This questionnaire, developed by travel researcher Stanley Plog, divides travelers into six personality types. At one end of the spectrum are "venturers" who like to strike out on their own to remote places. At the other are "authentics" who prefer Disney World as an adventure.

Two people can take the exact same trip and come away with completely different impressions. Many travel experts offer a short quiz to help define your travel personality. If you love going places, you may be an adventurous traveler. This means generally you love going places you've never been, keep your passport current--just in case--or laugh at the very idea of a travel guide book. You are spontaneous and curious and like learning about the world by experiencing it. You look for last minute deals that provide you a chance to explore new places.

Structured travelers like to have a plan in place and look for low stress. You even have an alternative plan if something should go wrong. You like to look at your hotel room by online video so you know exactly what to expect. Laid back travelers handle stress without much anxiety. You choose a relaxing vacation one time and an active one another. You often wait until you arrive at your destination to decide what you will do while you are there.

To find out your travel personality try taking a quiz at a new Web site, www.Besttripchoices.com

www.FreeColdCallingTips.com

Let sales guru Ari Galper show you how to Pre Qualify prospects quickly & easily. Discover our Secret weapon, 1 question to unlock the game with truth in sales techniques. Be unique in business & turn a simple send me info into a powerful sales match

www.FreeColdCallingTips.com

"The traditional manager is taught to command and control. Web 2.0 challenges that model.... Companies are not democracies, of course. And social media will deliver little value if it becomes some giant water cooler conversation because not all the best ideas are discovered at the water cooler. Huge quantities of absolute rubbish are talked there too. So, social media and Web 2.0 are not a replacement for management decision making, but rather a support to make better, more-informed decisions.

"The naïve tool-centric view of Web 2.0 still exists. ‘Just give them the blog and the wiki software and get out of the way’ has very limited logic. But it is classic IT-thinking. As if the tool was the be all and end all, and the only purpose of life was to discover the right one. As if it was the type of quill that Shakespeare chose that made him the writer that he was."

"So Web 2.0 and social media still need management.... But the managers are not the only clever people in the room anymore. The room is much bigger and it is speckled with cleverness. To manage in the Web 2.0 world is to converse, to listen, to be honest and upfront, to collaborate, to moderate, and constantly watch out for the trends and patterns that always emerge when many minds mingle and mix in the network."

The message needs to sink in that companies need to start giving up some control over the conversation with their customers. I know this is very hard to hear, and even harder to do, but it is happening whether comanies like it or not. Those that continue to keep a stranglehold on the conversation will eventually find that no one is listening...

I've been staff training at the Howard County Library for some time now.  My classes are always well attended (even when they aren't mandatory trainings) and I've gotten good feedback such as "I speak in plain English not techie".  So I thought I could move onto our customers and help them learn about the read/write web and maybe able to converse better with the techies in their lives (or at the very least go home and have the courage to play a bit more with the web).

I took my boss's advice and tried to find someone to co-present with.  Good idea if you are new to presenting at CIL to have a more experienced co-presenter help you over the bumps and take you through the hoops.  I tapped my friend (almost)Baldgeekinmd to see if he'd be interested but alas he was unable to.  However, he had a fantastic idea and one that is very Web 2.x -- throw the idea out to the community!

So off to FriendFeed I went.  Within a few minutes I had a Facebook email from Joshua Neff and several comments on my FriendFeed post from Michael Sauers.   Michael and I emailed back and forth a bit and he agreed to present with me (if we get selected mind  you).

Now the fun begins, writing the proposal.  Luckily the form only requires a paragraph for the session description but what is causing me to have writer's block is the title.  I know from personal experience that catchy, descriptive titles also catch my eye when I'll flipping through the CIL program guide.  So for once I am at a lost for words.

I've used Doodle to create a poll.  So, please feel free to vote there or comment here.

"Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip--Confessions of a Cynical Waiter" written by an Author named-The Waiter. I guess I am not alone at this battle to have the table turned around to the Customers to have their manners straighten up. And to have a two way great shopping(or in this case,eating)experience. Which I am still hoping that it will pick up very soon!. 

"Product Description
According to The Waiter, eighty percent of customers are nice people just looking for something to eat. The remaining twenty percent, however, are socially maladjusted psychopaths. Waiter Rant offers the server's unique point of view, replete with tales of customer stupidity, arrogant misbehavior, and unseen bits of human grace transpiring in the most unlikely places. Through outrageous stories, The Waiter reveals the secrets to getting good service, proper tipping etiquette, and how to keep him from spitting in your food. The Waiter also shares his ongoing struggle, at age thirty-eight, to figure out if he can finally leave the first job at which he's truly thrived." - Amazon.com

Go get the book and I am sure you will be amused at the fact that you might find yourself in it too.

