You're Overqualified to Provide Our Customers with Good Service

So, I have a few blog posts in the pipeline -- all of which are a little more serious (and lengthy), but I'm delaying the publication until a few other things work themselves out.

With that in mind, here's a true story from this past weekend.

I had to get my car's oil changed, and the appointment ran a little long. I was going to be late getting back home to meet my friends, so I decided to quickly run into White Castle to grab some take-out -- figuring fast food was the way to go.

I walked in and ordered a simple order -- 4 cheeseburgers and fries. The total came to around $7 or $8, and I pulled out two $5 bills to pay the cashier. I then thought that I might need the smaller bills for later in the day, so I asked for the $5 bills back and handed her a $20.

Her: Why are you giving me this?

Me: I think I need the smaller bills for later, so I'd like to pay with a $20.

Her: But, I already entered in $10.

Me: That's okay; just give me back the change listed there, plus $10 - it's the same thing and your drawer will be the same.

Her: I don't think I can do that...

Me: [head cocked to one side like a dog hearing a weird sound]

Her: Just give me back the $10.

Me: Well, if you can't do that, then cancel the order and re-ring it in. [again, this wasn't a large order...]

Her: I don't think I can do that.

Me: I'm pretty sure you can do that.

Her: I'll be right back.

She now leaves and heads to the back to talk with a manager, I guess. She's gone about two minutes (which is an eternity when you're already late). She comes back.

Her: Do you still want this order? The four burgers and fries?
Me: Yes.

Her: Okay, can I have the $10 please? [so, basically, nothing has happened yet]

Me: I can give you the $20.

Her: I need the $10; I've already rung it in.

Me: Okay, so cancel that order and ring it up again.

Her: I don't think I can do that. I'll go back and check again [as she heads back to the back again]

Me: I have faith you'll figure it out [as I walk out the door to head to Wendy's]

Wow. What bothers me even more about this (even more than the colossal ineptitude shown) is the fact that I *know* there are unemployed people who -- at this point, would TAKE a job at White Castle to help pay bills. Yet, they're repeatedly turned away for being over-qualified.

So, I ask -- does White Castle (or any employer) really get it? Isn't it worth hiring someone who is overqualified and will still come in and do a good job for you for however long; as compared to hiring someone who's happy to work for the wages, and is going to cost you business and cause blogs to be written about the customer service experience you offer?

I think the answer is pretty clear.

Why Politicians Make Good Marketers (and Vice Versa)

So, I happened to catch a news broadcast this morning (I think it was on Good Morning America). The show featured an interview with a politician whom, apparently, was in a bit of a pickle last year. In October, he was "going through some things," and it resulted in nearly a quarter of his staff resigning.

So, he went on GMA this morning to set the record straight. What we learned was the following:

1. He's in a good place now.
2. He's taking care of his two kids.
3. He's taking care of his 88-year-old mother.
4. He got help.
5. He's in a good place now.

That's it -- over and over, regardless of the questions asked of him, his answers were the same: some variation of those answers.

And I got to thinking, most politicians are just good speakers (and some aren't even that!). Most don't actually write their own material -- they have speechwriters to do that for them. The only thing they're asked to do is speak effectively (and in the case of today's speaker, even that was a challenge). So, I thought, why aren't more marketing professionals turning to politics? An original thinker -- someone who can actually *think* of what to say, and say it effectively, should be a slam-dunk.

Much like how I did in grad school -- when you're able to write effectively, you're already 10 or 20 percent better than everyone else. I sat there, with my mouth wide open, listening to this politician spew the same stuff out over and over. And then I envisioned his speechwriter, who probably advised him to "mention" these few key points; doing the facepalm, while he heard his politician repeating the same lines over and over, like a trained parrot.

It's interesting that the older I get, the less "awed" I am by professions/people -- celebrities; politicians; doctors -- there's no mystique to them, anymore. Today's broadcast was another stark reminder....

The Greatest Disappointment of My Adult Life

Hi, my name is Chris, and I now find myself strangely addicted to reality shows.

For YEARS, I avoided such shows, commenting on the drivel that lazy TV networks were pushing out at viewers who lapped up the content. As a writer, I was particularly disappointed, since I saw the movement as a decided step away from quality writing on television (like The West Wing, The Shield, Lost, etc.).

So, when Survivor first came out, I avoided it (and, still haven't seen an episode yet). When Big Brother and The Amazing Race were introduced, I continued my mantra (despite the fact that, apparently, The Amazing Race was well done).

But, let me back up for a minute. Really, although I consider my new-found "love" for reality shows to be a recent development, it actually started a LONG time ago. I watched the first season of The Real World in 1992 (wow, that hurt, I could've sworn I was in high school when I first saw that show -- not already a college graduate!). And then, a number of years ago, when I had a prolonged stretch of unemployment (and, unlike this past stint, I actually did lapse into mild depression), I found myself staying up late at night, drawn to shows like The 5th Wheel and ElimiDATE, primarily due to the cringe-worthiness of the contestants and the decidedly mean-spirited approach taken by the show.

But, then I got a job, and that period of my life went away (and, the shows got canceled), which enabled me to get back to good television.

When we first got the Food Network, I was drawn to shows like Iron Chef America -- I don't like to cook; not one bit; but I do like to eat. And, there was something appealing about seeing great food being made, with the pressure of time AND the competitive angle.

So, officially, my first "reality" show that I began watching religiously was Chopped. Unlike Iron Chef America, the contestants really only have the time we see on the show. They get four semi-random ingredients per course, and they must make an appetizer, entree, dessert in 20-30 minutes (including plating). They have no knowledge of the ingredients beforehand, and after each course, one chef gets "chopped."

