It appears that BP’s PR department is kicking in – and then they falter again.  The President “invited” the senior officers to the White House, and they weren’t sure they could make it.  Let me explain, if the President “invites” you, he’s not asking — he’s telling.  Short of death, there’s no nice way out!

Entire towns are facing a swift demise, as tourists are staying away because of the tar balls washing up on their beaches.  Not just this past weekend, but for years to come!  In today’s economy, the majority  of small businesses on the Gulf Coast could be wiped out in a matter of days or weeks.

Enough about our trivial problems.  I read a statement from BP warning investors that this “situation” may be reflected in their financial results.  I damn well hope so.  Not just today or this year, but for many years to come.  I know of a number of fuel suppliers who have switched their branding from BP.  I sure would.  (Nothing personal, just business)

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I didn’t expect too much to be honest.  We have several large entertainment venues as clients, and perhaps I’ve become somewhat jaded over the years.  I had been at a Rotary event during the day, and both my wife and I had been working since 7AM.  On top of that, I got only 2 hours of sleep the night before, for no apparent reason.  Some would say I might be cranky.  I didn’t notice it.

Back to the story, when we arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to see a number of fans arriving in “Flamingohead” wear. (Think Jimmy Buffet’s “Parrot Heads”)  The atmosphere was light and fun.  There was a table in the lobby selling various and sundry cd’s and band gear. I was already having a good time and the band hadn’t even started playing yet!  Heck, the band’s slogan is “Enjoy the Ride” — what more can you ask for?

Well, over the next three plus hours, I was blown away.  During a brief intermission a couple of members of the band came out to “meet and greet” which pumped up merchandise sales even more.  These guys seemed to be having a lot of fun, too.  Antsy, never stopped dancing from start to finish.  I was truly energized at the conclusion of their performance.  Every member of the band had a chance to shine.

They promoted a number of different opportunities during the performance, without selling themselves short.  My favorite was the Woodflock in Red Bluff, California.  Now, I’m not a camper.  As a matter of fact, if you see me in a tent, the plane crashed, and I took it out of the overhead bin!  By the time Antsy was done, I was ready to go to Walmart and pick up some camping gear!

I went to the band’s website on Monday and purchased a fair amount of music.  As it turns out, I had a problem with a couple of the tracks.  These were immediately fixed and replacement links issued.

Great music, fun times, great service!  They’ve got me as a fan for life!

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I can only surmise that BP either has the worst estimators in the world or that they lied.  (I vote for #2) If they lie about the amount of oil, it goes that they probably lied about their inspection programs too.  Probably their safety records.  Who did they fool?  Nobody.  In the end, I don’t know what will be left of BP.  My guess is that it will take decades for their reputation to be restored, if they’re around that long.

The same is true of businesses who don’t have a mystery shopping program in place.  You’re only lying to yourself.  The truth will come out in the end.  In the best case scenario, you’ll have to spend more money to attract customers.  In a worst-case scenario, you’ll need to prepare for a liquidation after all your customers are gone.

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Google spends a lot of money to have these cool little “extras” and it pays off for them.  What little extras can you add to your business?  Would taking a talented employee and allowing them to explore their passion pay off big for you?

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Sometimes, the characters are good.  Moments later, they are mean and evil.  Some days, everything is going well. Other times, it’s bumpy at the least.  This is where having a consistent mystery shopping program comes into place.  A good secret shopper will allow you to identify these differences so that  you can manage them.  Think about how “lost” we “LOST” viewers would be if we missed the part where we see that Locke was actually killed, only to come back as the “black shirt” for the finale.  Or, if you didn’t have the back story to Jacob and how he came to the island.  And then there’s Hurley!  He’s really beginning to seem quite sane!

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I would urge you to go to ABC and view the available episodes.  Even better, buy the DVD’s and catch up on all your “lost” episodes!

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If John liked you, you were in.  However, if he didn’t, he would throw you out, as much as sell you something.  And, if John didn’t like you – just leave!  However, the wine was great, and reasonably priced.

I received an email from John, letting his customers know that he was closing.  He had moved around a lot in recent years, trying to find the right “fit” for his wine making operation.  I don’t know anything about the wine making business, other than some great advice given to me by Jan Shrem, the founder of the Clos Pegase winery.  He said, “To make a small fortune in the wine business, start with a large fortune.” (On a completely unrelated side note, if you’re in Northern California I strongly recommend that you visit Clos Pegase.  The winery is absolutely beautiful and the wines are among my favorites.)

So, given my recounting of John’s attitude towards customers, I bet that you think I’m going to espouse the validation of our customer service principals. You would be wrong.  John was part of the Hello Wines brand.  He is who is, take it of leave it.  He was never mean.  Sometimes, it was like watching an accident scene, you couldn’t turn away to see what was going to happen next.  John & I have always gotten along.  We have fun. His attitude was something you expected, and looked forward to.

As John said in his farewell message, he’s been fortunate to live his dream, and passion.  I don’t know what’s next for John, but I can guarantee whatever it is he will make it his own.  I wish him the best!

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So, the next time you think 99% is good enough, you might want to think again.

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A good part of the state of Tennessee is under 10 feet or more of water.  Nashville is closer to a lake than a city.  Yet, in these days of a catastrophic flood, Southern Hospitality shines through.

To our friends and family, our hearts go out to you.  Your struggles are not just with the immediate crisis of the water in your living room, but the reconstruction that will takes years to completely heal your wounds.

I would encourage everyone to open their hearts and wallets to the greatest extent possible.  A good place to start is the American Red Cross. They are the “troops on the ground” and facilitating much of the relief.  Your cash will allow them to obtain much needed supplies for day to day living.  After the water recedes, I would encourage you to consider making a donation to your local service club, such as Rotary (of which I’m a member) earmarked for the relief efforts in Tennessee.  These good people will be able to put it to use faster and more effectively than most, and they are stretched to the max with all the disasters.

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“I believe that personal reflection and prayer are a very important part of your daily life.  I am encouraging all our employees, regardless of their personal faith, to take a few moments out of their busy schedule today to reflect and contemplate the numerous blessings, as well as focus on solving the issues that matter most to them.” said Dr. Jeffrey Kasper, president & chief innovation officer.  He continued, “We have a diverse group of people of all faiths and nationalities who work with us around the globe.  Some employees already make this type of thought and reflection a part of their day to day routine.  For others, this may be the first time, in a long time, since they have taken some time out.”

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