Come hell or high gas prices, the 30-year anniversary vacation has been set and the countdown ends with the departure on September 22 and the return a couple weeks later. It’ll be a vacation when friends and relatives will wait another year to reunite. (It's incidental that neice Heather and fiance Phil will draw the family brood from Michigan to Orlando for the blissful marriage that will undoubtably see them through their lives together. They will wed on Valentine's Day 2009.)
The first “private and personal” vacation was during my life in Southern California in the ‘80s. I visited Yosemite National Park shortly after Labor Day when most people have ended their summer excursions and seen their kids back to school. Reservations weren’t required.
The peaceful solitude to explore the natural beauty of such a world treasure was the most memorable vacation up ‘til then. El Capitan and the Devil's Postpile were awesome. The nights were nippy. Rental rates were low. It was a leisurely vacation and the intimacy of other vacationers and local merchants rejuvenated this worker from life’s daily routines.
The next private vacation came in ’95 with a trip to the island of Kauai in Hawaii. It was kinda expensive but incremental savings over the previous year covered much of the costs so it was quicker, easier to pay down the balances due. The trip was taken the week following Thanksgiving and upon the arrival in Lihue it was evident that it would be much like the trip to Yosemite. Few people and, once again, nothing but friendly exchanges between vacationers and locals.
I felt I was being catered to as I primarily made daily adventures around the island, including views of Kauai from the cab of a helicopter, and some island hopping to the lava beds and farmlands on the Big Island. Their terrains are from different worlds!
This year, the vacation is a round-trip road trip to Mount Rushmore. The after-Labor Day vacation will have fewer crowds so that sense of camaraderie will again enhance the easy-going days of taking deep breaths of fresh air and the sighs of appreciation for the time to reflect, relax and easily relate to people and nature alike.
There’ll be the 19th Annual Buffalo Wallow Chili Cookoff in Custer National Park on September 28. The following day is the 43rd Annual Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup Day where “cowboys and cowgirls herd up 1,500 buffalo into corrals to be readied for the fall Buffalo Sale”. All this and the 3-day Buffalo Roundup Arts Festival to boot!
The following days will be filled with adventures in nature settings unique to the area. The Black Hills, The Badlands, Wind Cave National Park, a number of National Monuments and Memorials, the history of the Sioux Nation and Crazy Horse… And, of course, Mount Rushmore National Monument will be the highlight of just one small piece of American heritage.
Away we go! Freewheelin’ days straight ahead!
Although, come hurricane and high winds, the whole scenario changes.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Faux Pas To You, Too
There are times when I’ll come up with a response to a statement made by a salesman that kinda stops the conversation stone cold dead as the other party has no idea what to say. The times are infrequent, or I just don’t remember other occurrences, but there are two that stand out that have happened during the last couple of years.
Carpet tracks
A door-to-door salesman knocked on the door along with his sidekick to demonstrate a top of the line vacuum cleaner. As they entered the house, a huge sealed box was carried inside. It appeared that attachments were easy to install as they pulled out piece by piece.
The main gimmick was the offer to shampoo a couple of rooms and a well-worn path down a hallway. Although the carpet was frequently attended too, a filter on the new cleaner clearly showed there was much more dirt embedded in the thick pile than what was picked up by the contraption I had used maybe three to four years.
The lead salesman made the statement that a good vacuum cleaner will leave wheel tracks in its path. I didn’t quite understand why he made mention of this but I made a simple words that “The cleaner I have still leaves tracks…” The young man just stared back at me, not knowing what to say, apparently never having had a prospective buyer make such a statement. The silence was profound until I assured him I was impressed with the quality cleaning performed by his merchandise.
The cleaner sold itself. With metal parts and little plastic, it will surely keep on going when I’m gone.
Bugging the technician
After a year of living in my home, it was time to renew the annual contract with a pest control company – the same one that originally treated the perimeter for subterranean termites. As the technician made his way around the house, I happened to be on the porch as he was spraying around the soffit and kindly asked him what he was doing. When he said he was treating around the house for other insects, I made the comment that I do it on a monthly basis with Home Defense and have no problems.
He stared at me, not sure if how to respond to a service that I hadn’t requested and may not need. The silence was finally broken when I made the evaluation that his chemical treatment would last longer than a consumer product and that it was okay to continue the work.
Me Too
True, I’ve also stood dumbfounded at a response that someone has made to a statement of mine. I know what it feels like to be in that situation, but it’s more fun when the other party takes the brunt of my response to their statement.
Carpet tracks
A door-to-door salesman knocked on the door along with his sidekick to demonstrate a top of the line vacuum cleaner. As they entered the house, a huge sealed box was carried inside. It appeared that attachments were easy to install as they pulled out piece by piece.
The main gimmick was the offer to shampoo a couple of rooms and a well-worn path down a hallway. Although the carpet was frequently attended too, a filter on the new cleaner clearly showed there was much more dirt embedded in the thick pile than what was picked up by the contraption I had used maybe three to four years.