Of the companies surveyed, 35% own the domain name for their brand followed by the word "sucks." They include Wal-Mart Stores, Coca-Cola, Toys"R"Us, Target and Whole Foods Market, according to FairWinds. Some 45% of these domains have yet to be registered by anyone. (FairWinds based its analysis on 1,058 domain names for companies on the Global 500 and Fortune 500 lists.)

Marketers have it in their best interests to charge ahead and create a strategy to deal with negativity in the blogosphere and beyond. Yet, again, the most effective way of dealing with it is to do everything to align your customer service and entire organizational strategy with the messaging in your campaigns (or vice versa). That way, hopefully consumer expectations either align with the brand experience, OR if there is a problem they at least give you adequate chance to resolve it. And even then it can be too late:

While some of the gripe sites that remain in the hands of critics have fizzled, others have grown bigger. Take BankofAmericaSucks.com, which was started by former Bank of America customer Jonathan Speigner nearly five years ago after a dispute with the bank over a car loan. It now is home to thousands of postings, and it calls itself the "Official Bank of America consumer opinion site."
Consumers continue to post complaints on the site. One recent post from a user named "Ripped_off" says: "BOA does not care about customers....BOA is a disgrace to banking. I can pretty much relate to every complaint I've seen on this site and others." The site is mentioned in numerous blogs and newspaper articles, and appears among the top 15 results on a Google search for "Bank of America."
Even though Mr. Speigner's dispute with the bank over the loan is long settled, the information-technology director at an Atlanta technology company says he keeps up the Web site because it continues to draw traffic.

If you're a brand dealing with a problem of buying domains to salvage your message in the blogosphere, you need to flip-flop your strategy and deal with it at the other end of the spectrum. And if you read this and still think customer service doesn't impact marketing, think again (or find other work).

I was interviewed a few months ago for a TV show hosted by Arch Bishop Chito Tagle on ABC 5 and the theme of the show was "Entrepreneurship for nation building in the Philippines". In the course of the interview, I was asked how someone can start a business when they have no money to begin with. To this I replied, "I think a lot of people have it backwards, the reason why you will go into business in the first place is because you don't have money to begin with."

As you may have guessed, I got a quizzical and interested look when I said this and the host asked me to elaborate further, so I replied: "In business, you do not need capital, you need customers. If you have Capital but no customers, you are not in business, but if you have customers even with no capital, then you ARE in business " I then faced the camera and said "If you want to know more, take my class." to which the host and everyone in the room burst into laughter.

After the interview, I left the studio with my lovely wife Jhoanna with everyone in the production crew from the producer to the camera man with a smile. Walking to the car, a young man who was in the studio ran up to us and said thank you, and that felt great.

When the show aired the week after, people who watched the TV show called my company Businessmaker Academy and enrolled in my class. The class is called "Capital Raising and Cash Flow Management" which I still conduct until today.

The TV show interview allowed me to help others by sharing a different perspective, if you've read this far, this post will hopefully do the same thing.

But on a more practical level, the show allowed me to find my customers. This blog does the same. The interview was free, opening this blog is free. Did I find my customer? Yes. Am I in business? You bet.

All the best!
-Mark

Just ask AT&T -- as Seth Godin mentions in his recent post, the quality of their network, and susbequently their customers' negative experiences, has a negative effect on their business.

Now, I had a good, long look at AT&T as their customer a long time ago, and I swore I'd never have them again. I was a happy Cingular customer for a long time. Then AT&T buys Cingular, and I began to have a wary eye as to what it would mean for me. Sure enough, suddenly my reliable 5 bars turns into dropped calls and frustration (I could rage on, but I am gonna keep it short...I'm over it, really...well, maybe not). And when I've interacted with their customer service team, the resolution is not sufficient. "No, we can't give you a credit" -- even though I haven't gotten the value they promised and I've paid for. "That's a technical issue" or "We're currently experiencing some network difficulties" -- well, as Seth says, how about you fix it.

Anyway, what that means is all the marketing dollars they spend end up having the opposite effect as intended, at least in the worlds of all their customers who've had negative experiences (and I know there's alot of others like me, otherwise Seth wouldn't blog about it). And that just multiplies as those customers become negative brand evalgelists, and not just in the blogoshpere. When I see those "fewer dropped calls" commericals, I laugh. I comment to friends how untrue it is. I advocate others to get another service.

So, the moral here is, before you charge ahead and launch a marketing campaign or spend a marketing dollar, make sure your customer service function (and really, your whole brand story and every customer touchpoint) is aligned with the messaging you deliver in your campaign. Make sure customers expectations will be met at whatever level you set them in your messaging -- and beyond. And that's the same moral for any campaign for any size or any company.

Otherwise, you the next AT&T slammed in the blogosphere or in a living room when a commerical comes on.

I have had my Signtronix sign for around 10 years. At night when the sign is lit up, you can see it from a couple hundred feet away. It is very bright. The most important feature about the sign is the durability.

