thoughts

by

Customer Service . . . I’d Like Some!

Customer service is a very important part of a business or any organization. In these days with social media, customer service is even more important. If someone is treated poorly and has lots of followers on Twitter and Facebook, a bad review of your product or organization could go viral quickly.

customer_service_goes_bad

So you would think companies would be mindful of listening to their customers, trying to understand them, instead of frustrating them to the point of outrage.

I found out that all depends on who you are dealing with. If you are talking to a customer service rep, they are on your side, trying to make it easy for you to get the result you are looking for.

However, if you are dealing with someone in, let’s say, the accounting department, they are more likely concerned that numbers match up in their books. They don’t care about your experience or how you feel. They feel good when they experience a ledger that looks neat and all balanced-like.

You might be able to see where this is going. That’s right, I had a customer service issue with our photocopier company at work and I was dealing with someone who really only cared about applying a credit to our account … a credit they should have sent to our old photocopier company to buy it out! I just finished writing a long letter to the company – maybe that should have been my blog today!

So, as I take an extra beta blocker this morning (just kidding) to keep my blood pressure in the earth’s atmosphere, I need to get a few things off my chest.

When dealing with a customer, listen to them. Hear not only their words but the emotion that’s behind the words. If you sense there is a frustration, don’t repeat what you have already done (and which failed) over and over again. It does NOT calm someone down!

When you have promised to take care of something for the customer and have not done so, don’t ask the customer to research and come up with a solution. Find a solution for them.

When a customer comes back to you with a solution, don’t tell the customer again what you have already done (and which failed). It doesn’t give the customer the sense that you are listening to them.

When you realize that the issue is something beyond you, don’t make the customer craft a letter to present their case to the people above your pay grade. YOU go to bat for them.

Finally when you realize that maybe, just maybe, your company dropped the ball (even a tiny bit), acknowledge it and tell the customer you are sorry, or they will feel you don’t care about your customers, and that might start something on Twitter or Facebook.

Here’s the thing: We often get upset with God’s customer service when He doesn’t answer us, or provide what we are looking for from Him, or even when we think “how could God let that happen”. But consider this … He is perfect and we aren’t. We’re the ones who have messed up and are in the wrong, yet He is still gracious, and patient and loving to us. Wow! That is great customer service.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What is your most frustrating customer service story? Leave your comment below.

by

He Shoots, He Scores!

“Hello Canada, and hockey fans in the United States” … that’s the way Foster Hewitt would start the radio broadcasts of Hockey Night in Canada when I was a kid. We used to beetle out after church Sunday nights, grab the car keys from my dad and sit in our freezing car listening to the hockey game on the radio.

IMG_1565

That’s what you had to do to keep up with your team. But that was then. Now, staying on top of what your team is doing is a whole new ball game.

I just got something that takes all the effort out of tracking your team’s goals and it came just in time for the end of the playoffs. My wife and kids bought me a Budweiser red light for my birthday. For those who don’t know what that is, let me tell you about it.

In hockey arenas, at each end behind the nets and the boards, is a red light that turns on when a goal is scored. Along with the light, in most arenas, a horn also goes off to announce a goal.

Well that’s what my family got me. And if you’re thinking it’s just a nice souvenir, let me tell you, this puppy is a working, fully functioning red light. It’s connected to the internet and when my team scores a goal, the light and the horn (sounding like a fog horn) go off.

Lily was testing it out and turned down the volume of the horn. I just looked at her, and shook my head. That was all she needed to realize the volume on MY light only has one setting and that will be on max. And it was right about then she realized, she may have made a mistake in getting it for me.

The beauty about this red light is you can choose which team or teams you want it to work for. And yes, that’s right, you can choose all 30 teams if you want.

I can just picture myself settling into bed on a Saturday night, and having the horn and light go off because the Vancouver Canucks scored a goal on the west coast. That would be awesome (but I’m not choosing them).

I was pretty excited to try it out and, since it was near the end of the playoffs, I didn’t have many games left. So I selected both teams in the running – Boston and Chicago – just to make sure it would go off during the game. In the three previous games of the series, the two teams had scored a combined total of 12 goals.

