… They always told me I had one!!!
Posts tagged kind of day
Sandy and Being Down for the Count
12 years
Oh no.. You can’t have any!!
HURRICANE SANDY RECOVERY UPDATE:
This is to let you all know the status of our “recovery” as we close out the 10th month after the storm…
I just got off the phone with NYS & NYC offices for various “Recovery Programs”. My conversation with the representative of both agencies ended with this statement – “I couldn’t get any luckier if I stood in the middle of a field with a metal pole in my hands” – we applied to every program the State of New York offered and luckily, our last application went in on March 24th – the following week, the State turned over all applications for city based businesses and homeowners to NYC.
Guess what?? “Some of the thousands of applications were actually lost in the transfer” is the answer I was told. Upon further investigation and tracking of my application registration number, we have determined that our application was, you got it, LOST!
So while I harbor no animosity toward the staff at any of these agencies that go home every pay period with a paycheck, NO ONE in the State or City bureaucratic machine gets the idea that we, small and micro businesses literally swamped by this storm have been breaking our backs, going without, exhausting savings, and standing by aimlessly as we watch everything we’ve built for years, even decades, ebb away. Who cares about the year round community as long as rides are running and people can lay on a beach? Coney Island looks like a ghost town when many of those businesses never even bothered to open again. And by the way, even the few businesses that have qualified for the “Emergency Loans” have yet to see the money – 10 months later!! Some emergency!!
So our status? Contrary to what some may believe, we did not “hit the lottery:, we are not “sitting on our winnings”, and no, Sandy wasn’t “the best thing that could have ever happened to us” (all things I have heard from people who think we made out like bandits!) Disappointed by a system designed to fail the people who it was supposed to serve – you know, the ones that pay the corporate taxes, payroll taxes, providing year round jobs and stable foundations in a city we have been born into, immigrated to, raised in and supported. Doesn’t matter who is in charge – what a disappointment to not even be allowed to BORROW ourselves into oblivion to try to get back on our feet.
Absolutely amazing!!
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Shaking Your Head – When Social Media Starts Off Wrong
12 years
We Americans of a certain age can live by this!
After taking countless seminars, classes and webinars, reading e-book after e-book, and forum after forum on the subject of Social Media, it amazes me (oh well, maybe it really doesn’t AMAZE me) that people attempt to handle their business accounts the way they handle their personal Facebook pages and Twitter accounts.
I met with a client today that wants to delve into the world of Social Media but is not “up” on alot of the in’s and out’s of its use. While 2013 brings about a change from worrying about “like” and “followers”, the real engagement is to offer the clients something to make them come back for more. In this instance, with this particular client, media and its ability to enhance his business is scoffed at – an old traditional place doesn’t need to get into all this “new stuff” but then he wants to make a splash on a Facebook page.
So we start out simply – he shows me a picture and says it received over 4,000 views – my answer, “what did it bring into the business?” His response, “I don’t know”. My next question is why did you post the picture which illicted the response, “These pasteries everyone loves! Look at the number of views!” But this business does not offer these desserts as a take home item, or a take out item, nor does it ship locally or nationally. So again I think, “Why?”
I ask if the picture is “tagged” …. “alternate text”…. “optimized so Search Engines can find it” and I am met with, “Why do I need to do all that? I don’t know what any of that is and what is it going to help?” So I, in turn say, “4,000 becomes 40,000 but again, what do you do with 40,000 views if the people can’t get to taste them?”
That comment didn’t go over well – shipping is not something they are going to do; they are a local restaurant and only have a limited amount of the product. The owner received many “comments” regarding this picture but doesn’t have the time to respond to any of them so he instead wants to just sit back and say “I got over 4,000 views”.
This is what not to do with Social Media.