The lead salesman made the statement that a good vacuum cleaner will leave wheel tracks in its path. I didn’t quite understand why he made mention of this but I made a simple words that “The cleaner I have still leaves tracks…” The young man just stared back at me, not knowing what to say, apparently never having had a prospective buyer make such a statement. The silence was profound until I assured him I was impressed with the quality cleaning performed by his merchandise.
The cleaner sold itself. With metal parts and little plastic, it will surely keep on going when I’m gone.
Bugging the technician
After a year of living in my home, it was time to renew the annual contract with a pest control company – the same one that originally treated the perimeter for subterranean termites. As the technician made his way around the house, I happened to be on the porch as he was spraying around the soffit and kindly asked him what he was doing. When he said he was treating around the house for other insects, I made the comment that I do it on a monthly basis with Home Defense and have no problems.
He stared at me, not sure if how to respond to a service that I hadn’t requested and may not need. The silence was finally broken when I made the evaluation that his chemical treatment would last longer than a consumer product and that it was okay to continue the work.
Me Too
True, I’ve also stood dumbfounded at a response that someone has made to a statement of mine. I know what it feels like to be in that situation, but it’s more fun when the other party takes the brunt of my response to their statement.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
"What's Up, Doc?"........"Bugs for Dinner!!!"
Rabbit for dinner? It not only sounds good but it actually was quite a delicious meal as mom frequently cooked the meat during the fall hunting season in central Michigan. Dad and brother would spend a few hours on a brisk Sunday in the “back woods” taking pride in supplying food for the dinner table. A family of seven required a few of the fair game to fill the dinner plates.
Just as she prepared chicken, mom pan-cooked the skinned and gutted animals in a frying pan in a bit of water. The preparation without some type of oil may sound a little odd but once the meat was done the water was ready to be made into mouth pleasing gravy; the natural juices made the gravy exceptionally tasty.
With the typical mashed potatoes, fresh vegetables and browned crescent rolls it was a true home-cooked country meal. Now, as you picked the meat off the bones, you were aware and took heed to the fact that you had a fair chance of biting into a buckshot pellet.
The same went for pheasant, another creature of nature.
Since I was raised on these animals, I don’t remember them having a gamy taste. It was just plain good eatin’, unlike venison, which I could barely keep down. When mom said we were having “steak” for dinner, I learned not to make an assumption and had an immediate mood change when the aroma told me the truth of the meal.
As our Creator intended, sustaining life with the bounties of nature is man’s means to that end. Rabbit is fine, pheasant is too, but squirrel was another cherished item on an autumn menu. As to fattening these little creatures, just let them eat nuts.
Just as she prepared chicken, mom pan-cooked the skinned and gutted animals in a frying pan in a bit of water. The preparation without some type of oil may sound a little odd but once the meat was done the water was ready to be made into mouth pleasing gravy; the natural juices made the gravy exceptionally tasty.
With the typical mashed potatoes, fresh vegetables and browned crescent rolls it was a true home-cooked country meal. Now, as you picked the meat off the bones, you were aware and took heed to the fact that you had a fair chance of biting into a buckshot pellet.
The same went for pheasant, another creature of nature.
Since I was raised on these animals, I don’t remember them having a gamy taste. It was just plain good eatin’, unlike venison, which I could barely keep down. When mom said we were having “steak” for dinner, I learned not to make an assumption and had an immediate mood change when the aroma told me the truth of the meal.
As our Creator intended, sustaining life with the bounties of nature is man’s means to that end. Rabbit is fine, pheasant is too, but squirrel was another cherished item on an autumn menu. As to fattening these little creatures, just let them eat nuts.
In Memory of Decoration Day
I remember May 30th as being Decoration Day.
Attending a Memorial Service at church might start the day, then a parade at 10 a.m. with a great amount of chatter among the spectators along the route. A crowd began in front of the Bricks and Ivy of Dansville Agricultural High School, following a course that led to Howard Cemetery. Everyone was either a friend or a relative or an acquaintance that might become a neighbor. A 21-gun salute was followed with residents at the gravesites of loved ones.
There were floats, the Dansville High School Marching Band with majorettes twirling their batons, Girl and Boy Scouts, members of the 4-H Club, the Fire Department, and antique and convertible cars that carried the Senior Prom couple. Horses and bikes decorated with patriot colors were also proudly placed in the procession. Every marcher had more than just a couple of hands waving to get their attentions.
At the lead were members of the V.F.W. Their banner was the American Flag.
History leads to May 5, 1868, when General John Logan proclaimed the 30th day of the month as a day set aside “for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land”. General Logan was the national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, a fraternal organization whose members were veterans of the Union Army that had served in the American Civil War. Thus became Decoration Day.
Understandably, Southern states did not acknowledge the day.
The alternate name Memorial Day began as early as 1882 and became more accepted following WWII. It was the local veterans of that war who worked at the Oldsmobile plant in Lansing, that helped introduce the new name to our community. Union labor groups played a part in further popularizing the name.
After WWI, it became a day to honor all Americans who died fighting in any and all wars. It wasn’t until 1968 that “Memorial Day” became the official name when Congress passed legislation that created the Uniform Monday Holiday Act; the effective date was January 1, 1971, making this, along with Washington’ Birthday, Columbus Day and Veterans Day, three-day Federal holidays.
