Carl Bliss

By the way, since a number of my “fans” are using other blogging sites, I have reactivated anonymous commenting.

(just be nice to me)…

A buddy of mine recently posted a blog entry about customer service. I thought I would piggy back on his sentement and share my story from this afternoon.

One of our senior managers requested that we take the company card and purchase a digital camera. So, two of us headed out to Best Buy to make our purchase. As we approached the service counter for the cameras, the 3 or so employees huddled around the area, dispersed and went on about their business.

While I appreciated the extra room they gave me to look, they were nowhere around when I was ready to make my purchase (Tag price on the item I picked out was $549). We waited, played with the camera, messed around with the settings. I even went so far as to pick up the most expensive camera and play with it, all in an effort to attract some help.

Nope… Not a bit. I would understand if they were all helping customers, but as best as I can tell, they were all “shooting the breeze” when I walked in.

We walked out the door after 10 minutes of waiting, and went across the stree to “National Camera and Video”. Along the 2 counters they had easily 9-10 people taking requests and helping people. While we had to wait (there were more customers than sales staff), we were addressed right away and promised service as soon as possible.

Unlike my buddy, I did NOT call the store manager. The american work force has gotten to a point where one really cannot expect good customer service anymore. I was pleased to find it at my second store.

I go to fast food resturants with the expectation that my order will be wrong.
I go to an electronics store expecting to know more about the product than the staff member.
I go to the grocer, leaving it to myself to find the best cut of meat, or the best ingredients for my kitchen creation.

In this age of vast employment, many service jobs are left to those still in the process of receiving an education, or those who have never received one.

Additionally, for most of these emloyees, there is no stake in their service. A waiter receives compensation based on the quality of his service, but a drive thru attendant, grocery store stock boy or a Best-Buy camera staffer is paid a flat rate and can rest comfortably in the knowledge that he is the best employee his company can find.

I am appreciative of anyone in a customer service role who is able to look me in the eyes and speak well. Now that I think about it, all I really need from them is good communication.

Even if that communication is a simple “I Don’t Know”, I just want to be appreciated.

Here is the answer to yesterday’s riddle:

There is no mother bull, since bulls are all male

Today’s Riddle from MindTrap

Which one of the following words does not belong and why?

Father
Aunt
Sister
Cousin
Mother
Uncle

Have fun!!!

Ok,

Here is today’s riddle.

If a daddy bull weighs 1,200 pounds and eats twelve bales of hay each day, and a baby bull, who weighs 300 pounds eats three bales of hay each day, how much hay then should a mommy bull eat if she weighs 800 pounds?

Feel free to use the comment field to share your answer.

The answer tomorrow.

OK, here is the answer to the “not-to-tough riddle” from a couple days ago.

We have been talking to my oldest for quite some time about what it means to be a Christian. We told her about the sin we are all plagued with, and the need for repentance. We talked about asking Jesus into her heart, and becoming a follower. After that, we pretty much left the issue up to her. We wanted this decision to be her own.

A few months ago, she asked my wife about how she asked Jesus into her heart. She told her.

The next night, she asked me all about it. I told her.

A few night’s later she asked my wife how it felt when Jesus came into her heart. She told her all about it.

Some time has past, but on Saturday night, she asked us about it again, and said she wanted to do it herself.

We led her as she prayed.

Afterwards, I explained that she is a child of God, just like me. “I guess that sort of makes us like Brother and Sister” I said. She just smiled. “However, I’m still your daddy down here”.

Taxes:

Done for the year. At least my Federal ones are. I need to file that early so I can get my return in time to pay my State return.

I can see how tempting it is for some to cheat the sytem. Using the software, I frequently change variables just to see what kind of difference it makes.

What would happen if I witheld a little more?
What would happen if I donated more?
What would happen if I sold the house for $500,000
What would happen if I sold one of the kids for $500,000
What would happen if our June baby was born 6 months premature.

But, when I fix all those “what-ifs” things pretty much work out even. I guess that is the way it is supposed to be. I should have a zero return. That means I am doing everything right, but that early spring suprise of a couple thousand dollars is always welcome.

But that is not happening this year. We are pretty much breaking even.

Oh yeah…

Here is where I am supposed to make a nice statement about how I should feel blessed that I have money to worry about in the first place. I have felt that way in the past. I will feel that way tomorrow. I just don’t feel that way now. I am going to close my eyes, go to bed and dream of tax forms, deductions, investments and audits.

On Saturday night, my Daughter became my sister.

To tease the issue, I will explain it in a later posting…

No one reads this, or so I thought.

I made an effort to post every week (or 3), but then I was “talked to” during lunch today. A couple co-workers mentioned that they haven’t seen any new posts in a few days.

I mentioned that I really didn’t have a whole lot to say, and was reminded that, in “Blogland”, that really doesn’t matter. Content is second only to “freshness”.

I learned, quite some time ago, that it takes 3 weeks to establish a good (or evil) habit. I have decided to hurry the process along and see if I can establish a habit in 2 weeks. I have made a promise to these “lunch-buddies” that I would post something new every day for the next 2 weeks.

If I fail, I will take them out to Olive Garden (actually, that part isn’t true… I just included it to make sure they are paying attention.).

So, here goes… I am switching into “hyper-blog”.

I love the double negative. In news writing, it can often leave the meaning of a headline vague.

Here is the headline from CNN:

Bush Speaks to Anti-Abortion Protesters
http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/01/24/bush.abortion.ap/index.html

That headline could be read to mean The president is speaking to those protesting the anti-abortion movement.

Or, it could be read to mean The president is speaking to those protesters who are Anti-Abortion.

Whether anti-abortion is a noun or an adjective makes this headline particularily fun.

Liners, in Radio terms, are those little greetings or positioning statements, often made by celebrities. “Hi I’m so-and-so, and you’re listening to…”

I am wondering, how valuable they really are. Are there listener’s out there who think “Wow… Cher just happened to stop by the studio, pop open the mic, and say a quick word or two…” Or even more realistic, are their people who think, “Wow… Bruce Springsteen must really love KXXX, Today’s Classic Rock”

People in radio don’t ask for autographs. It is considered unprofessional. But I have seen some “radio-heads” get as rabid as autograph seeking kids, when it comes to finding an artist and getting a great liner.

Could it be that it is the only way for some of these radio folks to have an excuse to talk to an artist?

Has the day of the liner come and gone, or is it still a timeless radio tool.

“I’m CB, and you are visiting the best blog for today’s random thoughts… Blysse”