exploring the details (and trying to be kind)

It was the day after the State of the Union on CBS’s Early Show.

Vice President Biden was talking about his work in heading up the oversight taskforce of the stimulus funds. (Heading it up.)

The journalists at CBS gave him a little heat over his “Web Site Blunder” at the end of his talk and for his suggestion that people with stimulus package questions call his office directly. What they didn’t really address was his more important answer to the small business owners of America.
 
A question from a small business owner who had to lay off most of her staff last year…

“What I'm looking for are real clear details about how is the stimulus package really going to help small businesses.”

Being a part of a ‘small business’ myself (and a taxpayer), I’m excited to listen.

Biden: Well, there's a number of ways. It depends on what your business is. I would recommend that woman call my office directly and I will be able to guide her as to how what pieces of this package would be directly helpful to her.

[Um... Really, Joe?]

For example, it may very well be that she's in a circumstance where she is not able, her customers aren't able to get to her, there's no transit capability, the bridge going across the creek to get to her business needs repair.

[A bridge… across the creek… needs repair?]

It may very well be that she's in a position where she is unable to access, her energy costs are so high, by providing smart meters, by being able to bring down the cost of her workforce, I mean the cost of operating her business.

[What?]

But most importantly, where it's mainly going to come for the business people is getting credit flowing again. She probably has trouble maintaining inventory and paying salaries and that's because we gotta get the bank credit flowing and that's a second issue that the president spoke to.

But we're going to be very very demanding of the banks as we help them. We're going to demand that they act responsibly.

[Really? You’re going to ask them to work longer hours 6 - 7 days a week (like so many small businesses do to keep going) and not hoard the cash you (we) give them? And they’re going to do it?]

But she should call me directly.

[No… she shouldn’t.]

At the end of the talk, the journalist asked…

By the way, do you know the website [where people can “follow the money”]?

Biden: You know, I'm embarrassed.

You know the website number? (he asked of someone off camera) You know, I should have it in front of me and I don't. I'm actually embarrassed.

Journalist: I'm going to call your office later and get it.

Biden: Excuse me. It’s recovery.gov.

In his Inaugural address, the president inspired me with his call for initiative and responsibility.

That’s what’ll stimulate things. You… me… digging in, working harder, caring more, creating value in the world. Truth.

(fake money and bridges over creeks aren’t the solution)

tgim

A job is only a lesser job when the person doing it treats it as such.

I saw Smokey Robinson this past Saturday night at the Richmond Forum. He didn't sing — it was more of a formal interview about his work over the last 50 years. About an hour and half that flew by with stories from his days growing up in Detroit with people like Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross and all the big Motown groups (they were all neighbors — you believe that?).

One of his primary messages seemed to be the importance of grace and humility… that one should never feel they're more important than someone else because of their job.

"If an entertainer goes away it has much less of an impact than if a garbage man goes away."

Not his exact words but that was the gist. This was from a guy who produced.

At one point he talked about the "new" singer.

"The thing about a new singer is that they're never new. If they're 15-years-old, they've been singing since they were 5. If they're 20, they've been singing since they were 10." (again, not his exact words, but the gist)

Yesterday I saw this on Twitter from Jackie Danicki…

"some of the happiest people I know are in jobs that some of the most miserable people I know would consider beneath them"

So… how do I wrap this up?

tgim

(a little more from a couple years ago)

Love the E*TRADE babies.

Watch them. Talk about them. Blog about them.

(but I haven’t opened an account with them)

Great entertainment. Keeps the name in everyone’s face. Both good things. But I always wonder if all that energy (time & money) pays in the end (or couldn’t be better allocated).

The truth is, I guess, it’s like anything. Big awareness can eventually trickle down to a smaller active group of paying customers. I might not be a buyer but on my dime I’m putting the message in front of people.

So many great spots but these “outtakes” below kill me (especially the laughfest beginning at 0.22 and the “oh my goodness” clip at 0.55)…

(thanks Frank & Laurie)

What if we participated in reverse customer service? If we, as customers, tried to be kinder to the people serving us?

The thought has me tripping over my keyboard.

I mean, why should I be the one to work to be kinder to that person at the ticket counter (or at that gate in the airport) when s/he always treats people the way s/he does, week after week. Why should I be the one who has to be kind when I’m the customer this time?

Because…

This whole thing is not supposed to be a battle.

Several months ago, I posted about the idea of businesses being more approachable and opening a little earlier and closing a little later. Someone who runs a retail business commented…

“I certainly take care of my customers but I have found that the public is quite rude and lacks much compassion for retail businesses.”

We do, don’t we?

But what it really is, I think, is that the public lacks much compassion for itself. Those people serving me have an obligation to do it well but I could certainly be more helpful to their efforts — perhaps starting the exchange with the smile I wish they’d have for me (or asking my questions humbly rather than grumbly — something about the phonetics of “umbly” that makes me want rhyme).

All of us are on both sides of the customer service experience every day.

Maybe if we were a little more compassionate, if we looked inside ourselves to help improve the experience (rather than outside), we’d more often find what it is we wish we’d experience.

tgim

A great little kick off to the week — 15 minutes on the value of being encouraging, the value of a smile, resilience, and the influence we can have on others (even when we don’t realize it)…

A little longer than it needs to be, I think, but good time even so.

tgim

(“When bad things happen, good people have to take what they’ve learned and make the world a better place…” — Kurt Kuenne, Writer & Director of Validation and Dear Zachary — a completely different film)