|
• |
|
October
2003 - Innovations Newsletter
This is a bit longer
than my usual newsletter. I wanted to list as many sites as possible.
I promise I'll be back to a smaller number of sites next month. Customer Service: Something happened to me last weekend that got me thinking about customer service, the good, the bad and the not so good. Here are four examples: Excellent Service: (Management appreciating and rewarding their employees) Ten years ago I drove from Indiana to Texas to pick up two of my grandchildren who were flying to Texas from overseas. They were underage, so I had to be there or they would be turned over to child welfare authorities until I arrived to claim them. I stopped for fuel at a gas station in Montgomery, Alabama. Checked my oil and found I was running on empty. Tried to buy oil but they didn't stock any. (They sold milk, not oil). I looked across the street and saw a Firestone Tire sign. Drove across the street and explained my problem. A few minutes later my car was on a rack being serviced. The manager had expedited my repairs and had a mechanic going over my car. He asked me to come into the service bay and showed me the problem. The mechanic who safety checked my car in Indiana, forgot to tighten some bolts and that was causing the leaks. He said I wouldn't have gotten much further. I appreciated the fast service and their taking the time to explain what happened in language I could understand. I asked his name and the name of the mechanic who had worked on my car. Sent a letter to their manager when I returned to Indiana thanking him for the prompt, professional service I received. I found out later that both employees were awarded employee of the month and were given a big write-up in their company newsletter. They were very happy. Excellent Service (perception by employees that they are not appreciated) I have three post offices within commuting range of my office. I've selected one of them to do all my business with because they are open until 9PM six nights a week. But that's not the only reason. The employees at this post office go the extra mile for everyone. They learn their customers names and no matter how they are treated by their customers maintain a professional, yet friendly manner. I truly enjoy my daily trips to the post office to say hi to each of them. Last Christmas I observed them on many occasions. They worked long shifts, were exposed to irritating customers, yet they still smiled and went out of their way to help everyone. I sent a letter to their postmaster thanking her for the wonderful employees at this location and cited several examples of why they were the best. A couple of weeks later I asked if anything had been said about my letter. I was told "No, they don't care about that any more." I doubt this is true, but unfortunately this is the perception these wonderful civil servants have of their management. It is a shame, and despite their feelings, they keep on giving outstanding service. I'm going to send the same letter higher up their chain of command and see what happens. Poor Service (Not what I usually experience) Once a month I drive to Walmart and get $20 in quarters. Last weekend I asked for my quarters and was told, very bluntly, "I don't got no quarters, the quarter man come on Tuesday." She then turned around and walked off, looking very annoyed that I'd interrupted her. Let me stress that this is the first time I've ever been treated this way in a Walmart. Walmart employees always go out of their way to be friendly and helpful. However, this really irritated me, so, for the foreseeable future, I won't do any more shopping in this particular Walmart. Excellent Service (Not appreciated by some customers) September 26th, I flew via Delta Airlines from Little Rock, AR to Atlanta, GA. A few minutes after I boarded the plane, the Captain announced their would be a delay due to mechanical problems. (The co-pilots display console was blank.) He patiently explained, in layman's terms, what the problem was and what was being done to correct it. He kept us informed while we waited. I had a young mother with a five week old baby, sitting behind me. The flight attendants went out of their way to help make the wait as comfortable as possible for the mother and her baby. I watched them help other passengers and go out of their way to be of service to anyone needing their help. We finally took off about an hour late. During the flight, we were given updates on the status of connecting flights and told attendants would be standing by at the gate to speed us on our way. The flight attendants offered to help anyone concerned with their flight connections in Atlanta. (The Captain must have floored it, because we weren't that late arriving in Atlanta!) Despite everything the Captain and his crew did, I still heard several complaints about lousy service and poor airline management. So what does all this mean? To me it means that it only takes one disgruntled employee to undo all the hard work and enthusiasm of the other employees in a company. (I try to remember that as I go about my daily routine.) I also know that no matter how hard I try, someone won't be happy with my service. The next time someone gives you good or outstanding customer service, thank him (or her.) It may just make his day. Last month I listed some web sites you've probably never heard of that offer interesting and unusual personalized products. Here's some