About 3 years ago, there was an accident in front of my practice and a man drove his pickup up the embankment and landed directly on top of my sign. The impact was so strong that the stucco mounting around the sign was destroyed. Once we got the truck off the sign, we were amazed. Except for a few small bends in the frame, the sign was still in excellent shape. The sign was so strong; the light bulbs didn't even break! We reinstalled the sign and it has been working ever since.

I am very pleased with the sign. It promotes my business and it will be there for many years to come. I would recommend your company to other interested parties.

E. L. Duke, DVM

Companion Animal Hospital
Thonotosassa, Florida

So what is "real-time" Outlook integration?
Well, when you add a contact or appointment to Outlook, it's added to CircleDog at the same time. And vice versa.

But CircleDog doesn't have appointments--how does that work?
Yes! You are correct. But we're adding a new calendar for both tasks and appointment management. It's pretty powerful stuff!

What about my iPhone? Or my BlackBerry? Yeah, what about my Berry! Gotta have the Berry!
Well, synch 'em if you got 'em. With Outlook. We pick it up from there.

When is this available?
October sometime. We can't name the specific date yet but we will as soon as we know.

How much will this cost?
Money? We don't need no stinkin money! Outlook integration will be a standard part of CircleDog standard. So no additional cost, no, nada.

So if Standard gets Outlook integration, what makes Pro any different?
Ah. Yes. You ask too many questions, Grasshopper. CircleDog Pro integrates with QuickBooks, has a nice Opportunity/Sales pipeline and associated reporting, unlimited custom fields (or alot, I'm unsure about this, but it's at least 5 times more), and document attachments for contact, tasks, and sales. There's some more in there, but that's the major stuff.

What else is coming?
Enough, but never too much. Too much is always too much (sorry MTV circa 1982).

So there you have it. You spoke, we listened. You want Outlook integration, we give you Outlook integration. It should be about 4 weeks from today, assuming testing goes as usual. We say "October" because it still might be as long as, say, Halloween. So the official release date is "before Halloween". You'll be the first to know!

aaaaaaaa

aaaaa

aaaaaaa

aaaaa

a

By JANE E. BRODY

aaaaaaaaaaWhen Howard D. Schultz in 1985 founded the company that would become the wildly successful Starbucks chain, no financial adviser had to tell him that coffee was America’s leading beverage and caffeine its most widely used drug. The millions of customers who flock to Starbucks to order a double espresso, latte or coffee grande attest daily to his assessment of American passions

aaaaaaaaaaAlthough the company might have overestimated consumer willingness to spend up to $4 for a cup of coffee — it recently announced that.. ..it would close hundreds of underperforming stores — scores of imitators that now sell coffee, tea and other products laced with caffeine reflect a society determined to run hard on as little sleep as possible.

aaaaaaaaaaBut as with any product used to excess, consumers often wonder about the health consequences. And researchers readily oblige. Hardly a month goes by without a report that hails coffee, tea or caffeine as healthful or damns them as potential killers.Can all these often contradictory reports be right? Yes. Coffee and tea, after all, are complex mixtures of chemicals, several of which may independently affect health.

Caffeine Myths

aaaaaaaaaaThrough the years, the public has been buffeted by much misguided information about caffeine and its most common source, coffee. In March the Center for Science in the Public Interest published a comprehensive appraisal of scientific reports in its Nutrition Action Healthletter. Its findings and those of other research reports follow.

aaaaaaaaaaHydration. It was long thought that caffeinated beverages were diuretics, but studies reviewed last year found that people who consumed drinks with up to 550 milligrams of caffeine produced no more urine than when drinking fluids free of caffeine. Above 575 milligrams, the drug was a diuretic.So even a Starbucks grande, with 330 milligrams of caffeine, will not send you to a bathroom any sooner than if you drank 16 ounces of pure water. Drinks containing usual doses of caffeine are hydrating and, like water, contribute to the body’s daily water needs.

aaaaaaaaaaHeart disease. Heart patients, especially those with high blood pressure, are often told to avoid caffeine, a known stimulant. But an analysis of 10 studies of more than 400,000 people found no increase in heart disease among daily coffee drinkers, whether their coffee came with caffeine or not.

aaaaaaaaaa“Contrary to common belief,” concluded cardiologists at the University of California, San Francisco, there is “little evidence that coffee and/or caffeine in typical dosages increases the risk” of heart attack, sudden death or abnormal heart rhythms.In fact, among 27,000 women followed for 15 years in the Iowa Women’s Health Study, those who drank one to three cups a day reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease by 24 percent, although this benefit diminished as the quantity of coffee rose.

aaaaaaaaaaHypertension. Caffeine induces a small, temporary rise in blood pressure. But in a study of 155,000 nurses, women who drank coffee with or without caffeine for a decade were no more likely to develop hypertension than noncoffee drinkers. However, a higher risk of hypertension was found from drinking colas. A Johns Hopkins study that followed more than 1,000 men for 33 years found that coffee drinking played little overall role in the development of hypertension.

aaaaaaaaaaCancer. Panic swept this coffee-dependent nation in 1981 when a Harvard study tied the drink to a higher risk of pancreatic cancer. Coffee consumption temporarily plummeted, and the researchers later concluded that perhaps smoking, not coffee, was the culprit.

aaaaaaaaaaIn an international review of 66 studies last year, scientists found coffee drinking had little if any effect on the risk of developing pancreatic or kidney cancer. In fact, another review suggested that compared with people who do not drink coffee, those who do have half the risk of developing liver cancer.

