Glutton for techno-punishment? Host your domain on GoDaddy.com OR launch the BB web browser.
I can’t stand the BlackBerry web browser.
I have a Bold for work and earlier this week almost tossed it into traffic because of it’s painfully shitty web browser.
Why in the name of Bruce would I need to go to the BlackBerry search page just to get to the Google search page?! And the f*cking zoom/pan/click process is criminally frustrating.
The help files tell you to simply ‘change the Home Page Address Field’ – easier said than done when you can’t edit the Home Page Address Field.
Sorry, BB, you’ve got a lock on mobile business tools but for the love of my Keurig, do SOMETHING about your browser!
If you’re looking for a great way to drive up your blood pressure and need another fist-sized hole in your wall do one of two things:
Lazy, ignorant runners... Carry it out, carry it back.
If you’ve read any of my previous posts you know I’m a runner, and more than that, I’m a social runner (and like a good High-5) and like to think that runners around the world belong to a loose fraternity of like-minded individuals.
Imagine how proud to be a runner I was when, while on a walk tonight after dinner with my kids, along the route of the Chilly Half-Marathon past my house I counted more than 40 used gel packs littered on the ground over 2K. My kids even made a game of it.
COME ON! If you brought the freaking gel with you on your run, it was in a pocket – so put it back in that same damn pocket when you’ve sucked it! How lazy can you be? And how contradictory to the activity!
I am so incredibly disappointed and pissed that runners would do this sort of thing. I use gels. I have pockets. One plus one, folks.
You’re running, so you can’t be lazy. You’re just ignorant.
Runners, like boaters and bikers, have an unspoken rule that when passing a fellow enthusiast, it is common to acknowledge a comrade with a slight wave.
I like to take it a step further by actively seeking a high five.
In fact, when on a race, I will go out of my way to get a high-five from each and every volunteer police officer helping to direct traffic. Both as a sign of respect and thanks, as well as the funny looks you get on the approach and the warm smiles you get on take away.
Much to my chagrin, while on a stupid long run this weekend, lo and behold I happen to pass a group of fellow runners and I throw up the hand… and get completely snubbed.
How uncool. How un-fraternal. How come?
Please, lets all try a little harder next time to recognize the sign of someone looking to share in your enthusiasm and spirit and also to help perhaps motivate you to push through your next mile.
If you use, or are required to use, a CRM tool at your current job I am sure you’ve got something negative to say about it.
No disrespect to Salesforce, NetSuite, Oracle, ACT!, or any of the other 46,000 ‘tools’ available, but honestly, stop and think about what you’re building. Then take a good hard look at what a CRM tool is supposed to do, by definition.
Why not let me, the user, decide what to call a campaign and what to call a template. Why not let me link things together sensibly instead of forcing me to use whatever architecture your developers came up with? Why not give me better and more convenient control over my sales territory information? How about drag and drop simplicity for building ROI and participation reports?
Most importantly, why can’t anyone give me a tool that actually lets me manage/monitor/maintain my customer relationships by synching up my entire staff’s communication with my customers, in a drill-down dashboard view (Google), with look-back and trending (Google)?
I don’t know about you, but I’d kick and scream to get the budget for a product like that (Google). If only to see, in real-time, how happy my customers are with my products, and how my staff is working to keep them happy.
Case in point: I received a call from a Bell customer service rep the other day, inquiring about my satisfaction level with their products and services and seeking to upgrade my subscriptions.
I asked them, politely, if they were kidding.
They paused then started into paragraph 2 of the canned speech.
I asked to speak with their supervisor, which took them a bit by surprise as to this point I hadn’t said more than 3 words to them. They told me that they would be only too happy to answer any questions I might have, and wondered if I had a problem I needed to discuss.
“Do you have my customer record in front of you?” I asked.
“Sir?”
I clarified by saying, “Do you have my customer record in front of you showing what Bell products or services I currently subscribe to?”
Stammering, he replied, “Sir, I have your name and phone number that is part of your account…”
“And what does it say about my current Bell services?” I interrupted.
Hesitantly, he says “That is why I am calling, sir, to see if you are happy with our…”
“Clearly you’re in a call centre, so tell me, what products or services are listed under my name in front of you on your screen?”
From the other end I could hear the hundreds of other reps chatting gayly away, but my guy is dead silent.
“I haven’t used Bell for phone or any other service for almost a year because of their deplorable lack of customer empathy. Please take my name off your list now.” and I hung up.
