For customers
You only sing when you’re winning
It really is the strangest thing when the most successful team in world sport comes under so much attack, after a few less than stellar performances. It’s stranger still when that team is the All Blacks and those leading the charge to put the boot in are so called All...
Are our phones making us a better species?
It’s strange that we still call them mobile phones. Using them as a device to make actual ‘phone calls’ is the very smallest part of their function and use. In reality they are extensions, connections to nearly any sort of information at any time – only hindered by...
Creating space around the home
Now that Daylight Savings is here and we have an extra hour of evening light up our sleeves, it’s a great time to think about making sure that our homes are ready for all of the glories of long, balmy summer days. Think about pruning what you don’t need Just like with...
We can’t afford to mess with the truth
No matter which country you live in some things stay the same – the professions that top off the lists of most distrusted professions. Across the board it is politicians and journalists that take top spots (or bottom spots) in polls regarding trust and reputation....
125 years – and the fight goes on
This week marks a special milestone in New Zealand history – 125 years since women were granted the right to vote. While it may seem ludicrous now that there was ever a time that women needed to fight so hard and for so long to be granted a fundamental right that men...
Losing keeps winners winning
By virtue of its phenomenal ratio of wins against losses and draws, the All Blacks are the most successful team in sports. The New Zealand rugby public has become so used to their national team beating other nations in test matches that losses are considered too much...
When tarnishing a reputation isn’t the right thing to do
In the history of All Blacks rugby it’s harder to find a more hard done by player than Keith Murdoch. His dismissal while on tour in the UK in 1972 for punching a security guard at a hotel in Cardiff is remarkable, not only for the severity of the punishment he...
The dangers of relying on word of mouth alone
For a while I have been thinking about one of the more remarkable statistics about online reviews that has been steadily increasing in the past few years. I thought about it again after reading a news story about a roofer in Dunedin who has allegedly done a runner and...
We’re all going to Bonnie Doon!!
About eight years ago I had to attend a conference in Sydney and after booking a fare looked online for accommodation. I searched by location and made my choice on price. So long as I was close enough to the venue and the price was right, then I was happy, or so I...
There’s a sucker born every minute . . .
In a case of life mirroring fiction, a recent insidious email scam bears some striking resemblances to an episode of UK TV show Black Mirror, where a visitor to online porn sites is blackmailed and coerced into undertaking a number of criminal activities to supposedly...
How the game is played matters most of all
Every four years the most watched sport on the planet serves up a carnival that decides which nation's team wins the FIFA World Cup. In just over four weeks, 32 teams get whittled down to one and along the way there is all the drama, beauty, desperation, and...
Reviews and The Consumer Guarantees Act – know your rights
Nobody likes being taken for a ride, being sold misleading or faulty goods, or paying for services that aren't up to scratch. It is well worth knowing your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA) 1993, not only for when things go wrong but also in instances...
Ingenious ways to transform shipping containers into luxury homes
You can create a beautiful, relatively low-cost shipping container home simply by adding a touch of luxury to a shipping container. If you have decided that you would prefer a shipping container home rather than a small house with basic insulation, these ingenious...
Cash jobs can be more than you bargained for . . .
It may seem like a good idea – get yourself a deal and do a tradie a favour - but cash jobs are never that smart and the outcomes can be disastrous. "Reputation is the one thing that smart and organised tradies take seriously . . ." There’s a saying about taxes –...
Won’t get fooled – tradie exposes scammers and wins
One of the drawbacks of life online is being open to scammers. There are countless people out there who will try every angle to get us to either fall for a ploy or pay for a product or service that may, at first glance, look genuine. For over a year now businesses...
Keeping the cowboys in the corral
Do you check recent reviews on businesses before you use them? A recent story in the Kiwi press highlights again just how valuable reviews are... These days it's critical to spend a bit of time choosing the right tradie or service provider online before you pick up...
Amazing Discovery, Titanic Watch For Auction and Work Performed After 300 Years
Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. Amazing discovery on Otago beach The most incredible and rare things can be found on beaches and one New Zealander has...
Harnessing the power of challenging reviews
Ratings are the personal stories that convince prospective customers to connect with businesses, or not. Their value can't be emphasised enough. The best thing a prospective customer can see by viewing your ratings is the way you exercise your customer care. It tells...
Consumers decide in the digital world
To understand why online reputation marketing is essential for every business, it’s important to grasp just how much consumer behaviour has changed with the evolution and availability of computer and smart phone technology. Understanding consumers' habits and choices...
Ratings
Ratings Ratings are the driving force of your NoCowboys profile and it is important to build up your feedback with thoughtful and regular review strategies. Always remember that any legitimate customer that you did work for over the past two years, no matter where...
Taking care of business with NoCowboys’ help
Paul Toschi has been in the painting industry for years and in 2016 launched his own company – Brushy Bee Ltd. When looking to market his business, he decided that NoCowboys was all he needed, and for the past two years, with NoCowboys’ help, Paul has built up a solid...
Your greatest asset is your biggest opportunity
In today’s business environment marketing your reputation online is essential. Do you know what you look like online? Have you Googled your business name and seen what comes up and where? Do you know what other people are saying about you? Do you want to control how...
