Well, we will see how these go, or if people will be scared to take them. I’ll keep you posted.

 Knowing that most of the time I have chocolates and sugary candies. I thought I would ask what people wanted to see offered in the future. I got suggestions like more chocolate, healthy snacks, veggie trays.

So I got some of those snack crackers with cheese or peanut butter, those went over well and then I put our some fruit-roll-ups (strawberry).

Just today a young man stopped by and handed me $0.50, he said here is a donation towards the goodies. I thanked him and he trotted off happily.

I like the trend we are setting here.

This morning, a person I least expected walked in with a 1 pound bag of Hershey’s Chocolate Mix (Hershey bars, Milk Duds, Take 5, Kit Kat) bite sized candy bars.

Thanks Ken, we appreciate your contribution to the cause.

I hope this inspires others to follow his lead, so when I am no longer here the tradition I have started will continue. 

As I look out on these faces and see them lost in the sea of cubes and white ear-buds, they look so forlorn that there is no major holiday in the near future. Is that what we have stooped to, living life for time off and then complaining the entire time we are off about not having enough time off. Good Grief Charlie Brown.

If you don’t like your place in life, change it! You and God hold the keys to your future, stop complaining and change it. Do you want to be rich, make good financial decisions to reach that goal, what to run for office, do it get out there and drum up support, reach for your goals.

A year ago this month, I was feeling as if I was going nowhere in my last career of 12 years and in my late 30′s, having a wife and kids to think of I made the move to follow a career that I enjoy. I will tell you it wasn’t easy, there was 2 long months with no paycheck and it was scary, but we made it and now I make more than double what I made after 12 years elsewhere and come home happy. Think of that, when was the last time you had to pull yourself away from your work, not because of a deadline or needing to complete a project, but because you needed and wanted to go home. When you arrive home it is a joyful entrance, not a dreaded return of the grumpy old man. Do what you like and like what you do. I was told that once and have held it dear. Thanks Randy!

I was inspired by a friend to step out there and give it a go. Scary, yes! Hard, sometimes. Worth it, o yes, more than I can ever tell.

So what am I saying to you at this point in my rambling. Get off your grumpy butt, and look for a job you enjoy. Invest wisely, read a book, learn a new trade, it can be done no matter how old or young you are. Don’t settle to be stuck in neutral spinning those bald tires, retread and move forward, make something of your life.

Wow, that was not where I expected this post to go, but I am glad it has been said. Now at the beginning of a new year make it a great year.

Make it Great in 2008. 

The below quote is from an email I sent to Wal-Mart after a recent on-line order that I had chosen the “Site to Store” option to save time and $5 shipping. They wanted me to fill out a survey and rate there performance after my transaction. (Bad Idea on their part)

You want to know what I think, I think the service sucks. Let me share, the service itself is nice, free shipping to the store I would shop at anyway. But now to the pickup process. What a nightmare.

I waited 15+ minutes for the employee to arrive at the desk, this after dozens of employees passed me and offered to page the Site to Store (STS) employee. The employee finally arrived, looked at my paperwork and exclaimed “it’s a hard drive?” (no kidding, that’s what the printout says), she heads to the back room, leaving me standing there for another 5-10 minutes. She returns to exclaim “I don’t have the keys to get your purchase out of the cage.” My thought was then, “why are you here if you cannot do the job, get someone who is authorized to open the Super-Dupper, Ultra-Secure, Chicken wire encased cage. She then picked up the phone to page a manager. Now I waited another 15+ minutes for the manager to arrive (this after being paged several more times to arrive.) They both went into the back and for the next 10+ minutes I had no clue what was going on, the manager reappeared out a side door, and never speaking to me or looks my way he just ignored me and left. The STS employee never came back to the desk. Another 10 – 15 minutes pass, still waiting on the STS employee to return. Three other employees arrive and go into the back, add another 10 minutes, then they emerge from the back room with a box 3 times larger then the item I am expecting. This may be my item, maybe not. Now they announce they have to open it and inspect it (although it has a shipping label and such with my name on and to boot they have the nerve to ask me the pissed off customer if I had a knife to help them in opening the package, if I had I might be now writing this from the county jail library on computer privilege day) and spend another 10+ minutes opening the item to find the box was far to large and contained the least amount of packaging filler to keep my hard drive order secure. I go through all of this just to leave the store and had to wait as they page yet another person to locate some packing tape for them (yes three of them, like the three stooges) all this so I can leave the store.

Now for the continuation of my saga. As I was finally given my package and was leaving the store, I sounded the alarm at the door and the person behind the desk wanted me to stop, I refused and kept on walking, I drove home expecting the SWAT teams to be deployed, stop my van and drag me out beating me like Rodney for not stopping for the employee.

