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Made for the job: Sara at WFM

2011-11-14T11:31:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, I was doing some Sunday grocery shopping and found myself at Whole Foods Market. For any store on a Sunday, it can be very crazy. It seems everyone, as if in synchronous harmony, leaves their homes and arrives at the store at the same time. Someone should study that :)

But this blog post isn't about the synchronicity of shoppers. Rather, I want to focus on Sara.

I arrived at the prepared foods counter and took #24 from the ticket reel. They were on #20 and my number was called just a minute later. I had a very large order and told Sara, the girl who called out my number, that we were in for the long haul. She smiled and asked where we can get started.

I called out my first item and, as she was packaging it up, she told me I could continue calling out my list to her and she would remember it. I told her the next two items (item and quantity) and she stayed right on point with packaging, labeling, and presenting it to me. We immediately hit a rhythm.

She was focused, deliberate, methodical, friendly, and outgoing. She was right on point and zipping right through my list of about 16 different items from a case that stretched about 30 feet. I also noticed she had great problem-solving skills. When the scale was unavailable, she turned to me and asked what item was next, keeping an eye out for the scale to be available again. I was amazed.

In the past (at other stores) I've gotten a real flake that barely greets me and treats everyone like the number they pulled out of the reel. They don't smile or thank you and when you're finished, you're not one inch closer to liking the store or its people. It's just a transaction.

Sara was amazingly different. I thanked her at the end of my long orger and she smiled again, thanking me for shopping at Whole Foods. I felt personally affected and want to return to the store only to work with Sara, regardless of what I am purchasing.

I wanted to post a quick note to Twitter, but thought Sara deserved a lot more. The way I see it, she is an Action Mover and as I presented my organized list to her, it was a natural way for her to work through it quickly. She and I teamed together and I felt like the craziness of the Sunday droves at the store didn't matter for those few minutes.

So thanks, Sara, for making my Sunday even better. Whatever happens, I hope WFM realizes your value and keeps you on their team for a long time! Good luck!

Changing 'Policy' = Bad Customer Service

2011-11-08T11:19:00.003-05:00

I was at a grocery store with a friend recently and we encountered a peculiar situation worthy of a blog post.

A price rang up incorrectly at the register and this particular store has a policy where you get one quantity of that item free when this happens. Just tell the customer service desk after you are rung up and they will refund you for the price of the item you were charged. It seems to be a clear, straightforward policy.

However, that policy's application seems to be fluid depending on who is at the customer service desk.

That evening, my friend was told that a customer must purchase two of the item to get one of them free in the case of a price discrepancy. He contested it because that did not seem intuitive, but without the policy laying out on a counter for reference, it essentially became a stalemate and he walked away without anything free, but a price adjustment.

Last night, we went shopping again and, knowing this policy was for two items, he intentionally tested the system with an item he found to be priced incorrectly.

Sure enough, both items scanned incorrectly, so he paid full price and proceeded to the customer service desk. After about 10 minutes of price checking, hemming and dithering, a manager told my friend that the policy was that you only needed to buy one of the item, not two as he had previously been told. So he get one item free and the second was price matched to the current sale.

This changing policy created confusion in the mind of the customer, resulting in loss of loyalty to the store. Ironically, it's called the 'Price Integrity Policy' at this store. Go figure...

How often does this happen to you as a customer?
How often to you see this at your place of work, especially if in a call center?

The easiest way to correct this is some simple training on what the company policies are around pricing. If there is confusion, simple language in an easy-to-access manual should be available to the employees. Heck, throw in a live demonstration for your employees at the initial or quarterly training...or even the morning meeting before the store opens. The point is: If you claim integrity, apply it!

DMV Delight

2011-10-24T09:30:00.001-04:00

The Department of Motor Vehicles is rarely a place where customers are delighted. People go there to get something done, usually mandated by the state, making the transactions entirely functional. Need a new license? Need a photo for a license renewal? Need a vision test for driving? Need a driving test? You'll find your self at the DMV.

They are known for slow service, stuffed seats, and a barely organized chaos of people coming and going, all staring at their # tickets as if waiting to win a random lottery.

Saturday morning, I experienced a very different side to the DMV...and I was delighted!

I arrived at the location just after they opened, expecting to see a line of 100 people waiting to get in. No line. Considering it was a Saturday and most people can't make it there during the week, I found this strange. I chalked it up to a packed inside, since I was arriving 5 minutes after opening.

I walked inside and was again surprised to see just a handful of customers, all organized and with none of the usual ruckus in the air.

I was greeted immediately by a smiling, bright-eyed employee at a podium who said, "Good morning! Welcome! How can I help you?" Whoa! This was quite unexpected! I was expecting a tired, sour-faced employee ready to process the next number. I happily told her that I was there for a photo for my license renewal and she pressed the 'Photo' button on a machine on her podium. #A003.

Before I had a chance to even have the little numbered ticket in my hand, I heard on the overhead announcement, "Now serving #A003 at window 3!" WHOA! Slow down there! I was shocked by this point because I expected to wait at least a few minutes. After all, weren't these places always slow? Again, not what I expected.

I went to the window and was politely greeted by a male employee who walked me through the process as if I was the only customer there. He took his time and guided me through a multitude of screens so I could confirm my current information. He then took my photo and took a second one to make sure it was centered correctly on the card. The last time I went, I was not expecting them to take the photo so fast, so I looked like a Russian hitman with jetlag. Eeek!

He then asked me to take a seat in the waiting area while my new card printed. It was finished about 3 minutes later and I was walking out the door about 10 minutes after I walked in. I even took a moment to wish the lady at the entry podium a great day and she returned with a smile and a similar closing.

This experience fundamentally shifted my understanding of customer service at the DMV. I based today's expectations on the three previous experiences I had with three different locations in two states. They had all been the same: slow, annoying, negative. This was different.

I'm not sure what changed at the DMV to warrant Saturday's experience. Perhaps they have better people. Maybe I went at a good time. It could be that the team at that location just works really well together. I definitely know this: If you're in/near Philadelphia and need DMV services, go to the 801 Arch location on a Saturday morning at 8:30 AM. You're sure to be pleased by their excellent customer service!

Good Apples / Bad Apples

2011-10-09T11:30:00.000-04:00

The perception of a company rests on its touch points. Whether it is a call center or a face-to-face interaction, a customer's willingness to return or recommend is dependent on the interaction at that touch point. I have a story of a company with two faces.

I called AT&T's customer service a few months ago to correct a billing error. After explaining the cause of the error and requesting a correction, the agent on the phone immediately launched into how I was wrong based on company policy..."because we never do that." And yet, there I was, with that exact case. When I insisted, with documented proof that the error laid with AT&T, the agent then told me they would need to open an investigation against the individual who promised me this break in price because it was against standard procedure. I felt like I was breaking rules AND ratting out a good employee. I felt 'dirty' after I finished and, naturally, verbally told my co-workers about the experience.

In a surprising twist, I received excellent customer service from an AT&T store recently! Rather than my experience on the phone, the story was quite different with Dan, an in-store customer service associate at their 16/Market store in Philadelphia.

I went to the store after trying, unsuccessfully, to retrieve voicemails with my iPhone. I did the recommended fixes I found online, but none of them worked. I looked into the matter more closely and realized that I had not actually received a voicemail on my phone since July 1st! When I arrived to the store, they had a new (at least since I was last there) sign-in procedure via a touchscreen computer rather than the paper/pen system they had been using previously.

The wait was only a couple of minutes and I was called by Dan and then explained my issue. He collected the usual information to validate the account and phone ownership and then asked some very good questions to troubleshoot.