And a study of 59,000 women in Sweden found no connection between coffee, tea or caffeine consumption and breast cancer.

aaaaaaaaaaBone loss. Though some observational studies have linked caffeinated beverages to bone loss and fractures, human physiological studies have found only a slight reduction in calcium absorption and no effect on calcium excretion, suggesting the observations may reflect a diminished intake of milk-based beverages among coffee and tea drinkers.

aaaaaaaaaaDr. Robert Heaney of Creighton University says that caffeine’s negative effect on calcium can be offset by as little as one or two tablespoons of milk. He advised that coffee and tea drinkers who consume the currently recommended amount of calcium need not worry about caffeine’s effect on their bones.

aaaaaaaaaaWeight loss. Here’s a bummer. Although caffeine speeds up metabolism, with 100 milligrams burning an extra 75 to 100 calories a day, no long-term benefit to weight control has been demonstrated. In fact, in a study of more than 58,000 health professionals followed for 12 years, both men and women who increased their caffeine consumption gained more weight than those who didn’t.

Health Benefits

aaaaaaaaaaProbably the most important effects of caffeine are its ability to enhance mood and mental and physical performance. At consumption levels up to 200 milligrams (the amount in about 16 ounces of ordinary brewed coffee), consumers report an improved sense of well-being, happiness, energy, alertness and sociability, Roland Griffiths of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine reported, although higher amounts sometimes cause anxiety and stomach upset.

aaaaaaaaaaMillions of sleep-deprived Americans depend on caffeine to help them make it through their day and drive safely. The drug improves alertness and reaction time. In the sleep-deprived, it improves memory and the ability to perform complex tasks.For the active, caffeine enhances endurance in aerobic activities and performance in anaerobic ones, perhaps because it blunts the perception of pain and aids the ability to burn fat for fuel instead of its carbohydrates.

aaaaaaaaaaRecent disease-related findings can only add to coffee’s popularity. A review of 13 studies found that people who drank caffeinated coffee, but not decaf, had a 30 percent lower risk of Parkinson’s disease.

aaaaaaaaaaAnother review found that compared with noncoffee drinkers, people who drank four to six cups of coffee a day, with or without caffeine, had a 28 percent lower risk of Type 2 diabetes. This benefit probably comes from coffee’s antioxidants and chlorogenic acid.

.

I say "seems to be" because I can't say for sure - they have no research.  A basic omission you may think, but they didn't seem to agree and don't want to pay for any.  I did the usual on-line checking, but this was hampered by a massive web farm they had set up to control negative comment and social networking (a sure indication of a business that had their priorities up their arse!).  It seemed to support my intuition, but I didn't come up with enough hard facts.

Staggeringly, this business is big, number one in their sector with fourteen years of YonY growth.  How did they do it?  Actually, it isn't that big a mystery.  They succeeded on a rising market, with no competition, where all they had to do was turn up and set out their stall, then count the money - and they milked it!  Inexperienced and sometimes just plain stupid management had made just about every mistake in the book, screwing customers, suppliers and partners alike.  However - and I love it when this happens! - they seem to have reached the end of their road.  Economic conditions, social change, emerging competition and saturated markets have conspired to hack their share value to bits and turn their business into a Shadow of its former self - send for the consultant!

After that imagine how refreshing it was to come across not one, but two businesses that had got it all right.  Sadly, they are not my clients, but in an interview with Time Magazine's The Curious Capitalist John Mackey, CEO and co-founder of Whole Food Markets and Kip Tindell, CEO and co-founder of Container Store, gave me the kind of lift that's only possible when all your firmly held beliefs are affirmed in a single action.

These guys tick all the boxes in my Full Effect Marketing philosophy and Brand Discovery programme.  In this lengthy interview they explain how important it has proven to them as entrepreneurs to have defined the parameters of their brands up front.  They didn't tackle this in a particularly formal way but, as is the case with so many great entrepreneurs they each instinctively created what I call a "Brand Model", without which their businesses, and anybody else's, would not be scalable.

