25 March 2012

Customer Service

I am an avid fan of Jennifer Lancaster, the author and late night online purchaser, who lives in the Chicago area. I read her blog, her books, and have her on my facebook. She posted a link today to one of the people she reads and this link was an open letter to a food delivery company called Flavor 180. Now, living in a rural-ish area of Maryland we don't have large food delivery services. We have pizza delivery and Chinese delivery and believe it or not we have Sushi delivery! LOL! I KNOW! Right?! But that is the latest enterprise in our lovely mountain 'berg. I hope it does well. I really like it when something new and NOT PIZZA opens up in town.
However, I digress, I am aware of how things in a large city work (I used to order food when we lived in the Baltimore area all the time.)
So this woman, Gina, who is an online blogger and from what I gather, rather a big name in media, tried 3 times with this company called Flavor 180 to get food. Please click here to get to her letter.
I will let you read her letter and not go on about it here, but I will also like to talk about customer service.
Those of you who know me, know I manage a movie theater in my town. You also know that I am quite talkative and have a habit of being very friendly when tranacting (is that a verb) with customers.
I have had moments of customer service faux pas over the years. Some customers have found me offensive and not funny, as my intent surely was at the time. However, I did have one really blatant bad customer service moment. It was not excusable, despite the fact that the Frostburg State University student was horrible and deserved it, I was the manager and I should have been professional.
Now, I am all for understanding when customers are complete assholes and deserve what they get, but still, as far as customer service goes, you strive to be excellent, or at least you should.
I want customers to think of my little theater as the friendly place where we know your name, or at least how you like your popcorn! Customer Service is my number one priority as I tell my employees, to make sure when a customer has two movies they want to see, our wonderful service will help them decide to come to our theater and not the other one.
I also feel for cashiers in shops where the customer in front of me is a total ass. That poor cashier can't tell them off, not if they want to keep their jobs, so I like to butt in and tell them off. Since I am just in line, I am a customer and can say whatever I like. Or when it's my time, I like to say that things that I KNOW that cashier must be thinking. Make them smile, let them know that Yes, indeed, we all saw that asshole and know they are an asshole.
Have I ever been a customer from hell? OF COURSE! Who hasn't? They has been a time in everyone's lives when we were irritated by a cashier, or person that is supposed to be helping us and they are not. We act the fool and then storm out of the shop. "Yeah, that will teach them, we think to ourselves" but it doesn't, they just think, what an asshole and move on.
Bad customers upset my employees a lot. Since we are a small theater with a small staff, the kids take it personally when some moron gives them crap because the movie sucked.
I would love to say "Oh yes, since my employee was the director of that film, she is very sorry you hated it." But that would be bad customer service. I try to deflect that kind of barrage, I tell my employees that they are paid minimum wage and thus do not make enough to have to listen to that crap, but I am salaried and am paid to listen to it.
When something unfortunate happens in a customer service situation, as the manager, you try to smooth it out.
Recently, I had such a situation. I was, I thought, making a little tease to one of the customers buying a ticket but they did not take it that way and it was blown up into some rediculously large situation. To the point of a phone call from a relative of the customer.
I simply appoogized to the customers that were with that customer when they complained. Explained that offending them was not my intention. However, that didn't seem to do it, so the phone call came in, I again appologized. This time, I believe that it was accepted.
An illustration of a bad customer service moment rescued? I do hope, however, you never can tell.
I have been at my theater since 1999 but took a sabatical, if you will, for 2.5 years. While I was gone from my theater an incident took place that I will bring up here because it is a perfect example of bad customer service.
It was during Brokeback Mountain and the manager was on the box office window selling tickets. A man came up to buy a ticket to Brokeback Mountain and evidently this movie was long and he was the only one that was buying a ticket to that film. Now, to understand, sometimes at my little theater will show a movie that is super long while the other movies are short. So if one person shows up for the long one, you will be at the theater for the extra hour waiting for that movie to get out. However, as I feel, if you want to see a movie, then you should see it. Whether or not you are the only one in there and I have to wait, and wait and wait some more after I am done all my work for the movie to get out. After all, we are getting paid to wait. Not too shabby, I think! However, this manager I am writing about thought it way shabby evidently. While this customer was asking for a ticket to Brokeback, there was another customer waiting behind them to buy thier ticket.
What I heard was the following: The Manager was reluctant to sell the ticket, so much so, she was telling the customer that he was the only one in there. Words were exchanged back and forth and when the ticket was finally sold to the customer, the manager wads up the change, throws it through the window at the customer and says, enjoy your movie, one of them dies.
WOW!
Really, this is what happened. I do know, because the customer that was behind this poor customer happened to be friends with my ex-assistant who told him about it after she walked away and didn't bother to buy her ticket. I was all the way in Memphis, TN at the time, but got the email. Along with that email, I got the word that I was BADLY missed at the theater and my old customers wanted to know if I would be coming back!
I bet!
When I did finally return, I found several letters writting in to complain about one bad service or another.
My first act as the manager once again was to write to all the letter writters to let them know I had returned and offer them free passes to come back and try us again.
All but 2 of these passes were used.
Then one night about a year after I returned I met two customers that SWORE they would never return after thier nightmare with that interum manager. They told me that they had come to see a movie with thier child and while in the theater the child became ill and vomited. They had to leave, of course, and appologized to the manager for the vomit. She handed them a mop.
(Pausing here for you to re-read that statement. It's not a typo.)
Yes, they were handed a mop.
I was livid and speechless. The woman said to me, yea, how you look is exactly how I felt at the time.
I appologized to them for being treated like that.
She says to me not to appologize, I had nothing to do with that incident.
Still, I felt awful that THAT had happened to them.
I assured them they would NEVER be treated like that again. After their movie was over, I gave them some passes to use for them and their family.
They were very grateful and more grateful that I was manager there again and not that other person. They said they would tell all their friends they could lift the boycott of the cinemas.
Needless to say, customer service is very important and giving great customer service should be priority number one for every business.
So next time you are having a bad day, remember not to take it out on your customers or on that unsuspecting cashier who is only doing her job.
(And if you hate the movie, send an email to the Distributor, don't yell at the usher cleaning up the theater.)

