• 27Feb

  Credit Card Rules Changed!!

  Uncategorized 1 Comment

  Congress got involved with credit card companies. As a result, the credit card companies recently changed the rules regarding how it can charge customers. The credit card changes went into effect February 22, 2010. Consumers with credit cards should be aware of their rights under the new laws.

  1. Interest rates: Credit card issuers can no longer change interest rates in the first year that they issue the card. Cardholders get 45 days notice on any rate changes. Interest rates on the balances will not be raised unless the account is 60 days past due.

  2. Put a cap on it: Activation and/or service fees in the past were unlimited. Now, the activation and service fees are capped at 25% of the credit limit during the first year of use.

  3. Amazing grace: Card issuers previously were able to change the due dates to make it easier to charge late fees. Now, credit card companies have to give customers at least a 21-day grace period to pay their balance.

  4. Credit limits: Customers have to agree to exceed their credit limits before they can be charged a fee for doing so, and customers who go over limit can only be assessed one fee per bill.

  5. How long? Monthly statements now need to show how long it will take a cardholder to pay off the balance of their credit card debt if they only pay the minimum amount due.

  6. Just say no: Cardholders can now refuse to accept interest rate hikes. If you refuse the new interest rates you opt instead to pay off your balances at the existing rates.

  7. Hi Mom! Credit card companies used to target college students because their parents were liable for all charges. Now, anyone under 21 years old must have a co-signer or proof of enough income to repay the debt they might incur before they are issued a credit card.

  Caveat Emptor!

  Tags: credit card changes

• 14Feb

  Happy Valentine’s Day!

  Uncategorized No Comments
  

  Daytona, FL

  Today is my perfect Valentine’s Day. I get to watch the Daytona 500.

  I realize that watching NASCAR may not be every girl’s dream for Valentine’s Day, a day usually hallmarked by, well, Hallmark, candy, champagne, roses, and heart-shaped chocolate boxes. But it works for me.

  On Valentine’s Day we celebrate love, and that means doing activities that make your loved ones happy. Some people will go out for a romantic dinner – I am making tempura shrimp and vegetables that go well with other race food. Some people will dress up and look beautiful for their partners – I will be in jeans and a number 14 sweatshirt. Some people will exchange cards and romantic gifts – I will place bets on NASCAR drivers and hope that my friends’ drivers lose. Traditional Valentine’s Day? No. Valentine’s Day Fun? Yes.

  Valentine’s Day is a moment to reflect on the important relationships in our lives, and there is one that is commonly ignored. My friend Carolyn Strauss (www.CarolynStrauss.com) reminds us in her blog that we need to remember to love ourselves as well. We need to love the person we are. So please take a little time to do something nice for yourself, as well as your loved ones.

  However you decide to celebrate a day that focuses on love and friendship, do what makes you happy, and what makes those around you feel cherished. Share the joy of being together. Make a promise to spend more time with someone special, whether it is a grandparent or a niece or a significant other.

  Happy Valentine’s Day!
  Mary

• 09Feb

  Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but product value is in the eye of the buyer.

  Uncategorized 2 Comments

  

  Leaders need to put themselves in the position of their consumers. The theme of this article is to encourage leaders to experience their product or service from their customers’ perspective.
  

  1. Buy your product, and then try to return it. Do the internet search. Price compare. Actually make an order to see how well the process works. Some companies do this very well. Kohls, COSTCO, and Walmart are all very good about product purchase procedures and customer service during the return process. They build up a loyal customer base by being helpful and considerate throughout the buying (and sometimes returning) experience.

     Customers want the buying experience to be fast, pleasant, and productive. That means they don’t want hassle or difficulties along the way. If a company makes the process too onerous or time-consuming, customers will
     simply find other places to buy what they want. One reason many customers buy online is they don’t have to deal with customer service personnel.

     Organizations should experience their processes to see how they can increase consumer loyalty through simply examining their own customer experiences. Consider the airline industry.

     The airline industry needs to understand why so many of us are willing to put up with the lack of seat assignments at Southwest. It isn’t that they allow our luggage to still travel with us for free, although that is a help. Many people LUV (their ticker symbol) Southwest Airlines because the booking and changing of tickets is an easy process. Not only is there ZERO hassle for changing a ticket, but their customer service people are sincerely pleasant and helpful.

     My most recent experiences changing tickets on two major airlines were expensive and time-consuming. I don’t understand why I get docked $150 for a ticket change (months before the initial flight would have occurred) and then when I tried using the remainder of the ticket after the $150 was deducted, the airline also kept the remainder of the amount that I didn’t use when I rebooked. Seriously? I traded in a $534 ticket for $178 ticket? After several hours on the phone with various customer service representatives who were neither pleasant nor helpful, I succumbed. I was defeated.