Once you have this the rest is possible, if not always simple.  I still have a struggle sometimes driving my clients through the process of internal marketing - sharing the model, its reasoning and constraints with employees at every level and getting them behind the cause, but as John and Kip knew, empowering your employees is the vital key to growth.  The client, whose tale I opened this post with, complained at our first meeting that he was forced to micromanage because his people weren't up to the job.  I argued that things aren't always what they seem and that I usually find that the "people" aren't always the problem that they seem.  "But what if they are the problem?" he asked.  "I guess you have to have a clear out" I replied.

Of course you have to have great people to have a great business, and John and Kip both underline how important it is to recruit the best, but how great they are is very much dependent on how well you manage them and again, instinctively John and Kip knew this.

A great business is built around a great brand.  Every brand is a community that all your stakeholders play a part in creating.  Again, after my experience with the client I feel the need to clarify - stakeholders are investors, suppliers, partners, employees as well as customers.   You have to ask yourself "Are these people, who I want to do business with going to want to be a part of my community?" and when you get a "yes" you then set about making them feel as welcome, engaged and comfortable as you can.

These two talk about the importance of engaging your employees and your suppliers, how vital it is to share information with your community and confirm that though there will undoubtedly be leaks as a result the advantages vastly outweigh the disadvantages.  They talk about the innovation and risk - both requisites of business growth, best quality and satisfying and delighting.  I could have filled this post with clips from the interview, but go there and read for yourself.

It didn't take me two weeks to realise that what my client wanted was for me to paper over the cracks in his business.  He didn't want to change it,  I doubt that he would even be flexible enough to do so and I suspect that anything I would do would be too little too late anyway.  I'm not even sure even now that he recognises how serious his situation is.

Unsurprisingly, he isn't a client any longer.  Which is a pity, because I do love a challenge, I hate to give up on anything and I could see the glimmer of a couple of opportunities, but I doubt I would have been able to persuade him to explore them.  To quote John, or was it Kip, "Life's short and then you are dead" so I'm off to find my next project.

Show them your willing to go the extra mile

Start upselling and reselling

Contact customers more often "out of sight out of mind"

Offer a new product or service

And I used to think that Politicians were big liars.. till I had encountered BCE, Bell Sympatico .. by the way Cops, RCMP, Lawyers, realtors, Pastors, judges and their regulating societies too are some of the most immoral, biggest liars  now that I have encountered in my lifetime! 

http://thenonconformer.wordpress.com/?s=sympatico

http://postedat.wordpress.com/?s=Sympatico

http://witnessed.wordpress.com/?s=sympatico

http://anyonecare.wordpress.com/?s=sympatico

http://www.google.com/search?q=sympatico%2C+Sasha+Rollins&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1

 