20 March 2012

The Three Musketeers

Just watched the new version of the Three Musketeers. The one with Logan Lerman as D'Artagnan. He wasn't that great but he was okay. Milla was awesome as usual as Lady De Winter. Matthew MacFadden was good. Mads Mikelson is always great. I adored Ray Stevenson in Rome and keep waiting for that one great movie that will make him "pop" in the spotlight, however, I don't think that is going to happen now. Sigh.
(The Punisher 2 was crap.)
I can't recommend this movie for people who like realistic movies, but it was diverting.
So, if you like the actors and are ready to COMPLETELY suspend belief then enjoy!

8 Women

I have a very soft spot for crazy oddball movies and the French kind are always welcome to me. I have watched 8 Women once before and it was totally off the wall. I am rewatching it and this time I am finding it amazingly interesting. I am a fan anyway of several of the actresses in the film (Ludivine Sagnier, Fanny Ardent, Catherine Deneuve and Isabelle Huppert)but seeing them again in these wacked out roles, bursting into song and dealing with a murder is just plain fun!
I am recommending this film but only for those who love B movies and reading sub-titles.

19 March 2012

Spreading the Plant Based Diet News

No, I am not turning into Frank Sinatra and "spreading the news" what I am doing is starting with my FIRST "client" today. Worked hard over the last few days and made index card recipes for her. For privacy reasons we are calling her D. D is coming by today to make a meal with me and eat it. We are going to do the first Plant Based grocery trip tomorrow. D lives with her Dad, whom I have known for years, and I am hoping he jumps on this bandwagon along with her.
D has tried lots of different things over the years and they haven't worked for her. She is ready to try this. I can only hope she feels as great as I do after her month of the Plant Based Diet.

Anyone out there thinking about doing the same, please pick up a copy of The Engine 2 Diet Plan. GREAT reading and it gives you loads of information on how to make a change in your life that will not only help you lose weight but helps you feel AWESOME!!!!!

So, if you are wanting to live longer, live better and feel like a kid again, consider a plant based diet.

15 March 2012

Spring is springing out all over

I know the ticker on my page says we have 4 more days until Spring, but I have to differ.

These daffodils are ready to BURST FORTH in my yard. Ahhhhh, and the short sleeves that I am wearing and the shorts that I was wearing yesterday tell me that the warmth I am feeling is SPRING!

I LOVE PARIS IN THE SPRINGTIME......

It may not be Paris (and believe me I am glad about that, I've been to Paris, I prefer Frostburg) but it's just as lovely outside here.

Yay! Warm Weather.

11 March 2012

Just a reminder from the past....