When he was unable to figure it out, he called tech support and together, they figured out the issue and resolved it. I was not in the store for longer than 15 minutes and have a very favorable view of their in-store service. I only wish Dan worked in billing so I could go to him int he future for those issues as well.

Remember, folks, a company that has many touch points still has a reputation at stake with every touch. If the customer service is inconsistent among the channels, customers can become very confused. Rather than bad apples on the phone and good apples in person, the company should strive to have a harmonious bunch of apples. That's something my company's Role-Based Assessment can help with. After all, don't you want good team players on your team?

Test yourself!

2011-10-05T16:26:00.000-04:00

Have you ever been away from your desk, perhaps visiting a co-worker, when the phone rang and you had to pick it up right where you were at the moment?

I bet you were standing at the time.

Pay attention to yourself the next time you do this. It's the ultimate test of "What do I know?"

How well do you know your customer? If you know them very well, a standing conversation is easy because you can start it by accessing the information you have in your head. And, just because of the fact you are standing (body language counts on the phone!), you will probably be more in control of that conversation.

I just did this with one of our partners and, even though a chair was available right next to me, I did not think to sit down in it because I was so focused on the customer at the moment. When I could not proceed without accessing a particular website at my desk, I asked the customer to hold a second as I went back to my desk, brought up the site, and picked the phone back up, making it seem as though I am comfortable in any environment, no matter the distance from my desk.

I don't recommend a standing-only 8-hour workday, but the next time you're away from your comfort zone, test yourself. "What do I know?"

Happy Customer Service Week!

2011-10-04T12:24:00.000-04:00

In case you missed the memo, this is Customer Service Week. Here are my 5 tips to help you survive it ;-)

As a customer, it can be a confusing consumer world out there. Was that item on sale this week or last? Is this the promotion code I need? What's the special name this company uses for this item? Summary? Report? Credit? Debit? Phew!

As a customer service professional, we are the gatekeepers. When a customer calls or walks in to our location, we are the face they see, the voice they hear, and the make-it-or-break-it guy/gal. When we have a bad day or we skip a training class or our manager is breathing down our necks, there is a strong possibility that we will relay those emotions into our work. It's only natural because we try to associate with others.

Try instead to walk a few steps in that customer's shoes. Here are a few pointers that can make this a great Customer Service Week for us and our customers:

LISTEN!

Sometimes what a customer says and what they mean is not aligned. There are plenty of reasons for this. Your industry may have particular lingo or the customer is angry and they just want to vent.

Empathize with the customer.

Imagine yourself in the customer's exact situation. If you had to call someone 5 times before a problem was resolved, would this set of circumstances annoy you?

Empower the customer...just a smidgen.

We can't give away the house, but we can definitely ask, "What can we do for you to help solve this situation?" I was asked this once at a Hyatt hotel when a mistake was made and the question really surprise me. I felt like I could ask for anything and then allow the company to respond to my request.

Solve it!

Empty promises, missed calls, faulty reasoning...there's plenty of that in our experience. Let's reverse it by committing to a great standard of fixing the problem. Customers don't like being shuffled around, so take care of it as best as you can. And if you can't, get someone who can. Working with the customer sure is easier than working against them and this can lead to great loyalty and perhaps even customer advocates.

Be rewarded.

Celebrate yourself. Go get a smoothie after work. Order lunch in for your customer service team. Hand out gold stickers. As a manager, you have amazing superpowers that allow your team to love you. Don't squander those powers on territorial squabbles and fear. Do something that celebrates your team and reduces your turnover. After all, your team is your customer as well!

How are you celebrating this Customer Service Week?

USPS Premium? I think not.

2011-09-14T10:42:00.006-04:00

A few months ago, I noticed that our home's outdoor mailbox was being raided by bad characters in the area. Mail would go missing and it was often gift cards and sometimes bills. I filed a police report for it and signed up for identity theft alerts/protection. Rather than allowing the practice to continue while my landlord did nothing to more properly secure the mailboxes, I opted to open a PO Box.

I applied in person and was told I would get a call to let me know when the submitted information was verified. A week later, I called the post office and was told I was approved ‘days ago’. Thanks for the call, guys! I rushed right over and dealt with some of the most confused people in the world.

Apparently, nobody had practice in opening a PO Box account.

After arriving and announcing my intentions with the counter person, I was told to stand near a door they pass big packages through. After a minute of standing there, the door opened and the person there was shocked I was standing in front of the door. She immediately barked, “Sir this is not a line. You need to get in line!” I tried to explain why I was standing there, but to no avail.

I went back to the counter person and she slowly processed my account, not paying any attention to the checkmarks I filled in on the form.

“6 months, sir?” No, 12 month. “Box size 3, sir?” No, size 1. “One key, sir?” No, 2 keys.

I paid and she handed me my keys, not giving me any indication what the box number actually was. Rather than trying all 200 options, I asked her to tell me which box the keys belonged to.

I wasn’t asking for premium, concierge, white glove service, but the following would have substantially improved the experience and are good general lessons:

Please call the customer when you say you will.
Task a knowledgeable person with a rarely-executed task.
Do not yell at customers.
When you have the information in front of you, use it to smooth the process.
Welcome and thank the customer, especially when they purchase a premium service.

While the above 5 suggestions may appear to be common sense to some, not everyone ‘gets it’, as was the case for the failing, nearly-bankrupt USPS organization I dealt with.

Sonic - Customer Sevice Meltdown

2011-09-13T15:40:00.000-04:00

We’ve all been to fast food places. It’s basically the same program every time:

You pull up to the drive through or inside counter, order, pay, and get your food. It should happen within a couple of minutes. It’s fast food, after all.

So what happens when the program doesn’t function as it should? Well, let me tell you a little story:

Scott and I went to Sonic, a fast food place that tags itself as “America’s Drive-In,” on Labor Day. We were shopping locally that evening and thought a stop at Sonic would be ‘good enough’ for dinner. Scott was the driver and had also purchased a gift certificate to use at this particular location. We pulled into a stall at the ‘drive-in’ and ordered, notifying the order taker that we had a gift certificate.

Soon enough, an employee came to our car to collect the certificate to redeem it as payment. He was confused and clearly had no idea that using a certificate would reduce the total of the order by that amount. Strange, but true. He went back inside and we waited…and waited…and waited.

20 minutes later, Scott tapped the order button again and we were greeted with ‘Welcome to Sonic! May I take your order?’ We had already waited 20 minutes and here it seemed like we were forgotten. Scott reiterated the situation and we were told the food would be right out.

10 minutes later, after witnessing 3 other cars get their food before us, Scott got out of the car and walked up to the door where employees entered. He tapped the glass, talked to them, and, after receiving no apology or empathy from the servers or manager and being told that it was the district manager’s fault for short-staffing the restaurant, demanded the certificate back. Scott was then told out food was about to be delivered. What?! We heard that 10 minutes ago!

After we left, I tweeted about my disappointment and Scott called their HQ. He was told that, because this was a franchise location, they could do nothing.

Needless to say, that customer service experience from beginning to end was terrible. It was not fast. It was not honest. It was not accurate or orderly. It looks like everything that could have gone wrong with the transaction did. Was it the fault of machines? Time? Cost? Nope!

The problem here was with people. What if you could predict would be a great team player before you hired them? That might make Scott and me return to a place like Sonic. At this point, we have no interest in returning…because of the people.

Twitter #custserv #FAIL

Customer Service's Open Door Policy

2011-04-30T11:12:00.000-04:00

Is your door open? No, not just unlocked...I mean actually open to receiving customer calls and emails?