     No amount of marketing or clever slogans is going to reverse the damage of poor purchasing processes and unpleasant customer representatives. Are senior leaders oblivious to the fact that their organizations are driving customers away? Maybe. But I guarantee that the major leaders of the airlines do not go through their own ticketing process and customer service desks and, therefore, have no real idea how miserable the experience is for their consumers. So I fly Southwest whenever possible.

  2. Go through your own drive-in. While traveling cross country with 2 dogs in the car, my meal selections are limited to either restaurants that do not mind my furry ones sitting with me (read: NONE) or those fine dining establishments that have drive-through windows.So on a recent trip, I placed my order at the window, and proceeded to the payments and collection window. I politely asked if they would please throw away my coffee cup (from my first drive-through experience of the day) to make room for their drink in my cup holder. To my unhappy surprise, the answer was a firm NO.

     “We cannot accept trash at the window.” “Why not?” I ask (in my own customer voice, which is far sweeter than I actually felt). “It is our policy not to accept trash. But you can park, come in, and throw away your trash.”

     Not willing to be so easily dissuaded from my fried entrée, I persist. “Is there an outside trash can?” “No,” came the reply, “because people might put garbage in it.” Seriously?

     It is 10 degrees outside, and I have pooches (what if I had children in car seats?) to consider. “Cancel my order please” was my response on behalf of all people traveling with small children, those who are physically challenged, and everyone else. It is ridiculous policy, and one that I am sure senior management knows nothing about. Why? Because they do not procure their own products in the same manner as average consumers do. They need to experience their company’s purchasing procedure like their customers do.

  3. Make the call. Leaders of America, I dare you – call your own customer service department. How long are you on hold? How many voice mails did you have to go through? How many buttons did you have to press before you got to the right department? An actual person?Nightmare on Hold – A Customer Service Story:

     My worst telephonic customer service experience was with one of the biggest PC manufacturers. After they shipped me the wrong $150 part, I tried to return it. Sorry, I was one day outside the 20-day window, they answer. “But:” I pleasantly explained, “I have only been home from a trip for 2 days, and it is only Monday.” “Sorry,” says their customer service representative in a country that sounds far away, “The clock starts when you place the order. And you can only return it by DHL.” (The DHL service office was an hour and a half away from where I lived.) Huh?

     Again, not easily dissuaded, I persisted in trying to find a reasonable person to help resolve the situation. I made over 150 phone calls to their overseas customer service desk, and no one even pretended to care about my
     problem. One of their senior customer service representatives suggested that I donate the undesired part to a school, because there was no way they were taking it back. I fell outside the stated policy. There are no exceptions.

     On phone call number 151 (I started logging them for my own amusement, since I spent so much time on hold, and I thought that number might prove lucky), I asked for the phone number to their Headquarters, right here in the US. Surely, I thought, if I spoke to a manager, I could explain that the part was still sealed in its box, and the mistake was theirs. I was told there are no phones at their Headquarters.

     My three letters went unanswered (this process became a research experiment in customer service), and emails to the company customer service site were ignored. Remember, I still needed a part to fix my computer.

     After two weeks of irritation and countless hours, I bought a Mac. My entire company went Mac. For the cost of decent customer service and a $150 part, this PC manufacturer lost me and my entire company forever. Mac, I am happy to report, has GREAT customer service.

  Leaders can protect against bad customer service before it starts by having efficient systems in place to take care of customers the first time. Not sure if your procedures are working? Make a return, go through the drive-through, and call your own customer service department.

• 29Jan

  Bless are they…..

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  Blessed are they…..

  There are those people in every organization who perform the myriad of tasks that everyone takes for granted.
  If you haven’t done any of these in a while, then you owe someone a thank you.
  I once had a boss who, when my time with the organization was complete (my tour was finished) and I was getting my outbrief, looked at me and blankly said, “I honestly don’t know exactly what you do around here.”
  I replied that much of what I did was, in fact, largely unnoticed because there were no problems associated with my department. “But don’t worry,” I assured him, “You’ll know more about what I did after I have been a gone a few weeks. When I’m not here, you’ll suddenly miss me.”
  I wasn’t trying to be self-aggrandizing or arrogant. He just never knew how many problems never got to his level because they were handled at mine.
  Then there are the basic, every day activities:

  1. Making the coffee (and again and again)
  2. Refilling the paper tray in the copier
  3. Sorting the mail
  4. Signing for delivery packages
  5. Cleaning out the office refrigerator
  6. Taking care of the trash
  7. Sending flowers to whoever is sick, had a baby, or lost someone
  8. Making the lunch run
  9. Answering the phones in the common areas
  10. Replacing the toner in the printers

  So to those people who DO those unappreciated, daily activities that make it nicer for the rest of us, thank you!!