For many, Memorial Day also marks the beginning of summer vacations.
In 1968, the hundredth anniversary of the beginning of Decoration Day, time still honored the age-old tradition in small communities, such as where I called home in my teenage years. Flowers were often grown in people’s gardens, perhaps an original arrangement crafted by a neighbor and proudly placed on the graves of the fallen. The American Flag also adorned the gravesites. The display of bright colors accented the Red, White and Blue.
A gathering of friends and families with a barbecue in the afternoon finished the day. At that time, a three-day weekend was infrequent, which helped mark it as a special day of patriotic tribute. The new millennia may once again put the true meaning of Memorial Day in our lives as we the honor those who gave their lives during the war in Iraq. As in the past, these soldiers, and others who have defended the freedoms of every American, deserve being remembered.
A soldier’s grave should be decorated, as were their uniforms with Medals of Honor.
Attending a Memorial Service at church might start the day, then a parade at 10 a.m. with a great amount of chatter among the spectators along the route. A crowd began in front of the Bricks and Ivy of Dansville Agricultural High School, following a course that led to Howard Cemetery. Everyone was either a friend or a relative or an acquaintance that might become a neighbor. A 21-gun salute was followed with residents at the gravesites of loved ones.
There were floats, the Dansville High School Marching Band with majorettes twirling their batons, Girl and Boy Scouts, members of the 4-H Club, the Fire Department, and antique and convertible cars that carried the Senior Prom couple. Horses and bikes decorated with patriot colors were also proudly placed in the procession. Every marcher had more than just a couple of hands waving to get their attentions.
At the lead were members of the V.F.W. Their banner was the American Flag.
History leads to May 5, 1868, when General John Logan proclaimed the 30th day of the month as a day set aside “for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land”. General Logan was the national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, a fraternal organization whose members were veterans of the Union Army that had served in the American Civil War. Thus became Decoration Day.
Understandably, Southern states did not acknowledge the day.
The alternate name Memorial Day began as early as 1882 and became more accepted following WWII. It was the local veterans of that war who worked at the Oldsmobile plant in Lansing, that helped introduce the new name to our community. Union labor groups played a part in further popularizing the name.
After WWI, it became a day to honor all Americans who died fighting in any and all wars. It wasn’t until 1968 that “Memorial Day” became the official name when Congress passed legislation that created the Uniform Monday Holiday Act; the effective date was January 1, 1971, making this, along with Washington’ Birthday, Columbus Day and Veterans Day, three-day Federal holidays.
For many, Memorial Day also marks the beginning of summer vacations.
In 1968, the hundredth anniversary of the beginning of Decoration Day, time still honored the age-old tradition in small communities, such as where I called home in my teenage years. Flowers were often grown in people’s gardens, perhaps an original arrangement crafted by a neighbor and proudly placed on the graves of the fallen. The American Flag also adorned the gravesites. The display of bright colors accented the Red, White and Blue.
A gathering of friends and families with a barbecue in the afternoon finished the day. At that time, a three-day weekend was infrequent, which helped mark it as a special day of patriotic tribute. The new millennia may once again put the true meaning of Memorial Day in our lives as we the honor those who gave their lives during the war in Iraq. As in the past, these soldiers, and others who have defended the freedoms of every American, deserve being remembered.
A soldier’s grave should be decorated, as were their uniforms with Medals of Honor.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
And the survey says....
How did I get here from there? Perhaps it was dumb luck. Or maybe it was thoughtful rationality towards saving and planning, although in all honesty I can’t really give myself credit in that respect.
I have to come to the conclusion that, after working for 15 years, I took a modest plunge into my employer’s 401(k). I had no oversight from the company and surely no guidance from my parents. Dad was a farmer. Although he worked long and hard days and at times in the dark of night to maintain his dad’s and granddad’s many years of building the family assets, profitability was much less than it had been during the past generations. In part, our family’s financial security was reliant on the glory years for small farmers.
I am now semi-retired, having made an early exit from the stresses of dealing with a corporate mindset that takes a good chunk out of personal tranquility. Rather than accept a monthly retirement check, I made the choice for a full payout of all of the moneys due me. There was no dipping into the funds for some frivolous spending. An agent with Raymond James provided me with a variety of options for investment. I felt comfortable with all of his recommendations as I pointed out my financial goals. His assurance that they were attainable as he explained the choices gave me comfort that I could realize a sense of security as I grew older. A quick call to the agent to review the investments would result in a little tweaking in the direction of
During the same period in time, I was able to make the final payment on the mortgage of my home with the help of an inheritance from both of my parents’ deaths some 10 years prior. The sum was not huge considering the five children in the family but I had made sure not to squander the funds.
Rather than taking pride in the achievement of being nearly debt-free, it was a feeling of relief knowing the largest financial weight was off my back. Sister Sue commended me with the statement, “I don’t know anybody who doesn’t have a mortgage.”