There are plenty of companies I have dealt with where reaching customer service is like an almighty quest worthy of a full-feature film.

Take, for example, Chase credit card services. I called to inquire about my credit card with them and the first phone number I had was disconnected (apparently, I had not called them in over a year). The second phone number I had led me to a recording that told me I would be disconnected, but quipped, "If you believe you are being disconnected in error, please call us back." I did. Same recording...3x! I finally reached someone after searching the www.gethuman.com database.

The first person told me I would need to speak to a different division since I had a Disney branded card. That second person moved me to another department once they saw the account was already closed and was being nearly paid off. After shuffling around like just another number for over 30 minutes, I finally got what amounted to 10 seconds of information. Who has time, right?

So I ask again...is your door open?

Can customers call, email, tweet, and even Skype you? Are you making it easy for customers to resolve their inquiries? If you are, you are building loyalty. If not, then you know why my Chase credit card is closed.

Our door is open. I am the main contact for customers at my company. When people call, they expect prompt service, honest replies, realistic deliverables, and no shell games. That means I must know everything necessary about my company, our products, our payment options/process, and even enough to answer technical/help desk inquiries. Call once, speak to us once, get a resolution. NO hidden agendas. NO hard-to-navigate phone systems. NO silly recordings telling customers to go away.

Just yesterday, a customer called and at the end of our conversation, she said, "Gosh, you are really easy to work with. In fact, your entire company is!"

I bet Chase never gets that comment.

Customer Service Touchdowns: iTunes and Kohl's

2011-04-12T08:33:00.061-04:00

iTunes and Kohl's have provided great customer service to my boss and me recently. Here are the tales:

My boss recently purchased an eBook through iTunes and her account was linked to a credit card that had expired. Though the purchase went through and she received the book via instant delivery, she received notice the next day that there was a problem with the sale.

She called iTunes to rectify the $2.99 error and, due to 'lost in translation' issues, was told that she would be credited 2 iTunes songs because the agent perceived the issue to be iTunes' error. My boss tried in vain to explain that the error was on her side, but the agent she spoke to politely insisted that the error was settled and instructed her to enjoy 2 songs of her choosing as a gift. She finished the conversation mystified, but relieved that the error had been resolved. For less than $3, iTunes provided exceptional service and my boss is excited to download the two tracks.

A similar situation happened to me just yesterday. Kohl's was having a great sale (but is that news?!) and an additional coupon plus cheap shipping. Those combined provided the catalyst for me to update a couple of items in my wardrobe. After updating my address in my profile and picking out my items, I went through the checkout process. When I clicked submit, the website told me there was an address mismatch between my credit card and what was submitted. I tried again, ensuring I entered the correct address and again it was denied. I called it a night and went to bed, thinking this was too much effort for just 4 items.

Today, I saw in my online banking that two identical authorizations were made by Kohl's and this spurred me to call them to clear up the mess and place the order. After several IVR prompts, my call was picked up by a friendly, competent, professional customer service agent with what sounded like South American accent. He quickly identified the problem and then offered a swift resolution, keeping intact most of the offers I was taking advantage of yesterday. The total came within $2 of yesterday's total (when everything was on sale and I was using coupons) and I was satisfied. Once my order was placed and the agent hung up, I stayed on the phone and provided high marks through their customer satisfaction survey.

So there we have two examples of excellent customer service, regardless of product, timing, or location. The moral here? Speedy, positive resolution creates strong loyalty to the brand.

You tweeted. We listened.

2011-04-11T18:33:00.000-04:00

That was the phrase on the note card I received from McDonald's today.

Yes, I finally got a response for corporate. After having a poor experience on 3/13 followed by a string of mediocre responses from various contacts at McD's, I emailed the CEO and then posted my letter on my blog. It was nearly a week later that I was finally picked up by someone at McDonald's who worked to find a resolution for me. Her name was Katie and she is on Twitter as @Kty_McD

After going back and forth on Twitter via direct messages (so tedious, I must say!) for a couple of hours one afternoon, she offered 'a meal on us and a coupon for the hot chocolate'. She also assured me my feedback would be sent to the district manager for review and action. It was less than I wished for and it was nearly a month late, but I finally agreed to close out the case.

Today, I received a nice surprise in my mailbox: $5 in gift certificates and a coupon for a small McCafe beverage. They say loyalty can't be bought, but $5 is a start.

My case with McDonald's progressed in a negative direction because they did not properly respond for at least a week.

At my company, our goal is to respond as soon as realistically possible. If you contact us on the weekend by email, we are apt to respond by email before Monday. If you contact us during the week, a response within the hour is not uncommon. Customer-centric means being there when your customers need you.

So the moral of the story is: Please respond to customers quickly when they provide feedback, especially if it is negative feedback.

And thank you, Katie, for working out a resolution. Good thing it's Lent...I just remembered I can get a Filet-O-Fish combo for less than $5.

McFAIL: A letter to McDonald’s CEO, Jim Skinner

2011-03-29T22:23:00.002-04:00

It’s rare I make a big deal out of something as small as $2.58, but read on to learn why this case is WAY beyond a couple of dollars…

Good afternoon Jim,

As a longtime customer and shareholder of McDonald's who has lived just a few miles from your HQ, it pains me to write a letter directly to you. However, recent events at a local franchise are causing me to reconsider my relationship with your brand.

Allow me to summarize my recent McDonald’s customer service experience for you:

3/13/11: I stopped by a McDonald's in Philadelphia to purchase a hot chocolate. It took 10 minutes to be made, I was overcharged ($2.58 for a small?), and I left in a hurry before tasting it, having waited an unusually inappropriate amount of time already. When I finally did try the drink a couple blocks later, the beverage was lukewarm at best and tasted more like plastic than cocoa. I got home and tweeted to @McDonalds, but received no response.
3/15/11: I submitted feedback at the McDonald's website and received an immediate confirmation of submission.
3/16/11: I received a stock letter from 'Sarah' in Customer Service telling me the proprietor will be in contact with me and corrective action will be taken with the restaurant.
3/16/11: I called Customer Service to give feedback about how the stock letter was severely lacking in timelines and action points for follow-up. I used ref#:7644099.
3/21/11: I finally received an email from 'Sebastion Lewis', the franchisee, apologizing. Besides taking 6 days from the original website feedback submission, he spelled my name wrong and wrote in all capital letters (which you may know to be similar to yelling in person).
3/24/11: I call the number in Sebastion's email only to be disconnected without leaving a voicemail. I then emailed Sebastion back with this.
3/24/11: Sebastion responded, essentially telling me it was not his fault and that I should stop in his store to get my $2.58 refund. He did not use my name and practically ensured I was completely pushed away from ever visiting his store again.
3/25/11: I receive a survey to fill out about my customer service experience by a 'Kathy Anderson, Senior Manager' with a DoNotReply@mcdonalds.com email address.

Now, sir, if you think this series of events is about a $2.58 refund, then you would be mistaken. However, knowing you are keen to the fact that your business has metrics surrounding the speed and quality of service and how every second impacts your bottom line, you surely realize there is a slew of problems in this interaction. Therefore, I imagine you know precisely how I responded to that survey on 3/25.

My case has not been resolved. I do not intend on waltzing into Sebastion's McDonald's for my silver coins. There is a problem with your process and with one local franchisee in particular.

I look forward to your response. As a Customer Service Manager who sees that multi-million dollar clients are satisfied, I myself have a keen eye on the metrics of customer satisfaction. I hope you enable your team to improve its processes and would enjoy the opportunity to stop back in your Walnut St. store in Philadelphia with a renewed confidence in your brand because you 'won your customer' again.

