Stories from the Sales Frontlines

nyccarguy

Well (sorta).

So when we last left nyccarguy & his family in southwestern, CT they had full power, but Sandy knocked out their phone, cable, & Internet. Sandy also blew down a (rather) large (40' to 50') pine tree whose canopy (thanks robr2) whacked the corner of my roof (the pitch) and cracked it (the pitch) along with a few shingles. The tree's canopy is now resting on my roof. There is a 24" x 18" hole in the side of my house above my bedroom. I cut some of the branches (3/4" - 1 1/4" thick) with a Sawzall (argh, argh, argh), measured & cut a piece of 3/4" plywood with a circular saw (argh, argh, argh), then nailed it to the house & screwed it to an exposed beam. Tomorrow I will seal around this temporary patch with some foam insulation.

I tried calling my insurance company, who I literally switched to on Friday. After 12 minutes on hold I was disconnected. I kept calling back(from my cell phone with crummy reception in my house while watching my 3 kids 6 & under) for an hour and a half and gave up. I'll have the bookkeeper call tomorrow & call me into the office when they pick up.

Strangely, tonight around 8:30 pm the power went out.

I'll be able to post pics tomorrow from work as it would take forever on 3G.

nyccarguy

You have a hard top, soft top, or both?

stickguy

Sorry to hear Bradd. But, look at the bright side, you really dodged a bullet that many other people did not. Sounds like relatively easy to fix, and not something that has to be a rush if you are weather tight.

nyccarguy

I'm complaining to you, my friends, but realize that I lucked out. Things could've been MUCH worse.

graphicguy

WOW....that's a huge difference from the weather we experienced just 75-100 miles south of Lima, OH. Cleveland always seems to be worse because they're 3-4 hours north, and sitting on the Lake.

Again, glad to hear (fezo? where are you?) most of us are safe and sound.

driver100

No such laws in Africa or South/Central America.

Thanks for the info. I imagine some are sold by curbsiders too!

I guess you should be aware if you are buying a used Crown Vic.

Are those the cars you see 20 years old and they are still running?

Americans are ingenius, the capitalist system is magnificent, where there is a will there is a way, someone found a way to recycle cars that have been under water. I love it!

driver100

There is a 24" x 18" hole in the side of my house above my bedroom

Yes, you are very fortunate, it could have been much worse. Good luck with the insurance company too!

sterlingdog

"What were you doing in those places?"

I did graduate work in Asian studies with emphasis on literature and culture. I was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study abroad. I went over in the late '70s and again in the late '80s. I have no intentions of returning. On my first trip, I was there the morning that they murdered President Bhutto. We heard the gun shots because we were staying in a house a quarter mile from his mountain retreat. We had a rental car and managed to get away before they began searching the neighboring houses. On my second trip, we landed in Tehran We were greeted by machine guns and escorted to the terminal. They checked us out and allowed us to go to the hotel. I was in those countries for about three months on each trip. We had some real experiences.

Richard

sterlingdog

"Are you implying JMonroe should take your course?"

No, not at all. He's too far gone. :P There is one thing that I've noticed about him over the years. He's very loyal to his company and highly respected by his peers. Though he wouldn't admit it, you can read between the lines. He's the type of team player that every employer dreams about today. They are becoming more and more difficult to find.

Yes, I well remember your employee situation. I thought that we had solved that problem. I may be seeing a pattern here. Your male employee is very nice and "wouldn't hurt a flea" as you say. Some women may see that as a weakness in a man and not respect it. Keep me posted on how that situation develops. Also, what's your wife's take on this new employee relationship?

Richard

driver100

, we landed in Tehran We were greeted by machine guns and escorted to the terminal.

You love your country (as you should), but those experiences must really make you appreciate living in America.

The worst poverty I saw was in Egypt. Garbage on the streets, homes in crumbling buildings. I am not a lucky person when it comes to gambling (so I don't bother), but I feel I really won the sweepstakes being born in such a wonderful country.

Also, for any readers, the 2nd installment of Ken Folletts Century series is very good....Winter of the World. It takes place during WWII, covers 5 countries, and is a fiction story based on facts, what we in the business call "faction".
I mention it because we are fortunate we didn't live or fight in that war.

oldfarmer50

"...I hope I answered your question..."