I was hoping for a couple of goals to see it work. But what happened made my day. It was beyond my wildest dreams! Chicago and Boston combined for 11 goals in game 4; my red light was working like a Trojan! … And I loved it every time it went off.

Here’s the thing: The amazing thing about God is that He wants to hear from us. In fact, I would say He is excited when we speak to Him. We call it prayer, and it happens all the time, all over the world. And like when my light lights up and it brings a smile to my face, when we start to talk to God, He can’t help but be pleased. Keep talking to Him; it brings Him praise.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What brings a smile to your face every time? Leave your comment below.

by

I Need an Electricity Plant in my Backyard

I wondered the other day if I’m getting a little too high-tech for my own good. Nothing wrong with high-tech but it requires a lot of electricity, and I’ve been noticing my dependence on it.

IMG_1561

Every day I have a laptop, an iPad and an iPhone with me, so you could say I’m fairly tech-oriented. All these gadgets need to be recharged, and the other day I had all three charging at the same time. If the power goes out at work, I’m good for as long as the batteries on my electronic devices hold up.

I have a system for charging that keeps my stuff working well. You can ask my kids, I have drilled it into their brains: you don’t charge your device until it is just about out of power; you don’t stop charging it until it’s fully charged; and when it’s done, you unplug.

My charging philosophy has done me well, and my daughter can attest to it. She has a 6 year old laptop and only now is the battery needing to be replaced.

If my use of high-tech tools stopped there, I would be nothing more than your average tech-savvy professional. But wait … I rely on a few more battery-powered devices to get me through my day.

I mentioned in a recent blog that I got a new weed trimmer. It’s cordless, runs on a battery, and the cool thing is I can use that battery with about 50 other products by the same company. I’m slowly working on getting them all (don’t tell Lily), but for now I have a cordless drill which can swap batteries with my whipper-snipper.

Isn’t that awesome? However, they need to be charged. They don’t run forever without being plugged in.

There’s even more. I have a cordless electric razor that needs to be reinvigorated with electricity and I have a blade razor/trimmer that requires a battery. To finish off my morning ritual of getting ready for the day, I use an electric toothbrush.

Yesterday was a big day for me tech-wise – maybe even a record. I had to charge my razor, all three of my computer devices, plus replace the battery in my pro-glide razor … and I think my toothbrush needs to be recharged.

Did you feel the power drain? Did the lights dim or flicker when you were getting ready for work? Don’t sweat it; it wasn’t a potential brown out across the eastern seaboard. It was just me plugging my high-tech stuff into an outlet.

There’s no end to my need for electricity and power. I have a bike computer that wirelessly calculates my distance, speed, and time all through the power of a little battery. And one more thing I almost forgot … There is a guy who has developed a hockey skate blade with a little heater in it that slightly warms the blade, giving you a little advantage on the ice. And ya, it needs a battery. And ya, I need a pair!

All I need now are solar panels on my roof and I’m set.

Here’s the thing: There are many things we can become dependent on, and if we lost the use of them, our life would be significantly altered. The key is to depend on something that we can’t be cut off from. How dependent are you on God?

Question: What have you become so dependent on that you couldn’t imagine doing without? Leave your comment below.

by

They Turned Me Into One!

There are things in life that we pursue, create or proactively bring about. But there are also things in this life that just seem to happen to us without much intention on our part.

It’s the day after my birthday and I am feeling like something just happened to me that I never asked for nor set out to make happen: I’ve become a super fan.

superfan1

You know those guys that paint themselves up before the big game? They have and they wear the jersey of their favourite player (in both home and away colours). You can spot these super fans by the flag waving out their car windows, the bumper stickers plastered on their cars, the paraphernalia dangling from their rear mirrors, and by their golf accessories (I’ll explain).

It’s no secret that I’m a Toronto Maple Leafs’ fan – hey, I grew up there. I do have a few Leaf things in my possession. My office walls even have some Leaf memorabilia.

I have a picture and autograph on my wall of Darrel Sittler, one of my hockey heroes growing up. But nothing I have is overt. You would not be able to look at me and somehow tell that I’m a Leaf fan … not that I’m trying to hide it.