Want to see how many people want to be your “friend” or “follow” you as you post a 140 character synopsis of what you do each moment, fine…. Facebook and Twitter are for you and YOUR PERSONAL ACCOUNT! Watch those numbers climb because, in all seriousness, they are just that, numbers – no one is buying from you, using your services, hawking your wares – nothing, nada! But for your business, well, that is a different story.
Want to post a picture? Make it relevant to the product or service you are trying to sell on whatever Social Media outlet you are using. Make sure it is tagged right, optimized correctly, hey, let’s even through this one in – use a CLEAR picture!! Then offer the people that are viewing something tangible – easy reservations, “We’ll save one just for you!” promotions, whatever will get them into the door of your local eatery or shop. Just as in life, don’t play the “tease” – there must be follow-up, follow through and something significant in the end.
Please keep posted to my blog as I chronicle the Social Media program I watch this business go through – what works, what doesn’t as my friend in his business does what he always does – wears way too many hats and becomes a master of letting things fall by the wayside. One day, maybe, he will actually hear me and let someone who knows a bit about Social Media handle his business’ Marketing and actually see a difference in the bottom line!
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Making Sense Out of Non-Sense
12 years
The Bain of my Existence
So many years ago, I was introduced to a program sponsored by Xerox called “Free Color Printers”. You get a free color laser printer from Xerox, you have to commit to a two or three year contract and you have to buy the ink and any other maintenance kits from Xerox directly. You pay a bit more for the ink, but no money for the printer itself. It is full covered under warranty during the life of the contract so no worries there either.
Of course, at the busiest time of the year, the printer shows an error so a call to the support center was made. Thursday afternoon, service request in, Friday morning, Fed Ex delivers two packages of parts and we waited for the tech to come. Which he did and “fixed” the printer. He finished and took with him the unopened box of parts. An hour after he left, the printer was showing the same error message.
Arrrrrgggghhhhhhh!!!!!!
So I call the 800 number again, they put in a service ticket and we will now have to wait until Monday. This morning, a new tech calls and says he just received the ticket, he would like to schedule an appointment for the 23rd (Tuesday). When I asked if he was the same tech from Friday, he said no; when I asked why he was not coming today, he said he did not receive the ticket until this morning so no parts were in and he could do no work on the machine. When I asked why the original tech wasn’t made to come back with the parts, he said he would rather not speak about another tech. Okay, I get that but I didn’t ask him to critique the previous tech, I just asked why he would not have returned seeing as though he had the parts and the machine was giving the same error message.
That was answered with, “You know ma’am, I’m just trying to help you out here; I’ll order the parts and come in on Wednesday as long as I get the parts”. Wait – does that mean he may not get them by Wednesday? He said it was possible. When I asked if it was then a possibility that the machine wouldn’t be fixed until Thursday or Friday, he said, “Well fine, then I’ll go by the book. I’ll come see the machine on Wednesday, order the parts and maybe we can fix it by Thursday or Friday”.
Again, Arrrrrgggghhhhhhh!!!!!!
At that point, I gave up and said, “Okay, you do what you have to do – I just want to get this fixed. But I am calling the 800 number back to find out why the original tech who had the parts was not sent back” – he said “You know, I said I was trying to help you” – which I understood but to me, it was apparent that he was just the messenger – my questioning would have to be of the “back office”.
So I call the customer support center again; explain my position to three different people who all very nicely explained the same thing in the same manner – “no parts were ordered and that’s why the tech didn’t come today”.
One more time, Arrrrrgggghhhhhhh!!!!!!
I’m waiting for Wednesday to see what happens……
This seemed to be a running theme today as I found a note taped to the front door of our office from National Grid that stated they & their subcontractor would need access to the office, store and apartment in the building tomorrow anytime from 9am to 3pm. Of course this note was left less than three feet from our posted office hours – a sign that says we are closed on Tuesdays. The note was posted after 3:30pm today and listed a phone number available at their offices from 7am to 3pm.
Should I reiterate??? Arrrrrgggghhhhhhh!!!!!!
That’s the kind of day I had today.
