Self quote

I can't tell you what success looks like, but I can tell you it tastes sweeter than the finest honey and smells better than the finest perfume.

Chris

Pushing the limits

When you're required to fight for a belief and/or principle and the outcome isn't what you imagined, do you continue to fight for a different ending? By pushing the limits of what's expected of you, often you're faced with the daunting task of going on the attack versus defending your position. Not always do you have the luxury of be barricaded behind a wall of solitude but you must now venture into the realm of the 'winner' to regain your footing.

Life can be a killer.

            I found a quote that struck my heart in a way I felt the need to write, “The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was and the present worse than it is”. Strangely I have no idea who wrote it and not that it is SO prolific or wise in any way (this has been said many times), I just felt I finally understand what it means. I live my life looking behind me or looking ahead of me, never looking around me. I never concentrate on the here and now. I need to concentrate on changing what I can change, moving past the things I cannot, releasing the past, and letting the future come as it may. My past was wonderful and horrible, but nothing I do will change it. I must learn from it and chock it up to experience. The future is uncertain at best and can change in a moment’s breath. I can control my present and plan for the future. Putting things into perspective and adjusting my sails as the wind changes is my best hope of navigating through the unknown. Surrounding myself with people and things I enjoy and pursuing my dreams will push me through the muck and mire I have long been wading through.

“Life will give you nothing and take everything” is a quote I heard many years ago that at this moment has become clear. Nothing is free; you have to work for it. Success, wealth, love, life, etc. no one will hold your hand. Some people will help you up when you fall, others will push you down, and still others will walk right past you. Those that help you up are the ones you want in your life. Forget the rest of them, they mean nothing to you. When people realize you are strong and could not care less about them if they are not there to share a mutual friendship with you then they will eventually fade in the distance to annoy someone else. Being happy is not about having everything, some of the richest people are miserable. I dream of being rich, but then who do you trust? If you have friends when you are poor you know they are your friends because they like you for YOU, your friendship is all you have to give. Rich people have to worry about those with selfish and evil intentions. Hard work will win out over luck every time.

Love is a part of life, just like pain, laughter, and dreams. No one can predict love, it just happens. It can be a look, a laugh, a touch but when it happens there is no greater thing. It will outshine the Sun, it will be deeper than the ocean, and it will take you higher than a rocket ship. The opposite is true when that love is gone, you will feel the most crippling pain, be trapped in the deepest darkest hole, and suffer the worst loss you can imagine. If you do not feel this tremendous high and excruciating low then you are not truly in love. Love is the greatest, and worst, emotion in the world. It can put you on top of the highest mountain, and it can crush you under the deepest ocean. It is strange how such a strong emotion can be so fleeting, here one moment and gone the next. Inevitably love leaves a path of destruction in its wake, the carnage of lives ruined and the ashes of hearts consumed lay littered along the path of our lives like autumn leaves on the ground after a strong wind. Only a lucky few can say they found their true love. Only those who have lost that love can understand the debilitating anguish left behind.

Change is hard, no one likes it. Change is stressful. Even good change is hard on the psyche. Everyone has advice, some good, some bad, you must decide if it is right for you. Eventually you have to make a decision, let it destroy you or learn from it and move on. Live by your own rules, love truly, regret nothing, be a friend, and share your smile. GOD bless and keep you! - Chris

When the inevitable happens

Time and again friends give you advise about what you should think and feel. Too many times the advise is to let go and forget. How do you forget? It isn't like you lost a pair of sunglasses. How do you pick up the pieces when the shattered remenants lay about your feet like dust? Do you sweep them into a pile and hide them under a rug? Knowing this from experience I can say the tears will fall, depression will gain a foothold, and life WILL go on no matter how much you think it wont. I found comfort in the knowledge that I was going to live. Each time I took a breath I knew it would not be my last. Each step I took would take me into the vast known, alone. Each sunrise brought with it the hopes and challenges of a new day. Getting up each day became easier, eating didn't seem like a chore, and the pain faded.As the song goes. "the wound heals, but the scar remains". The scar of love is never seen, only felt. No two scars are the same, just as no two people are the same. A wound of love can become infected if not treated quickly. The infection can be depression, anger, hate, and sorrow. These "infections" will poison the body, and destroy the soul. Left to fester the infection will become psychosis and delerium. Patterns happen, solitude becomes the norm, avoidance the protection, and withdrawal the new mate. Friends see this and try to help, but don't know how. Eventually, the "help" does more harm or the friends give up because the drain on them is too much. These infections thrive on despair. Moving on is hard, but necessary for the health of everyone.

What is the Obama Administration doing?