This year I broke down and bought a TML ball cap, but not one that stands out. It has their crest on the front but the colour of the hat is a blue grey and so it’s not really obvious.

I’ve never wanted to be a super fan and I don’t think anyone would ever accuse me of being one either … until now, and through no doing of my own.

It seems this year that my family took it upon themselves to turn me into a super fan, whether I like it or not. This year was one of those years when my birthday falls on Father’s Day. I think because it was a bonus day for me, they got a little carried away!

It started a year ago with my son getting me a bright blue Toronto Maple Leaf golf bag (no, it doesn’t really stand out). This year everyone got into the act. They got me a TML  golf umbrella to match my golf bag. And then for some reason, my wife, Lily got me a golf shirt that matches exactly the colour of the bag and umbrella (see the picture).

My son laughed and said he had thought of getting me Toronto Maple Leaf head covers for my clubs. It’s all a little too much for me – they’ve turned me into a super fan. Look for me the next time you’re golfing or even passing by a golf course. I won’t be hard to spot

There is one more thing that I got for my birthday that does make me a super fan but doesn’t show until you are in my family room – the “Budweiser Red Goal Light”. I can hardly wait until the Leafs score their first goal next season! … How do you spell, “super fan”?

Here’s the thing: God loves me so much that He did something so outrageous as to send His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for me. He certainly didn’t hide His feelings for me, and so I should be proud to show that I’m a fan of Jesus and that I receive God’s love.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What are you a super fan of? Leave your comment below.

by

I Never Thought I’d Like This

I find it interesting that you can trick yourself into liking something you don’t really like – in this case, something you don’t usually like doing. Recently, I bought a new weed trimmer.

This garden tool goes by several names, “weed-whacker”, “weed-eater”, “whipper-snipper”, and I’m sure there are a few more.

10

Regardless of the name, they don’t really have anything to do with weeds. They are designed to trim the long strands of grass that grow along the edge of your lawn that your lawn mower can’t get.

Now, I don’t really like yard work. I cut the grass when it needs it, but while I’m cutting the front lawn, I keep looking at the basketball hoop in my driveway thinking, “It’d be nice to take some shots right now.” Funny thing is, it’s the only time I have that urge. When I’m done cutting the lawn I no longer have the desire to make a few hoops.

I can think of a million things I could be doing when I have to do yard work, and none of them include taking care of or maintaining anything growing around my property.

So it really surprised me the other day when I got my new cordless … we’ll call it “grass trimmer”, and was anxious to get out there and start using it. The really amazing thing was that not once did I have the urge to put it down and pick up a basketball.

My new trimmer is fantastic! I can push two buttons in and turn the bottom part so it can be used as a edger. I have never edged anything in my life so it came as a real revelation that edging really makes your lawn look good.

When I was all finished I went in the house and looked out the window at how stunning my walkway looked leading up to our front door.

I used my knew toy . . . err . . . a . . . I mean, tool to trim both front and back yards and the battery didn’t die before I was done. It normally takes me about 25 to 30 minutes to cut my lawn, front and back. And usually I can’t wait to get back to doing pretty much anything else.

I even got out my leaf blower afterwards to blow away the grass that blew onto the cement walk and the driveway just so that it looked neat and showed off my trim work.

The only thing that I am concerned about is how long my new found infatuation will last.  This baby is new but how will I feel about using it when it’s another week old or in three months?

By the end of the summer will I be wishing the battery isn’t charged so I don’t have to get out there and trim? Will I be looking longingly over at my basketball hoop and accidentally cut the tops off my wife’s flowers?  I don’t know.

But I do know that my wife, Lily is happy right now and I’m liking the look of my lawn.

Here’s the thing: Sometimes a fresh look at something can give us new inspiration or cause us to find new meaning. Whether it’s a familiar Bible passage, or an old problem, or whether it is God Himself, take a fresh approach and you might be surprised to find something you really like.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What have you found a new enjoyment or appreciation for? Leave your question below.

by

Three Cheers for My Team!