• 21Jan

  How to Avoid Procrastination

  Uncategorized 1 Comment

  It is minus 4 degrees at my house right now.  The temperature did not get higher than 7 degrees today.  On really cold days, when I am snowed in, I stay home.  Why fight Mother Nature?

  Being trapped in the house and my office makes me ridiculously productive.   No transit time, no spending time doing my hair in preparation for a face-to-face meeting, having to grab coffee on the road or waiting in-between meetings.

  I love working on my home office.  I know some people who do a lot of work from home have a hard time “going” to work, but I love my work and I love the environment.  Still, there are times when I struggle to attack the projects that frustrate, irritate, or seem mundane.

  So the question is how do I to get motivated when the project pile just keeps getting higher?

  1. Wash the towels first.   I am the queen of laundry, and when the pile looms, I attack the towels first.  Why?  They are bulky and once they are in the washing machine, the rest of the pile looks less daunting.  Make a dent in the biggest, easiest pile first.  Then the rest of the tasks seem more manageable.
  2. Make a dated list.  Not just the normal To-Do List that continues to grow every day regardless of the past three 18-hour workdays.  Put the day and date at the top of the  list of what is really important that day, and jot down what you really want to get accomplished that day.  Giving yourself measureable, attainable goals is helpful.  Simple ones like “Take Vitamins” and “Walk Dog” counts.
  3. Multi-task.  I know, I know.  Everyone says that multi-tasking increases the time it takes to accomplish something, but if you have a long, tedious conference call to attend that you are not chairing, clean out a drawer or do some other fairly mindless task while others talk.  I run two computers simultaneously so that I can always be working on something, and I don’t wait for loading of pages or looking up other information.
  4. Do the Post-Its Notes Focus Trick.  Thinking about the 2 dozen cupcakes that you need for the Halloween Party in the morning?  And the dog’s vet visit? And the oil light that came on yesterday?  And the project that is due in two days?  Write all the little distractions and other things on their own Post-It note, so and put them on the wall, on the space under the counter of your desk, or anyother place where you might see them.  Then as you get a few moments of free time, you can do some thing about those quick taskers.  What is left at the end of the day gets stuck on your daily list.
  5. Walk fast.  People in organizations assume that if you walk quickly, you are busy.   When you ARE busy and walking fast, and fewer people will want to waste your time with idle chat, (so slow down slightly but keep walking).
  6. Get it Done Now!  I make a sign and post it.

  Good luck!

  Mary

• 31Dec

  Start the Year with Organized Finances

  Uncategorized 3 Comments

  Now is the time to get the home budget under control, assess debt, and keep track of business costs.  Setting up a system at the start of the new year somehow seems more satisfying than starting in May.  A few easy tips:

  1. Spend less than you make, after taxes.  What you make after taxes is the actual disposable income.  Many people forget about taxes, whether property, income, sales, car registration, or state taxes, and then are surprised when the paycheck runs a little short at the end of the month.

  2. Create a realistic budget.  Sit down with the credit card receipts and the checkbook, and figure out the major expenditures, such as the house and car payments, utiities, and food.  Then create the rest of the spending plan after you have paid the bills.

  3. Know where the money goes.  Many people get into trouble because they truly cannot figure out where the money went.  So track it.  And be honest.  If you truly do spend $60 a month at Starbucks, but buy your clothes at Goodwill, that is okay as long as you have planned for that in the budget.

  4. Write it down.  The best way to know where the money went is to track it.  There are many great personal finance programs available.  You can use a ledger book.  You can use a school notebook.  There is a free downloadable monthly budget program on my website that allows you to either make your own book by printing out monthly sheets or you can maniplate the entries and amounts and it does the math for you.  It is yours to use, and is not on any server, so your information stays completely private.  www.organize-you.com/refills/

  5. Plan for the rainy days.  If this recession taught us nothing else, it alerted us that anyone have financial troubles, so it is wise to save for emergencies.

  Good luck and let me know how it goes!!!

  Mary

• 23Dec

  A Warm White Christmas

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  I left the white snow to go the white sandy beach for Christmas, not because I am a sunbather (ha!) or because snow is cold (it is), but because my sister and her kids, my brother and his kids, my cousin (who is a awesome) and parents all decided to head to FL for the Christmas holidays. So the dogs and I hopped into the car and drove 1600 miles to share in holiday fun.

