Thank you Netflix.
Actually before I explain why I am grateful to Netflix or what Netflix has to do with Dr. Bonner's Magic "All-One" I must, for the benefit of the FTC and total disclosure, state thatI HAVE NOT, DO NOT, NOR WILL I PROBABLY EVER RECEIVE ANY COMPENSATION FROM NETFLIX, DR. BONNER'S SOAP, OR ANYONE ELSE FOR ANY OPINIONS STATED IN THIS BLOG. Now if that's not clear enough then we really are doomed in this county.
What do Dr. Bonner's soap and Netflix have in common? A few weeks ago I was checking out the movies available on Netflix I came across a film entitled "Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox". Upon closer examination I was amused to see that it was about Dr. Bonner's soap. 25 years ago I used to use Dr. Bonner's soap all the time. I was very active in outdoor sports, hiking and kayaking, and Dr. Bonner's was the soap of choice among my peers. We could find it everywhere. Then I moved to South Florida and couldn't find Dr. Bonner's in the stores down there. This was pre-internet days so you couldn't just go online and find it. You were stuck with whatever the big corporate owned stores wanted t sell. So Dr. Bonner faded into past along with my beautiful blue kayak.
Fast forward many years and I am watching the video about Dr. Bonner's soap and the company that still operated by his son and grandsons. I was captivated by Ralph Bonner's stories and thrilled to learn that not only does this great company still exist but that it still adheres to the standards that sets it apart from every other company. Dr. Bonner's is a leader in environmental design, a leader in organic ingredients, and a leader in employee relations.
The day after viewing the video I found a bottle of Dr. Bronner's Magic Pure Castile Classic Soap at the Daily Co-op here in Athens. There were so many more scents to choose but I settled on peppermint since it was the one I always used in the past. I love the way it smells and the tingle I feel when I use it. I am so glad I found it because I love the way it makes my skin feel. I am hooked again.
Thank you Ralph Bonner for keeping your father's vision alive. Thank you everyone else at Dr. Bonner's for making excellent products. I look forward to trying all the other scents as well as all the other products you make.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
T-Mobile: the prime example of corporate America
I just had to voice my frustration at the extent of apathy and poor customer service in corporate America. I just received a phone call from the "top customer service department" in T-Mobile and it was a horrible experience. The gentleman was argumentative and kept cutting me off in mid-sentence. Here's an abbreviated version of my dealings with this company over the past year.
It all started when the screen on a phone that I had for 14 months burned and I have been trying to replace it. First, I was told, at a T-mobile store, that since I still had a contract it would cost me a hundred dollars. Same online and with the telephone people. I was told that T-mobile had grown so big they didn't have to care about customer's problems anymore. That in fact they no longer allowed the retail stores to take care of customer issues and "do anything for existing customers." So I decided to wait until my contract ran out and see if they would offer me the phone at the same price as they did a new customer which was fifty dollars. However, now it is unavailable to me as an existing customer even though it is being offered for free to any new customers. After receiving no answer as to why I can not get the phone as an existing customerr, I wrote a letter to customer service asking why and the response I got today is even more frustrating. A "customer service" representative called to offer me the phone I wanted. However it was not a new phone as offered to new customers but a reconditioned phone without any instructions. This is how much T-mobile thinks of me. I guess I'm supposed to be thrilled at any offer but I am not. I am insulted that they would offer me a reconditioned phone without any instructions. He told me that if I didn't accept the offer there was nothing he could do for me. Obviously, T-mobile as a company has no integrity because they think all I want is the phone. They still have not given me a reasonable reason why the phone is unavailable to me but is available to new customers. Although the "customer service" rep from the head office did admit that free phones are not free to new customers. You pay for them in extra fees and increased costs. That doesn't surprise me that T-mobile would lie to new customers about getting "free" phones. They're a typical corporation in American where integrity and ethics doesn't exist. It's sad that we have to do business with such people.
I know that most of you would say that this is the way all the telecommunications company do business and that's just the way it is. But my question is why do we allow this to be the way they operate. Why do we keep buying things from companies that treat us like crap? Why do we reward the rude behavior of T-mobile and others by signing long contracts and buying expensive phones and plans? We can't go on much longer like this. The greed in this corporate climate has already caused a lot of destruction to our middle class. This is not the America for which my father along with many thousands of men and women today are fighting. We need to stop allowing companies from destroying our country.
