Customer Service by Telephone loses money for companies

Customers want four things when buying goods: 1) Price, 2)Delivery, 3) Quality, and 4) Service. You go into a shopping mall and pick the goods at the price you find and you have delivery instantly. Quality you expect for the price you pay. If any problem arises, you expect quick solutions and correcting of the suppliers' fault(s). A recourse many of us take when presented with poor or untimely customer service is to select a different supplier. That is a costly error by the original supplier. They have lost a customer, many times, forever.

I have been privileged, mostly in experiences of years past, to know many telephone operators-receptionists who just performed excellently for their employers and brought on and nourished the customer base. Betty Wolfe and her cohorts at Abex Denison, Norma Copen at GoodYear Atomic, two operator receptionists at American Health Networks, and an endless array of outstanding people doing exceptional work.

Todays telephone systems rate an overall grade of D- in my estimation. Companies save a few shekels by not having operators, but cost themselves many more dollars in lost business by the poor service offered, particularly by telephone.

Robert Townsend said it best in "Up the Organization":

P 183

Telephone Operators

If I ever design a head office, executive row will look like the cubicles of a Trapist monastery, and the telephone-switchboard area will look like a Turkish Harem. Money spent on offices for the management is largely wasted. If they are any good it will be apparent to anyone after a few minutes, no matter how plain or fancy their office is.

On the other hand, how would you like to try doing the telephone operator's job for a day? Remember, you're the company's first contact with the outside world--you've got to be alert and bright and helpful and quick. You've got to know where everybody is all the time. I'd spend money to make the switchboard girls comfortable. The best operators in the area would be lined up for the job.

"Up the Organization" 1970

I have personally wasted many hours trying to obtain customer service by telephone. If you finally make it through the maze, you often find the wrong person, or even become disconnected to begin the long and tortuous wait once or twice, or more, again.

Yes, this is a Rant! Unlikely to reach the persons who hire the operators or pay attention to their customer service by telephone.

Thanks John Robert Looney!

Subject: How to fix it

This is from an article in the St. Petersburg Times Newspaper on Sunday.

The Business Section asked readers for ideas on "How Would You Fix the Economy?"

I think this guy nailed it!


Dear Mr. President:

Please find below my suggestion for fixing America 'S economy.

Instead of giving billions of dollars to companies that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan.

You can call it the Patriotic Retirement Plan:

There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force.

Pay them $1 million apiece severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:

1) They MUST retire. Forty million job openings -

Unemployment fixed.


2) They MUST buy a new American CAR. Forty million cars ordered-

Auto Industry fixed.


3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage -

Housing Crisis fixed.

It can't get any easier than that!


If more money is needed, have all members of Congress and their constituents pay their taxes...


If you think this would work, please forward to everyone you know.


If not, please disregard.

The way, the truth, and the life: (John 14:6) ><> (8-}

The Cultural Center of our Universe-by Frank Hunter

Frank,

You have to be Portsmouth's Magnifico Illustrious Imaginator for all time,
If not just the twenty-First century.

Keep 'em comin'!

There ought to be post cards we can buy.

Sam


I am sorry, but you will have to type in these links to enjoy Frank Hunter's photo dickering.



36 newsphotos
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=1746&id=1831158941&l=61c1d9bd4b


49 newsphotos
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=1747&id=1831158941&l=d1a60e38a7

Terry Krause- Mud Pies and Dandelions

MUD PIES AND DANDELIONS



When I look at a patch of dandelions, I see a bunch of weeds that are going to take over my yard. My kids see flowers for mom and blowing white fluff you can wish on.



When I look at an old drunk and he smiles at me, I see a smelly, dirty person who probably wants money and I look away. My kids see someone smiling at them and they smile back.



When I feel wind on my face, I brace myself against it. I feel it messing up my hair and pulling me back when I walk. My kids close their eyes, spread their arms and fly with it, until they fall to the ground laughing.



When I pray, I say thee and thou and grant me this, give me that. My kids say , " Hi God ! Thanks for my toys and my friends. Please keep the bad dreams away tonight, Sorry, I don't want to go to Heaven yet. I would miss my mommy and daddy".



When I see a mud puddle I step around it. I see muddy shoes and dirty carpets. My kids sit in it. They see dams to build, rivers to cross and worms to play with.



I wonder if we are given kids to teach or to learn from .

No wonder God loves the little children !!



"Enjoy and little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things........"



I WISH YOU MUD PUDDLES AND DANDELIONS !!!

Politicians- Selfishness above service to country

Thanks to my good Portsmouth OH friend, Ronnie Walters!



Subject: 545 vs 300,000,000
To:



You may have read this before but it is a good reminder that we, the people,
have let things get out of hand.