Yes you did Mike, thanks. That's kind of what I thought. Having been in Orlando in August I can't imagine driving out in the open but having been in Largo in December it seemed like it might a little cool to go topless. Spring and fall would seem ideal.

driver100

Your male employee is very nice and "wouldn't hurt a flea" as you say. Some women may see that as a weakness in a man and not respect it.

Our male employee is a computer genius, and indeed probably has an IQ in the top 5% I would guess. He knows about any subject you can mention.
When we said we were going to China he knew all the facts about the Terra Cotta soldiers. He is a peace loving person and a minimalist...just basic furniture. No TV, just a computer to see things he really wants to see. I was checking out war books and he knew how many aircraft carriers every country has. He knows all about Young Adult books and details about every Disney/Pixar etc. type movie. If someone asks for help he will do everything he can....friends ask him to come and fix their computers and he can't say no.

The lady is a hard worker, and keeps to herself, that is, it is hard to know what she really thinks. He might have been on her case because she wasn't doing something the way it has to be done for him to work properly.
I think the weakness is a possibility, her husband is very macho, in fact a policeman.

My wife is not pleased. She knows the IT guy would not do anything wrong or be a problem. He does the work of 10 people and will do more if you ask. He is totally dedicated to his work. We both don't know how someone can't get along with him...he is a computer nerd, he is quirky, but, how can you get upset with someone who works 100% and would do anything for someone?

oldfarmer50

This guy is posting an ad on Craigslist right now.

http://bwmotorworks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/flooded-car.jpg

jmonroe

I'm lending my generator to a friend at work who has a couple of elementary school age kids.
He has no estimate from the power company about when it might return.

You’re a good guy and it’s nice to know that you didn’t need it but I hope that you had a caveat like ‘if I need it I want it back ASAP’. I know if I had friend close enough that I would loan them something like that I would have no problem because any one that close would know that if they didn’t return it when I asked for it, Mrs. j would pay them a visit.

jmonroe

robr2

I think the issue might be with the male employee. There is a difference between being intelligent and smart. I have a feeling he is the former. The latter requires social skills and the ability to interact with others in a positive manner.

It could be that you are missing that because he is such a hard worker and dedicated to his job.

Touch of Aspergers per chance?? It's quite common in techie/engineering types.

jmonroe

I'm complaining to you, my friends, but realize that I lucked out. Things could've been MUCH worse.

You are so right. As long as everyone one is safe that’s the important thing.

Man, changing insurance companies within a few days of having to submit a claim is unique, although I’ve heard of it before. I hope you get it settled quickly and satisfactorily like the guy I know who did that in the late 80’s. His was for the house too; a large bay window unit was hit by a falling tree branch.

jmonroe

abacomike

Spring and fall would seem ideal

Actually, from late October through mid-late May, convertibles are rampant around here. But in the summer, you never see anyone with a convertible who has their top down. Even the soft-top varieties are up. The sun is just brutal from mid-June through mid-October.

NYC - so sorry to hear about your house. We had houses down here with blue tarps on top of their roofs for many, many months after Wilma. FEMA I believe is the one who distributed them to those who had their roofs damaged. That's probably what they will recommend for you.

roadburner

Sorry about your storm damage Bradd, but as you noted, many others had to deal with much bigger problems:

sterlingdog

While I am sorry to hear about your damage, I'm glad that you and your family are safe. Hope the repairs will go well for you.

I'm concerned about fezo. Based on the news coverage, his area was hit pretty hard. I don't imagine that he has any power and, according to reports from that area, they can't say when it will be restored. Naturally, his health is an issue as well. We'll keep him in our prayers.

Richard

sterlingdog

"...but those experiences must really make you appreciate living in America."

You are so right! I never turn on a water faucet that I'm not grateful for fresh water. When you have to boil all of your water each day for several months, you learn real appreciation quickly. I am so blessed to live in America. Travel to most any country can make you grateful for that. My grandfather, my father, and my uncle fought in two world wars in order that I may enjoy these freedoms and these luxuries. I don't take them lightly. Neither do I take lightly what my friends suffered in Vietnam or what our young people are going through today.

