Customer Service or Is It Customer No Service ?? August 26, 2008

Have you been to a large department store on a week day and want to buy something and can not find a cashier? Have you waited in line at the grocery store while the person in front of you struggles with the debit machine while the cashier looks out into space? Have you called for a doctor appointment and immediately placed on hold? Have you tried to call about a service and end up pressing all the numbers on your phone key pad and still not get your answer? Have you emailed a company only to get a generated acknowledgment response? Are you made to feel you are interrupting store employees talking with each other when you want to be a customer?

 

Yes, we have all been subjected to no customer service. Some personalities really should not deal with the public in person, on the phone or via the internet. Are you going to be the one to tell them to review their career choice? To tell the customer no service representative that their talents would be better used elsewhere?  That you know that they would be happier pursuing another job path? Don’t you want to?

 

Every time I encounter a customer no service situation I make a mental note that this kind of service will never happen in my company! At Haralee.Com we pride our selves in our customer service. Since we run an online company, when we do get phone calls it is very important that we make them personal and helpful. When we send out our orders we package them like a gift and add a personal notation. We e-mail our customers when their orders ship and try to ship out in a one day turn-around. In short we stress customer service at each and every personal exchange. We get lots and lots of emails which praise us on our customer service. While I think we do an outstanding job every day, I think most people have become so used to rude no customer service that they are very delighted when good customer service comes their way.

Where is the service?Hello, Can some one help me?

Susan G Komen Race for the Cure Time August 19, 2008

I am always excited to participate and to lead a team here in Portland, Oregon for the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure. (Team Haralee)  Last year the race event had 48,000 participants. It is amazing to see a sea of white T-shirts dotted with pink T-shirts walking through the streets of downtown Portland.

 

Oregon has the second highest rate of breast cancer in the country. Only second to Washington State, our neighbor 10 miles north of downtown Portland. With such a high incidence, it is only appropriate that we should have such large race participation. Someone either knows some one touched by the disease or they themselves are a survivor.

 

My company, Haralee.Com, Cool Garments for Hot Women, donates a percentage of every sale to breast cancer research. This year I decided to step up my commitment to a cure for breast cancer, and became a trained volunteer speaker for the Komen Foundation. Since there is no cure yet, we can work on prevention. Today I had my first speaking engagement at a retirement residence.

 

I accompanied the local director of the Susan G Komen for the Cure, who also happens to be a 30 year survivor, diagnosed with breast cancer at age 30 after the birth of her second child. We spoke in front of about 50 people, residents, and staff. Some of the women were also 30 year survivors and some survivors less than one year. It was a real privilege to speak with these folks about early detection.

 

Have you had your yearly mammogram?

The 2 biggest factors for getting breast cancer are:

#1 Being a Woman, #2 Too many Birthdays!

Early detection may save your life.

Make plans to join your local Susan G Komen Race for the Cure.

 

Billion Dollar Contest August 12, 2008

Can you use $1 billion? All you have to do is find the cure for breast cancer.

That can’t be too hard, right? Susan G Komen has raised $1 billion in donations in 25 years and hasn’t yet found a cure, but what if the money came all at once?

 

This idea for the cure is from Mike Dewey of Austin Texas. Mike has raised $90,000 in actual donations through his non profit and has pledges of $22 million. Way to go Mike!

He thinks an “economic stimuli” is the answer to get a cure for breast cancer. He realistically set a 30 year maturity cap on the prize. After 30 years, the money raised in the foundation will be distributed if no cure is found.

 

Mike’s wife is a breast cancer survivor. They have two daughters. I applaud Mike for seeing the big picture for his wife and his daughters. Looking for a cure does seem to be an illusive and frustrating exercise. Mike thinks if money like a billion dollars speeds things up, why not.

 

At first I thought he was just naïve. I thought he is overcome with the reality of breast cancer in someone he loves and then thinking it may happen to his children put him to bluster. On second thought, clinical trials, testing, protocols all take lots of money and maybe a flush of big bucks would fast track some of the roadblocks. Mike is raising the bar for hope. Isn’t that what we all are looking for, hope and cure for breast cancer?

 

Why Michelle Obama is Good for the Economy August 5, 2008

For the second year in a row, Vanity Fair has named Michelle Obama to their best dressed list. Not on the list is Hillary Clinton, or Nancy Pelosi. Both Hillary and Nancy dress in beautiful pant suits. Hillary’s pant suits especially were the talk of business women, but not of Vanity Fair. Nancy wears fabulous skirted suits too, but again not up to the list of Vanity Fair. So why does Michelle make the list?
Michelle wears dresses along with suits. She is young and vibrant and really tall which helps on camera.

 

Why will Michelle Obama help the economy? Because she has a look that other women can easily emulate. Not all women have to wear a suit for work. They can get a dress, coat, skirt, or a suit like Michelle wears and knows they are chic.

 

Michelle Obama was on the TV show ‘The View’ wearing a dress from the Black and White Store, and that dress sold out after she mentioned where she bought it. Any woman who has a Black and White Store in their town or on line can buy the same dress worn by the future first lady of the United States. Do you have a meeting, a job interview, and not sure what to wear? You can afford to buy what Michelle Obama wears. She has done pretty well for herself, so can you and help the economy in the process. Not to say all of Michelle’s clothes are affordable and off the rack, but they appear to be with-in the budget of many women, or at least a close facsimile.

 

Hillary Clinton has changed the way women look at the first lady of the United States. The first lady is no longer just an arm adornment for the President; she may become President in her own right. Michelle Obama can follow suit, but not in a pant suit. In the mean time she is helping the economy of the United States by being an affordable fashion role model to many women.