1. What’s worse - Physical or Mental cheating?
They're both pretty bad but I think Physical is worse. 
2. Is it easier to forgive or forget?
I  never forget. I can hold a grudge like no bodies business. So its easier to forgive
3. Can men and women be ” Just Friends?”
Yes I think so. I have a few male friends (I love you  the bestest though) and we get on fine. Its when you throw in the  jealous girlfriends that really piss me off. Like Hello! Its not like I could pose on the cover of Vogue or anything.
4. Dating co-workers?
Never tried.  One couple at work met at work and are now married and expecting. They're also under 21.
5. All expenses paid vacation to anywhere?
Europe. Provided I can flit around  everywhere and its still paid for. Paris here I come! and Italy!
6. On the way to the electric chair - What’s your last meal?
 mmm....  a roast meal with all the trimmings. Roast pork infact, Bring on the fat and crackling and the roast potatoes and pumpkin All good how my nana does it (in the fat !! mmm!!)   oh and a big fat cheesecake
7. Water parks are…?
Wetter than a prostitutes pussy?
8. When you are “In Love” do you notice other people?
I love how "in love" is in  quotes.  When I have had a boyfriend. I have looked at other guys but not second glances.  I was watching friends last night and   Pheobe goes to monica  "(you're thinking)  how its been so long since you last had sex you wonder if they changed how people do it".   
9. Is flirting cheating?
 Not if you dont go overboard.  like dont kiss or anything. and dont recieve pats on the butt.
10. Would you rather have 1 great friend or 5 pals?
1 great friend.
11. If someone called you a bitch would you be offended?
 Nope. I get offended if they dont call me a bitch
12. Are you ok with your significant other being friends with an ex?
I dont have a significant other.  I dont think I would care though. As long as I'm hotter than she is and I'm better in bed.
13. Would you live with someone without marrying them?
Already have.
14. Favorite sport?
Shopping!  netball. to watch: motorsports, netball, rugby, gymnastics,  mens beach volleyball.
15. Is toilet paper hung over or under?
over.
16. Do you squeeze toothpaste from the middle or end of the tube?
Middle.
17. How do you feel about tanning booths?
Like being burried alive?  They actually increase your chances of getting skin cancer so you might as well just go stick yourself out in the sun and save yourself however much the tanning place charges you.
18. Friends with benefits?
Been there. Done that. Was ok til I got sick of not being allowed to have a boyfriend.
19. Do you believe in angels?
I'm here arent  I?  lol  Yeah  I do
20. Would you rather take pictures or be in pictures?
Take
21. Have you ever flirted with someone you had no interest in?
Yup. its fun. Practice makes perfect
22. Ever kissed a random person and then walked away?
Yeah one drunken night. He wasnt very good.
23. Would you buy bootleg merchandise?
Depends what it is
24. What color looks best on you?
Baby blue, any light kind of blue, black... ummmmmmm I dont know?
25. If you could play any sport professionally what would it be?
Procrastination.   Oh thats not a real sport ... hmmmm...... netball i think. im not showering with them though. I want my own shower.
26. Ever break up with someone and regret it?
 I've missed them. After spending  most of  my time with him and then suddenly hes not there.  Definitly no regrets.
27. Are you a jealous person?
A little.
28. Would you ever have plastic surgery?
I dont think so.  Unless I got burned or something.
29. When do you want to get married?
When I am certain I have found someone I can grow old with and not want to hit them over the head with a frying pan every day.
30. Who has the sexiest accents?
French,  Irish,  some americans. Note. Some.  and some south africans
31. Next concert you’re attending?
Dont do concerts. As much as I complain that no one comes here Disturbed are comming here this month and I'm not going. I'm sure they'd be fucken awesome but I'd rather pay  $30 for the cd and crank it at home. However if that guy from disturbed turned up on my doorstep I wouldnt say no.
32. Favorite song?
At the moment?  Disturbed - Into the Fire  I think thats it. The cd is in the lounge. I am not.
33. Favorite movie?
Devil Wears Prada
34. What’s your occupation?
 Customer services assistant. That sometimes wishes to hit customers on the head with a fryingpan
35. What’s your sign?
The  Finger. Oh you mean star. A-Queer-Ass.  (aquarius)
36. Are you a beach, country or city person?
city girl that could spend a few days at the beach and a few days at the country but not much.
37. Best vacation spot you’ve been to?
Auckland. Shoooooooooping. Cheeeeeeeesecake!
38. Have you ever had a “secret affair?”
I guess you could call it that.
39. If you could own a non-traditional pet which would it be?
Vin Diesel.  or  that thing from harry potter... Hippogriff!
40. Favorite show as a child?
the snorks!
41. Where do you spend most of your money?
Bills. Dentist. I should stop going to Bills.
42. Are you currently working at a job that you hate?
Its not the job I hate. Take away the customers and i'd love it. Oh and take away management to. Infact just give me my wages each week and I'll stay at home.
43. Have you ever been so heart broken that you called in sick to work?
No I just go to work and be a complete bitch.
44. Favorite summer drink?
 Midori.
45. Can you change a car tire?
Yes but i chose not too.
46. Favorite cologne / perfume?
Any of britneys ones except the first
47. Favorite candle scent?
 Vanilla, chocolate and coffee. Why has no one made a roast pork candle? or a KFC candle?
48. Would you consider yourself adventurous?
 depends how you mean. I can go crazy and colour outside the lines but I wouldnt dangle off a rope into the river and call that fun.
49. What is your My Space profile song?
dont use it often enough
50. Favorite concert attended?
Only been to one.
51. Would you date an already attached man / woman?
No. only means they'll break your heart
52. Would you sing Karaoke in front of co-workers?
No
53. Can you shoot pool?
I  get confused
54. Do you like your siblings’ significant others?
Dont have any siblings so we'll change that to friends. Yes I like most of my friends significant others.
55. Can you drive a stick?
Why cant  the stick drive itself? I'm not  a fucken stick taxi. Do you mean a manual car? I can do.
56. Did you wear white at your wedding?
 Not married yet.  I will be wearing black though. Or pink like a princess
57. Have you ever sat and hoped for a phone call?
Yes. A watched fone never rings though
58. Ever skip school and spend the day at the beach?
No. I have skipped school and gone to subway though
59. Favorite TV show?
Gossip girl
60. What do you think about gay marriage?
Who gets to wear the dress?
62. what are you waiting for at the movies?
TWILIGHT!! EKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!

63. What is your favourite holiday?
one where I dont have to be at work :D Labour day I think. Although I will be at work for that.
64. Describe your fighting style: drunken master or angry monkey?
Drunken monkey
65. Piercing?
nose, tounge, ears etc
66. Tattoos?
not yet. need balls and moola
67. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
max, bodyshop, lush,  glassons, equip, farmers,
68. Thongs? yes or no.
Jandles or gstring?   neither to both. The string thing hurts me on both. hows that for a mental image.
69. Write 2 truths and 1 lie.
- I would like to have kids one day.
- I would like those kids to be twins.
- I am left-handed

I wont tag anyone so steal away. Over here we do not prosecute theft. Memes only.

Right off to bed I am sooooo tired. Beleive it has a bit to do with the midori

Love n hugs.