Two of my friends have already left T-mobile. One signed up for their "no contract" plan which I think is a big rip-off since they charged him for the phone (full price) and then an activation fee of 35 dollars. Let's see. he already had an account, he kept the same phone number, he put the Sims card in his new phone. I haven't upgraded quite honesty because I can't get one comparable to the phone I had a year ago. Any time I think of taking another one I am pissed off about seeing the upgrade fee added to whatever the cost of the phone.
For now I'll keep using the crappy phone I purchased a year ago (without extending my contract). I think my friend who switches companies every time his contract ends has a better idea. At least he gets a new updated phone out of it each time and gets to feel like a company wants their business. He never gets told take it or leave it!!!
It all started when the screen on a phone that I had for 14 months burned and I have been trying to replace it. First, I was told, at a T-mobile store, that since I still had a contract it would cost me a hundred dollars. Same online and with the telephone people. I was told that T-mobile had grown so big they didn't have to care about customer's problems anymore. That in fact they no longer allowed the retail stores to take care of customer issues and "do anything for existing customers." So I decided to wait until my contract ran out and see if they would offer me the phone at the same price as they did a new customer which was fifty dollars. However, now it is unavailable to me as an existing customer even though it is being offered for free to any new customers. After receiving no answer as to why I can not get the phone as an existing customerr, I wrote a letter to customer service asking why and the response I got today is even more frustrating. A "customer service" representative called to offer me the phone I wanted. However it was not a new phone as offered to new customers but a reconditioned phone without any instructions. This is how much T-mobile thinks of me. I guess I'm supposed to be thrilled at any offer but I am not. I am insulted that they would offer me a reconditioned phone without any instructions. He told me that if I didn't accept the offer there was nothing he could do for me. Obviously, T-mobile as a company has no integrity because they think all I want is the phone. They still have not given me a reasonable reason why the phone is unavailable to me but is available to new customers. Although the "customer service" rep from the head office did admit that free phones are not free to new customers. You pay for them in extra fees and increased costs. That doesn't surprise me that T-mobile would lie to new customers about getting "free" phones. They're a typical corporation in American where integrity and ethics doesn't exist. It's sad that we have to do business with such people.
I know that most of you would say that this is the way all the telecommunications company do business and that's just the way it is. But my question is why do we allow this to be the way they operate. Why do we keep buying things from companies that treat us like crap? Why do we reward the rude behavior of T-mobile and others by signing long contracts and buying expensive phones and plans? We can't go on much longer like this. The greed in this corporate climate has already caused a lot of destruction to our middle class. This is not the America for which my father along with many thousands of men and women today are fighting. We need to stop allowing companies from destroying our country.
Two of my friends have already left T-mobile. One signed up for their "no contract" plan which I think is a big rip-off since they charged him for the phone (full price) and then an activation fee of 35 dollars. Let's see. he already had an account, he kept the same phone number, he put the Sims card in his new phone. I haven't upgraded quite honesty because I can't get one comparable to the phone I had a year ago. Any time I think of taking another one I am pissed off about seeing the upgrade fee added to whatever the cost of the phone.
For now I'll keep using the crappy phone I purchased a year ago (without extending my contract). I think my friend who switches companies every time his contract ends has a better idea. At least he gets a new updated phone out of it each time and gets to feel like a company wants their business. He never gets told take it or leave it!!!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Eliminating Debt
I found this great debt reduction calculator that is free for personal use. It has really helped me to focus. For the first time I have actually made a real list of what I owe. Each time I receive a credit card bill I change the amount owed and watch my total debt fall. It is so encouraging to me.
Previously I was afraid to look at the bills and to see what I actually owed. Of course my bills didn't go away and kept getting larger.
Download the calculator and see if it makes a difference in your fight against debt.
http://www.vertex42.com/Calculators/debt-reduction-calculator.htm
Previously I was afraid to look at the bills and to see what I actually owed. Of course my bills didn't go away and kept getting larger.
Download the calculator and see if it makes a difference in your fight against debt.
http://www.vertex42.com/Calculators/debt-reduction-calculator.htm
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