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My last entry certainly hit a lot of nerves.  If you haven’t read the comments – please do – it’s well worth the time.  What I heard loud and clear was the disconnect between us and them.                                                                                              

Some of us may remember the days of doing business with real people.  The phone was actually answered by a human being, not a list of instructions.  And even if it was a regional and national company, we still had a common experience to share – even if only a snowstorm or an election. 

Today’s businesses are so huge that we’re not even sure where the person we’re talking to is.  Is it the other coast or another continent?  It doesn’t feel possible to have a personal experience.  After going through the litany of push 1 or 2 we’re so frustrated that if we finally get a human on the phone, we’re already on our last nerve. 

Yet this is the exact time we need to remember that they are one of us – no matter where they are.  Just like us they may be having a frustrating day, just like us they may be having financial difficulties, just like us they may be feeling disconnected.  Just like us.

Now, I’m not about to let the companies off the hook.  Businesses must remember that the policies they enact are putting employees just like us in impossible situations – policies where they have to forget that we are real persons.  Instead of policies that disconnect us – we need policies that reconnect us. 

Maybe a grassroots effort is the only way to start.  Maybe if we make them feel connected they might be the catalyst for change in their company.  As Ghandi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”  Maybe this is a small simple way for us to begin.  What do you think?

Still wearing those glasses…

Saturday I was catching up on paperwork and noticed that the interest rate on my Chase credit card had jumped from 3.99% to 13.24%. It took a long frustrating phone call and talking with a manager to find out what actually happened. Although I had a lifetime interest rate of 3.99% and for almost two years had made electronic payments every month on the last day of every month, suddenly it took Chase nine days to post that payment instead of the usual two or three. And, because it took nine days - it was late! Being late aliowed them to jump the interest rate by almost 10%!

Now the frustrating part was although the manager could see that the payment had always been made on the same day and always took two days to get there, it didn’t make a difference. It appears that Chase’s policy is to flatly refuse all requests for reconsideration. Concern for the customer or even valuing my viewpoint was not part of the policy. Instead the policy is to instruct their customer to write a letter to appeal.

I hung up the phone, frustrated to say the least and thought, “oh forget it—it’s not worth the bother”. And then I thought, “is this what they’re hoping for?” How many customers have given up in frustration? How many times do we lose because we don’t bother to speak up for what we need? Or because we don’t follow through?

Anyway, the letter has been sent. We’ll see what happens. I’m hoping that I’m wrong about the intentions of Chase. I still like to think we are all in this together and that we’re not taking advantage of each other during this financial mess we’re in.

Still looking through rose-colored glasses. Am I blind?

I’ve always thought social networking—Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and even e-mail—was just a good excuse not to interact personally.  Frankly, it scared me thinking that someday it would be the only way we’d communicate.  But, I think I’ve changed my mind.

Tuesday I went to The Big Conference, a full day of hearing all about the new social media.  I was surprised at what I learned.  Great speakers filled the gaps in my knowledge and convinced me that social media is all about relationship building—just like life has always been—only now these relationships span and develop across the world in just a blink of an eye.

At Honeck-O’Toole we’ve always thought our best marketing strategy was word of mouth.  All the advertising in the world couldn’t promote us better than a recommendation from satisfied clients or business colleagues.  We only have to what we do best and our name spreads.  It’s an understated, not-in-your-face approach.  

So now I get it.  Social media is about word of mouth (well, maybe word of keyboard) relationship building.  It’s today’s version of old-fashioned marketing.  Like it or not, our fast paced world is here to stay and social media gives us the tools to keep up with it.  So, I’m going to join the new wave and figure it all out.  It’s a lot like learning a foreign language but I did Spanish before, surely I can do this.

I know it should be tweet.  I just couldn’t resist.

http://bit.ly/21nUyg via @addthis

1969 Camaro

I’ve been bugging my husband to buy a new car – yes, bugging him.  His truck has over 190,000 miles on it and the truth is, I’m tired of having to ride in it up to Robbinston.  (We need it up there to transport the kayaks.)  But he’s happy with his truck and wants to wait to buy something new.  Last year we went through the exact same thing and he wouldn’t do it then either.  I argue that I’m tired of bouncing up to Robbinston, that the truck is on its last leg and that he’d really love having a car that would fit into the garage in the winter.  Nothing seems to convince him.

Then I stopped to think, why do “I” care so much.  What is this really about?  What’s the underlying my need for him to buy a new vehicle?  And then it came to me.  My father was a Chevrolet dealer in Wisconsin.  One of the exciting events I remember as a child was the arrival of the new car models.  The cars would arrive at the dealership fully wrapped and then would be spirited away to our garage at home (and other hiding places).  All the windows in the garage would be covered with paper so no one would see them until the big unveiling.  It was exciting to see them before everyone else did and to be privy to this exciting event!

I’m been trying to recreate the excitement of those times!  I wonder how many new cars I have purchased at this time of year—wouldn’t surprise me if all of them were.  The good news?  Now that I know what my motive is, I can quit bugging my husband—it’s his decision, not mine.

Peace again at home.  Life is real.

I’ve been talking alot about the unexamined beliefs and values that are the foundation of our lives with money.  All this talk is well and good—but what are we going to do about it?  To shift the beliefs that have been driving our problems with money, we need to become financially conscious.

Financially conscious—what does that mean?  It means being conscious about our beliefs and using this consciousness to change our behavior.  It means being aware of how we deal with money—or don’t deal with money.  It’s about being in real relationship with our money.  Not in dysfunctional ways–but fully involved with how we think, feel and act with our money.

So, to put my money where my mouth is, I’ve decided to share my journey with you.  I’ve been thinking about this for a month—that’s why you haven’t heard from me for awhile.  I held back because the thought of being fully conscious with money scares me just as much as it scares you.  And having to share all of me, my good moments and my bad is a bit intimidating.

But I know we learn from each other and I can’t expect people to follow my words if I’m not doing it myself.  So, stay tuned and follow my journey.  And if you’re up to it – join me.  I’d love your comments (and suggestions) along the way!

Here goes nothing!