Bit Tipsy Queen

I had to do some training today. We are getting new gift cards instead of paper we have lil cards. Quite cute actually and are actually  heaps easier to process than the paper ones. YAY.  However I had to listen to the "team leader's"  stories about how shes a hoe and a whore and lets guys put it anywhere. 

Just when I have a line of customers the phone rings. So I answer it. Heres our conversation. It really is just stupid.

Her: " I'm wondering if you can help me. My daughter came in quite a while ago, do you remember those pink tvs? (those ones every man and his dog has returned, yes I remember those!)  it has the DVD player n such on them. Quite good tvs. Do you know what I'm talking about there dear?"

me: "um... yes"

Her: "well my daughter shes just had a baby and shes had quite a few problems with it (what? her baby or the tv?? which is it lady? i've got people to serve here  spill out what you want already).  Anyway she cant get into town because her cars broken so I was wondering is her tv still there? . (it amazes me how not once does she mention her daughters name  yet I'm supposed to know that yes! her tv is there).

me: "well whats her surname?"

Her: " it is "my-mother-tells-her-life-story-instead-of-keeping-it-short"

me: " Ok and what was the first name?"

Her: " Something stupid like patricia"

me: " ok so what was the address?"

Her:" oh i dont know. is it there? why are you asking me this?"

ne: " because theres a few names here and I dont want to say it is here if its someone elses so by giving the address it narrows it down to one person."

Her: "oh right.. well her car isnt fixed yet (what? you mean while we've been on the phone the magic car people didnt fix her car? how dare they??)

me: "well its due this month so you might want to let her know."

Her: "Oh yes I will its just her baby isnt doing to well so I just dont know. I might be able to come in I guess"

me: "Well ok thats great thanks for calling"

End of conversation....

Do you know how much of that I needed to know? Like 5%. All I needed to know was the daughters first and last name, address,  and what the item was. Not her fucken life story. Why do people do that??

If I forget my eftpos card at the supermarket its not "omgosh! I Was having hot sex with my boyfriend in the car and  it must've slipped out of my pocket. dont worry not his penis that wasnt in my pocket. no it was my card. I'll just go get it.  The card. Not his penis.

Should I mention in the course of my postings tonight I've been drinking?  

Finally after a not too bad today  its 5:55pm and I've closed down my computer, shut down my til the lights are off I'm going home when............ a customer comes along waiting to layby their stuff.  so I said. " I'm sorry layby is closed  its five to six and  the store is bascially closed"  so they walk off and get stoped by  Mr know it all. He talks loudly and hes really annoying so he asks if they want help they say they want to layby their stuff he calls out to me and  I reply " I've already told them layby is closd the computer is off  my til is cashed up."  and so  they go to the front to buy whatever and  then  the lady complains to the checkout operator.  Yeah coz she has authority over me.  I was like "omg for fucks sake. I dont care. I'm not doing it. I would have to go back down there turn the computer on wait 3 mins for it to boot up and be running  take their details put it into the computer take their crap finish the sale.  Wrap their crap and take it upstairs put it away then put it into the computer.  This would take about 29mins all up.  I woldnt get paid for this 20mins. Then the manager has to wait around because they cant shut the store down until all the tils are closed down so it would take all up about an hour for this one sale. I'm sorry but no.  So  FUCK OFF.

Then if that isnt bad enough  I get a phone call in the middle of my training from some dentist place informing me I've been referred to them for my tooth extraction and I'm like "um.. ok.. well sure I've got a letter from WINZ as they're paying for it will that need to be changed?" and shes like "no that should be ok but I will check with the other dentist people and get back to you"  so I go back to  my training  when I get another phone call  from the lady telling me that I've already used the $300. I'm sorry lady but I paid $600 last week. I Remember distinctly because I need new  work shoes, to pay off some debt etc. Instead I Spent it on teeth.  So I want my money back.   Then shes going on about my options of taking drugs and such to get the tooth out and  I'm thinking "fuuuuuuck... maybe i'll just keep it.."    honestly it sounds painful.   Last time I had six teeth out I was unconscious. Apparently to get that again its an extra $300 ontop of whatever else.

I dont know about you guys but I'm thinking $300 is a popular number for anything  to do with the dentists.  "Hi there I want to make an appointment to look at my tooth"  " certainly mam that'll be $300"

Fucken bastards. So  now I'm at home.  Drinking Midori and guess what I found a MEME! So I'm going to steal it and  then do it because I can. and it beats doing anything else. 

You'll be seeing me soon

Love n hugs

me.

7 types of hotel complainers — which one are you?

What kind of complainer are you?

I used to train hotel employees on how to handle difficult situations and irate customers. I believe the best way to please someone is to understand his needs and motivations, so I wanted these employees to learn to pay attention to why people complain.

No, not the reasons — like, because the toilet wouldn’t flush or the rate was wrong. What was the psychology behind the complaints?

