When Ken Blanchard, the co-author of the famous “One Minute Manager” and probably the best known and loved business and leadership guru today, turned 70, he decided to hold a birthday party for all his co-authors. I was blessed to attend since he and I had written “The Simple Truths of Service Inspired By Johnny the Bagger®” in 2005, and we are currently working on another book.

Over 40 of us gathered for 2 1/2 days at the Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego, CA, for discussions, presentations, conversations, and fun. It was truly a celebration of Ken and his work! During each session, he chose one or two of his co-authors to interview about their work and values. This is the interview he did with me on the last day of the “party.” Being asked to attend such an event with some of the people I most admire in the world was a lifetime highlight. I hope you enjoy the interview.

Since December 18, I have spent over 5 hours on the phone and talked with at least 9 different people at Verizon and NO ONE has taken the responsibility to help me! All I want to do is to get DSL installed in my condo. When I placed the order in November to start December 18, I was told by the salesperson that if I had problems with the installation since I am a widow and live alone with no family in the area, they would send someone out at no charge.

After two people tried to figure out the installation, I called Verizon back again, sharing what the salesperson had told me about offering help with the installation AT NO CHARGE. After nearly two hours talking with 4 different people from Tech support to Billing and a lot of hassle because they wanted to charge me $120 for the installation ( everyone had a different answer), finally Raj told me that they would come out on January 14 between 8:00 and 5:00 for $65 to hook up the DSL. I was so upset and tired of being on the phone, I agreed, even though I had been told there would be no charge.

On January 12 and January 13, I received two voice mail messages from Verizon as reminders that the tech person would be out January 14, and I would need to be home from 8:00am to 5:00pm. (They are not willing to give you any kind of time frame for the service which, in itself, is a terrible inconvenience.) After staying home all day long, by 4:00 pm, no one had come or no one had called, so I called Verizon again. This time, after 1 1/2 hours on the phone and being transferred again back and forth to different departments, Mohammed finally assigned me a case number and ASSURED me that he would schedule someone to be at my place that evening since they did not stop work until 7:00pm. AND he assured me I would not be charged since I had waited all day long with no response. Well, needless to day, no one came or called, and Mohammed, who took all my phone numbers, never called me back.

The next day I called Verizon a third time, this time furious and determined to get my money back and cancel the service. Again, even with my case number, I was transferred to three different people, and after over 1 1/2 hours on the phone (mostly on hold!), I finally got someone in India who AGAIN ASSURED ME that he would have a tech person out AT MY CONVENIENCE during two times I gave him either Monday or Tuesday for no charge. He again took down all my phone numbers and PROMISED he would call me back as soon as he could get through to the tech people to schedule the visit. I have waited all week and NO ONE has called. In the meantime, Verizon has been charging me since December 18 for the service that has NEVER been connected.

Tomorrow I am making the final call to cancel DSL forever, NEVER to work with Verizon again. Not only are their customer service reps totally unreliable, but the different departments do not communicate with each other, and each one gives different answers. It seemed like all any of them wanted to do was to get you off the phone so that they did not have to take accountability or responsibility to really help you. Oh, my, how they need my customer service training!!!!! I will report in this blog how the final call goes tomorrow. My advice: NEVER ORDER ANY SERVICE FROM VERIZON!

Many people have asked me how I met and became friends with the famous Ken Blanchard. The truth is, it all started in the Ladies’ Restroom! This is a short video I did for Ken’s 70th birthday party in San Diego, CA, in May 2009. He is one of the people I most admire in this world, and he has become a dear and treasured friend. This video demonstrates how small miracles can happen in all of our lives when we least expect them!

In November, Barbara was privileged to emcee for the Guideposts National Meeting in Dana Point, California.

Brian Porter, the President of Guideposts Foundation, said this about their national meeting: “The Guideposts Gathering in November was tremendously successful. Our emcee was Barbara Glanz, who did an outstanding job. We were grateful for the tone she set for each session by suggesting a theme or key words–Gratitude, Appreciation, Joy, and Enthusiasm.”