When did the United States become the playground monitor? For the last 60 years the USA has stuck its nose in every other countries business. I am concerned we are biting off more than we can chew with Syria. Iraq we had the "belief" that WMD's were being hid only to find out it was a lie. Afghanistan was where Bin Laden was "hiding", he was in Pakistan. Now we are stepping in a critizing Syria for killing its own people. Assad's tyranny is horrible and ruthless, but Syria is a nuclear power and has made it perfectly clear it will defend itself with ALL means at its disposal. Obama decides to puff up his chest and "demand" Assad to allow democracy or step down. Or what? He will send in the military? Sanctions? Take away Assad's library card? Does Obama really think he has any control or authority to impose his will on Syria? He'd had a better chance getting Biden inducted into Mensa International's Hall of Fame. Now let us take a look at some of the "playground monitoring" the US has done and our track record. Korean Conflict, we fight North Korea and the Chinese. So now we have a psycho leader, Kim Jong II, with nuclear capability and an itchy trigger finger. Vietnam, we fight the North Vietnamese and get our asses handed to us to save South Vietnam from the communists. Well the Socialist Republic of Vietnam still stands today. Now we move to Nicaragua, the US "supports" the contra guerillas against the communist regime running the country. Now we have a bright light. The US sponsored contra win and democracy is brought to the country. It still stands today and Nicaragua is a prosperous land. After that there are smaller "police actions" like Somalia (still a hell hole), Serbia, (great job there), Sarajevo (joke), Kuwait/Iraq (the first time), now for ten+ years Iraq/Afghanistan. Can't this government getting it through their thick skulls, stay the hell out of other country's business. Our economy is in the toilet, unemployment/underemployment is astronomical, and Congress can't make a common decision to turn on the lights without a fight. Our government is running this country into the ground and it's the laughing stock of the planet. We're in debt to everyone, our budget is bouncing checks like the Globe Trotters working over a high school gym class, and China is done helping out. We're on the brink of something big in this country, and from the smell in the air its not good. We need to grab our Congressmen and women by the shirt collar and seat of the pants and see how far we can toss them down the steps of the Capitol building. This election year vote NO INCUMBENTS! Send these morons packing and get some new people in there to straighten this country out.

Wake up, America!

I am so tired of reading the Republicans and Democrats blaming each other for not reaching a budget deal and the debt ceiling problem. It's both of the parties' fault for getting us in this mess in the first place. Each one voted in and/or ratified laws and budgets that were stupid. The stimulus packages (both Bush and Obama) were jokes. Did it help? NO! Raising the debt ceiling has done nothing but allow other countries to own us. The Government has screwed the governed big time!! We continue to go to work, come home, and live our lives like everything will work itself out. Sorry folks, it wont. We do what we can to provide for our families and the Government continues to pilfer from the governed making it harder each and every day to make ends meet. All the while cutting GOD out of everything this country was built on. Marriage has become a punchline, GOD and prayer have become nuisances, and our government is a basket of corrupt idiots. But Americans continue to turn a blind eye to it because we are worried about our families and jobs. If you owned a business and your employees were running the company the way Obama, Biden, Boehner, McCain, Pelosi, and Reid are running this country, what would you do? I can tell what would happen to the business, the same thing that happened to Tyco, Worldcom, Lehman Brothers, and Enron. The company would be shutdown and the leaders put in jail. These leaders are no better than Bernie Madoff, stealing from Peter to pay Paul. This government is one big Ponzi scheme, but no one seems to be watching. Wake up America, we are nearing our end very quickly.

If you think you are safe, think again. Your freedoms are be slowly and methodically taken away. Homeland Security, Transportation Safety Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Central Intelligence Agency, and your local law enforcement. What happened to "innocent until proven guilty"? It seems we are merely in one big concentration camp called the USA. The news media is just as complacent and playing into the hands of the corruptors. News companies only publish and televise what they are allowed to show and what sells newspapers, magazines, or advertisements. Americans want to see their favorite celebrity naked or falling on their face or in some other kind of drama. What about the injustices we face everyday at the airport, or from law enforcement? When did it become OK to make a handicapped grandmother face the indignity of having her adult diaper removed because it is suspiciously wet? Wet, really? Isn't that what a diaper does? Or the six year old girl who has to be patted down and touched by a stranger in places we tell our kids no adult should touch them, because she might be a terrorist carrying an underwear bomb? Thank you TSA for keeping me safe from the dangerous pre-school bomber! IDIOTS! We, Americans, are looked at as potential homegrown terrorists, anarchists, and/or conspiracy theorists. The government has made us afraid of our own shadows and suspicious of our neighbors. Most Americans do not want to believe the Government is corrupt. I am here to tell you folks, your government officials DO NOT have your best interests in their heads. Don't get me wrong, some federal and state Congress members are decent, hard-working people, but they eventually succumb to the pressure and the power. Junior Congress members have no power and the only way to get power is to play the game and bend to the will of the senior members. Those that have been in the halls of the Capitol building for fifteen or more years have all the power and they do what they want, when they want, and answer to no one. You think the sex scandals and minor criminal offenses like Weiner's sexting and Blagojevich's corruption conviction are the worst things in Washington D.C.? Jokes on you! Backroom deals and under the table pay offs are not limited to third world countries. It happens right here in America.