Why would one person overlook a hair in the sink, while the next would suffer a stroke over it?

In my effort to better understand the psychology behind complaining, I began studying disgruntled customers, and I noticed certain “types” of complainers.

See yourself in this list anywhere?

1. People with ruined dreams. This is the person who has been dreaming of the most breathtaking African safari, or the most magical Disney vacation, or the most relaxing trip to the Caribbean for years. He’s got this perfect vision is his head of exactly how his entire trip, including his hotel experience, should be.

But we all know that fantasy and reality rarely meet. This person may complain because he has major problems. But he often complains about minor things that may not really matter, simply because he’s facing the reality that there is no such thing as a perfect vacation. If your dreams are ruined, stop and think: Is this problem really the hotel’s fault, or does the blame lie with Mother Nature/the airline/my husband? And even if it is the hotel’s fault, do you really want to spend valuable vacation time arguing with a front desk agent over a 25-cent local phone call?

2. Face-savers. A face-saver complains because he thinks acting irate will camouflage his shortcomings. This is the person who knows he only made his reservation for two nights but insists it was three, or who knows he left the “do not disturb” sign on his door but insists that the housekeepers have it in for him. A face-saver can often be identified by his low self-esteem and his belief that belittling other people makes him look good. He’s the one complaining really loudly so that everyone around him knows how clever he his and how stupid the hotel employee is.

If you’re a face-saver, shame on you. You need to cut it out right now. I’m not telling you not to complain when something is wrong. I’m just imploring you to be nice about it. Ruining a poorly-paid employee’s day does not make you a big man. It just ensures that said employee will talk about you in the break room using language that would make a sailor blush. And you’ll probably get a notation on your reservation about what a jerk you are, and that comment will follow you from hotel to hotel within a chain. That means no free upgrades for you!

3. Freebie-lovers. We all love a bargain. But complaining even when you know nothing’s wrong just so you can get a lower rate or a refund means you’re a cheat. Freebie-lovers have one motivation: saving money.

There was once a woman who found nasty trash in her room every time she came to my hotel — condoms, syringes, old food and other gross stuff. She always got an upgrade and some compensation for her trouble. After her fifth time checking into a dirty room, we asked her to never come back. At that point, we knew she was planting these items so that she could get freebies. If you’re a freebie-lover, you may get caught. And even if you don’t, just think of the bad karma you’re collecting.

4. Wounded warriors. The wounded warrior once had everything going for him. But then his boss nixed his bonus, his wife stopped making his favorite meals, the economy tanked, he got a flat tire…you get the picture. The wounded warrior often complains because it’s the only way to regain control of his life. He becomes master of the situation, if only for a brief shining moment.

Wounded warriors may also complain because they feel forced to do so by someone else — they’re just
too downtrodden to stand up and say “No, honey, I’m not going to call room service because you think that’s 2%, not fat-free, milk for your coffee.” If you think you’re a wounded warrior, then get fierce. Stand up for yourself. Take control of your life. That may mean complaining more often, but it may mean complaining less often.

5. Martyrs/passive-aggressives Martyrs and passive-aggressives are the worst complainers because they don’t complain at all - - at least not to the hotel. These are the people who have the worst stay ever, and yet never breathe a word about their numerous issues to hotel staff. Instead, they wait until they return home to tell everyone they know and the local news station about how horribly they were treated.

In fact, martyrs love to be mistreated, because it gives them something new to complain about. Life for them would be meaningless without drama. If you fall into this category, you’ll probably never admit it. But if you do, think about this: Do you want things to be made right, or do you just want to complain? If you want things right, you must complain to someone who can help you, i.e. a hotel employee. If you just like complaining, then you should really find a better hobby.

6. The loyal customers The loyal customers complain because…well, they don’t really complain at all. Instead, they provide constructive criticism. They let managers know when things are wrong simply because they love a hotel or chain and they want to make sure it’s a nice place to stay for a long, long time. It’s like teaching your child good manners because you love him and want him to grow up to be a gentleman. This type of complainer is the one who becomes good friends with the staff members at various hotels and gets all kinds of perks when he comes to stay.

7. The truly injured The truly injured guest complains for a valid, important reason. He does so calmly, rationally and politely. He understands that no one is perfect, and that mistakes happen. He does not place blame or pass judgement. He asks for appropriate compensation for his problems, and is never demanding. He is a rare breed.

Categorizing complainers seemed to help the employees better please these customers, because they better understood what each guest wanted. But I also think that recognizing your main complaint type will help you become a better complainer. You’ll know what you want, why you want it, and you’ll hopefully be able to ask for what you want in the most effective way possible.

So the next time you start to complain about anything, think about my highly-unscientific, never-tested-in-a-lab-setting categories here. Before you open your mouth, take a moment to ponder your motivations.

Are you about to make everyone around you cranky while solving nothing? Or are you about to turn an issue into a learning opportunity for everyone involved?