John David Uriegas is a magician. He works magic with hair, makeup, and pardon me for saying this mature women! John David is pushing all of 30 years old but he relates to customers of all ages, and one in particular… Dee Sico would definitely rather fight than switch. Why? Because, as she tells it, “I get a hug and a kiss. And every time I leave there, he always makes me feel good.” Pretty simple but also pretty powerful. At least powerful enough to cause Dee to make the long drive to … [Read more...]
Sweet Anticipation
The best customer service is given freely by people who care enough to anticipate on behalf of their customers If you don't want to read it, listen to the podcast above or watch it on YouTube here! I wanted to write about anticipating customer needs. That’s a pretty simple topic at least on the surface. But as I thought about it I came to realize that anticipation is not such a simple matter. We anticipate customer needs. But at the same time the customer or patient or … [Read more...]
‘Coon Heaven
Some stories you have to look for. Others can be found simply by paying attention. But once in a while you can find a story like I found while sitting across a broad, round table with a cotton tablecloth that fell like a white cotton waterfall. I fished a micro-recorder from my jeans, set it on the lazy Susan, and gave it a good shove to overcome first inertia and then friction, to position it where it needed to be. My estimate was proven to be right on target as the lazy Susan traveled … [Read more...]
A Little Potty Humor
The venue was Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. It really is a palace. All sections of the main ballroom were set up just for me. Well, maybe not just for me. According to the giant posters around the room, I was first up followed by First Lady Barbara Bush. I don’t mind telling you, I was a bit full of myself. I was thinking, “Look at me. Small town boy goes to the big city and does good.” I decided to walk down the hall and arrange my hair. I don’t comb it anymore. I just arrange it! A … [Read more...]
Holter
You could smell the seafood from a block away. Or perhaps it was only my imagination. Whatever was the case Buns and I had our sights firmly set on Scoma’s at the south end of Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. “Do you know what you want?” I asked my best friend on the planet. “It’s going to involve lobster but I want to see all the choices before I decide. What about you?” “Mine is going to be about Caesar salad and Sourdough bread with a crunchy crust, a chewy inside, about a … [Read more...]
Tribal Knowledge
I had suspected since the beginning of our relationship that the FAA (Federal Flight Administration) had no sense of humor. When my annual medical exam revealed that I had Parkinson’s, I realized these guys weren’t going to fool around. It had taken nearly ten years to log 3700 flight hours mostly on instrument flight plans. But it didn’t take the Feds long at all to decide that a pilot (whose nickname should have been Captain Shaky) needed to turn in his license to fly. They salted my wounded … [Read more...]
Pick Pocketed in Paris
Big bold black letters warned in English to beware of pick pockets. That should have been a sign. Actually it was a sign, plastered tight to the wall of a subway station in Paris. We were waiting for the train to take us and our long time friends Super Mario and Brenda to Mont Marte where we would stop for lunch in the city where every restaurant seems to be a good choice. Speaking of signs, I didn’t realize until too late that I was dressed in an outfit that screamed “American tourist.” All … [Read more...]
May There Always be Consequences
“How was your day?” “Crummy.” The usually brief post-school day Dad/son conversation was off to its usual slow start. And I can’t say the “Crummy” response was all that surprising, considering that fourth graders are not known for giving up the secrets of youth without making Moms and Dads work for them. “Was there a problem?” At least one layer of interrogation is a parental fiduciary responsibility. So I dove in. “Not really,” said the kid who never seemed to have any homework that … [Read more...]
Do Americans Need Another Bloody Nose?
In 1955, I made a deal with the furnace that lived in the basement of my grandparents’ house. Our agreement was that if I promised not to venture any further than the basement step, second from the top, ‘it’ would stay in the basement. I never trusted our armistice would hold. So sometimes when my gran cracked the creaky basement door, I would watch from that second step ... but no further ... as she descended into the dark place beneath the house, never quite certain that ‘it’ would give her … [Read more...]
Of Whom Much Has Been Given Much Is Expected
Our little Mooney Ovation was what I called a “nose print” airplane. It seemed like anytime I left it parked on the ramp for more than a few minutes there would be nose prints left by curious onlookers. Jealous pilots were dying to have a look at the inside of an aircraft so awesomely cool on the outside. I don’t remember having anything you would call cool while I was growing up. No cool cars. No cool clothes. Just your average clarinet playing geek of the week. But N95MK was cool all the … [Read more...]
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