So the amount saved on in store pick was wasted in the 1 1/2 hour spent trying to pick up the $250 hard drive. I don’t know if this is the way it will always be, but I wont be recommending the service to anyone, and will be thinking twice about what I order, I may have to pay more to shop elsewhere, because in my world time is money and 2 hrs spend total (over an hour in store and travel both ways) cost me far more than the money saved on the item and shipping.

Piss pour service at best. I was at the Glenwood, IL store from 4:00pm – 5:25 ish pm on 11-28-07.

Sent on 11-29-07

My name is LaKesha. I am with the Walmart.com Customer Service Team.
Thank you for allowing me to assist you today.

Thank you for your feedback regarding your visit to your Wal-Mart store
regarding your Site to Store order(s).

Due to the nature of your inquiry, your email and contact information
has been forwarded to the Wal-Mart Stores Customer Service Team.  A
knowledgeable store employee will contact you within 4 business days.  I
apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Received on 11-30-07

Please note the part where someone will contact me in 4, yes 4 business days. Nope didn’t happen I called them on the 6th day, which included the 4 business days. The response I got from the third or fourth person I was transfer to was “well that’s handled by our department and we have no record of your complaint. Its not in our system yet…..not sure why they told you that, but we cannot help you right now, let me transfer you to Customer Service and maybe they can help you…” Wait, I thought you were Customer Service and they person who was to help me because its your department that over sees the STS service. Needless to say he didn’t transfer me he hung up on me. Figures.

So, off I go again sending more emails (see below) and getting the following response.

Ok, I would like to know when a “Knowledgeable Rep” will be calling me about my complain. This isn’t getting any better, I’m really considering returning the item and taking my money elsewhere.

What are you all doing about this, what are you doing for me the long time Walmart customer who spends a lot of money supporting you, and who is considering spending my money elsewhere? Whats the deal whats going on?

Pissed off and still waiting!

Send on 12-5-07 and 12-6-07

There response:

My name is Odessa. I am with the Walmart.com Customer Service Team.

Thank you for allowing me to assist you today.

I am writing in response to your email regarding the order number
26************55 for one (1) Iomega 33748 1TB Limited Edition Silver Series
Desktop USB 2.0 Hard Drive. To assist with resolving your request, we
will be contacting you by phone within 1 business day.Matthew, I apologize for the inconvenience you may have experience.

Thank you for visiting Walmart.com. We appreciate the opportunity to
serve you and look forward to your next visit.If we may be of further assistance, please email us at help@walmart.com.
We’re here to serve you 7 days a week!

Sincerely,

Odessa

Customer Service at Walmart.com

 

Received 12-7-07

“Why do people make bad decisions?”

Why do we spend so much time trying to define a term that really doesn’t exist? I’m talking about “business ethics.” Isn’t it really just ethics plain and simple? It’s just that for some people, they think ethics means one thing at work and something different at home. But, in actuality, shouldn’t our values be our values regardless of where we are? So, why do you think good people make bad decisions at work?

John Maxwell, in his book, “There’s No Such thing as Business Ethics,” believes that people make unethical choices for three reasons.

First, we do what is most convenient. When you are given a restaurant check and the waiter forgets to charge you for the dessert, do you say anything? What if you falsify a record at work when you know no one would be the wiser and it wouldn’t change the outcome?

Second, we do what we must to win. Many people believe that ethics limits their options and opportunities and thus their success in business. If being unethical allows them to move up the corporate ladder, then so be it.

Third, we apply what is called situational ethics. This means we decide what is right based on the circumstances of the moment. Dr. Laura Hartman, professor of Business Ethics at DePaul University shared with us some of the circumstances that lead good people to make bad decisions.

I have seen a very similar situation recently with a family member. He is using his “Religious” learning to change what he practices, I find it very bad ethically to except gifts (i.e. Birthday or Valentines) and then when if is your turn to bestow gifts on other (i.e. Christmas), it becomes a non-practicing holiday by that person. Is that ethical or is that hiding behind a religious belief to avoid having to spend money.

Sorry a little rabbit trail from the topic with a personal addition. It’s not that I am the person to whom gifts were to be bestowed upon, its just the ethics of the whole situation that stinks and needs to be addressed.

Well, today is the first day back after the holiday and it looks like 95% of the people have either called in sick or taken vacation. I think I just saw a tumbleweed rolling down the hall.

Doesn’t look like this week is going to provide much material for blogging, we shall see.

Joseph Zeman sits with his feathered friends. (Tribune file photo / September 2, 2004)

Watch it and let us both know what you thought of it.

A new challenge has arose. Find out how and how often will they be giving the goods.

Note: My selection is still the crowd pleaser, hands down.