Best regards,

Paul Sevcik

This letter was also emailed to jim.skinner@us.mcd.com. I am hoping for a positive resolution.

Watch your language!

2011-03-14T19:07:00.000-04:00

A word can make a difference.

How often have you been on a call with a customer service agent when the following dreaded words are used:

hold
problem
issue
can't
won't
slight
probably

As in:

Thanks for calling ABC Bank. Please hold!
I see there is a problem on your account.
Let me know if you are still having that issue.
I can't do that.
That won't change the fact.
There is a slight change in your delivery date.
It is probably because you moved.

Each of these is a surefire way to escalate a situation. I am glad you picked up my call, but if you place me on hold immediately after you pick up, I feel unimportant as a customer...as just another call. 'Problem' is a negative word in American culture. 'Issue' is much like problem, but is often used by health professionals or among friends joking with each other as in, "Oh, he's got issues." Even more negative for a customer is to hear can't or won't. Even the word 'slight' can be perceived as 'major' when the customer needs something in a very specific way, such as by a particular delivery date or in a particular color. Changing this is more like slighting the customer. And using 'probably' is not the same as 'precisely', making it a fuzzy word that relieves someone from responsibility.

SOLUTIONS, SOLUTIONS!

Above all things, customers are looking for solutions to their various requests. Using any form of negative words can set off triggers for the customer and escalate a call to undesirable ground, so let us turn to positive words:

will
certainly
pleasure
opportunity
sincerely

I will certainly do that for you!
It is my pleasure to be of assistance!
I have an opportunity for you to save on your next order with us.
I am sincerely thrilled that package came on time for you even in this storm!

It is our customers, after all, that make our work possible. Customer service professionals have the great opportunity to brighten someone's day, create opportunities for the customer to appreciate the company, and feel the pulse of customer needs. If we can drop negative words from our vocabulary, we are that many steps closer to making the customer feel loved and empowered to continue sticking by our side. When a happy employee creates a truly happy customer experience, this hits our bottom line positively in so many ways. Here's just one article.

So put a smile on and get out there...just watch your language because...

A word can make a difference :)

Touchdowns and Fumbles: Comcast Customer Service

2011-03-10T16:24:00.000-05:00

Yes, another post about Comcast. This one is different because...shocker!...it has compliments and praise for Comcast! Here's the story:

I was online last night at my home and my company was running a virtual meeting through GoToWebinar. We run these monthly and having a stable internet connection is very important because a PowerPoint presentation accompanies the phone call. Last night, my internet at home kept dropping off. This meant I would lose my place in the slides and people could not interact with me. Being the Client Services Manager and the technical support person for the information my CEO was presenting, this was very worrisome for and annoying to me.

I sent a tweet to @ComcastMelissa followed by one to @ComcastCares. Within minutes (and when the connection was stable), I was in a tweet chat with @ComcastWill. He was fantastic! He gathered my information, diagnosed the problem with the connection, and even set an appointment for a tech to come to my home Saturday early morning to repair the issue. This interaction was speedy, timely, and provided clear information. I was very impressed that Will used humor and humility in the exchange. So impressed, in fact, that I sent a virtual kudo to @ComcastWill for being on top of the situation! It was a real touchdown!

...and then...

I came in to the office this morning and my EVP came to me with a question about our Comcast Biz Class bill. The company had recently moved, so the bill was not stabilized yet because there were credits and new charges combined between two poorly-timed bills. It looked a bit like a mess and had my EVP wondering what 'the real story' was for how much the monthly service would cost.

Rather than reach out on Twitter and get dozens of text messages to my phone, I decided to use Comcast's online chat feature. I was connected to an agent very quickly, but that was the only highlight of the conversation. The agent, named Ruark, asked for information I had entered already and then failed to respond to my questions on at least two occasions. One of his answers was completely misguided and it literally felt like we were not speaking the same language. All I needed was: What is my monthly bill supposed to be? We went back and forth and finally an answer was found...30 minutes later. Then, Ruark suggested I may be eligible for a promotion, but that he would need to transfer me to sales.

I get 'chat transfered' to sales and the first questions (after the small talk) I get asked by this agent, Rhoda, are the same verification information I provided twice before (name, acct#, ph#, address, etc). Boy, that was annoying. I felt like my precious time was being wasted. Then, I was asked the last four digits of my social security #. I told Rhoda that the account is a business account and she apologizes for asking for 'the last 4'. Had she pulled up the account AND looked at it, it would have been clear this was a business account and asking such a question was not necessary.

I then got to ask MY question about being eligible for promotions and am told, "I apologize however we only provide promotions and upgrades for residential accounts." Boy, was I steamed! Here I had spent 45 minutes in a chat between two agents, barely found the information I needed, was told there was a possibility for a promotion on my account and after getting through an annoying verification process three times, was told it's not even possible for a business account. Arrghhhh! Complete fumble!

------

So, as you can see, Comcast can be a real hit or a real miss. I very much appreciate the remarkable response from @ComcastWill. However, having dealt with a very poorly constructed chat interface, I was left annoyed and confused.

I suppose hand-offs can be a challenge for any organization. When a call comes in here and I need to transfer someone, I spend a quick few seconds telling the person the call is being transferred to the facts they need to know to make the hand-off a success. Comcast fumbled the hand-off between agents in the chat. I like the feeling of the touchdown and I hope Comcast refines its processes to garner more of them. I'm staying tuned!

What the heck is a Tweet Chat??

2011-03-08T15:42:00.001-05:00

Did you know that you can hold a chat session on Twitter? It's called a Tweet Chat!

From Answer.com:
Question: What is a Twitter Tweet Chat?

Answer: A Twitter tweet chat is a pre-arranged chat that happens on Twitter through the use of Twitter updates (called tweets) that include a predefined hashtag to link those tweets together in a virtual conversation.
Formal Twitter tweet chats are arranged in advance and occur at a specific time. They may include a formal agenda with a specific leader or "speaker", or they might involve a free flowing discussion between all participants.
The term tweet chat is sometimes used to refer to conversations that happen on Twitter using hashtags that have not been pre-arranged as a formal chat session. The term can also be confused with the third-party Twitter application, TweetChat.com, which helps users separate tweets related to specific chats to make them easier to follow.

There are ~~dozens~~ hundreds of tweet chat topics from A to Z and everything in between...literally! This particular list has over 330 of them neatly organized in a spreadsheet! Just pick one and be at your computer when it is slated to happen. Then, log onto Twitter and TweetChat and follow along with the hashtag for the conversation. When you have something to add, just type it into the chat box, making sure to have the proper hashtag at the end (TweetChat automatically adds it) and click post/send/etc. That adds your input to the conversation and others may respond to it, creating a community!

One tweet chat I really enjoy is #CustServ. This one happens each Tuesday at 9-10 PM ET and always has a topic to lead the discussion. Tonight's (3/8/11) topic is "Defining ROI from multiple perspectives: ROI for customers too!" The chat is led by @JeffreyJKingman and @MarshaCollier and input is always given by #CustServ regulars such as @royatkinson, @RichardNatoli, and @ty_sullivan.

Whether you work in customer service or are a customer of a company, your input is always appreciated. Join us tonight and each Tuesday for a lively, fast-paced discussion!

Using Twitter to Reach Companies

2011-03-07T12:17:00.000-05:00

For those in the customer service industry, we are familiar with the many tools customers have of contacting us. Where it may have been telephone and email, these days you are just as likely to get a Twitter alert, instant message, or even a direct text message to your mobile phone. Customers have an uncanny way of finding means of contacting a company.

