Weblog
04/03/10: Pinching the Post Penny
This will be a short entry. More of a venting with insight thrown in just because...Why is the Post Office losing money? Because its not run like a business. It doesn't even try to serve its customers. Today I waited in line for 45 minutes to drop off a package because I couldn't put it in the slot because it was media mail and not priority. So, let me get this right, terrorist only use media mail? If its mailed priority then it doesn't need to be checked by a postal employee. Second, how many of you have a nightmare story regarding the post office? I bet we could all recount at least a dozen terrible incidents with postal "service."
All I can say is thank God the government is now going to be in charge of health care. I didn't think the lines were long enough at my doctor's office. I guess that could be a new course of treatment; have the patient wait long enough and either the illness or the patient will go away.
Second business brief: Why are some businesses so dumb? Scholastic Books, which has run book fairs at my school for the entire time I've been a teacher got rid of their teacher promotion this time. Usually teachers will get some kind of special deal. Maybe 20-25% off, or buy three get one free. Some kind of deal. As a teacher I routinely will drop $80-150 at the two book fairs they have each year at my school to replenish my class library. Well, this year because of the economic times they got rid of the special teacher promotion. I spent $20 and begrudgingly. Way to encourage spending, cheapskates.
When will people learn that even in hard economic times there are unique opportunities? Instead of getting tight with specials, promotions and pinching every penny, the companies that give extra value, cut the margins and try to "bless" their customers will inherit many and grateful customers.
Well, that's my two cents.... wait, I think I gave you at least a dimes worth. And you're welcome.
04/07/09: Overstaying my type
I say too much. I can't keep these entries brief. And because each entry must be an intended masterpiece I fail to write often, but I make up for this by writing too much when I do. In essence its just bad marketing. My wife writes little but often and she has a lot of readers, I write seldom and too much ...I find this same principle affecting other areas of my life as well; especially at work. I'm too available. Too involved. Too open with people. I'm too helpful to others. I try to do too much.
If absence makes the heart grow fonder, then I think I need to pull back and maybe people will start to appreciate me more. They sure don't appreciate me now.
If it reads like I'm throwing a pity party then ... it really is obvious isn't it.
The biggest problem with throwing a pity party is that God always reminds you of people who have it much worse. And as I was reminded when I came home tonight I have so much to be thankful for, to concentrate on those sources of discouragement (lack of professional peer recognition) is to concentrate on the empty 10% of the glass.
I could go on, but the whole point of this entry would have been lost.
09/04/05: What the MLM am I doing?
Last weekend I did something I swore I’d never do: I got a tattoo.Not really. I’m not that crazy (no offense to all the crazy people out there who “got” tattooed).
But almost, I joined a MLM (multi level marketing) venture.
In my defense I signed up with the right motives. This particular outfit is hawking a product (my prejudice against MLM’s is strong) that purports to be very helpful in supplying the body with the nutrients it needs to take care of itself. After hearing this and other claims I came to the conclusion that if it was even half as good as it sounded then there was something there that would help people.
And since my wife is people (and has been a very sick people) we decided to join and try it for a few months.
Once in, I received the propaganda (BTW not all propaganda is false) and began to read and listen to more about this glyconutritional “technology.” Sounds real good. Too good? Well, we’ll see. I’m not going to be peddling it to my family and friends until Tam and I know that it works. And even then I refuse to have this business define me.
But for now all of this is moot. First, I’ve got to see if it works. If it does, then I’ll go from there. If it doesn’t, then I’ll have learned a valuable lesson: Never Join MLMs.