Sometimes you just have to brag about your team. Sometimes they need to get a little recognition. It doesn’t have to be much, just something to get people to notice.

worldvision_sponsorchild

When hockey players score a goal, the fans erupt, the players raise their sticks in the air, and they get a few hugs from the boys on the line. When a race car driver wins a race, he does a victory lap to the cheers and waves of the crowd, then finishes off by doing a few donuts in front of the grandstand.

They do it for a few reasons: They’re excited that they did something great. They just want to celebrate. They’re making a statement, “Look what I just did; aren’t I great?”

It’s bragging in an acceptable way. No one likes the guy that tells you what he did and how awesome he is for doing it. But if he does a backflip in the end zone after scoring a touchdown, we do think he’s great.

There are some things, however, that you can’t really high five or get all snuggly-in-a-group-hug over. So what do you do? How do you celebrate those accomplishments that defy any kind of real emotional explosion?

I don’t know the answer to that, so I’m writing a blog about it. My church did something amazing that probably many are unaware of.

It didn’t happen with everyone watching. It wasn’t one heroic act. Rather, it was several little acts that the people in my church did last Sunday that together is a really BIG DEAL!

Last Sunday we had a presentation in church about World Vision. Afterwards, the guy that gave the presentation had a table in the foyer for people to stop by. On the table were photo cards of children who could be sponsored for about $40 per month.

To most people that’s not a lot of money, because they drink coffee. You see, they usually tell you how inexpensive it is to sponsor a child by comparing the cost to a number of coffees at Tim Horton’s.

It works out to be less than one coffee a day to sponsor a child. Since I don’t drink coffee, that’s just forty bucks straight out of my pocket, but for most people its just doing without that third cup of the day.

Any way, my church sponsored 18 children last Sunday morning! What’s more is that the last time this World Vision rep visited our church about 5 years ago, we sponsored 22 kids!

You might think that doesn’t sound like much, but let me tell you, the guy couldn’t believe it. He said for a church our size, it would be a big number if we had sponsored half that many!

The last time he was here, World Vision was so amazed, they called him to make sure he got his numbers right!

All I know is this Sunday in church we should be high-fiving each other, giving out hugs and maybe a few back flips down the center aisle. WAY TO GO, KAC! – you have a huge heart for the disadvantaged in the world!

Think of it like we scored a goal. Just don’t ask me to do the back flip – I’ve got a bad knee.

Here’s the thing: Sometimes we don’t get noticed for doing things that are important. Know this – it never goes unnoticed by God. He sees even the smallest thing you do for your brother or sister.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What would you like to celebrate that doesn’t usually get noticed? Leave your comment below.

by

Me and Yogurt Don’t Mix

I’m not a yogurt lover but I might have to give it a try. I have probably tasted yogurt but it probably was because of some kind of mix up. I’m sure that someone has slipped it into a dessert I’ve eaten, or mixed some into their baking and, being unaware, I’ve digested it. I certainly haven’t tried it on purpose.

yogurt630x354-jpg_140112

Yogurt is not my kind of edible substance. I don’t call it “food” because that would legitimize this creamy white substance that millions of other people lap up like cream.

Yogurt has never been something I thought anyone should intentionally put into their mouth. There are two reasons for my objection and they are very simple:  “bacteria” and “cultures”.

There are all kinds of ointments, pills, prescriptions to counter bacteria that we are infected with. Why would I deliberately put bacteria in my mouth … unless I was 2 years old, at the end of my driveway, with a craving to taste the dirt on the street.

Parents go running when they see their child about to chomp down on some gritty dirt. They scoop it out of their kid’s mouth and repeatedly wash it out … but then think nothing of giving their child a “Yoplait” for their afternoon snack!

And what about “cultures”? I’ve taken a few science classes back in the day, and I’ve seen cultures growing in a petrie dish before. That is one nasty scene after a few days and there is no way I want to inflict that on my stomach. I would have to eat hot wings for three straight days to burn those cultures out of me!

Though hot wings for three straight days sounds quite appealing to me, I don’t think my wife Lily could eat wings for three days in a row.

The whole reason I am considering giving yogurt a try is because of guilt. I spoke with a guy recently who had a quintuple bypass. He told me he loved ice cream but that it’s an artery clogging nightmare. He found that yogurt gives him his ice cream fix with none of the nasty cholesterol-induced gunk in his veins.