How to get the most out of your NoCowboys business profile
Once you’re registered with NoCowboys, the first thing to do is to fill out your profile – this is your marketing tool and it is important to optimise the various features to present your business to your prospective customers. ...
Michelin Visits NZ, Fedora Man Revealed and Kiwi Legend Recognised
Michelin stars on horizon for Kiwi diners For the first time in Oceania, Michelin inspectors are dining anonymously throughout the country and possible stars may be awarded to Kiwi eateries for a guide to be released next year. When I read this story, it surprised me...
From problem centre to value centre
An article by Jon Hall published by Forbes last year says that business owners need to move from managing their reputations online to actively marketing them. While the article has a distinct US flavour, the points he makes are just as valid in New Zealand. The...
Well Travelled Surfboard and All Black and Fan’s Friendship
Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. World Cup medal connects player and fan This is a rather special story concerning a Rugby World Cup final, an All...
A brave new world
My dad didn’t listen to what other people thought about tradespeople they'd employed. Instead, word of mouth to him was listening to what his friends said about the things we wanted to make our lives easier and telling us they were all death traps. Microwave? Nah....
Nonu Breaking Records and MPs In Car-alition
Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. Four MPs in a car-alition The fighting, name calling, and turmoil that often dominates our parliament is very often...
Keeping the home fires burning
It’s hard to beat a roaring fire in winter but ensuring that your fire delivers the performance it should and is safe as possible means you need to be vigilant in keeping your chimney clean and regularly inspected for any possible repairs. Though the idea of needing a...
Bystander Saves Boy and Strangers On A Plane
Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. Hero bystander Being a part of a society sometimes requires us to do difficult things and oftentimes the danger of...
OCR Cut, Clever Cat Burglar, and World Record Cyclist
Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. OCR cut cause for optimism On Wednesday the Reserve Bank cut the Official Cash Rate (OCR) by 50 basis points to 2.5%,...
Father and Son Moment and Fantastic Singer of National Anthem
Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. Father surprises son at All Blacks test Before last week's test kicked off between the All Blacks and Australia at...
Incredibly Generous Builder and Stupendous Toy Collection
Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. Builder saves couple's dream After losing nearly $100,000 in deposits to a building company that entered into...
Time Capsule Unearthed and KiwI Runner Wins Gold
Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. Huge win for Kiwi runner New Zealand runner George Beamish achieved an incredible win this week at the World...
Bees Rob Honey Store and Lightsaber Sells For Millions
Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. Bees rob beekeeper's shop This story is yet another astonishing example of the ingenuity of the other creatures on our...
Rescuing food waste to feed hungry Kiwis
NoCowboys has recently signed up to sponsor a fantastic Kiwi charity that rescues and distributes food waste to help feed needy families. For September and October NoCowboys will donate $1 for every job posted on our site and 10 cents for every review. We are very...
Talkative Tūī, Sunken City, and Card Sold For Record Price
Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. Talkative tūī a big hit Pleakly - a young tūī with a gift for mimicking human speech has become a big hit online, as...
Hotel To Be Redeveloped, Generous Stranger, and Thoughtful Postie
Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. Christchurch icon gets new lease of life Growing up in Christchurch, Noahs Hotel on Oxford Terrace was a familiar...
Passport Eating Dog, Hodgkins’ Painting Discovered, and Inspirational Teacher Passes
Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. Teacher who inspired and created leaders I recently stumbled across a story about a Wellington teacher and athletic...
Massive Lighting, Huge Aussie Insect, and Message Found A Century Later
Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. Mother nature is truly amazing This story is rather mind boggling and proves yet again just how awesome - in the...
Board Game Awarded, Kiwi Loves Milk Tankers, And Fantastic Road Worker
Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. A man who loved milk tankers This a lovely tale about a Kiwi with a rare illness and how one of our biggest companies...
Curious Whale, Norsewear Pushes Kiwi Made, and World’s Best Country
Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. Whale of a time in Sydney Harbour Water traffic in Sydney Harbour faced a novel issue last week - a curious humpback...
Hero Coast Guard Swimmer, Lasers Sort Seagulls, and Tapestry Home On Loan
Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. Hero swimmer saves lives during floods The recent floods in Texas, United States claimed over 100 lives and a Coast...
Small Pubs, Kiwi Ad Lauded, and NZ Gins Take Prizes
Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. Tiny pubs a big hit A Christchurch business created during Covid lockdowns has grown to become a national enterprise...
Bird Survey Begins, Kiwi Record Breaker, and Beer Saves Pub
Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. Beer douses pub fire This story sounds as if it comes from the lyrics of a country and Western song. When a minor fire...
Moth Navigation, Bear Rescued, and Endeavour Found
Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. Migratory moths navigate by the stars From the amazing world of insects comes the story of the incredible Australian...
Kiwi Rugby Final, Ancient Tomb Found, and NZ Team On Big Stage
Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. All Kiwi Super Rugby final A weekend of semi-finals in the Super Rugby Pacific competition saw the Canterbury...
Ship Fails To Wake Sleeper, Kiwi Speedster, and Otago Eatery Awarded
Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer. NZ restaurant makes influential list For the first time ever a Kiwi eatery, Otago's Amisfield restaurant, has been...