Let us discuss Twitter in this post.

Twitter has allowed customers to send out micro-praise and micro-rants aimed directly at specific targets.
It has also allowed companies to have specific Twitter handles (usernames) for customers to reach.

As an example, I can send a tweet to @Lowes or @LowesCares for the home improvement store. For my television/internet needs, I can tweet out to @Comcast or @ComstCares. In the case of Comcast, @ComcastMelissa is another option I have.

In the case of Comcast, they are quick to reply. I have been very pleased by @ComcastMelissa's response time. The issue is moved up and resolved quickly at Comcast.

Not all companies have their social media figured out quite so well.

In the case of Lowes, I have been very displeased. As a customer, it feels like Lowes has social media tacked onto someone's part-time job description because responses are rare and infrequent. Most responses are apologies for things going wrong. Perhaps this is because their are 'in a time of transition' where managers are being laid off and even the COO is retiring and not being replaced.

So if you have a company that you are dealing with and they provided you sub-par service, consider Twitter as a means of contacting them. You can use Google to search the companby's name followed 'twitter' to see if you find them. Or, for a list of the 2010 Fortune 100 companies' twitter handles, here is a page for reference.

And don't forget, when an issue is resolved that you brought up on Twitter, let the company know you're pleased (if you are). We're human after all, so send us customer service folks some love :)

Good luck out there! Don't forget to follow me while you're at it: http://twitter.com/PaulSevcik

Krispy Kreme's Sweet Redemption

2011-03-03T23:03:00.000-05:00

Just prior to Krispy Kreme closing of many of its stores across the United States, you may remember a few stories in local and national media outlets with headlines such as:
The Atkins Excuse
Krispy Kreme hit by Atkins craze
Krispy Kreme: diets hurt doughnuts

And so it was with great fanfare that Philadelphia welcomed the opening of new Krispy Kreme store on November 9, 2010. It was like an early birthday gift to me because I remember the tasty confections that I last had in Illinois many years ago. Scott and I went to the Fox Chase location that night and there was a line out the door, despite the chill in the air. Even the drive-thru was backed up a half-mile down the road.

As we approached, the brightly-lit store was a like a beacon for the masses and we could smell the yummy aroma of fresh doughnuts being made. The wait was made shorter by employees with sunny dispositions sharing samples of the doughnuts while welcoming us to the new store.

The interior was stylishly appointed, with leather furniture in one corner, cafe tables arranged in neat little rows in another area, and LCD screens showing the menus alternating with images of treats coming soon and close-up images of perfectly made doughnuts for visual stimulation. The manager walked among the throngs, welcoming especially the children who were attending the opening gala with their parents (perhaps starting a new family tradition).

As we finally got closer to the kitchen, we could see employees working feverishly to package doughnuts they picked off the conveyor system, which were snapped up as soon as they were made by customers purchasing several dozen at a time...for the school, the office, and various other reasons.

Scott and I chose four doughnuts and I also purchased a decaf coffee to ward off the night's chill. All in all, we were in the store for about 45 minutes and the drive was about 25 minutes each way. Quite the trek to enjoy a Krispy Kreme donut or two!

When we got the donuts home, we each ate both and Scott was puzzled at first that his apple filled donut did not have much filling in it. As he continued biting through it, he found out a disastrous truth: his donut was not filled at all! The top was dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar, but someone neglected to fill it! The very first donut Scott tried from the grand opening and the experience was tarnished.

He called the store the next day and relayed his experience to the manager, who promised to send out vouchers to replace the donut and make up for the inconvenience. When the coupons did not arrive a week later, Scott called again and the manager promised to send them out again. A week later, same story. Scott called and the manager said he would send out another envelope. It never arrived. Not a single coupon. What are the chances, right? So what was first just an inconvenience became an annoying mystery.

Fast forward a couple of months and a Philly.com Dealyo presented itself where we could purchase 2 dozen donuts for $10. I snapped up two of them (yes, that's 4 dozen donuts!), thinking they would be perfect to share with co-workers or at a party.

Today, with the expiration of the Dealyo vouchers looming just three weeks away and Employee Appreciation Day on 3/4/2011, I decided tonight was the best night to redeem one of the certificates I purchased. Scott called the manager (reached a different one this time) and told him his tale of woe. The manager invited him to stop by tonight to receive donuts at no charge.

We drove up and when we arrived, a few high school kids were louinging on the sofas and the scene was much quieter than the opening night we experienced. As I scoped out the selection, Scott spoke with the Assistant General Manager, who gave him a couple vouchers and then followed up by inviting us to purchase what we would like 'on the house' and without having to redeem our Dealyo coupon tonight. We were definitely wowed by this generous offer. We know there's a markup on the products, but this asst. mgr's offer was above and beyond what would be necessary to restore our lack of faith in the company. When I realized that I had the opportunity to showcase how well the company takes care of its customers, I asked the manager if I could blog about the experience and so here I am sharing the great customer experience with you.

Here was an assistant manager who was not involved in the initial situation and probably had nothing to do with the mailing of vouchers and yet he stepped up in the best way he could to make up for Scott's poor experiences with Krispy Kreme from November to now. So thanks, Pat, for restoring the shiny gleam of Krispy Kreme's goodwill in our minds.

I am happy to share this story with my readers and look forward to returning to the store this weekend as we pick up donuts on our way to a birthday party in New Jersey. The doughnuts are sure to be a hit at tomorrow's Employee Appreciation Day at Scott's company and at mine and will certainly be a hit at the birthday party on Saturday.

I am also happy because there is a Center City location of Krispy Kreme opening in May just a couple of blocks from my office. Again, I'll probably be there opening night and I expect lines out the door. Here's slightly more info about that. Oh, and for my NJ friends: Collingswood should be gaining a location in late summer. Looks like Atkins lost this round, folks :) Welcome back, Krispy Kreme!

Image (c) Krispy Kreme

Citizens Bank: Ups and Downs

2011-03-02T23:02:00.000-05:00

I still remember the day I opened my checking account with Citizens Bank in Philadelphia. A sunny, humid summer day. Quite typical of August in Philadelphia. I opened my account at a nice, somewhat historic, air conditioned Citizens Bank location in Manayunk, where I first settled when I arrived nearly six years ago.

Much has changed since that day in 2005. That particular bank location moved, I myself have moved, and the banking industry has taken a battering in the recent economic downturn. Perhaps that is why my need for their customer service has increased in recent months. New rules announced and applied to my checking and savings accounts have left me questioning...Questioning enough that I have considered closing at least one account because the new fees looked to nickle and dime customers out of their hard-earned money.

My most recent call to their contact center was just a couple of days ago. I made it a priority to call in the morning when I first had a chance at work. After several prompts, I was placed on hold by the system for about 7 minutes. When the female agent picked up, I asked a variety of questions:

When does my GoalTrack Savings reward become available?
What other rewards programs do you currently have for my checking account?
What are the new fees being announced for my savings account?
When did the rules for my checking account take effect?
Is there a maintenance fee if I do not use my debit card for debit purchases?

I told her I work in customer service myself (gotta work that street cred) and this helped our conversation be informative, but not overly formal. The agent was amazingly impressive. She answered each of my questions, appropriately placed me on hold where necessary to do additional research, and, above all things, took her time to ensure I understood everything before moving on to another area. She was patient, personable, and upbeat throughout the interaction.