*545 vs 300,000,000*
*EVERY CITIZEN NEEDS TO READ THIS AND THINK ABOUT WHAT THIS JOURNALIST HAS
SCRIPTED IN THIS MESSAGE. READ IT AND THEN REALLY THINK ABOUT OUR
CURRENT POLITICAL DEBACLE.**
**
Charley Reese has been a journalist for 49 years.*
*
545 PEOPLE
By Charlie Reese

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then
campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are
against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and
high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on
appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme
Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are
directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic
problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem
was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its
Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered,
but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason..
They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a
congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking** **thing. I don't
care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician
has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises,
it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what
they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless
of party.
What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive
amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker,
who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits.. The
president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to
accept it.**
**
The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole
responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and
approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House?
Nancy Pelosi. She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow
House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the
president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.**
**
It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million can not replace
545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and
irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not
traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain
truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it
must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.**
**
If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red .

If the Army & Marines are in IRAQ , it's because they want them in IRAQ

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan
not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire
and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they
can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from
whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into
the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the
economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what
they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are
their bosses.

Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.

What you do with this article now that you have read it.......... Is up to
you.*




*This might be funny if it weren't so darned true.
Be sure to read all the way to the end:

Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table
At which he's fed.

Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.

Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for peanuts
Anyway!
Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.
Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.

Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries
Tax his tears.

Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.

Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers;
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He's good and sore.
Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he's laid.

Put these words
Upon his tomb,
Taxes drove me
to my doom...'

When he's gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax.*
*Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge T ax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Sales Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Ser vice FeeTax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge=2 0Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax
*
*STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?* *N**ot one of these taxes existed
100 years ago, and our nation was the most** **prosperous in the world. We
had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world,
and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.*
*What in the hell happened? Can you spell 'politicians?'
And I still have to 'press 1' for English!?

I hope this goes around THE USA at least 100 times!!! YOU can help it get
there!!!
GO AHEAD - - - BE AN AMERICAN!!!*

We should stop him now! Thanks Alma!

This tells it like it is. Chilling.

**
*Dinner with Obama, a parable**

Once upon a time, I was invited to the White House for a private dinner with
the President. I am a respected businessman, with a factory that produces
memory chips for computers and portable electronics. There was some talk
that my industry was being scrutinized by the administration, but I paid it
no mind. I live in a free country. There's nothing that the government can
do to me if I've broken no laws. My wealth was earned honestly, and an
invitation to dinner with an American President is an honor.

I checked my coat, was greeted by the Chief of Staff, and joined the President
in a yellow dining room. We sat across from each other at a table draped in
white linen. The Great Seal was embossed on the china. Uniformed staff
served our dinner.

The meal was served, and I was startled when my waiter suddenly reached out,
plucked a dinner roll off my plate, and began nibbling it as he walked back
to the kitchen.

"Sorry about that," said the President. "Andrew is very hungry."

"I don't appreciate..." I began, but as I looked into the calm brown eyes
across from me, I felt immediately guilty and petty. It was just a dinner
roll. "Of course," I concluded, and reached for my glass. Before I could,
however, another waiter reached forward, took the glass away and swallowed
the wine in a single gulp.

"And his brother Eric is very thirsty." said the President.

I didn't say anything. The President is testing my compassion, I thought. I
will play along. I don't want to seem unkind.

My plate was whisked away before I had tasted a bite.

"Eric's children are also quite hungry." With a lurch, I crashed to the
floor. My chair had been pulled out from under me. I stood, brushing myself
off angrily, and watched as it was carried from the room.

"And their grandmother can't stand for long."

I excused myself, smiling outwardly, but inside feeling like a fool. Obviously
I had been invited to the White House to be sport for some game. I reached
for my coat, to find that it had been taken. I turned back to the President.

Their grandfather doesn't like the cold."

I wanted to shout- that was my coat! But again, I looked at the placid smiling
face of my host and decided I was being a poor sport. I spread my hands
helplessly and chuckled. Then I felt my hip pocket and realized my wallet
was gone. I excused myself and walked to a phone on an elegant side table. I
learned shortly that my credit cards had been maxed out, my bank accounts
emptied, my retirement and equity portfolios had vanished, and my wife had
been thrown out of our home. Apparently, the waiters and their families were
moving in. The President hadn't moved or spoken as I learned all this, but
finally I lowered the phone into its cradle and turned to face him.

"Andrew's whole family has made bad financial decisions. They haven't planned
for retirement, and they need a house. They recently defaulted on a
sub**-**prime
mortgage. I told them they could have your home. They need** **it more than
you do."

My hands were shaking. I felt faint. I stumbled back to the table and knelt
on the floor. The President cheerfully cut his meat, ate his steak and drank
his wine. I lowered my eyes and stared at the small grey circles on the
tablecloth that were water drops.