For the time being living in Spring Hill, FL, in a new home after having sold the home in Orlando, squeaking by financially as my budget has been redirected from some discretionary spending due to rising prices of the basics of life as we know it in America. There’s some minor debt but nothing that can’t be resolved in a reasonable amount of time with some thanks for the 1.99% interest fee on a credit card. It’s always those unexpected expenses that lead to the temptation, and eventual use, of plastic money.
With all of this taken into consideration, I don’t feel secure in my long-term financial reckonings. The investments of the past five years have done very well, ranging from 12% to 20% of increased moneys. The downturn in the economy has eaten away a good chunk of those earnings but the overall picture still finds me with reasonable gains.
So, with my modest acquisition of savings and investments, including an annuity that will never loose value (really?), I find myself in a unique and disbelieving situation where I am in a class with the so-called well-to-do citizens in these United States. I am among the segment of 12% of the population with the most funds for retirement.
These figures present the findings of the 2008 Retirement Confidence Survey are extremely alarming for the majority of Americans. Roughly 61% have less than $50,000 in funds. In 2007, the figure was somewhat less at 58% and 2006 showed 65%. Today, a whopping 69% of existing retirees fit into the same category.
In spite of what appears to be my relative “wealth”, I place myself among the 21% of workers who are “Not Too Confident” of having enough money to life comfortably throughout retirement. 43% are somewhat confident and a mere 18% are very confident.
The remainder who are not at all confident is 16% - realism makes me believe perhaps I should be among this group of citizens.
This website will give you a multitude of survey results:
http://www.ebri.org/pdf/briefspdf/EBRI_IB_04-2008.pdf
I have to come to the conclusion that, after working for 15 years, I took a modest plunge into my employer’s 401(k). I had no oversight from the company and surely no guidance from my parents. Dad was a farmer. Although he worked long and hard days and at times in the dark of night to maintain his dad’s and granddad’s many years of building the family assets, profitability was much less than it had been during the past generations. In part, our family’s financial security was reliant on the glory years for small farmers.
I am now semi-retired, having made an early exit from the stresses of dealing with a corporate mindset that takes a good chunk out of personal tranquility. Rather than accept a monthly retirement check, I made the choice for a full payout of all of the moneys due me. There was no dipping into the funds for some frivolous spending. An agent with Raymond James provided me with a variety of options for investment. I felt comfortable with all of his recommendations as I pointed out my financial goals. His assurance that they were attainable as he explained the choices gave me comfort that I could realize a sense of security as I grew older. A quick call to the agent to review the investments would result in a little tweaking in the direction of
During the same period in time, I was able to make the final payment on the mortgage of my home with the help of an inheritance from both of my parents’ deaths some 10 years prior. The sum was not huge considering the five children in the family but I had made sure not to squander the funds.
Rather than taking pride in the achievement of being nearly debt-free, it was a feeling of relief knowing the largest financial weight was off my back. Sister Sue commended me with the statement, “I don’t know anybody who doesn’t have a mortgage.”
For the time being living in Spring Hill, FL, in a new home after having sold the home in Orlando, squeaking by financially as my budget has been redirected from some discretionary spending due to rising prices of the basics of life as we know it in America. There’s some minor debt but nothing that can’t be resolved in a reasonable amount of time with some thanks for the 1.99% interest fee on a credit card. It’s always those unexpected expenses that lead to the temptation, and eventual use, of plastic money.
With all of this taken into consideration, I don’t feel secure in my long-term financial reckonings. The investments of the past five years have done very well, ranging from 12% to 20% of increased moneys. The downturn in the economy has eaten away a good chunk of those earnings but the overall picture still finds me with reasonable gains.
So, with my modest acquisition of savings and investments, including an annuity that will never loose value (really?), I find myself in a unique and disbelieving situation where I am in a class with the so-called well-to-do citizens in these United States. I am among the segment of 12% of the population with the most funds for retirement.
These figures present the findings of the 2008 Retirement Confidence Survey are extremely alarming for the majority of Americans. Roughly 61% have less than $50,000 in funds. In 2007, the figure was somewhat less at 58% and 2006 showed 65%. Today, a whopping 69% of existing retirees fit into the same category.
In spite of what appears to be my relative “wealth”, I place myself among the 21% of workers who are “Not Too Confident” of having enough money to life comfortably throughout retirement. 43% are somewhat confident and a mere 18% are very confident.
The remainder who are not at all confident is 16% - realism makes me believe perhaps I should be among this group of citizens.
This website will give you a multitude of survey results:
http://www.ebri.org/pdf/briefspdf/EBRI_IB_04-2008.pdf
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Have A Nice Rae Day
I’ve spent my entire working years in one phase or another in the telecommunications industry. Positions range from residential customer service, supervising the coordination of interdepartmental interests, an electronics technician diagnosing and resolving data circuitry inconsistencies and providing solutions toward the success of business customers.
At various times, there were periods when I was given the opportunity to write, rewrite, condense and present instructional materials to newly hires employees, plus give guidance to those who have been on the job for extended periods of time, to inform them of new products, techniques and applications for success in sales and service environments.
Being a successful instructor demands complete understanding of not only products and services in an industry but also implementing an effective technique of presenting to the prospective client the benefits of entrusting their futures with your company. Providing the latest of innovative products and services is of less significance when the benefits of an investment lack consideration of how they will supplement other aspects of the business operation.