From there, it was only natural that I'd find Top Chef -- which I consider to be the best cooking show on television. The competitions are innovative, and they do an outstanding job of showcasing personalities of the chefs as well as the cooking (so, you're actually invested in the chef and his/her progress throughout the show).

Continuing on the award-winning path, I next discovered Deadliest Catch, drawn by the ravings of my friends, and also the dilemma facing the show last year. It's probably the most "real" of any reality show, which continued to fuel my belief that I wasn't betraying my commitment to quality television.

Then, along came American Idol.

Drawn, initially, by the fact that EVERYONE I knew was watching it, I wanted to see what the big deal was. I caught the last few episodes of the year Adam Lambert finished second, and then, watched last year's show in its entirety, each week (I even posted about it last year!). While I find the early stages laughable (done primarily to make people both laugh and become invested in the contestants), I like the competitive angle that emerges. I'm finding Steven Tyler to be decent; but I was one who really enjoyed Simon's bluntness (and, it'll be interesting to see how this year progresses).

I could live with that as my reality diet, I think; but -- the last weekday I was home before starting my job, I started watching a Jersey Shore marathon, and -- much like a bad car accident -- found myself drawn to the show as well. Mind you, my own personality is nothing like those on the show; I think I find myself in awe that people actually function that way; but it's an interesting study on our population (and, of course, I posted about this show, as well, earlier this year).

I think I'm tapped out of reality shows now. I am watching American Idol again this year (and disappointingly, my favorite contestant from last year -- Charity Vance -- who was eliminated in the Hollywood Round, apparently met the same fate this year (based on spoiler lists leaked on the 'Net that detail which top 40 contestants advanced out of Hollywood Week)). Never mind that though, Charity seems to be doing JUST fine for herself (she has five songs on iTunes, and has been described as Katy Perry with her pop sensibilities; but with a better voice, better song creation and more introspection in her lyrics -- that's not a bad combination.

Here's one of her videos (I can't stop humming this song -- so advanced for an 18/19 year old). I'm reasonably sure she'll have a great, long career, even without American Idol on her resume.

(Sorry I've been posting far less than before, and -- even more damning, my recent posts have all been slightly less serious than I'd intended. I do have a lengthy, fairly serious post in the pipeline (probably the next one), and I may have another two posts, upcoming, with some semi-big announcements!)

The Simple Things

So, three weeks into my new job and slowly my life is returning to a state of normalcy (even though I didn't work a full week in all that time -- this winter has been brutal, closing my company twice already).


Last weekend, my wife and I did something we haven't done in years -- went to a double feature at the movies. Before we owned a home (e.g., the years of no responsibility), we did this quite often; but we haven't done it much lately, and certainly not while I was unemployed. And, with coupons and rewards points, etc., it was quite reasonable -- $30 for tickets to two shows, small soda, small popcorn, box 'o candy.

In truth, the 'boycott' was never truly about the cost (although, while unemployed, even $30 is difficult to rationalize), rather, it was always about the feeling that it was wrong to spend time and money on something like the movies while I wasn't working. We certainly didn't wallow in our misery; but we spent our time doing other things that were less costly -- hanging out with friends, etc.

But, it did feel good to head out and actually do something 'extravagant' again (and, yes, I know $30 on two movies isn't extravagant; but -- trust me -- it feels that way).

For the interested, the two movies we saw were "No Strings Attached" with Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher (raunchier than I'd expect; but predictable, with some funny and some cringe-worthy parts) and "The Dilemma" with Vince Vaughn and Kevin James (a truly dysfunctional film -- doesn't know if it wants to be a buddy comedy or a relationship drama, and there were a few moments (one in particular) that just seem as though they were added with no regards to the character development established up until that point) ... a shame, as I was hoping to laugh equally as hard as I did at Wedding Crashers -- no such luck.

Jersey Shore -- There's No Way This Can Be Real (Is There?)

Before I started at my new job (but, after I learned I had been hired), I watched an episode of MTV's award-winning cheap & tawdry show Jersey Shore. I, obviously, was aware of the show (who hasn't heard of "Snooki," "The Situation" and "J-Woww?"); but, I'd never actually sat through an entire episode.

I watched one episode; then the next, then another. Like a bad car wreck, I couldn't turn away.

I know there's been a great deal of controversy over the show, and apparent slurs against the Italian community. And, it's hardly worth debating the merits of the show -- I don't know anyone who would suggest the show is 'great.'

Instead, I started wondering about some of the more cheap and tawdry action. Not only does the show seem to encourage the housemates entering into intimate encounters with each other (and, pretty much, any other living thing); but an awful lot of it is filmed. And, even more unnerving; many times, these encounters happen with multiple people in the room; almost as spectators....

With that, I started thinking -- obviously, was whether the show was, in fact, "real?" MTV had another show (one I've never seen, but again, heard about) called The Hills. Apparently, the show was filmed and promoted as a "reality" show; but the ending of the series gave the definite impression that the audience had been fooled, and the show was not true reality (there's debate over whether the show was actually scripted; but certainly the final scene of the series indicated the show was being shot on an outdoor movie set, not a real outdoor location).

Could Jersey Shore be in the same boat? Would MTV do it a second time? Cast and showcase a show with the presumption that it was "reality" when in fact it's completely scripted and exaggerated?

I don't know that there's a good answer to that question -- if it's scripted, then I'm disgusted at what MTV thinks the public wants to see (and, even scarier, they're right... the new season just set the record for the series viewing audience). If it's not scripted; well, that's even scarier, that people like that exist (not just he stars of the show; but also the assorted and varied people they "interact" with... I wonder what the laws for emigrating to Canada are like........