Knowing she was doing her best and providing excellent service while calming the fears of a long-time customer, I told her she did a fantastic job. I went further by asking if I could speak to her supervisor so I could relay my satisfaction to them. She connected me in a moment, provided a gracious hand-off, and I told her supervisor that I was very pleased with my interaction, especially the agent's thorough knowledge of a variety of topics. The supervisor assured me my comments would be placed on a commendation board for all to see. She told me this particular agent is especially great and I agreed. I was happy I could provide this feedback for a star employee. Yay! I received an intrinsic reward for helping someone receive an extrinsic one :)

So if I got such great customer service on the phone that day, why am I closing one of my accounts with Citizens? As it turns out, their rewards program provides marginal benefit whereas Ally Bank or ING Bank provide substantially higher returns for my savings. Regardless of customer service, it was the hard numbers that are winning this race.

In spite of closing one account, I certainly don't intend on leaving Citizens. Here's my testimonial (so listen up, Citizens!):

Every exchange I have had with the crew at their 16th and Market location has been great. Remember that show, Cheers? Yep, everybody knows my name at this Citizens Bank location and they all say hello when I stop in with a deposit. I say hello to the branch manager by name and we exchange stories now and again. WE speak of family, community, and work. It is a great feeling to have such affinity with a bank. But notice it's not the institution itself (whose recent fees and policies are less than exciting to me) I am so connected to. It is the people.

And that is why, going on my sixth year with Citizens Bank, I am happy to be their customer.

New Month, New Look, New Purpose

2011-03-01T10:08:00.000-05:00

As you can see, this blog has been dormant for some time. It was hibernating and in a state of metamorphosis.

Remember when all I would write about was my travels? That was an exciting time and many readers would come explore the world with me.

Then my world settled down and my blog posts were a mix of this and that, without an overlaid theme. While this is nice, it really becomes lost in the noise of daily life.

So here is my blog, renewed. The new theme is customer service.

It will be a collection of stories relating to customer service. After all, I work in customer service, so I have my attention fine-tuned in this particular direction. The blog will include commendations for great customer services as well as call-outs for those who do not do so well.

I already have stories about customer service on my blog and here are a few examples (in alphabetical order) to get us started:

Avis Rent-a-car - 2009 - link here and here and here
Comcast - 7/13/2010 - link here
Contiki - 8/7/2008 - link here
Dunkin Donuts - 7/19/2009 - link here
United Airlines - 11/8/2008 - link here

Expect more stories like those above soon. I already have a collection to share!

And, as always, thanks for reading!

My Christmas Vacation

2010-12-31T20:41:00.000-05:00

Remember in 5th grade, after you came back from Christmas/Holiday/Season Break and your teacher asked you to write a journal entry about your vacation? This is that entry :) She would be so proud of this essay...

The planning for 2010 began in 2009. I finished driving from the Midwest back to Philly and thought, "Phew, I'm glad I'll never be doing that again!" 2010 changed my perspective when I looked at airfare prices, our proposed itinerary, and a new piece into the mix: Scott's brother intending to join us.

I knew that the best way to get a car rental was to go through Priceline. Having had an atrocious experience with Avis last year, I was thinking "No whammies, no whammies!" as I tried to book a car for $10-15 /day for the trip. When my attempts failed, I switched to coupons and corporate codes and soon learned that the best deal for me was with Budget Rental using a CostCo membership card. Not being a member myself, my sister mailed me her card and helped me save a bundle on the car.

When Jason, Scott's brother indicated his interest in going, I knew I would need to get car insurance and have him be the second driver. I also wanted a larger car. I did additional research and learned that the CostCo membership allowed a second driver at no charge (savings of $65 for the week). I could also stack a coupon and did so to upgrade our car class.

As the day neared, I laid out our plan to pick up the car early and drive straight through to Chicago. Leaving at 9 AM, we arrived in Chicago at 11:30 PM, with a couple of stops along the way. No bad!

Our first night was with my friend Dave and his girlfriend Monika. Dave's been a friend of mine for over a decade and graciously offered his place so late at night. I think I stayed up until 2 AM hanging out with him and finally went to sleep very relaxed after the long drive.

The following day, Christmas Eve, Jason took the car to Oak Park to visit several Frank Lloyd Wright homes. He is an architect, so this was a golden opportunity for him to see the work of a master. His photographs are truly amazing and I recommend you visit the gallery I have for him here. These are all his photos; I take no credit for them.

My sister Barbara and her boyfriend Nick joined us at Maggie's place Christmas Eve at about 4 PM to exchange gift. Barbara painstakingly made my gift: a boa of cash (forget the feathers, folks!). That was the most original and cute gift I received this year. Here's a photo of my lovely cash boa:

Dolla dolla bills, yo!

Christmas Eve is also when the Polish tradition of Wigilia happens. Scott and I went to my aunt's home in Chicago and enjoyed a most scrumptious, home-made meal with family and friends. It is a once-a-year event and to be at the table is magical. I have photos of it here. After the visit in Chicago, we stayed at my sister's home in Wheaton in preparation for another big day on the 25th.

On the 25th, the three boys headed South. We drove to Starved Rock State Park to visit my parents, who were staying there for the holiday. My family is familiar with this park and we have stayed at the lodge many times in the fall as a semi-tradition to see the changing of the leaves and hike through the trails and canyons to see the beauty of nature. I must admit: when my mother called me to say we were staying at the park this Christmas, I was wary. Focusing on the weather, my perspective was out-of-whack with the possibilities of the season. As we arrived, Jason and Scott were surprised to see a full-service hotel rather than the 'cabin in the woods' they were expecting. The room was very comfortable and my parents were overjoyed to see us.

Though we had been tired, I quickly warmed up to the idea of taking a hike to see a frozen waterfall. we had made it this far, right? We eventually bundled up and drove to a trail leaving into St. Louis Canyon. The hike was downhill (literally) and we knew the way back up would not be as easy. The trails (obviously) were not plowed, so the going was a bit slow and we helped each other when the snow made the walk treacherous. I even carried Scott down a slope, fearing he would end up on his bum if he tried it himself. I love being outdoors and this was something completely new for me.

When we rounded the corner and the waterfall came into view, we were awed. Here was nature, frozen in time. The waterfall was probably a 100 feet tall and you could hear water trickling inside the column of ice that went from the frozen pond to cliff face. I hiked up 100' to be parallel with the waterfall and took a couple of photos from there. Here is one of them to give you a perspective:

Truly spectacular!

The hike back, as expected, was longer as it was uphill for about 1/3 of it. My gym workouts certainly helped, as I was not winded at all upon returning to the car. I have an additional 150+ photos here.

After the hike, we prepped for dinner and enjoyed a buffet at the lodge. I later snuggled up near a large fireplace to read a few pages of The Selfish Capitalist, a book I stumbled upon while researching Affluenza, which I read in college several years ago. It was a very relaxing experience.

The 26th found us driving up to Madison to visit with Scott's and Jason's family. Along the way, we stopped at my alma mater, Lewis University, to see progress on their new Science Center. The president of the university was away, so we continued our trip to Naperville to visit with Hugo, Blake, and their dogs Simba and Zoe. What a cute family! Hugo visited me in the summer and it was great to see him (and his fancy new digs) this time. By the time we arrived in Madison, dinner was on the table and we enjoyed the meal together.

Later, we exchanged gifts (the third time of the season) and I got more airplane books. If you are not familiar with my love affair with aviation, I can't believe I know you ;) We played Wii later and I absolutely bombed out on frisbee golf. While I am quite good in real life, my virtual self could not throw a frisbee to save his digital life! I was disappointed, but it's all a game, right?

Loser!