Two decades ago, companies were likely to direct attention toward providing the best of customer service to their clients and business partners. Initially, when markets became open to competition, they were primarily clones of the established business concerns. As globalization brought innovative entrepreneur ventures, alternate strategies were incorporated in long-term objectives.
Changes in attitudes of consumers’ expectations for newer and better products resulted in a progressive reevaluation of techniques to achieve corporate financial goals. Customer service became a liability; companies began to redirect their approach toward increasing profits with calculated paths of renovating their influences on market shares.
The first line of a company’s interaction, it’s employees taking incoming calls, brought about a transformation from Customer Service to Customer Service and Sales, then to Sales and Service. Nowadays, you're most likely to be talking to Sales Representative. It’s a hit and miss prospect as to what degree of importance a company will provide follow-up assistance.
Take for instance the challenges brought upon my employment when technical position became nearly obsolete when the telecommunication industry was transformed from a monopoly to alternate options of doing business. Satellite transmission. Integrated circuitry rendered human involvement unnecessary with computer-processed programming and trouble isolation. The efficiency factor was further realized when employee errors were essentially removed from the process. Job security could no longer be influenced by what could be called sabotage by intentional employee incompetence.
Within a matter of a decade the technical facility of 250 employees was reduced to 80, mostly by attrition. There were other regional offices with the same fate. Continued employment within the industry forced me to accept what I felt was degrading. I had experienced direct contact with costumers in a call center over a decade ago and felt a sense of hopelessness.
Moving from the West Coast to the Southeast I had the opportunity to accept the same technical position as previously held. The South is known to be a few years behind the times; the writing was on the wall – I would eventually be confronted with the same fate as previously experienced. Instead, I represented the company with an endless flow of residential customers making their way to my desk, relying on the phone and a computer to address their concerns.
At that period in time, exceptional sales figures garnered sometimes significant awards toward merchandise at a few local stores. Penney’s and Sales Merchandise were my places of interest. A few of us were also treated to a luncheon with management - establishments that I would not be inclined to dine at otherwise.
After about five years, my successes helped me to “graduate” to the same position servicing small business owners. The office environment was much accommodating to an employee’s personal achievement; by comparison, stresses were fewer and less intense.
It would take a few years under different criteria to feel comfortable at the job, which meant I was pretty mediocre in achievements. Being a silent achiever, the expectations I place upon myself deny me self-praise.
As the winds of change blow toward increased corporate profits and a realignment of expectations of employees, the challenges for success also grew. This is when Sales began to replace the importance of Service. At that time, Sales and Service were separated, giving the employee an option to what he or she felt appropriate for their individual expertise.
I chose Sales primarily because I couldn’t foresee myself forever being confronted with what would surely be problem situations. As a Sales Rep I would still have opportunities to provide “excellent service” by listening and learning about the customer and the needs of the business. I would be in a comfort zone more accommodating of my perceived expertise.
Within two years in the same environment, I was able to prove my self-worth. I had achieved sales figures that rewarded me an invitation to The Pinnacle Club ceremony on a three-day all-expenses paid trip to San Francisco. It was an interesting if not exhausting weekend, but the result of my success provided me the opportunity to provide guidance to new and existing employees in a quickly changes business atmosphere.
As a Training Instructor, I accepted additional challenges of not only updating and condensing materials but completing the course within a ten week period instead of fourteen. There were sixteen trainees from various backgrounds instead of the typical twelve, some of whom would have transferred from other jobs within the company. I was given two weeks to set up the classroom, computer terminals and software, and evaluate the need of and obtain supplies. The scope of the challenges were more than I had experienced in the past but the knowledge I had garnered over the past years, including that as a technician, I felt prepared, and eager, to take the task and make it my personal responsibility to make the students successful in their new employment venture.
I followed a path less traveled, utilizing materials at hand but placing less importance on company-structured guidelines than what I deemed of primary importance rather than what was dictated.
The company had reverted to involving all reps in the process of taking calls from all customers regardless of billing, service or sales prospects. As you can imagine, sales was to be the main focus of training. I chose otherwise.
The course began with the fundamentals of the multiple computer programs that were inherent with setting up new service, making changes for existing customers, providing answers to inquiries of nearly any imaginable topic. Multi-tasking had become a necessity with every contact.
Equipment, billing information, consumer support groups and identifying and securing information for various departments were the bare essentials to addressing or resolving customer inquiries. Having recently regionalized call centers, it was important to know which databases would provide information for each state’s provisions, rates, and government mandated requirements. Within any given state, cities and towns are as unique in available services as their populations differ in demographics.
Incorporating sales techniques was also important. Avoiding questions that could be answered with a simple yes or no was a basic strategy; “open ended” questions that began with who, what, when, where and how were meant to instigate a dialogue between the buyer and the provider. In other words, “do you?” and “don’t you?” were to be avoided. Everyone was made aware that there might be ears tuned into a conversation from anywhere, including the Public Service Commission. The company could implement disciplinary action on a variety of mishaps. Big Brother could be very nasty.