"By the way," He added, "I have just signed an Executive Order nationalizing
your factories. I'm firing you as head of your business. I'll be operating
the firm now for the benefit of all mankind. There's a whole bunch of Erics
and Andrews out there and they can't come to you for jobs groveling like
beggars."

I looked up. The President dropped his spoon into the empty ramekin which
had been his Creme Brulee. He drained the last drops of his wine. As the
table was cleared, he lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair. He
stared at me. I clung to the edge of the table as if were a ledge and I were
a man hanging over an abyss. I thought of the years behind me, of the life I
had lived. The life I had earned with a lifetime of work, risk and struggle.
Why was I punished? How had I allowed it to be taken? What game had I played
and lost? I looked across the table and noticed with some surprise that
there was no game board between us.

What had I done wrong?

As if answering the unspoken thought, the President suddenly cocked his head,
locked his empty eyes to mine, and bared a million teeth, chuckling wryly as
he folded his hands.

"You should have stopped me at the dinner roll," he said.*

Thanks Alma Moll!

>> Tiger Woods, a true patriot !!!
>>
>> TIGER WOODS SPEECH AT THE 2009 INAUGURATION:
>>
>> Tiger Woods received a special invitation to speak at the
>> inauguration. His inviters were stunned, shocked when he did not
>> deliver the message they expected. A brief read and you will
>> understand why the media swept Woods' remarks under the rug with no
>> further ado and why the liberal left of our American society was
again displeased with Tiger.
>>
>> His speech was entitled:
>>
>> "You'll Never Walk Alone" [text is word-for-word as posted on Tiger's

>> web site]
>>
>> "I grew up in a military family - and my role models in life
were
>> my Mom and Dad, Lt. Colonel Earl Woods. My dad was a Special Forces
>> operator and many nights friends would visit our home. They
>> represented every branch of the service, and every rank.
>>
>> In my Dad, and in those guests, I saw first hand the
>> dedication and commitment of those who serve. They come from every
>> walk of life; from every part of our country. Time and again, across

>> generations, they have defended our safety in the dark of night and
>> far from home.
>>
>> Each day -- and particularly on this historic day -- we honor

>> the men and women in uniform who serve our country and protect our
freedom.
>> They travel to the dangerous corners of the world, and we must
>> remember that for every person who is in uniform, there are families

>> who wait for them to come home safely.
>>
>> I am honored that the military is such an important part, not
>> just of my personal life, but of my professional one as well. The
>> golf tournament we do each year here in Washington i s a testament to

>> those unsung heroes.
>>
>> I am the son of a man who dedicated his life to his country,
>> family and the military, and I am a better person for it.
>>
>> In the summer of 1864, Abraham Lincoln, the man at whose
>> memorial we stand, spoke to the 164th Ohio Regiment and said: 'I am
>> greatly obliged to you, and to all who have come forward at the call

>> of their country.'
>>
>> Just as they have stood tall for our country - we must always
>> stand by and support the men and women in uniform and their families.
>>
>> Thank you, and it is now my pleasure to introduce the US Naval
>> Glee Club ..."
>>
>> ====
>> Tiger Woods' 2-minute, 5-second tribute to the our nation's
>> military was delivered January 18th at the Inaugural Celebration in
>> Washington, DC!
>> He had been subjected to intense pressure to attend and offer
remarks.
>> Especially so by liberals who have demeaned and criticized him for a

>> decade for not joining their ranks.
>>
>> Yet, at the Lincoln Memorial, instead of paying homage to Barack
>> Obama, Tiger paid tribute to our soldiers. Not once did Tiger
>> mention Obama, the inauguration or the new administration. He had
>> to understand expressing his love for America and appreciation for
>> our military men and women would disappoint the national news media
>> and the liberal left. But Tiger is his own man; his father taught
>> him to be his own man.
>>
>> Somewhere over that cold, gray Washington sky, Colonel Earl Woods was

>> smiling down on his beloved son. And there will be one more crying
>> hug waiting for Tiger when the time comes he passes through heaven's
>> gates into God's arms.
>>
>> What? You did not previously know what Tiger said? You did not see a

>> video clip of him speaking on a national television network, you did

>> not see a photo of Tiger at the Lincoln Memorial offering his
>> remarks, you did not read a story in the NY Times? His appearance
>> at the Inaugural Celebration had been widely hailed and promoted in
>> advance by the Obama inaugural organizers. yet January 18 when he
>> came and spoke . . .
>>
>> Oh, well.
>>
>> WELL...If you are as tired of this liberal media as I am,
>> change the channel, and pass this on.
>>
>> I checked this out on Snopes and it is true. If anyone has
>> ever doubted whether Tiger is a classy guy then this should help
>> erase the doubt. If you want to read about it then check out Tigers
>> web site or http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/tigerwoods.asp