because you are sweating, or if you have woken up and then started to sweat. If the sweat wakes you up then you may be having a menopausal night sweat and should look into ways of reducing this, such as eating healthy foods little and often. However, if you wake and then you start to sweat, or get other symptoms like palpitations, or just feel wide awake then this is most likely caused by an adrenaline surge because your blood sugar has dropped during the night.If this is the case, then its important to keep your blood sugar in balance during the day.One way you can help do this is by having a small snack of complex carbohydrates, such as an oatcake, half a slice of wheat or rye bread, about an hour before bed. This will stop your blood sugar dropping overnight, and prevent adrenaline from being released into your bloodstream and causing you to wake,recommendsDr. Marilyn Glenville, author ofThe Natural Health Bible for Women.2. Take musiknote of timingsKeep to a sleep routine, if possible setting your alarm to wake you up at the same time each day, regardless of the time you finally frage asleep. It is also a good idea to TRY and be in bed by 10pm although this is not always easy3. Use relaxation or visualisation techniquesIf you find that your mind will not shut off then y ou need to retrain it to calm down as you go to bed. Sometimes the easiest way to do this, especially if you have an active mind, or are a worrier, is to get your mind to think of something else.Take yourself off to a wonderful beach, or a beautiful garden, and let all your senses become involved. Hear the sounds on that beach, smell the flowers in the garden, feel the sand through your toes, picture the blue sky and really make the place come alive. Each night that you do this, you will find that the time it takes to go to sleep will get shorter and shorter because going to this beautiful place signals to your brain that this is the time for sleep,explains Dr. Marilyn Glenville.4. Stay clear of a restful nights sleep by eating broccoliWhy not make it part of your new years resolution to include sleep-friendly foods in your diet? We recommend eating meals containing steamed broccoli that is not only packed with B vitamins, which are essential to support your brain health, but brocco li is also rich in tryptophan, which plays a key role in creating serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter thats associated with sleepand melatonin levels (a hormone that controls your sleep-wake cycles).5. Soothing smellsWhen you go to bed feeling relaxed youre more likely to fall asleep easily and quickly. Dr Marilyn Glenville suggests incorporating scented oils into your bedtime routine.Try using aromatherapy oils such as bergamot, lavender, roman chamomile and marjoram in a warm bath, just before bed. A few drops of lavender oil on your pillow at bedtime can also help.6. Up your magnesiumMagnesium is known as natures tranquiliser as it helps to relax our muscles, which in turn can help us fall into a peaceful sleep.Try and include plenty of magnesium-rich foods in your diet such as, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, fish and leafy green vegetables. Id also recommend taking KalmAssure Magnesium Powder, by Natures Plus (24.50,www.naturesplus.co.uk). This is a naturally chelated magne sium which means it is very easy to absorb and easily delivered to the tissues,explains Nutritionist Cassandra Barns.7. Write things downWrite down what you need to do the next day at least an hour before bed. The aim is to stop the dialogue in your head which can end up stopping you from getting off to sleep, or else waking you up in the middle of night remembering something that has to be done the next day.8. Cut out the night capYou might think that enjoying a glass of wine before bed is one of the easiest ways to get to the land of nod, but it could actually leave you waking up feeling less than refreshed. Dr. Marilyn Glenville explains,Avoid alcohol. Not only does it affect blood sugar levels causing adrenaline and cortisol to be released, but it also blocks the transport of tryptophan into the brain. Tryptophan is important because it is converted into serotonin, the calming and relaxing neurotransmitter.9. Keep your bedroom comfortable and restfulPay attention to the temperat ure in your room and make sure its not too warm and not too cold. Cooler is better than warmer. Keep the room restful a quiet, dark, cool environment sends signals to your brain that it is time to wind down. Invest in a good bed If your bed or mattress is uncomfortable or more than ten years oldit may need replacing.This article was originally published on YourCoffeeBreak.