Richard

sterlingdog

You make a good case and your thoughts had crossed my mind. It is also possible that this lady, like the first one, is threatened by his intelligence. It would have been interesting if Driver had replaced the first lady with a man. We would have then had a comparison of sorts. I would imagine that the IT guy is VERY particular about how things are done that impact on his area of expertise. As you say, the boss (Driver) may not have noticed the interaction taking place between the two employees. Driver had such a time with the first lady; I do hope that history won't repeat itself in this case.

Richard

jmonroe

We had houses down here with blue tarps on top of their roofs for many, many months after Wilma.

My Delray Beach brother lost his screened in pool enclosure due to Wilma and so did almost everyone else in his over 55 development off of Hagan Ranch Road. I’m pretty sure he said his insurance only paid a little over half of the $20K something replacement cost. The companies that do that work were so busy he didn’t get his replaced for at least 4 months. I know when we were down there during Super Bowl week in January of 2006 it was still down and Wilma hit in late October 2005. Although that was the only damage he had he had those hurricane shutters installed. They are not as obtrusive as I thought they would be and he felt he’d rather be safe than sorry. A lot of his neighbors had the shutters installed too.

I think I mentioned this before, you are probably familiar with this place, The Boys Farmers Market (on Military Trail, I think) had an old farmers wagon that showed signs of it going through a hurricane parked near their exit with a sign on it that read, “Thanks Wilma”. I’m pretty sure that same wagon/sign was there when we visited him in May and September of 2011.

jmonroe

verdugo

She isn't persnickety...the burglar alarm went off, the burglar opened the sliding patio and fled, the alarm company phoned, my wife and I couldn't get back to sleep, Gigi slept through the whole thing.

I thought there was no crime in Canada? :P

Kirstie_H

My guess is that he is without power. Two of our hosts live somewhat close, and they are both without power and have been since Monday night. I guess they're not really expecting to be able to restore it for a few more days.
It is concerning, but if fezo got hit as hard as our hosts' areas did, I'd guess that's the reason.

nyccarguy

Here are some pics for your viewing pleasure:

nyccarguy

jmonroe

He's very loyal to his company and highly respected by his peers. Though he wouldn't admit it, you can read between the lines.

The HELL I wouldn’t. Every chance I get to lay that on management, I make the most of that opportunity. I’m a firm believer in laying the ground work for those increases.

jmonroe

jmonroe

Here are some pics for your viewing pleasure:

You did luck out. The window was spared and so were the flood lights. So, now the repair crew can work at night. You lucky guy. :shades:

jmonroe

driver100

This guy is posting an ad on Craigslist right now.

LOL....looks like a Jetta.

driver100

There is a difference between being intelligent and smart.

The male employee is intelligent, and though a little awkward socially, you can't help but like him because he tries so hard to be liked, and he will do whatever you ask of him.

You did make me think though, he is in charge of a major project right now, and the female has to get her work ready accurately and on time. She is a good worker but may be overwhelmed trying to keep up, she may be taking her frustration out on him. Or, even more likely, protecting her job by blaming him for problems before he has to tell on her.

Sometimes, he can be overbearing because he will act like he is in charge, when every one should be equal. Sometimes he has inside knowledge, and he will act like he is in charge, by saying how things should be done, but he is just proud to state the information like as if he is in charge.

I find you sometimes have to play along with him because he is very different. He is about 40, ran away from home at 16, has not talked to his family since then, put himself through college...computer courses. He is a genius with computers. He loves his work.

driver100

I would imagine that the IT guy is VERY particular about how things are done that impact on his area of expertise.

Exactly. He is a computer guy and is obsessive about getting things done exactly as they should be. He is in charge of a new customer and the orders have to be exactly right. Unfortunately the woman worker, through no fault of her own, isn't used to be this precise.

You may have nailed it. He needs certain results and she may not be getting things right. We have to be very accurate for this new customer, and we never had to be this accurate in the past. With electronic ordering you have to have the product if you say you do, and you have to be able to locate it if the customer orders. The woman has made mistakes, wrong counts and sometimes can't locate it. He is the one that has to deal with the mistake and it is major extra work for him. Maybe he is on her case a bit and she is lashing back.