Summary: If you have customers, treat them well. If you lose a customer, update their record THAT DAY. If you’re inclined, conduct a post-mortem interview to identify what went wrong and how to prevent it from happening to another customer.
I’ve been chewing on this since I caught some of Barbara Walter’s 10 Most Interesting People of 2009 a week or so ago, and have to say that the entire show was a total sell out.
It’s shows like that where the focus rests solely on the celebrity flavour of the month/year that perpetuates the coffers for the loathsome paparazzi.
Let’s go through this list of potential Darwin Award Winners:
Jacko’s Kids
... creeeepyyyy ....
I’ll give her this one – these kids, and the life that they’ve led to this point is fascinating…
Jenny Sanford
A senator’s wife who found out her husband was cheating on her. Holy shit! Seriously?! My God, what is this world coming to!!? Unheard of!! How the frick is this fascinating? So not only has she been in the American national spotlight as “that poor woman”, now she’s involved in an in-depth interview to probe and expose her emotions and her take on it? Talk about rubbing salt in a wound… Come on, Bahbah, that’s weak… but wait, it gets weaker…
Brett Favre
Again, what the hell is fascinating about a guy who can’t retire? He had his time, he’s still good, done. Why the hell do I care about why he didn’t want to retire? Next year will Jay Leno make the list? Lame.
Sarah Palin
Ahh, Sarah. Brunt of SNL jokes for months, water cooler subject at american offices, spank bank entry for any number of political pundits, Palin is(was) fascinating, but not for what Bahbah interviewed her about. She was fascinating because she said the most ridiculous things in her quest to become Vice President and didn’t seem to learn how to NOT do it over and over again. Think about it, this woman not only wanted to be, but came pretty damn close to becoming the second-most powerful political figure in the world, and it was through endorsements and support from the general public!! THAT is what is fascinating! So, ok, there’s two out of ten… what next?
Adam Lambert
Whatever. He can sing. He’s come out publicly. He wears too much eye makeup. He’s the Freddie Mercury of 2009 but sorry, Adam, you’ve been done before. The only reason Adam was on the list is because of the controversy around his rise to “fame” after not being chosen as THE IDOL. Yeah? What about Clay Aiken, or better yet, that dude that lost in the first season to Kelly Clarkson? Surely he’s up to something more than tuna sandwiches and bus rides! Get him on the phone!
Kate Gosselin
What's the point?
If I hear the name Kate Gosselin one more time… well, I won’t do much more than rant about it, but Sweet Christmas give it a rest already! Once again, a woman finds herself the victim of infidelity and the whole world is forced to sit through her pain and strength, her sorrow and her bravery, her … whatever. She treated her husband like an employee on national television, in an extremely stressful family situation, with an ever-present film crew, making money hand-over-fist, and now that’s coming to an end and mother’s everywhere are at a loss for something to do from 8-9PM Wednesday nights… You want fascinating? How about Octomom and the shit she’s pulled to get her share of the spotlight? She’s WAY more crazy than Kate, and has more kids in a weirder situation.
Tyler Perry
Who? Must be an American thing… never heard of him. Sounded like he had a pretty average upbringing, now he’s an actor. Bravo. Next?
Glenn Beck
Finally! Somebody who actually fits the criteria! He was a nobody until he started bitching about politics, and now he’s infamous for it. He’s got his own regularly scheduled show with tons of traffic, he gets lamb-basted and takes it, he dishes it out too. I thought Beck was the only LEGITIMATE entry on this list.
Lady GaGa
Get lost. Lady GaGa is fascinating? No, Lady GaGa is a character played by a girl from New York. I call bullshit on that one. It’s an act! It’s a show! Of course she’s going to be different and unique, that’s what gets noticed! But that’s not fascinating! Bullshit.
Michelle Obama
COME ON! Way to kiss ass, Bahbah. She’s the first lady, so what?
Sure, Lady Ga-Ga is a weird person and Adam Lambert could be called unique, but honestly, who gives a shit? Ever heard of shock factor? These people do what they do because they know it will get them press! That doesn’t make them interesting? No, it makes them glory-hounds! And the worst part of it is that BahBah fed into their megalomaniacal egos by showcasing them on her show!
I must be retarded because I just don’t see how Kate Gosselin or Brett Favre are more interesting than, say, you or me. I’m sure you’ve done some weird shit in your time, you still manage to do weird and fascinating shit now (although you might find it mundane, clearly Bahbah sees things differently) and honestly, REAL life – not the above listed celebratrocities – hands out way more interesting stuff.
Expect Sparks 