Credit cards over the phone.

I had an interesting conversation with a salesperson today.  He left me a voicemail yesterday about an 'opportunity' and asked me to call him back.

Yes, I figured, I'll call back, it will be nothing (or close to nothing), I'll decline and it will be over.  So, I didn't bother doing any background info gathering before I called him back.

However, it was actually something I've been thinking of doing and what he showed me looked like something I wanted to do.  During this conversation - he asked for my credit card number to 'secure' the transaction and get things going.

HOLD IT!!  My spidy senses went up...  I explained to him - tactfully - that I didn't know him from anyone, and the only contact info I had was what he had left me on a voicemail.  And that although I was interested in the opportunity - I was not willing to just give my credit card number to him on a first phone call under these circumstances.

He was surprised - but recovered well - telling me that no one he'd ever called had ever had a problem giving their credit card info out.  THIS is one reason we have Identity thieves!!!

So - he offered to put my 'opportunity' on hold, send me an email with more info and allow me time to call him back.  Good!  The first rule of any 'opportunitiy' is that it should be able to wait for a little while...

In the mean time, I looked up the company (a well known company in Charlotte) he was representing and found their public contact phone number.  I called the number and asked the receptionist if he did work for them and if he was authorized to sell that certain item. 

She was fun - she was honestly surprised by my question.  She asked me how I had gotten his name and info - I told her my tale of voicemail - she laughed quite a bit.  AND then she verified that I'm the FIRST person to ever call to verify that he is legitimate with their company.  And yes, he is on their sales team!

I'm amazed!!  AGAIN - This is one reason why we as a country have an identity theft problem.

Please people - verify that person BEFORE you just give them your information.  Whether it's a salesperson or someone pretending to be a bank - ALWAYS find a reason to put the situation on hold and verify who you are talking to.  For banking calls - just go find the public phone number and call the bank.  For government calls - do the same - find the public number and call that office.

For sales calls - just call the public contact number for the company they represent.  If you can't find public contact info - maybe that 'deal' isn't for you.  AND if the 'deal' won't wait - or if you are pressured to buy RIGHT NOW - maybe you should just let it go. 

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The First Mow!!

It's official - Winter is over at my house!  We mowed the yard today and that felt pretty good...  I know - warped!  Though kinda sad - all my pretty yellow, pink and purple weed flowers are gone... 

Seriously, the first mow of the year is always kinda neat.  I'm outside, in the sun with a few clouds, with a breeze and no PHONES/EMAIL/COMPUTERS - and on a Friday afternoon too!  The mower was just serviced; the blade was sharp, it cranked up quickly, and ran smooth.  Even the weedeater seems to work better on the first mow of the year...haha

I do push mow - my yard isn't large enough to fight a riding mower.  I'd spend way too much time turning around verses actual mowing...haha   I weedeat and edge while my better half starts mowing.  Then by the time I'm through, he's ready for a break and I finish the mowing while he does other little things...

The really funny part about mowing in the spring - the birds.  I keep feeders all year for the seed eating birds in the area.  But in the spring we get an influx of insect eating birds.  When we mow - right after all the noise is gone the birds decend.  The seed eaters wait in a cedar tree close to the deck for us to go inside so they can get to the feeders - and after mowing they can see all the seed that fell to the ground. 

The insect eaters are the funny ones though!  They swarm the yard looking for all the bugs that got uncovered from the grass being cut.  They hop around chasing bugs - it is really funny to watch.  Such simple things create such fun!

So - I declare Winter over!  Spring is here and let the mowing begin!

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Web Designers As Business Partners

I became a web designer many years ago because I thought the web designer my company was using was ripping us off.  He/they never seemed to make any progress and always had excuses.  And we kept getting billed for work we couldn't see... 

One day I walked into the president's office and told him I wanted to learn to do web design so I could create and manage our site in house.  He just stared at me...haha  My plan was to take a couple months and learn html while my admin/graphics person learned more handling the graphics we would need. I'm happy to say - after the president gathered his composure - and a couple months trial and error - it was a great success!! 