Richard, you probably remember, you said get rid of that saleslady from the beginning and I kept giving her a chance, but she never changed and we had to let her go. The one time I was wrong in my life.....

sterlingdog

Wow! I'm glad the main trunk missed your house.

Richard

sterlingdog

LOL! You are such a character.

Richard

sterlingdog

"The one time I was wrong in my life...."

It is also the only time that I ever won an argument with you. You know that I'll never let you forget it. :P

I have a great idea for bringing your IT guy down a notch. Tell him that you have a customer who demands the original "Dick and Jane" book. Let's see him tackle that one! :surprise:

Richard

abacomike

I’m pretty sure that same wagon/sign was there when we visited him in May and September of 2011

I am not familiar with that, *jmonroe, but you are correct about Wilma and the havoc it wrought on us. The two major problems were lack of water and no electricity for almost a week. I am quite empathetic with what the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut folks are dealing with. Not a very good situation, to say the least.

FEMA was worthless because they were much too slow to respond with way too little. I hope that is not the case this time!

imidazol97

> orders have to be exactly right.

The skill that he has is that he works very logically and carefully. From your description he is very intelligent. Some very intelligent folks know that they are right and feel angst that others don't understand it. I suspect when he has an opinion, he will very carefully outline the steps of his thinking and logic to reach the conclusion he has. I remember heard Walter Barbe talk about this in a speech long ago--Dr. Walter B. Barbe of Highlights for Children fame, from Columbus.

>e is the one that has to deal with the mistake and it is major extra work for him.

So she and the previous distaff member felt threatened by his precision and perhaps even unstated criticism.

oldfarmer50

"...a touch of Aspergers perhaps..."

I was thinking the same thing.

abacomike

I was reading in the Sun Sentinel this morning that TOYOTA and its subsidiaries took 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the JD Power reliability standings. Even with the millions and millions of cars and trucks the have recalled, they still took the top three spots. As for Ford, they took a whooping dropping significantly from last year - no details were given. Mercedes was 14th I believe, BMW 17th and Audi 21st. I saw it in the business section.

Did anyone else see that article? I wanted to save it but my Dad threw the papers out early.

explorerx4

Ford got clipped for their MFT touch screen system and the dual clutch transmissions in the Fiesta and Focus.

abacomike

Ford got clipped for their MFT touch screen system and the dual clutch transmissions in the Fiesta and Focus.

Yes, I remember the MFT being one of the reasons, now that you mention it. But what gets to me is that Toyota remains on top with all those recalls. They just had another one for power window switches, I believe.

I felt that Ford and Cadillac were much improved before reading that article. I was also surprised to see Mercedes above Audi and BMW, although they have gained quite a bit in the last 4 years.

explorerx4

CR is a good resource for some people.
For others, not so much.
I'm sure they rated a GS higher than an E350.
My wife just bought a maxed out 2013 Escape, which has all the latest Ford tech.
CR ratings don't really factor into our vehicle buying decisions.

abacomike

CR ratings don't really factor into our vehicle buying decisions.

Then I got that wrong! I thought it was the JD Power report - but it could have been CR.

The only time I would consider JD Power or CR ratings is if they had identified a serious problem with the car I was interested in. But I also do not consider their ratings - I just buy what I like.

As for the GS, most reports and ratings are very strong on that car - but I did not really enjoy it - tire problems, lack of a 7/8 speed transmission and the fact that the technology systems were so distracting and complicated.

I'm quite computer literate, but I found myself struggling to implement the technology and being distracted by it while driving. There is such a thing as "over-tech'ed" and Lexus managed to accomplish that. I had difficulty "feeling" the road as I drove also.

The most troubling of all was the inability of Lexus to satisfy my concerns and complaints.

Since 2010, I have never had to take a Mercedes in for anything except an oil change - not even an adjustment. That's not bad for 4 cars on 4 years. The fit and finish of the Mercedes is also superior to the Lexus.

I guess I am just spoiled!

I saw the new Explorer yesterday - they sure have done a nice job on their SUV's in the past few years.

My son just bought a new Edge - loaded - and he says he loves it!

driver100

I thought there was no crime in Canada?