Here are some pictures of Barbara at work and connecting with some of the attendees, including the Peale family, Ken and Margie Blanchard, and Dr. and Mrs. Robert Schuler.

To find out more about hiring Barbara to emcee or to come speak to your group, visit www.barbaraglanz.com/hiring.

A friend sent me this prayer several years ago, and it touched me deeply. I always choose a theme for my year, and that year I chose “Surprise me again, Lord!” because of this prayer. It was such a joy to wake up each morning and look for those surprises (although sometimes they were not surprises I would have chosen!) I hope this will help you focus on the blessings of this life as we begin another new year.

Response: God, surprise us again.

When we miss the beauty and joy of earth’s goodness…….(response)

When the goodness of others gets lost in the rush…….

When our frailty outruns our strength……

When the hope in our heart fades away……

When it seems the darkness will never give way to the light……

When even You seem far away……

Response: Walk closely with us, God.

As we strive to live our lives well…….(response)

As we journey into the unknown territory of a new year…….

As we learn to accept our weaknesses and our strengths……

As we stay faithful to our relationship with You……

As we open our hearts to the messengers You send to us……

As we accept Your constant love for us……

(Together)

God of this New Year, we are walking into mystery. We face the future, not knowing what the days and months will bring to us or how we will respond. Be Love in us as we journey. May we welcome all who come our way. Deepen our faith to see all of life through Your eyes. Fill us with hope and an abiding trust that you dwell in us amidst our joys and sorrows. Thank You for the treasure of our faith life. Thank You for the gift of being able to rise each day with the assurance of Your walking through the day with us. God of this New Year, we praise You. Amen

May 2010 overflow with blessings for each one of you, my friends.

With gratitude for your friendship,
Barbara

Ken Medema is one of the most talented musicians and composers I have ever known, and I have had the pleasure of working with him a number of times. He can hear a speaker, for example, and moments later, he can compose a song about them and their message. I am in awe of his talent. Just as an aside, Ken is blind.

As a new service, Ken has begun writing “gift” songs for people–as tributes for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, graduations, retirements and other special occasions. He will write and record a song for you that the person will NEVER forget. I have included the information below about how to order this very precious gift. What a memory you will create for a lifetime!

Here is the link and explanation:
www.kenmedema.com/store/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=9

Ken Medema offers a product that is truly unique in the musical arena — an original song written and recorded just for you. Ken’s extraordinary gift has enabled hundreds of people to express their personal sentiments to friends, lovers, children, retirees, parents, pastors, spouses, and a host of others.

For just $150.00 plus shipping and handling, you can present a CD from the heart that is certain to be treasured long after every other gift is used up, broken, or worn out. And for right now–a Christmas special, if you order 2 songs, you get a third one free! (Deadline is December 15 for Christmas delivery).

Here is what some folks had to say:

“You captured the memory of my Mom better than I could have imagined. Thank you for keeping her memory alive.”

“Your song was a wonderful, personal, and insightful tribute to this great man.”

It works like this: After you proceed through the checkout, you will have 90 minutes to fill out a form that sends information to Ken about a person you wish to honor. Then Ken will compose and personally record your tribute.

Ken Medema Music
4324 Canal Avenue
Grandville, MI 49418
1-888KenKenKen or
1-888-536-5365
www.kenmedema.com

I guarantee that whomever you honor with this gift will be thrilled beyond measure!

May your holidays overflow with blessings.

My mother and me at her 89th Birthday

My mother, who suffers from dementia, is a resident of Aspen Ridge, a lovely Alzheimer’s facility in Grand Junction, Colorado. My sister, Beth, goes to the home every morning to feed my mother breakfast since she can no longer feed herself.

