I'm usually too tired to update my blog unless there is a subject worth writing about. Such is the case this time...
I love Facebook. It is way for me to keep touch with my friends and family especially during an era when we are spread out to the four corners of the earth. I love it when my sisters post pictures and comments online because it is as if I get to see into their lives often in near real-time and even though we are miles apart, I still feel a part of their lives. (Love you siblings!)
But what Facebook is NOT for is a place to air out your grievances against specific individuals. Facebook is NOT a place to write slanderous things about others. People others are watching! Not just your 500 + friends but anyone who is connected to them (which could potentially be the whole online planet!)
In this day and age your digital persona carries a lot of weight. Potential employers Google you to see what your digital footprint says about you (well what YOU "says" about YOU bcause it is You who probably posted it). Try doing it with your name and you'll be surprised by what the search engine pulls up.
There is far better expert commentary out there on the subject so I won't continue. Lets just sum it up with the following:
Better be comfortable with EVERYONE reading what you write on here because once you put it out there in cyberspace its out there FOREVER!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
Lasting Impresson
In a time when business is slow and management is struggling to come up with different ways of stimulating revenue, I bore witness recently to a major reason why I believe y'all are floundering.
I was called to our Canmore office to do a single rental and since it means time away from our desk in Banff, I agreed to do it. The rental went smoothly enough and another satisfied customer drove off in one of our vehicles. I then started to close down the shop and warm up a vehicle for the fifteen minute drive back to Banff.
As I fired up the GMC Acadia and was clearing snow off the back window, a Japanese lady walked over to me from her van. In broken English she tried to explain to me that it was not starting. Knowing that she was a guest of the hotel where our location was, I thought to simply refer her to the front desk. But my SUV was still warming up so I figured it wouldn't hurt to have a look.
With a simple twist of the keys I knew that I was dealing with a weak battery. And as I turned to inform the lady I caught a glimpse of three child seats strapped to the middle row of seats in the back of the van. From those three child seats, three pairs of eyes staired back at me: three pairs of eyes that belonged to three little kids. They had been sitting in a cold van and with the doors now open it was only getting colder.
She needed a boost and thankfully she had a basic pair of booster cables in her van. Well I had the mighty Acadia on hand so I figured I'd simply give her a jump start and be on my way. At this point I noted a group of hotel staff linning up for their smoke break a few feet away from us. I also noted that none of them were bothering to offer assistance to me or the lady who was standing closer to them.
The van "jumped" nicely after a quick boost and I advised the lady to let her van run for a few minutes before attempting to drive off. As I walked back to the Acadia two of the smoking staff members walked over to me and made some comments regarding what they had witnessed...
"One thing about North American vehicles is they always start in the winter."
"Yeah that battery is dead."
"You sure she can drive? Looks like she stalled again."
Not once was there an inquiry of the lady's well being or an expression of care concerning it. I couldn't help but think that this was their guest and not even an existing or potential client of mine. Not once had they done anything of their own to resolve the situation. I looked over where the van and moved and sure enough she had stalled. I figured it was because she decided to drive off so soon. I ran over to her window and she looked up at me with a bewildered, frustrated, and defeated look on her face.
"I can boost it again but maybe you should let it run for a bit. " I said. "Where do you live?"
"A little bit away from Canmore."
"Good. Let me help you take the kids inside because it is cold."
"I can call my husband."
"Yes do that."
"But he is working today I don't think he can leave. He is working in Banff!"
"Thats ok we will boost your van and I can follow you home!'
"Oh thank you!!"
We got the kids out and she was able to go inside with them to make her call. I got the van boosted and moved it to a safe area (it had stalled just before entering the main road). I ran back inside to see if she was able to to make her call. She had. I ran back outside to see if the van was still running.
And there they were watching me the whole time. None of them even offering to help with the kids. And then...
"Hey there is flat tire on one of your cars."
I hadn't noticed. It was fine when I had checked it in a few days ago.
"You need to move it. Creates the wrong impression of our hotel."
White hot anger boiled inside of me. I stared him down. I kept my silence. He lowered his eyes.