The numbers speak for themselves;

For comparisons to various cities in North America, in 2007 for example, the homicide rate for the city of Toronto was 3.3 per 100,000 people, yet for Detroit (33.8), Atlanta (19.7), Chicago (15.5), San Francisco (13.6), Boston (10.3) and New York City (6.3) it was higher, while it was only marginally lower in Vancouver (3.1), San Jose (2.9) and Montreal (2.6). Toronto's robbery rate also ranks low, with 207.1 robberies per 100,000 people, compared to Detroit (675.1), Chicago (588.6), Los Angeles (348.5), Vancouver (266.2), New York City (265.9), Montreal (235.3) and San Diego (158.8).

driver100

Tell him that you have a customer who demands the original "Dick and Jane" book

You are too funny!

I'll try, but then he will be mad at me.

driver100

So she and the previous distaff member felt threatened by his precision and perhaps even unstated criticism.

That is what I am starting to think too. His work is perfect and he gets frustrated the others can't be perfect. To be fair, the others have too much to do to get things as correct as they should be.

It is out of my hands, S-I-L runs the business and has another year to go before he owns it. I don't overwork people, so we have a very different philosophy on how to manage this company, but, he has made it known he doesn't want any input. I would just like to solve this personnel problem, I want people to respect each other and enjoy their work.

explorerx4

Yes, it's CR and maybe you meant Escape? Current Explorer was introduced in 2011.
We looked at Edge and Escape, but we already have an Explorer, so smaller was ok for my wife.

driver100

.a touch of Aspergers perhaps..."
I was thinking the same thing

I am not too knowledgeable about Asbergers Syndrome but I don't think he has that. To me, he is in the normal range of interacting and communicating. He is a genius and has a photographic as well as remarkable memory. He can solve almost any computer problem. Once I was on a site and I thought it was Chinese writing, he knew it was Korean. He knows the answer to almost any question you ask having to do with historic or scientific facts.

My best guess is he is a little socially awkward, always friendly, always willing to help. He is a minimalist - that is just basic furniture, he is a real conservationist, only wears clothes people give him, returns old printer refills to store, votes for the Green Party. He knows all the authors Young adults read, and he knows which Disney movies made it and which were flops.

He loves Star Wars, Star Trek and science fiction in general. If anything, I think he has Peter Pan Syndrome to some degree - not completely grown up.

He is a little different, but, you can't get upset with him...he wants to help and be liked.

driver100

. As for Ford, they took a whooping dropping significantly from last year - no details were given. Mercedes was 14th I believe, BMW 17th and Audi 21st.

I saw it and was going to comment too. As one writer said, the difference between 1st spot and 20th is you will probably have a problem after 150000 miles instead of 180000. Fords low rating was because of the problems with their Sync system and the same with Lincoln.

MOst cars today are pretty good and people shouldn't be influenced too much by these statistics.

explorerx4

Driver,
Aren't you the leader? You put the goal of 'being very accurate for this new customer' as a responsibility for your staff, then when someone can't meet the goal, it's ok for one person, but not ok for another(IT guy)?
Very weak.
Our company is looking for talented and dedicated people just like him and we have several people who work remotely from the Toronto area.
What is his name? I'm sure it would be easy find him on LinkedIn to start a conversation.

driver100

responsibility for your staff, then when someone can't meet the goal, it's ok for one person, but not ok for another(IT guy)?

Explorer....unfortunately, I don't really have control over the situation any more. S-I-L is buying the business.....this is our exit plan so that we can retire. We are in year 5 and he has 8 more payments to make, one a month.

He runs a company very differently than I would. Hopefully, he will keep it going, but it is an uphill battle...the book industry is changing rapidly. The two largest players, Penguin and Random House are talking of merging...that could not have been predicted one year ago.

I am very concerned about the employees because we really have good people, and our IT guy is incredible. What I will do is this, if anything happens to the company I will get you the IT guys info, I would love to see him continue his career.

We also have a great warehouse manager and the whole staff are as good as can be. I think we will make it, we do what we do better than any other company, but, these days I hope for the best, but, always try to prepare for worst case senario.

Thanks for suggesting a place for our IT guy, I'd really like him to be OK. What kind of business is your company in?