Students were given a comprehensive, yet far reaching, understanding of the tools and techniques to make them successful at attaining objectives, all of which were measured by multiple sales numbers, as specific as $$ per call. They were also aware of inevitable disciplinary action, including dismissal. Prior to an impending pink slip, there would be weeks of supplemental coaching, innuendos of failure and a good chance of sleepless nights or tearful emotional reactions due, in part, to customer abuse and employer harassment.
It’s difficult to measure any degree of success in a short period of time. Most students maintained respectful numbers, some sought employment elsewhere within a number of weeks.
I expressed no interest in accepting the position of trainer on a full time basis. It would have meant placing me within management, a group significantly shy of being able to express emotions for what their duties demanded. There were supervisors who had resigned because of company policies that placed, what they considered, too much emphasis on sales and required them to fire otherwise exemplary employees. Still others took early retirement.
Another instructor took the position, one that was in the good graces of the office manager, both of whom had been transplanted from another location. Cronyism and nepotism both played major roles in that scenario.
I was given a position as team leader, where I could provide support to some ten employees. Duties included assistance in sales techniques, although taking ownership of major problems within different departments and other issues directly affecting businesses were the biggest challenges. Most important, it gave the sales associates the opportunity to center their efforts on meeting their sales quotas.
At one point, the new instructor was out on a personal day so I was drafted to fill in. Moments after my introduction, I directed questions to have a perspective what had transpired in the previous few weeks. Questions lead to other questions and a dialogue ensued whereby the students and I were in disbelief what had not been discussed.
Sure, they had been repeatedly drilled on sales presentations but I was aghast that they know nothing about support tools and services. In particular, they new so little about the computer screen that displays pertinent information about the customer. Existing services, authorized individuals to make changes and inquiries, billing histories and, most important, the nature of the business. There had been no instruction about the various interface equipment that all but the basic of businesses use in their daily operations.
They appreciated the knowledge that would be of significant importance in their daily routines on the job. There were frequent times when they would seek my assistance on matters and situations they hadn’t been taught by the end of initial training. They were very respectful in not having expectations that I would resolve their issues but satisfied that I was usually able to give an answer or direct them to the appropriate database.
Other team leaders within the office didn’t necessarily go to the extent of giving just support to other employees. Small talk was not one of my strongest talents, or gossip, or complaining, or busywork. I got along well with nearly everyone, perhaps grimacing at the prospect of assisting one or two employees because they just couldn't ever get things right but never turning anyone away. I was generally well-liked.
I spent most mornings before work and most lunch periods alone, regenerating my mind by reading a newspaper, a magazine or a book. I pretty much isolated myself in the confines of my truck. It worked for me. No one thought of me as anti-social.
Nieves Abrieu parked next to me. We’d give a quick acknowledgement as she entered the building and I held out for that last moment of tranquility. There was no doubt we were friends.
One morning she was carrying a large tray of food that appeared to dwarf her small frame, and a couple of other packages. I was glad to offer my assistance. I questioned her what occasion had prompted the goodies – usually everyone in the office would contribute something or other and I felt a little guilty for not taking part in whatever festivity had been planned for the day.
Nieves was always cute, but her response to my inquiry was immediate and the tone of her voice hinted of matter-of-fact pride and satisfaction. The three words shocked me and rendered me virtually speechless for all of "Ron Rae Day".
At various times, there were periods when I was given the opportunity to write, rewrite, condense and present instructional materials to newly hires employees, plus give guidance to those who have been on the job for extended periods of time, to inform them of new products, techniques and applications for success in sales and service environments.
Being a successful instructor demands complete understanding of not only products and services in an industry but also implementing an effective technique of presenting to the prospective client the benefits of entrusting their futures with your company. Providing the latest of innovative products and services is of less significance when the benefits of an investment lack consideration of how they will supplement other aspects of the business operation.
Two decades ago, companies were likely to direct attention toward providing the best of customer service to their clients and business partners. Initially, when markets became open to competition, they were primarily clones of the established business concerns. As globalization brought innovative entrepreneur ventures, alternate strategies were incorporated in long-term objectives.
Changes in attitudes of consumers’ expectations for newer and better products resulted in a progressive reevaluation of techniques to achieve corporate financial goals. Customer service became a liability; companies began to redirect their approach toward increasing profits with calculated paths of renovating their influences on market shares.
The first line of a company’s interaction, it’s employees taking incoming calls, brought about a transformation from Customer Service to Customer Service and Sales, then to Sales and Service. Nowadays, you're most likely to be talking to Sales Representative. It’s a hit and miss prospect as to what degree of importance a company will provide follow-up assistance.
Take for instance the challenges brought upon my employment when technical position became nearly obsolete when the telecommunication industry was transformed from a monopoly to alternate options of doing business. Satellite transmission. Integrated circuitry rendered human involvement unnecessary with computer-processed programming and trouble isolation. The efficiency factor was further realized when employee errors were essentially removed from the process. Job security could no longer be influenced by what could be called sabotage by intentional employee incompetence.