Corporate America has their hands in so many pockets in Washington it is disgusting. Why do we have $3.50/gallon gasoline? You think the Arabs control it? Exxon Mobil reported 69% increases in profits for the first quarter of 2011. That translates to $10.7 billion. OK, wait let's write that out, $10,700,000,000 in profits. This is up from $6.3 billion. Do you still think $3.50/gallon gasoline is fair? Why doesn't the government limit this gouging like they limit the amount of mouth wash you can bring on a plane? Or whether the fingernail clippers hanging on your key chain enables you to hijack a jetliner? A Toyota truck key could do more damage. A person could slit your throat with one. This time last year gasoline was $2.70/gallon. Has exploration or shipping costs increased so much that an $.80/gallon increase is required to cover the added expense? Oh wait, $10.7 billion in profits, a 69% increase. They had to charge more so they could make more. That's the capitalist way. I'm all for making money but when it begins to cripple the rest of the business world something has to be done. Trucking companies have to charge more, retailers have to charge more, and consumers pay the price, literally. A 60% increase in fuel cost to get to work, a 35% increase to feed your family, and a 55% increase to run your home. Did you get a 150% increase in your paycheck to cover your costs like the oil companies did? I know you did not! Now not to pick on just the oil companies, let's take a look at the utility companies. PepcoPepco reported a $64 million profit in 2011 versus a $36 million profit in 2010. So did the customers get a rebate or lower prices for the summer months because of this huge increase? Nope, Pepco increased rates 42% for the summer. Whoa, wait a tick! Where is the government protecting the public from these rip-off artists? Oh wait I know, the government was bickering over the President's birth certificate, or Don't Ask, Don't Tell, or maybe it was how to raise the debt ceiling, AGAIN. What is really happening in Washington D.C.?

The reason these companies are doing whatever they want is because they have bought and paid for our politicians. Then the government plays smoke 'n mirrors games for the public to take the focus off what is really happening. Americans are distracted by Weiner's wiener and the terrorist threats by Al Qaeda. You know there have been terrorist threats everyday for the last 50 years, right? Queen Napolitano would have you believe these terrorist have only started these threats in the last 10 or so years. She would have you believe she is the only thing standing between America and the terrorists. She has no clue what is going on. Janet couldn't run the state of Arizona and Obama puts her in charge of Homeland Security? I wouldn't let her guard a school crosswalk. Then Jan Brewer takes over as Governor of Arizona and that's like putting Howdy Doody in charge of the FBI, and the voters put her back in for a full term. What were you thinking Arizona?

In the end Americans can no longer live in the fantasy world that the government is doing everything it can to bring an end to the economic crisis and restore the United States as the world leader. The Obama Administration is playing a game and Harry Reid is riding on his coat tails. John Boehner is doing everything he can to throw his weight around and make it difficult for the Democrats without regard to what it is doing to the country. Term limits for Congress would eliminate many of the problems of corruption in Congress. The President is limited to two terms, the Senate should have the same limits, and the House of Representatives should be 4 terms. Eight years and you're done. This would limit any politician to 24 years total; 8 in each congressional house and 8 as President. I hope this opens many eyes to the real problem in Washington and facing this country. The United States of America is the greatest country in the world but our government is increasingly making the country unbearable to live in and be proud of.

GOD bless America and our brave men and women of the military! Please get involved in our country. Just as our forefathers fought against the tyranny of England 245 years ago, we must stand united against the tyrannical leaders of today who have defaced and corrupted the USA.

Thank you and GOD bless you all!

Christopher Ballow

Customer Service Skills

The lack of customer service skills in the customer service industry is growing like a tumor. First of all every industry is a customer service industry. Whether you are selling shoes at the mall or electronics to the government. Sales and service industries are customer service industries. Second, employees have become so desensitized to showing emotion and trained to be a robot, helping a customer find want they want or need is a nuisance. I am disgusted by the way customers are treated during my observations and experiences while out shopping for products and services or researching for a paper.

"We have always tried to be guided by the basic idea that, in the discovery of knowledge, there is great entertainment—as, conversely in all good entertainment there is always some grain of wisdom, humanity or enlightenment to be gained."