After hearing how liberated he seems with a little yogurt in his diet, I started feeling guilty that I had had a one scoop Baskin Robbins “Rocky Road” on a sugar cone the other day.

So maybe I should try it, though I don’t think I’m going to like it. I certainly don’t like the look of it. It’s the wrong consistency for me, though I really enjoy a nice chocolate pudding with peanuts every now and again.

I figure yogurt is the same consistency as pablum. And when I see babies eat their food, they get it all over their faces, like they will try anything to keep that stuff out of their mouths! I may be a little over the top on this one, but I don’t think I’ll like the taste.

Here’s the thing: There are experiences and opportunities in life that we reject and disregard because they are not what we think we would enjoy or find fulfilling or interesting. But God may be putting that very thing in your way to get you to try something that will lead you where He wants you to go. Don’t shy away from trying something new or exploring something different.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you find difficult to swallow?  Leave your comment below.

by

The Bugs are Really Bugging Me

It’s just the end of May and the bugs are really bug’n me! It’s probably not any worse than other seasons, but I’ve had a few more run-ins with them this year than in the past.

348799-locusts

Last week while biking, we stopped for a few minutes to catch our breath, but the mosquitos were so bad we had to keep moving. Fortunately, those little creatures don’t try to keep up with us while we are riding or it would be torture going over a log or around a sharp turn swatting at the little varmints.

This past week, my wife and I were driving in the country, noticing the beautiful scenery of trees and lakes at almost every bend in the road. At one point, we thought it was raining, but there were no clouds in the sky or rain drops on our window.

We then, realized it was a swarm of bugs that had made the sound of rain on the windshield when we plowed through their impromptu gathering in the middle of a highway. (They were probably deciding which holiday weekend campfire they were going to hit next!)

When we got to our destination, the front of the car, the backs of the side mirrors, and the front grill area were literally carpeted with dead bugs. I think the Lepage’s glue company should look into using a bug formula for their glue because these insects stuck on the car like crazy glue!

Then last night we were parking our car by the harbour in town. We found an empty spot but as we pulled in, we realized why no one was parking there. There was a swarm of bugs all around the car!

As the chivalrous guy that I am, I kindly backed the car up to let Lily out away from the swarm. Then I drove back into the spot AND the swarm of bugs and parked. Squinting and holding my breath, I fought my way through the cloud of black insects, only sustaining a mere flesh wound.

But these instances are minor compared to bug infestations of the past. I remember as a young teenager in Toronto going to the store and seeing the store owner with a broom, sweeping up thousands of dead June bugs all around the door of his store.

I remember walking through a playing field out west in the 80’s and thinking the grass had an odd brown colour to it, only to discover that with every step on that field a cloud of grasshoppers would fly up.

Bugs really know how to bug us, don’t they? I’m glad I have arms and hands to whack them and get them out of my face. I feel sorry for animals like horses and cows who have to stand there and take it because God didn’t make their tails long enough to reach their faces.

Here’s the thing: When we meet up with a swarm of bugs, our immediate reaction is to close our mouth and eyes. We don’t even have to think about it; we just do it. It’s an instinctive reaction and that should be how we are with prayer. When we come into a cloud of trouble, our first instinct should be to pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and help. It should be the first thing we do, and we shouldn’t have to even think about doing it.

That’s Life!

Paul

 

Question: What bugs you the most in life? Leave your comment below.

by

I’ve Had It With Falling Off My Bike

I went for a mountain bike ride today and noticed a few things that I’m not crazy about. It was my first time riding this trail this year and it has lots of technical and rocky sections to it.

mtBike01

Though I know the trail well – I’ve been biking it for years – I found myself stopping, and falling off my bike more frequently than I normally do. One time as my tires slipped, I clicked out of my peddle to put my foot down, and what I thought was moss covered rock was actually moss over a hole. I step down into it hard.

The whole ride I felt a little clumsy. I started to think, “I didn’t have this trouble last year. What’s up with me?” Maybe, as we get older, we start to revert back to the junior high days of not being in control of our limbs!