Before you say that the research supports eating of animals, let's remember this:








And let's not forget this one:











(Ads courtesy of:
http://www.crazy-picsblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/12-health-lies-cool-cigarette-ads.html
and
http://medtechinsider.com/archives/1189)

09 March 2012

Warm Weather

Yesterday was very nice. It was warm, in the high 50's or maybe even low 60's. Today the wind is blowing, I do not know the temperature right now, but Mrs. Doyle went out without having to be chased around the library and grabbed, meowing, and tossed out the door. So that means something! LOL. She loves it outside, she just likes it to be her idea. (Oh, Mrs. Doyle is a cat by the way, I am not chasing my mother-in-law or someone like that around my library!)
Ripley loves to go out. (other cat) She lives outside. She begs to go out late at night, even when it's FREEZING!
I want it to get warm now. I know I have the COUNTDOWN TO SPRING on this page, currently reading 10 days. But I want it NOW!!!!
I don't think this is an impatience thing, it's more of a NEED TO CYCLE thing.
I haven't been on my bike since the end of November (or maybe it was just the beginning of December.) I miss it! This winter has been really mild, I think I have only shoveled snow twice, or possibly thrice, since the cold hit.
I think that makes it harder to deal with the 30 degree days of March. When you have been able to wear a light jacket in February you want to get moving with SIGNS OF SPRING.
As my best friend, Linda, showed us on her Facebook page, Spring has Sprung in the Baltimore area. (She posted a pic of crocuses)
I saw my daffodils peeking through the grass yesterday. I see the buds but they aren't open yet. Steve keeps a sharp eye on his fruit trees as of late in case he needs to wrap the floating row cover around them.
I have a large job ahead of me in the garden, clearing out the overgrown side of the veg area.
I have a feeling I am going to look like one of those Amazonian explorers hacking my way through the hostile vegetation. Maybe I should get a Panama hat for it. LOL.
I am looking forward to it however, so I can plant LOADS more veggies this year. I want to plant my own lettuces as I LOVE salads but don't trust the store bought kind not to give me E-Coli. Ugh.
I will post pics of the work as it goes along. It should be amusing, at the least! hahah.
Well, here's to dreaming of warmer days, in the VERY near future!

08 March 2012

Yumminess!

This recipe is not my own. I actually haven't tried it yet, but JUST LOOKING AT IT made my mouth water.
It's from Surf Haven in Bali. You may recognize that name if you are a House Hunters International watcher like me, they were showcased on that show recently. It is a place I WANT TO VISIT very badly, but since it's on the other side of my world, I will have to wait a while.
However, you don't have to wait to try this recipe.
Coconut and Almond Bliss ball:
1 cup of raw almonds
1/2 cup of sunflower kernels
A small handful of sultanas
A small handful of pitted dates
2 – 4 tablespoons of honey
Roll in desiccated coconut
Mix all ingredients together, roll into balls about the size of a small apricot and chill well before serving so as the ingredients bind. These little morsels will keep in the fridge up to 7 days.

America the Beautiful and land of the Citizens, new and old.

So, besides the fact that Steve and I are going to live a whole lot longer than we were going to recently since we no longer eat animals and animal products but now we get to live, BOTH OF US, as Americans. Steve was granted his Citizenship yesterday! YAY!
So now we are plant based diet Americans! WOOOOOO!!!
It has been a long road to get to here with all the paperwork and the meetings and filing forms and then filing more forms, not to mention the costs of filing. (Oh I mentioned it.)
HOWEVER! It's all paid off! We thought we were going down to Baltimore (Bawlmer) for a simple last interview and when that was over, Steve being the silly bugger that he is, came out of the interview room, whilst I was sitting in the waiting area with LOADS of others waiting to become Americans, and he had a face like thunder! He did one of those annoyed twitches of his head that meant LET'S GO! and I got up, followed him and said as soon as we were out of the door, WHAT HAPPENED????? He says, We have to come back! WHAT??? WHY???? I say, then he says, At 2 o'clock to become an American citizen!
(Bastard! Tricking me! I could have gone off on one!)
YAY! I said instead!
So we did what any two Americans do when they have a few hours to kill, we went shopping! Whole Foods is in the city very close to where we were so we picked up the things that we can't get at home. (Nutritional yeast! WOOO! Going to make that recipe from Engine 2!)
Then we went over to The Avenue at White Marsh to eat our lunch (that we brought with us, since I have to be super cautious about food consumption due to the casein allergy.)
So Steve got a coffee and we ate our pasties. Then we went back to the Government building and Steve got to sing the Star Spangled Banner and then recited the Oath of Allegience to the United States of America!
Then POOF! (haha) Steve was an American!
(Yes, I was crying - but that is me! LOL)
It was AWESOME!