– Walt Disney

This quote is the epitome of the Disney Entertainment culture. Every resort patron is the most important customer to walk through the gates. This should be the thought of every worker in the business world. Each customer that walks through the door potentially is the last customer your business will ever see. Don’t you want the customer to tell everyone he/she meets after leaving your business the shopping experience he/she received was the best ever? Customer service techniques are easy to learn and easier to use.

Too many times customers visit a company and they have a decent experience or a horrible experience. Ask your customers how their experience was and you will usually get one of two answers; “it was fine” or “it was terrible! So and so has the worst customer service skills I have ever seen!” Now which answer would you rather hear? Really? You want hear your customers’ experience was just “fine”? I want my customers to rave about how we went above and beyond their expectations. I want to hear how my employees are a “breath of fresh air to work with” and “what a pleasure it is to come into your store”. That tells me my team is enjoying their job. Now don't get me wrong a disgruntled employee can have great customer service skills, but chances are if he/she is not happy those skills are likely not being used.

The 5 best skills I find that make customers feel welcome and want to return in the future are:

1) SMILE!! The customer doesn’t care what your day was like before you got to work. Whether someone cut you off on the freeway or you had a fight with the neighbor who lets their dog dig in your flowerbed. The customer wants you to smile and be happy to see them. These patrons are paying your bills, so make them enjoy spending their hard earned money with your company. “Smiling lets the customers know that you are paying attention to them, it gives them the impression that you truly care and enjoy what you are doing” (customeserviceskillsguide.com, n.d.). Conversely do not smile just to smile. You will come off as insincere and the customer will be turned off right away. Be genuine and smile because you are glad to see your customer. Your customers will reward you for it.

2) LOOK YOUR CUSTOMER IN THE EYE! Do not stare at the wall, the floor, or the hot girl/guy who just walked in. Pay attention to what the customer is telling you. This is two-fold; #1 it tells the customer, like your smile, you have his/her best interests at heart. You are absorbing his/her needs and deciding the best course of action to fill that need. #2 it conveys to the customer he/she is the only customer in the store that matters. Plus you will not miss any important information needed to make your informed decision.

3) STAND UP STAIGHT! Do not slouch, lean on the counter, stretch, fold your arms, etc. These convey to the customer you could care less about his/her wants and/or needs. That is not to say you have to stand at attention like a soldier on inspection day, but more like a soldier in the at-ease position while receiving instructions. This also tells the customer two things; #1 you are listening and #2 you are professional. Both let the customer know he/she came to the right place. In the at-ease position you are comfortable and relaxed (after some practice) but ready for anything. Your point of attack? The customer’s wants and needs.

4) BE POSITIVE! Never tell a customer “I can’t do that for you” or “We don’t have that product in stock”. Avoid negative vocabulary at every opportunity. Instead say “I will have to disconnect your service for a moment and then I can test the system” or “I can order that for you and have it in stock in (x number of) days”. This tells the customer you are doing your best to fulfill his/her expectations. Now if you cannot “fix” the problem or the “product” is not available, back-ordered, and/or discontinued then your only recourse is to suggest an alternative. NO! You never say “I CAN’T!” Get that type of talk out of your head right now and forever! There is only one thing you CANNOT do and that is live forever. Everything else is possible with work and dedication.

5) ASK THE CUSTOMER IF EVERYTHING WAS TO HIS/HER SATISFACTION! Do not be scared of your customer. Do everything in your "employee" power to help and/or fulfill the customer’s need. If you don’t have the power, get your manager or supervisor. Let the manager make the decision if it is not in your job ability. You are the first line of defense and it is your job to make the customer happy. Problems should never get to your manager or supervisor. You can handle 99% of situations that arise or come in the door. If a customer comes in with a defective product I can assure you your company (unless the company enjoys bad press and displeased customers) has a return or exchange policy. Take care of it. If you do not know how or do not have the power then it is your company’s negligence for not training you properly or empowering you with necessary guidelines. Do not let it affect how you serve the customer or your hamper customer service skills.

These five skills are easy and completely under your control. Never let a customer doubt the decision to come into or purchase from your company. Remember to smile, keep eye contact, stand up straight, speak positively, and ask your customer if he/she is completely satisfied. This will win you a customer for life and everyone will know how well you treated him/her. Contrary to previous beliefs in this day of technology (Angie’s List, Google, online reviews, etc.) happy customers tell just as many people as disgruntled customers do. The Internet is your best friend and your worst enemy depending on which side of the customer service spectrum you are on. With practice and dedication great customer service skills are as easy as breathing and will put you in the spotlight within your company. Some will question you, some will dismiss you, but everyone will be jealous of you. Good luck and have fun!

Christopher Ballow, MBA (06/2011)