While she is there, Beth tries to interact a bit with the other residents, many of whom seldom have any visitors. One woman, who was new to the facility, caused a terrible commotion for weeks, crying every few moments, “Who put me here? Who put me here?” As you can imagine, even the most caring staff would lose patience and tend to ignore the person after hearing this hundreds of times.

Feeling so sorry for her, Beth learned that she had no family except a nephew who lived far away and that she loved horses and had been around them her whole life. Even though she tried to befriend her over the following months, Beth never heard her speak except for that one phrase, “Who put me here?”

One day while shopping in the bookstore, Beth saw a beautiful picture book about horses. Thinking of this lady, she bought the book and took it back to the home to give her.
When Beth gave her the book, she said she sat on her bed and looked at every single page, picture by picture, with tears rolling down her cheeks. Seeing her emotional reaction, Beth gently asked her, “Can you remember one of your horse’s names?”

This dear woman, who suffers from Alzheimers and whom Beth had never heard speak, simply beamed as she named one of her horses after another. Beth counted that she remembered 22 different horses!

From that day on, every time Beth walks by her room, she says, “Thank you for being kind to me.” Just that small bit of attention made a huge difference in one life.

One thought that comes to mind is that we often treat Alzheimer’s patients as if they know nothing, but experiences like this, of kindness and caring, show that there is still a dear, thinking, feeling person inside.

Is there a retirement home near you where you can spend some time just befriending the precious people who find themselves there? With kindness and attention, you, too, can make a difference in an older person’s life.

To learn more about Barbara and her work, go to www.barbaraglanz.com

CARE Packages For Your Customers –
An Idea a Week to Enhance Customer Service

C = Creative Communication

A = Atmosphere and Appreciation for All

R = Respect and Reason for Being

E = Empathy and Enthusiasm

Are you building enough customer loyalty in your organization? Bestselling business author Barbara Glanz has created the ideal, hands-on customer service survival kit to help you keep your customers coming back for more. CARE Packages For Your Customers gives you 52 proven, actionable ideas for providing extraordinary service, increasing sales, and ensuring continual business success. By implementing one technique per week, you’ll deliver a complete CARE package of exceptional customer service.

Providing examples of each technique and tips for successful implementation, this solution-oriented tool also includes:

* Self-assessments, brainstorming exercises, checklists, and worksheets
* Real-life examples of how companies have created enhanced experiences for their customers
* Helpful “how-to” tips on obtaining customer feedback, organizing employee focus groups, and boosting employee performance
* Unique, time-tested strategies for doing business, such as The Emotional Bank Account, The Five Loyalty Builders, and The Eleven Commandments for Good Listening

You can make every interaction with a customer meaningful, memorable, and beneficial for your business. All you have to do is CARE!

CARE to build a customer-focused company!

Why not order a copy for each of your managers as a special gift?

To order CARE Packages for Your Customers at the special holiday price of $15 each, visit www.barbaraglanz.com/products/books/.

BARBARA HONORED ON THE COVER OF “WEST COAST WOMAN”

Barbara is featured as the cover story in the December issue of “West Coast Woman” magazine, in an interview with Carol Darling. View the article at www.westcoastwoman.com.

For more articles by and about Barbara, visit www.barbaraglanz.com/articles.

ADMITTING LIMITS

This is a letter I wrote to Bob Buford in response to something he wrote called “Is There Too Much of a Good Thing?” about two of his pastor friends who handled burnout in very different ways. He asked the following questions:

1. Do you think everyone is at risk of being brought down by a tragic flaw? A blind spot they refuse to see?

3. The Aspen Times has on its front page each day: “If you don’t want to see it in print, don’t let it happen.” Good advice. What would you not like to see in print?

Perhaps you will be able to identify with my response to him. Just an FYI — we are both coming from a personal position of faith.

Dear Bob,

Warmly,
Barbara

How would you respond to Bob’s questions?

To learn more about Barbara’s work, go to www.barbaraglanz.com.