  The house is full of the chaos and noise that corresponds with children, and I just love it.

  The dogs have been complete troopers, both on the long 2 day drive (I know!) and with the small people who insist on tugging and pulling on the dogs while teaching them how to play Candyland.

  My parents are of the age where the loudest noise they hear during the day is when Dad pops the top off a beer. So the riotous fun of the children is a big change for them. (They mute television commercials because they don’t like the noise.)

  The kids, of course, are having a grand time – they are other adults to pounce upon with books, demanding stories, and all kinds of new games. Aunt Mary thinks poker is a great way to teach numbers and counting. Grandpa loves to teach toasting. Grandma is working on Scrabble with the 6 year olds. Great Aunt Mary is a fan of building sandcastles with shoes on.

  So far, so good. No major meltdowns or fits of crying, and the kids are holding up too.

  Merry Christmas!
  Mary

• 02Dec

  Raspberry Shortbread Cookies

  favorite recipes No Comments

  I love these cookies. Make sure you get seedless jam. Raspberry –Almond Thumbprint Shortbread (makes 7 dozen cookies)

  2 cups (1 pound) butter
  1 1/3 c sugar
  1 tsp. almond extract
  4 cups flour
  1 cup seedless raspberry jam

  Cream butter, add sugar and extract. Blend in flour.

  Roll into 1 inch balls. Make a thumb indentation in each. Fill with ¼ tsp jam.

  Bake 14-18 minutes on cookie sheet at 350 degrees until edges are light brown. Cool on cookie sheet one minute before removing to racks. Drizzle with glaze while cookies are still warm.

  For glaze combine in a small bowl:
  2 cups powdered sugar
  3 tsp almond extract
  6-8 tsp water

  Note: I found this on a Land O’ Lakes butter box years ago.

  Mary Kelly
  www.ProductiveLeaders.com

• 30Nov

  Black Friday and the Free Market – 30 Days of Gratitude

  gratitude 1 Comment

  Black Friday

  I love Black Friday, the day when retailers’ books go from red to black because of the profits they make on the day after Thanksgiving. It is a dance, of sorts, between the retailers, trying to woo customers into spending as much as possible, and the consumers who are trying to buy products at the lowest possible prices. Thanks to advanced advertisements and internet specials, die-hard Black Friday shoppers comparison pre-shop days before Thanksgiving, and have a plan for exactly where they will be at 4 in the morning on Friday.

  Some stores opened at midnight Thanksgiving night so that shoppers could shop all night. (This is a little too New Moon for me, but it is very helpful for shift workers.)

  The frenzy that now comprises the Black Friday shopping madness makes some wonder whether or not the lower prices are worth the lines, crowds, and fatigue. I go out every year because I find it entertaining to watch, and because nothing else is quite like the hunt for a great deal. What I saw were some retailers being smarter about sale items – instead of advertising low priced items in the stores, those items were marked with the same tags as non-sale prices, making it more difficult for the non-prepared to find the loss leaders. This was a good idea on the part of retailers, because customers had to be both smart and motivated to get the great deals. In many cases the great deals were sold out at 6:05 when the store only opened at 6:00 am.

  Black Friday is a perfect example of pure market competition. Buyers know the prices throughout the selling market, and sellers hope to make up in volume what loss leaders cost them.
  I saw people with ads from several stores, simultaneously checking print ads with online specials. Buyers were being smart, which delighted me. Stores had plenty of personnel, lots of inventory, and steady sales, who also pleased me. This is how a market is supposed to work: Buyers and Sellers coming together in an exchange of goods and services, at price and quantity equilibriums that satisfy both.

  According to early numbers, Black Friday was good for both buyers and sellers. That is the way the free market is supposed to work – both sides are supposed to gain and feel as though they benefitted by the transaction.

  Mary Kelly
  www.ProductiveLeaders.com
  www.Organize-You.com

• 29Nov

  Chocolate Kahlua Pie

  favorite recipes 2 Comments

  Frozen Kahlua Chocolate Pie

  This is a different, light dessert.

  1 graham cracker crust
  1 small can evaporated milk
  ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  2 cups miniature marshmallows
  1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds
  12 oz Cool Whip
  1/3 cup Kahlua

  Heat milk over low heat and add chocolate chips. Stir until chips are melted. Stir in marshmallows and stir until melted. Refrigerate to cool. Combine Kahlua with Cool Whip and almonds, add to chocolate mixture. Spoon into pie shell. Freeze 4 hours or overnight. Top with additional toasted almonds and shaved chocolate if handy.

  Mary Kelly
  www.ProductiveLeaders.com

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