The next day, we hung out more in Madison and saw Tron with their mom. This was the second time Scott and I saw it and I picked up on a couple of new things. Thanks, Kathi, for picking up the tab :) I bought a medium Sprite on my own. In my book, medium is a maximum of 20 ounces. In AMC's book, a medium is 44 ounces. 44 ounces?! OMG! I drank only 1/2 of it there and then had the other half throughout the latter half of the day, even with dinner. That evening, we played more Wii and I continued to be the reason everyone else felt good about their score :)

The 28th, we relaxed more until the afternoon, at which point Scott and I wandered about a frozen downtown Madison. We stopped in Cosi for a quick snack before heading to CostCo to cash in on more deals. We got home in time for dinner and then played a couple of games, including Scrabble Me and Fluxx. If you've never heard of Fluxx, it's definitely a tricky one to get used to, but after the first couple of rounds, you get used to this ever-changing card game. I lost those too, coming in (you guessed it!) last place. Oh well, it's about the time you spend together, not winning :)

The next day we embarked on the longest car trip of my life: an 18-hour drive from Madison to Philadelphia with stops every 300-ish miles. We packed sandwiches he previous morning to alleviate the need to stop for meals, but we did drop be an Arby's and Sheet's for snacks (and the stretch our legs) along the way.

We finally arrived in Philly at 1:30 AM. We were all exhausted, but a sudden realization that Jason had lost his coat and keys made our adrenaline come rushing back to figure out a plan to find/replace them. By mid-day the next day, we had run out of options of where it could be, so a locksmith was found and finally unlocked Jason's car so he could go back to NJ on 12/31.

All in all, this was a unique experience. I am not interested in driving next year, but we will see what comes my way in 2011 :)

My Midwest trip by the numbers:

Miles traveled 12/23-29 = 2243
Our car's miles per gallon = 30.28
Average price per gallon = $3.058
...Cost per mile traveled = $0.10

Having the experience? PRICELESS!

Thanks to all who may my Christmas Vacation so special this year!

Christmas Decorating

2010-11-29T14:32:00.001-05:00

When Scott got home from work on Black Friday, we exchanged our stories of finding deals and then set to work on our next task: trimming the tree!

Truth be told, we have an artificial tree. We purchased it last year and stored it in an oversize bin in one of our closets. I dragged it out after I got home and just put the boughs into the frame. I looked through the other bin with the ornaments and lights in it and figured it would be best to drag it all out after Scott got home.

After he arrived and dinner was finished, he formed the tree and then we set upon putting lights on it. About 3/4 of the way through, we realized we did not have enough. So there we were at 9:15 PM on Black Friday making a decision: do we go back out to the stores to buy lights. I am sure you guessed what we did...zip zap and we were back to the apartment with an army of various lights for the tree and nearby windows. We even picked up a tree topper at Target!

With the lights on the tree, we set it up on on a table (which is standing on a sturdy box) so that people on the street below can see it in its splendid entirety. When the lights were finished, we finally went to bed. Black Friday started too early and ended too late, but we had our deals :)

The next morning (Saturday), we added lights to the windows near the tree and ornaments to the tree itself. Here's a picture of the tree that night:

Adventures in Shopping (...on Black Friday!)

2010-11-29T14:19:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is quickly overshadowed by shopping and it shows in every retails store in America. After Halloween, 90% of shelves in stores switch to Christmas goods and just 10% might be for Thanksgiving. It is like that Thanksgiving weekend as well.

Scott and I went to his family's home in NJ for the Thanksgiving meal and it was a very nice visit. On the way to the dinner, we stopped at a convenience store and picked up our local paper to see all the advertisements for Black Friday. As we drove, I circled a few items and made mental notes of what stores we would like to shop at on Friday. We arrived there about 4:30 and stayed until about 9:30. Our dinner was fabulous, with all the traditional foods: cornbread, stuffing, turkey, mashed potatoes, turnips, etc etc. It was all delicious and we had an additional benefit our early settlers were probably missing: Pinot Grigio.

It is a bit of a drive between there and back to Philadelphia, so we were back closer to 11 PM. When we arrived back home, I looked at all my circled items and made a plan of attack for the next day. Our top stores to shop at included WalMart, Kohl's, and Staples. Other stores to drop in included Rite-Aid, Modell's Sporting Goods, Macy's, and Borders.

By the time this was all worked out and our list was checked twice, it was 11:45 PM. Well guess when the sales started at WalMart? 12:01 AM. Yes, you guessed correctly; we hopped in the car and drove to our local WalMart about 20 minutes away. The store (not usually open 24h) was open from the prior day and people were already inside with carts full of goods. We waited outside in a metal corral (think: Disney World or Six Flags) and were finally let in at 12:15 AM. Since we had a plan in mind, we stuck to it and immediately honed in on DVDs. We then looked for a few other goods and we were out of the store in just one hour. Yes, those lines can get pretty long!

After our first 'hit' of holiday shopping, we went home and went to sleep to ensure we were not delirious in the morning. We awoke at 5 and were at a local Kohl's by 6AM. Again we had a battle plan and made our selections. We were out of the by 7 and went a couple of doors down to Staples to buy a new office chair for my home office. It was a stellar deal, so I was naturally inclined to buy!

After our Kohl's/Staples combo, we dropped by a second WalMart to check on additional DVDs and purchase a couple we found there. We then headed home, knowing Scott was going to work that day. Yes, that's right...Scott had about 3 hours of sleep and was heading off to a full day of work.

Meanwhile, I still had additional ground to cover. I had breakfast planned with a graduate school friend (Lucky!), so I met her at 10:30 for a hearty breakfast at a local diner. This, too, was a deal as they have a $5 breakfast special during the week which includes tea or coffee. I might have had 3 cups of coffee there! Lucky and I had not hung out for a while, so we spent a very nice 2 hours together.

Right afterward, I was back out doing more deal hunting. I bought a Shake Weight at Modell's, candy, cards and candles at Rite-Aid, gloves at Macy's, and then got off my feet for a latte at Borders. I had several coupons for Borders and got the drink for free, a board game for 50% off, another board game for 40% off, a book light at full price of $14, and then my entire order another 10% off. Using a gift card I received last year, I only paid $19 for the entire spree there. Nice!

After Borders, I was completely exhausted. It was 4PM and I needed to go home. Scott sent me a note that he was leaving work and on the way home he picked up some new bedding at at amazing price.

Phew, it was a long day of deals! When all was said and done, I didn't pay full price for a single item that day and was running from 5AM to 4PM with only 3 hours of sleep. Our night was not finished as we had just one more task...the Christmas decorations!

Birthday weekend

2010-11-19T16:09:00.003-05:00

You may not know my birthday is Nov 12. Now you know :)

My sisters had planned to visit Philadelphia in August, but plans had to be changed. Luckily, the airlines did not put up a never-ending fight and credited my sister the $150 change fee per ticket (thanks to purchasing that travel insurance they always present...who knew that'd ever be helpful, right?!).

When they called me to ask when would be a good time for them to visit, I naturally suggested my birthday weekend. I took that Friday off so they could take the last flight out of Chicago Thursday night, arriving in Philadelphia at midnight. With their beds made and ready for their arrival, we did not spend much time chatting before we all headed to bed that night.

Friday we had a slow awakening (ok, I went to the gym before my sisters woke up as part of my normal routine). I did enjoy a very nice breakfast at a local diner with my younger sister. That was a great to catch up with her. We were soon headed into the city to visit my office so they could see where I worked and the great people I work with. A co-worker had baked tasty brownies and we enjoyed a discussion over them.