more: (I've listed them alphabetically, by website name, rather than say one is better than the other. ) http://anythingjoes.com Personalized Gifts & Hand painted Children's Furniture. http://www.buildabear.com Make your own teddy bear or other stuffed animal friend at a Build-A-Bear Workshop(r)! You name it, they have it. Any child (and some adults) will love receiving one of these cute, cuddly little bears. http://carolineco.com Large selection of gifts. Will take your baby announcement, wedding invitation, or any invitation to a special occasion and create a one of a kind tray for you. http://cindysthrows.com Large selection of throws and other products. Offers personalization services to make a unique gift for you. http://dietandweightloss.info Here's just the thing to stay in shape for the holidays and it's free! You create a personalized, one-of-a-kind book that will help you lose weight. Fill in the requested information and your book will arrive via email. http://familylabels.com This site features unique peel-n-stick return address labels personalized for each member of your family. Might be a nice touch for your holiday presents. Each label order is custom created from your selections by choosing the head and hairstyle that most resembles your family member including their facial features (i.e. Asian eyes, glasses, goatee, mustache and/or beard.) If ordering Full Color Labels you can also choose the hair and skin color, along with Santa Hats for the Holidays. http://gunthergifts.com Specializes in custom engraving just about anything. http://happylandcreations.com A nice idea. Personalized CDs and tapes from Santa Claus to your child. "Kids get to listen to Santa tell them about their year." http://www.hickoryfarms.com/welcome.asp Provides a large selection of wonderful gift baskets for every occasion. http://jenny.org/first.html Let's you personalize a beautifully illustrated painting with your friends' and your families' names. Makes a nice creative gift! http://www.myrope.com Offers to personalize your rope, leash, or line. Helps prevent loss of personal items. http://personalizedmovies.com/pmws3_001.htm Creates a video with your child as the star of the story. http://www.photopopart.com I found this site in a local advertisement. They will turn your photo into a Pop Art portrait. It's a bit expensive, but might be just the special gift you've been looking for. http://scribbleskidsart.com Scribbles is a place for children of all ages who love to create art. Here you can learn about different Artists and their artwork. Children can do simple Art Projects and are welcome to enter our Contests. http://stardeed.com Lets you name a real star for someone. Includes a star deed portfolio. http://thingsremembered.com Large selection of items that can be personalized. http://www.trixiepixgraphics.com Offers a selection of fake newspapers, books, magazines and more. It's worth a visit just to see their funny penguin video. http://whimsies-online.com Cartoon Designs can be personalized with any name and any message you wish; they make the perfect gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, Christmas and other holiday gifts, and many other occasions, or just because you care! http://www.wingood.com Offers stained glass that you can hang on your wall just like a painting. http://withaname.com Offers Hand-Painted Gifts Personalized With a Name. Each ceramic, wood, or plastic piece is hand-painted and includes a personalized name along with any design such as balloons, floral designs, animals, cars and trains, sports themes, rag dolls, or rainbows. http://zacharybear.com Welcome a new arrival with an original Personalized Name Poem. Two versions, http://store.yahoo.com/zacharybear/noname.html Large selection of Zachary Bear personalized gifts including gifts for teachers. http://www.beyondplay.com This is not a personalized products site, but it may be just the site you need to find something special for children from birth to five years of age with special needs. Will save you a lot of time searching through individual catalogs and web sites. http://rwrinnovations.com/personalized_prod_dir.htm Last but not least is my own Personalized Products Directory listing dozens of unusual sites offering many different personalized products. There are too many sites to list here, but I will list the categories they are listed under: Audio Tapes - Baby and Pregnancy - Books Candy - Clocks - Clothing Clubs for Children Crafts - Dog Tags - Gifts Greeting Cards - Interactive Story CDs - Jewelry Photo - Poems - Photo Videos Picture Frames - Rocking Chairs - Scrapbooks Stay at Home/Single Parents - Theme Parties - Traveling Billboards Wedding & Anniversary - Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles CU in November Past issues are maintained for one year and may be viewed at: http://rwrinnovations.com/mailing_list.htm Ron Nixon RWR Innovations We Make Reading Fun Again! Note: The websites in this newsletter are listed because I find them interesting and have value to parents and children. They have not paid money or given me anything to be mentioned. Issue: 10/01/2003 ISSN #: 1543-9275 RWR Innovations Home Page RWR Innovations Personalized Books make great fund raisers. Personalized Children's Books P.O. Box 460939 Papillion NE 68046-0939 402-592-9199 Webmaster: Ron Nixon wa8zde@bellsouth.net 3807 Shadowood Parkway SE Atlanta GA 30339-2301 770-850-1400 Site Map 10/01/2003 |