20 minutes later I helped the lady and her kids back into her van. I followed her home. She did live a bit outside of town but I informed our office in Banff that I would be a bit late and why.
When she pulled into her driveway she jumped out of the van and with tears in her eyes she ran over to my driver side window. She then proceeded to thank me profusely by bowing low. I told her that she needed a new battery but if she needed a vehicle right away she could call us and I would find something for her. I drove off without even leaving her my number. Our business was in the phone book.
Out of spite, I waited to put the spare on our car and move it till the next day. I am sure the "impression" that the hotel was hoping to preserve remained intact.
It certainly is staying with me.
I was called to our Canmore office to do a single rental and since it means time away from our desk in Banff, I agreed to do it. The rental went smoothly enough and another satisfied customer drove off in one of our vehicles. I then started to close down the shop and warm up a vehicle for the fifteen minute drive back to Banff.
As I fired up the GMC Acadia and was clearing snow off the back window, a Japanese lady walked over to me from her van. In broken English she tried to explain to me that it was not starting. Knowing that she was a guest of the hotel where our location was, I thought to simply refer her to the front desk. But my SUV was still warming up so I figured it wouldn't hurt to have a look.
With a simple twist of the keys I knew that I was dealing with a weak battery. And as I turned to inform the lady I caught a glimpse of three child seats strapped to the middle row of seats in the back of the van. From those three child seats, three pairs of eyes staired back at me: three pairs of eyes that belonged to three little kids. They had been sitting in a cold van and with the doors now open it was only getting colder.
She needed a boost and thankfully she had a basic pair of booster cables in her van. Well I had the mighty Acadia on hand so I figured I'd simply give her a jump start and be on my way. At this point I noted a group of hotel staff linning up for their smoke break a few feet away from us. I also noted that none of them were bothering to offer assistance to me or the lady who was standing closer to them.
The van "jumped" nicely after a quick boost and I advised the lady to let her van run for a few minutes before attempting to drive off. As I walked back to the Acadia two of the smoking staff members walked over to me and made some comments regarding what they had witnessed...
"One thing about North American vehicles is they always start in the winter."
"Yeah that battery is dead."
"You sure she can drive? Looks like she stalled again."
Not once was there an inquiry of the lady's well being or an expression of care concerning it. I couldn't help but think that this was their guest and not even an existing or potential client of mine. Not once had they done anything of their own to resolve the situation. I looked over where the van and moved and sure enough she had stalled. I figured it was because she decided to drive off so soon. I ran over to her window and she looked up at me with a bewildered, frustrated, and defeated look on her face.
"I can boost it again but maybe you should let it run for a bit. " I said. "Where do you live?"
"A little bit away from Canmore."
"Good. Let me help you take the kids inside because it is cold."
"I can call my husband."
"Yes do that."
"But he is working today I don't think he can leave. He is working in Banff!"
"Thats ok we will boost your van and I can follow you home!'
"Oh thank you!!"
We got the kids out and she was able to go inside with them to make her call. I got the van boosted and moved it to a safe area (it had stalled just before entering the main road). I ran back inside to see if she was able to to make her call. She had. I ran back outside to see if the van was still running.
And there they were watching me the whole time. None of them even offering to help with the kids. And then...
"Hey there is flat tire on one of your cars."
I hadn't noticed. It was fine when I had checked it in a few days ago.
"You need to move it. Creates the wrong impression of our hotel."
White hot anger boiled inside of me. I stared him down. I kept my silence. He lowered his eyes.
20 minutes later I helped the lady and her kids back into her van. I followed her home. She did live a bit outside of town but I informed our office in Banff that I would be a bit late and why.
When she pulled into her driveway she jumped out of the van and with tears in her eyes she ran over to my driver side window. She then proceeded to thank me profusely by bowing low. I told her that she needed a new battery but if she needed a vehicle right away she could call us and I would find something for her. I drove off without even leaving her my number. Our business was in the phone book.
Out of spite, I waited to put the spare on our car and move it till the next day. I am sure the "impression" that the hotel was hoping to preserve remained intact.
It certainly is staying with me.
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