That evening, the fun continued with a happy hour at a local bar ($1 drinks and $5 appetizer meant we only spent $50 between 8 people!) followed by an ice cream and hot cocoa social at my apartment. Apples to Apples came out to be played and everyone enjoyed the evening. We finally wound it down by midnight and were asleep by 1AM for the big weekend ahead.

Saturday we found ourselves heading to New York for a lunch visit with friends we have in Yonkers and then drove into the city as the sun set for a driving tour of The Big Apple. Scott was a graciously fantastic driver and battled with taxis and SUVs to get us to the most important sights, including Battery Park, the WTC site, the Empire State Building, and then finally parked so we could walk near Central Park to 5th Avenue for some more sightseeing.

We saw Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, St. Patrick's Cathedral, several other places, and ended at Planet Hollywood at Times Square. While the service was severely lacking and the quality of the food was hardly worth its price, it was a nice atmosphere and my sisters surprised me by having my birthday announced in the restaurant and my name displayed on all their TVs. Dinner was on the house (email me to find out how I managed that!) and we walked around NYC afterward for a short while before driving to Newark Airport to stay at their Marriott (they had the best deal).

We were dismayed at the check-in process (4 adults were to share 1 king bed...I think not!), and they corrected it partially. Our goal was just to get some sleep, so I did not raise a ruckus at that time. Int he morning, I spoke with the front desk personnel and they were much more understanding and helpful. With parking and overnight accommodations, it was just $100. It should have been closer to $150. Nice!

We were then off to Hoboken because my sisters were pining to visit Carlos Bakery there. It is the bakery featured in TLC's Cake Boss, which my sisters watch every time it airs. Scott and I had been to the bakery with our friend Ashley int he past, so we skipped the line and walked around town. Maggie and Barbara, meanwhile, stood in the line to get into the bakery for over two hours. Luckily the weather was sunny and it was a mild fall day, so they were not miserable. Scott and I grabbed breakfast at a local place, brought a smoothie to my sisters in line, and then went to Panera Bread to relax and wait for them to finish their shopping spree. And a spree it was! All said and done, they took dozens of photos and spent about $70 at the place. Wowzers!

It was then time to head back to Philadelphia so they could catch their flight, but we had one stop in Philly before we could get to the airport. Barbara needed to bring back a cheesesteak for he boyfriend back home! Yes, imagine this: two blonde pretty females walk onto an airplane with $70 in baked goods and a piping hot sandwich. It must have been a sight to see! Luckily, they got everything home safely and the sandwich (purchased from Shank's on Columbus Ave) received compliments.

That was a fantastic birthday weekend. Not only did we all get to do various fun activities, we covered a lot of miles and spent them together.

Thanks, Maggie, Barbara, and Scott (plus family and 100+ FB friends) who made my birthday special this year.

Crooked numbers, Straight teeth, Woobly math

2010-11-03T10:11:00.000-04:00

My teeth may not be crooked, but my Ameritas dental insurance is.

I recently received notice from them that they would be raising my rates from $37 to $45/month.

22%

Holy skamoley, Batman! I suppose my benefits raised by 22%, also, right? Haha, now you're a Joker.

Here's the case example of why this is an even bigger loss for me: Earlier this year, I had a crown put in. The cost, because this is a dental office in a ritzy part of town, was nearly $1700 (market price is about $1000). I had another dental insurance through another company and it paid $400. So we were down to $1300. Meanwhile Ameritas paid just $75. On a $1700 procedure, they paid $75, or just 4%. At the time, that was equivalent to 2 months of insurance payments. Ouch.

Good thing preventative work, such as tooth cleanings, are covered 100%, right? Well, even if I only get 2 tooth cleanings at $60 apiece, I am still paying this company $540 a year for a $120 benefit. It seems I'd do better financially without the insurance.

Gosh, what to do...what to do...

Rally to Restore Sanity

2010-10-31T13:54:00.000-04:00

It is not often I get involved in marches and rallies. Most of the time, it's too strong a message for me. Take, for example, Glenn Beck's rally in the summer. With 87,000 people who were confused, uneducated about topics, frustrated, angry, and not open to talking, I just did not identify with the group or its message. On a smaller front, various political rallies in local towns have had participants open carry assault weapons. No thanks- I feel less safe when someone near me, who is not the military or police, has a weapon. I just don't trust you or the hundreds around you to keep your cool.

That's where the Rally to Restore Sanity was a match for me. Regular folks getting together in DC to hang out with Comedy Central show hosts Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. Scott and I went with our friend David and made funny signs to carry:

We left at 9 AM and got there about noon. Parking was not too difficult to find, but it certainly was limited. After parking, while walking, we met a gentleman from the Navy who had seen the world and most preferred his time in Dubai. He spoke of the first 48 hours of his service and how, regardless of what one might read, the bunks are amazingly fine to sleep in after a long, difficult day on the job. Go figure!

It was immediately apparent that this was no small rally. As we neared the mall, we saw throngs of people heading in the same direction. As we crossed the street near the Washington Monument, we saw a sea of people heading int he direction of the Capitol. I was stopped by one man asking, "Where are all these people coming from?" I joked, "From Philadelphia, every single one of them...I just asked each of them!" He pressed further, "No, like is there parking or buses coming from this direction?" I told him there was parking in that direction, but was not sure where the buses were coming from.

By the time we passed the Smithsonian, it was swarming with people and movement was more difficult. The Metro stop was clogged and we thought people were just standing there staring at it. It turned out that movement was impossible there, so we left the grassy part of the mall and walked along a side road toward the National Museum of the American Indian. We sat on a retaining wall holding our signs and listening to the broken sound from the stage wafting in our direction. Our location was directly to the right of the stage, but 100 yards away, so it was quite difficult to hear. Good thing we TiVo'd it :)

What I noticed in the crowd was the civility. People were not yelling. They were not angry. There was no extremism. It was refreshing. People of all ages, elasticities, religions, and abilities gathered to express that sanity does rules the day.

As we sat on the side, the people moving along the sidewalk chuckled at our signs. They saw mine and imagined an eager student. The saw Dave's and correlated it to healthcare. The saw Scott's and laughed about Glenn Beck's obvious push for citizens to buy gold as its price skyrockets. These were funny signs and people were laughing...it was great to see so many people laugh in what otherwise are difficult times.

My sign got some attention from a YouTube filmographer and I will surely post the link if he adds me to his YouTube Channel. He saw my sign and first asked me, "If Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi were in the octagon, who would win?" I figured the octagon was wrestling, so I answered "Oh definitely Hillary. She's got some tough moves and her eyes are fierce." He chuckled and the asked if he could interview me with a few questions. He asked if I believed in the American Dream, if America can still be considered a superpower, and even if I believe in government-funded abortions. My answers were along the lines of "Of course, I'm pursuing the American Dream...", "Certainly because we are a land of innovation with amazing people all over", and "No, I don't want government-funded abortions." After all, I was adopted, so I have good reason.

Meanwhile, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert ran the show with their own performance as well as those of Tony Bennett, Cheryl Crow, The Roots, John Legend, Kid Rock, and others. Even the hosts of The Mythbusters tv show were on hand to do silly social experiments with the crowd.

The entire program was three hours and when it was finished, I noticed the most interesting thing on the ground: no litter.

Yes, the National Mall was clean and without the usual debris left behind from public events. No bottles, tissues, boxes, signs...nothing. It was heartening to see that the entire event was civil and sane.

I am not sure if the 250,000 attendees were fundamentally changed, but I am certain the feeling of goodwill and happiness that spellbound the crowd will surely affect the public sentiment. It is a powerful experience we all had together and I look forward to the good it will bring in the days to come.

Scott's photos are featured on the blog posting. I have additional photos of the rally here.