2.24.2009

Voting With Your Feet

For those of us in Office Country or Cubicle Land that have an influence on customers, guests, visitors, etc. I have one question for you:

What is your organizations, business or non-profits "dirty dining room"?

In the world of Restaurants, most people vote with their feet when they visit an establishment that lacks care for cleanliness. Sure, some patrons make a comment to an employee or the manager, but most just don't return. Dining room and bathroom cleanliness is most likely on the restaurants core values list, but lower than the value of something like quality food.

In search of quality food, most diners will complain over a bad meal because they perceive they are paying for quality food and not necessarily cleanliness.

Some thoughts:
  • So your customers/guests pay for a main service or product. Your customers may be thrilled with that or at least willing to tell you when they are not. What is your company's "dirty dining room" that they may not be informing you about?
  • Are your employees holding this "dirty dining room" to their standards, yours, OR the customers?
  • Does your organization have a good avenue for customers/guests to voice their opinions about the "quality food" and "dining room cleanliness" or other values your company considers when marketing their product/service and building repeat business?

2.09.2009

Twitter for Business

From John Jantsch - Duct Tape Marketing

"I have written a free, practical small business guide for using twitter for business. You can get it here http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2008/08/04/twitter-for-business/
This should give you a starting point or a way to better understand what all the fuss is about."

Toilet seat results are in!

Be a gentleman wins! Stay tuned for next office standards vote tomorrow.....

2.04.2009

Revisiting the Toilet Seat Position

For those of us in an office area (or at home) with a unisex bathroom, the toilet seat debate is a constant one. Remember that the seat is different from the lid.
Spittle on the seat. Men putting the seat up and down or not. Women falling in. Massive displeasure all around for those who have to touch the seat.
I have visited this before, but now I am taking a survey.

What do you do?

Also click here for an in depth research on toilet seat schemes.

1.27.2009

Reply to All - use it wisely.

I was clearing through my outlook emails - organizing and deleting and it hit me.
People reply to all for a myriad of reasons when not needed. So I thought I better remind myself when is a good time to do it and when it isn't. I don't want to make the same mistakes.

It is good to Reply to All when:
  • Your reply will be necessary to know for the original sender and all people in the original email's To: and Cc: field.
  • Such as interoffice banter, joke threads, and conversations.
Sounds simple, right? Then why do some Reply to All when only the original sender needs to know your reply. Simple as that. Some examples?
  • I'm talking about the replies to group invites letting everyone know you are going or not. "I be there", the replies state. Oh good, I'm in now if Peggy Sue is going.
  • The ongoing conversation between to people in reply to all emails. Yeah, that's right - I currently have one that is comprised of 7 back and forth emails. Nothing to do with me, but by the grace of God I was blessed to be listed on the first send.

and while I am at it....
The Bcc: field should only be used to distribute emails while keeping the recipients' addresses confidential or to copy somebody internally, as proof, when delivering an email to the outside, for example.
If you reply to all as a Bcc: recipient, you reveal yourself as a recipient.

Lastly for more email etiquette (which I certainly need) check this out.

1.19.2009

Pennsylvania Football Fans

Today in Pennsylvania Cubicles, you might be dealing with this:
  • The frequent prairie dog of that overly obnoxious, painted face Steeler Fan popping out of their Black and Gold cubicle to wave their terrible towel or chant that annoying chant.

or

  • The sad and depressed Eagle fan that probably called in sick, which means tomorrow you will have to hear them defend their team, or talk about how great they played compared to where they were 6 weeks ago....or talk about how cool it would have been to see an all Pennsylvania Superbowl.

I don't know which is worse to deal with. All I know is I am a Browns fans and maybe it would be easier to become an Eagles or a Steelers Fan.


Nah.....I enjoy my own misery...and someone else can write about that!

1.09.2009

Meet Jimmy

Jimmy is one of the good guys in cubicle land. I found him out in the yard one day. He was only about 2 inches tall when I saved him from the plucking grasp of anothers hand. He has grown so much and provided amazing friendship to me in between these walls. Well others scoffed and laughed, I forged onward and gave him shelter under my skylight. He is still living and growing everyday.


Meet Jimmy

My Japanese Maple....Hope he makes it through the winter.....





Isn't he getting big!!!

1.06.2009

Back In the Saddle


It happened - Monday, January 5th @7:45 am. I gracefully entered my cubicle after my vacation. I hopped back in the "saddle" and quite honestly was glad to be back. Not just to be back at work, but I missed my office of walls. So I jumped on the saddle (office chair), put my feet in my solid brass stirrups (plastic file cabinet under my desk that doubles as a foot rest), honked my horn (what! when did saddles become outfitted with horns?) and started working - and whenever anyone flings any crap my way, I just have them put it in the crapper attachment on my office saddle....oh wait, I don't have a crapper ring to attach it to.