Within a matter of a decade the technical facility of 250 employees was reduced to 80, mostly by attrition. There were other regional offices with the same fate. Continued employment within the industry forced me to accept what I felt was degrading. I had experienced direct contact with costumers in a call center over a decade ago and felt a sense of hopelessness.
Moving from the West Coast to the Southeast I had the opportunity to accept the same technical position as previously held. The South is known to be a few years behind the times; the writing was on the wall – I would eventually be confronted with the same fate as previously experienced. Instead, I represented the company with an endless flow of residential customers making their way to my desk, relying on the phone and a computer to address their concerns.
At that period in time, exceptional sales figures garnered sometimes significant awards toward merchandise at a few local stores. Penney’s and Sales Merchandise were my places of interest. A few of us were also treated to a luncheon with management - establishments that I would not be inclined to dine at otherwise.
After about five years, my successes helped me to “graduate” to the same position servicing small business owners. The office environment was much accommodating to an employee’s personal achievement; by comparison, stresses were fewer and less intense.
It would take a few years under different criteria to feel comfortable at the job, which meant I was pretty mediocre in achievements. Being a silent achiever, the expectations I place upon myself deny me self-praise.
As the winds of change blow toward increased corporate profits and a realignment of expectations of employees, the challenges for success also grew. This is when Sales began to replace the importance of Service. At that time, Sales and Service were separated, giving the employee an option to what he or she felt appropriate for their individual expertise.
I chose Sales primarily because I couldn’t foresee myself forever being confronted with what would surely be problem situations. As a Sales Rep I would still have opportunities to provide “excellent service” by listening and learning about the customer and the needs of the business. I would be in a comfort zone more accommodating of my perceived expertise.
Within two years in the same environment, I was able to prove my self-worth. I had achieved sales figures that rewarded me an invitation to The Pinnacle Club ceremony on a three-day all-expenses paid trip to San Francisco. It was an interesting if not exhausting weekend, but the result of my success provided me the opportunity to provide guidance to new and existing employees in a quickly changes business atmosphere.
As a Training Instructor, I accepted additional challenges of not only updating and condensing materials but completing the course within a ten week period instead of fourteen. There were sixteen trainees from various backgrounds instead of the typical twelve, some of whom would have transferred from other jobs within the company. I was given two weeks to set up the classroom, computer terminals and software, and evaluate the need of and obtain supplies. The scope of the challenges were more than I had experienced in the past but the knowledge I had garnered over the past years, including that as a technician, I felt prepared, and eager, to take the task and make it my personal responsibility to make the students successful in their new employment venture.
I followed a path less traveled, utilizing materials at hand but placing less importance on company-structured guidelines than what I deemed of primary importance rather than what was dictated.
The company had reverted to involving all reps in the process of taking calls from all customers regardless of billing, service or sales prospects. As you can imagine, sales was to be the main focus of training. I chose otherwise.
The course began with the fundamentals of the multiple computer programs that were inherent with setting up new service, making changes for existing customers, providing answers to inquiries of nearly any imaginable topic. Multi-tasking had become a necessity with every contact.
Equipment, billing information, consumer support groups and identifying and securing information for various departments were the bare essentials to addressing or resolving customer inquiries. Having recently regionalized call centers, it was important to know which databases would provide information for each state’s provisions, rates, and government mandated requirements. Within any given state, cities and towns are as unique in available services as their populations differ in demographics.
Incorporating sales techniques was also important. Avoiding questions that could be answered with a simple yes or no was a basic strategy; “open ended” questions that began with who, what, when, where and how were meant to instigate a dialogue between the buyer and the provider. In other words, “do you?” and “don’t you?” were to be avoided. Everyone was made aware that there might be ears tuned into a conversation from anywhere, including the Public Service Commission. The company could implement disciplinary action on a variety of mishaps. Big Brother could be very nasty.
Students were given a comprehensive, yet far reaching, understanding of the tools and techniques to make them successful at attaining objectives, all of which were measured by multiple sales numbers, as specific as $$ per call. They were also aware of inevitable disciplinary action, including dismissal. Prior to an impending pink slip, there would be weeks of supplemental coaching, innuendos of failure and a good chance of sleepless nights or tearful emotional reactions due, in part, to customer abuse and employer harassment.
It’s difficult to measure any degree of success in a short period of time. Most students maintained respectful numbers, some sought employment elsewhere within a number of weeks.
I expressed no interest in accepting the position of trainer on a full time basis. It would have meant placing me within management, a group significantly shy of being able to express emotions for what their duties demanded. There were supervisors who had resigned because of company policies that placed, what they considered, too much emphasis on sales and required them to fire otherwise exemplary employees. Still others took early retirement.
Another instructor took the position, one that was in the good graces of the office manager, both of whom had been transplanted from another location. Cronyism and nepotism both played major roles in that scenario.
I was given a position as team leader, where I could provide support to some ten employees. Duties included assistance in sales techniques, although taking ownership of major problems within different departments and other issues directly affecting businesses were the biggest challenges. Most important, it gave the sales associates the opportunity to center their efforts on meeting their sales quotas.