Since then - I occasionally run across one of those web designers who remind me of that time.  I recently ran across one this week. 

I friend was telling me she doesn't like her website - which is 3 years old with the exact same look and content - and she can't get the "guy who works on it" to make changes.  She got my attention!  I asked her to show me what she had and tell me what was happening. 

The guy who built and maintains her site apparently doesn't consider her (or her business) worthy of his time.  He tells her he can't make the changes she wants because they don't fit within the exisiting margins on the web pages.  What??  Are you kidding me??

Wonder why she's having a hard time understanding why she can't get a web site that is what she wants and that she can use to actually promote her business.  Amazing she would want to - isn't it!!

So of course, I offered to take over the site.  I'm going to redesign it to what she wants and give her a content management system so she can make some photo and text changes when she wants.  Then I'll just be backup for design updates and changes she can't make. (saving her money) 

Now this is the truely amazing piece - His response to the news that someone is going to redesign her site for her...  "Tell her, I'll give you the login info if she'll only use html files and only use Dreamweaver"...  because... "when it doesn't work, it'll be eaiser for me to go back in and fix it"...

OMG!!! 

Call to action!  People - take control!  If you own the site don't allow a web designer to make your decisions for you...A good designer will work with you and help you understand how what you want may or may not work on your site - but they should never just make your decisions for you - or dictate your web identity! 

You dictate the look and content of your own site.  And if your current designer can't work with you - find another one!  Your web designer should be a partner with your company! 

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Update on my restaurant customer service story

I have to report good news!!  My better half and I decided to eat lunch at the restaurant in my previous story...I've told you, it is one of our favs.  Some of the same waitresses I was complaining about were on duty.

I have to say, they were all doing much better.  I saw waitresses checking on other tables to fill drinks (which they never did before) and check on customers who happen to look up - you know when you look up trying to decide how to get someone's attention...

It was MUCH better than the other night!

That is how customer service is supposed to be.  Every customer in that restaurant is a customer -period - regardless of who their waitress happens to be.

Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to tell the owner I saw much improvement.  Since I did tell him my 'bad' story the other night - I'll send him an email just so he'll know they were doing better.

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Restaurant Customer Service

OK...I'm still on a customer service kick.  Customer service is not hard, and usually doesn't take that much time/effort! 

My better half and I went to eat at one of our favorite "meat/veggie" restaurants tonight.  It was a slow night and the wait staff didn't have a lot to do...meaning they were mostly standing around complaining about the amount of business in the place and tips they were going to get tonight.  That's another story...

There was a table off on the side with a gentleman and two children.  The oldest girl (probably about 12) approached a couple of the waitresses and asked for a towel.  One of them handed her the towel and turned back to the conversation they were having.

At this point I've finished eating and am just watching what is happening.

The girl proceeded to start wiping something up - one of them had apparently spilled a drink - she was trying to get it up.  NONE of the waitresses even noticed she was doing something other than sitting waiting on her meal.

Several minutes go by, she is still wiping, and the busboy was the FIRST one to notice she seemed to be in need of help.  He approached and proceeded to clear the table and wipe it down for her.

Finally - the waitress assigned to that table noticed him and approached to see what was happening.  She then got involved and finished the clean up. 

All the while those same three waitresses the girl had approached were still standing in the same place talking and glancing in that direction watching the assigned waitress handle the situation.

Now is where I'm asking you if I'm the ONLY one who sees a problem here!  At the very least, at least one of the original waitresses should have followed the girl to her table to help her with whatever she would have needed the towel for.  Even if it wasn't their assigned table.

And those of you who know me - know I did relay what I saw to the owner who happens to be a friend.  I'm sure it will be obvious I'm the 'customer' who complained about the wait staff - I've done it before...  but that's just too bad.  Poor customer service is a No-No in ANY situation.

Opinions - Comments?

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