Junior high kids are always tripping over their own feet or someone else’s. I remember when I worked with junior high kids and a kid would have a mark on his forehead. I would ask what happened and the reply would be something like, “Oh, I walked into a door.” He would say it like it was an every day occurrence, certainly something he’d done before.

I don’t really want to revert back to those clumsy days. I’m still in my fifties. If I’m starting to regress now, I can only imagine how bad I’ll be when I’m 65 or 70. I’ll have to be clothed in bubble wrap! … It will look strange and it will hamper my movements, but you can’t beat the protection. I wonder if I’ll be able to get it in blue and white?

The other thought I had was that as I get older maybe it takes a little longer to get my balance back for riding those trails that are cambered. If that’s the case, I better have my balance back the next time I go riding. I don’t want it to take half the season to get comfortable on that terrain.

Maybe it’s worse than that! Maybe it’s a combination of regressive clumsiness and faulty balance. I’ve known some older people who get vertigo; maybe this is just a real bad case of “clumbalansy” – that’s a new word I just made up to describe this medical condition that seems to be attacking my equilibrium.

I’ve never had anyone tell me that they have experienced this as they got older. My doctor never warned me that I might contract clumbalansy as I age. I wonder if there is some medication I could take to clear it up fast?

They have products to help junior highers with their acne – what about some ointment or pill for my clumbalansy? … I might just have to fight through this one on my own.

Here’s the thing: You would think that the older we get, the easier it would be to stay close with God. But what I’ve found is there are all kinds of reasons, pressures, interests that make it difficult to persist in seeking God. Growing as a Christian is something we do for life. It’s really becoming more like Christ, and that will never get easier. So we have to keep fighting through and keep seeking, keep drawing close to God, dedicated to becoming more like Him.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you find more difficult the older you get? Leave your comment below.

by

Say Good-bye to That Mullet

About four months ago, I wrote about how I’m not very observant. I had missed noticing that my wife had gotten a haircut while I had been away on a trip. Well, it turns out that Lily isn’t a cracker jack CSI herself when it comes to noticing someone’s haircut!

For this entire past week she didn’t notice that I had had every single hair on my head shortened. In fact, I had to tell her I got my hair cut. For me this was no big deal, it wasn’t like she didn’t notice a big blob of mustard dangling from the corner of my mouth.

Paul's mullet.001

She acted like it wasn’t a big deal either, but for some reason, me not noticing her new haircut was a big deal. She says it’s not the same thing … but it seems like EXACTLY the same thing. And our two faux pas prove a hair cut is easy to overlook.

However, some things are impossible to miss, like a child’s growth when you haven’t seen them for a few years. The first words out of your mouth are, “Wow! Have you ever grown!” You can’t help but notice something like that.

Or when you haven’t seen your high school buddy for twenty five years. He shows up at a gathering and you wonder who the new guy is, only to find out that this “new” guy with no hair, a ball cap and a good sized belly is your old school friend. When you finally recognize him, you ask yourself, “What happened to that guy?” because you undoubtedly are going to notice that kind of change.

Those changes are easy to be aware of, but how should any one be expected to notice someone’s hair that is maybe a quarter of an inch shorter and in the same style as when you left for work in the morning? That’s right! No one should have to notice something like that.

There should be a rule across the board that there has to be a certain amount of change differential for something to be worthy of being noticed. Anything less than that differential doesn’t have to receive a comment.

Now, if I had a mullet and got the “party in the back” cut off, that should be worthy of being noticed. But even if that dazzling image eluded her inspection, it wouldn’t cause me much concern.

And when Lily’s “hairdo’s” escape my scrutiny, I only have to go another four weeks or so until I get another shot at it. One thing I am glad for is that it doesn’t take her four weeks to get over my lack of observation or I’d be spending more alone time in front of the TV.

… During playoff season that’s not all that bad … Hey … !

Here’s the thing: Out of all the things we should notice in life, the most significant are what God has done and is doing. We should notice what He has created and marvel over it. We should notice the prayers He answers for us. We should notice how He wants to shape us through the circumstances in life. And we should praise Him for who He is and what He has done. God’s activity in the world and in our lives should never go unnoticed.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you have the hardest time noticing? Leave your comment below.