At one point, the new instructor was out on a personal day so I was drafted to fill in. Moments after my introduction, I directed questions to have a perspective what had transpired in the previous few weeks. Questions lead to other questions and a dialogue ensued whereby the students and I were in disbelief what had not been discussed.
Sure, they had been repeatedly drilled on sales presentations but I was aghast that they know nothing about support tools and services. In particular, they new so little about the computer screen that displays pertinent information about the customer. Existing services, authorized individuals to make changes and inquiries, billing histories and, most important, the nature of the business. There had been no instruction about the various interface equipment that all but the basic of businesses use in their daily operations.
They appreciated the knowledge that would be of significant importance in their daily routines on the job. There were frequent times when they would seek my assistance on matters and situations they hadn’t been taught by the end of initial training. They were very respectful in not having expectations that I would resolve their issues but satisfied that I was usually able to give an answer or direct them to the appropriate database.
Other team leaders within the office didn’t necessarily go to the extent of giving just support to other employees. Small talk was not one of my strongest talents, or gossip, or complaining, or busywork. I got along well with nearly everyone, perhaps grimacing at the prospect of assisting one or two employees because they just couldn't ever get things right but never turning anyone away. I was generally well-liked.
I spent most mornings before work and most lunch periods alone, regenerating my mind by reading a newspaper, a magazine or a book. I pretty much isolated myself in the confines of my truck. It worked for me. No one thought of me as anti-social.
Nieves Abrieu parked next to me. We’d give a quick acknowledgement as she entered the building and I held out for that last moment of tranquility. There was no doubt we were friends.
One morning she was carrying a large tray of food that appeared to dwarf her small frame, and a couple of other packages. I was glad to offer my assistance. I questioned her what occasion had prompted the goodies – usually everyone in the office would contribute something or other and I felt a little guilty for not taking part in whatever festivity had been planned for the day.
Nieves was always cute, but her response to my inquiry was immediate and the tone of her voice hinted of matter-of-fact pride and satisfaction. The three words shocked me and rendered me virtually speechless for all of "Ron Rae Day".
Thursday, March 6, 2008
The Right of Rae
"You Rae's are always right."
Those are the words that I have so often heard from friends. I guess they've accepted the fact and put the argument to rest because it does little good to do otherwise.
Yes, us Rae's can be a little testy when someone questions our rational interpretation of nearly every subject. It isn't that we have opinions, it's more like we know best and our statements are filled with assertion.
And yet we're willing to hear what others say and concede to the wiser, which further proves that we are once again always right by doing so! And how did we achieve this righteous attitude? For sure, Dad was stubborn but Mom had a full grip on what's right and wrong. It's a genetic inheritance, so it's actually the Noxon's who are always right.
You could also justly say that "The Kramer's are never wrong" as sister Sue merried into Mike's family. Very honorable, but watch out, the Noxon-Rae's dare anyone to challenge our righteousness.
The Noxon-Rae-Kramer combination puts my neice Heather above the rest of everybody else in our family! She and Phil are soon to become husband and wife on Valentines' Day 2009. They are too alike, complaining in unison about the same things! Good, well-educated young adults, no doubt set to have a life together in wholly matrimony.
And then there's the Noxon-Rae-Roach combination that just might give my neice Taylor an edge above everyone else! Sister Sally married and put up with Mr. Roach just long enough to give birth to quite a remarkable girl. As she is now 16 years old, she has grown out of her childhood shyness and now converses with exquisite charm and respect.
As the years pass and the family tree grows, just imagine that the Rae lineage shall inherit the Earth and dominate the far reaches of the planet!
And don't you tell dare me I'm wrong - I'm always right!
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Those are the words that I have so often heard from friends. I guess they've accepted the fact and put the argument to rest because it does little good to do otherwise.
Yes, us Rae's can be a little testy when someone questions our rational interpretation of nearly every subject. It isn't that we have opinions, it's more like we know best and our statements are filled with assertion.
And yet we're willing to hear what others say and concede to the wiser, which further proves that we are once again always right by doing so! And how did we achieve this righteous attitude? For sure, Dad was stubborn but Mom had a full grip on what's right and wrong. It's a genetic inheritance, so it's actually the Noxon's who are always right.
You could also justly say that "The Kramer's are never wrong" as sister Sue merried into Mike's family. Very honorable, but watch out, the Noxon-Rae's dare anyone to challenge our righteousness.
The Noxon-Rae-Kramer combination puts my neice Heather above the rest of everybody else in our family! She and Phil are soon to become husband and wife on Valentines' Day 2009. They are too alike, complaining in unison about the same things! Good, well-educated young adults, no doubt set to have a life together in wholly matrimony.
And then there's the Noxon-Rae-Roach combination that just might give my neice Taylor an edge above everyone else! Sister Sally married and put up with Mr. Roach just long enough to give birth to quite a remarkable girl. As she is now 16 years old, she has grown out of her childhood shyness and now converses with exquisite charm and respect.
As the years pass and the family tree grows, just imagine that the Rae lineage shall inherit the Earth and dominate the far reaches of the planet!
And don't you tell dare me I'm wrong - I'm always right!
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