Time Wasters Anonymous: Celebrity News Makes Me Feel Dirty
I just got my fill of all the latest goings-on with the celebrity world. I went at it for almost 7 straight minutes, indulging my seedy side with all the news about anybody who is anyone famous. Why do I even care? I think I don’t.
Maybe I’m just bored. No, maybe I’m a sick voyeur. In either case, whenever I see all that tabloid stuff (which now appears in all the non-tabloids as well), it kinda’ makes me feel dirty. It’s pretty trashy fare. I’m just glad you and I aren’t the ones making that sort of news. Or…do we wish we were? Let’s not go there.
I’m not going to name names, but you know who all the hunks and starlets are I’m talking about. So many scandals and relationship faux pas that it makes your head spin. Then harsh reality sets in: what the heck am I doing?!
I want to not care one iota. But, there I am back again reading all this garbage about some person I have no personal investment in, and who has none in me. Couldn’t my time be better served in much more productive ways? Why yes, YES it could.
I love the Internet, even when it sucks me down paths I’d prefer not to go. I’ve got so many hopes and dreams tied up in the Web. I want to be a blazing entrepreneur, a comedy writer, and a disrespected video nut (well, I already am, and I can’t seem to stop making some of the dumbest vid’s out there. But, it is too much fun). Oh, and by the way, do not ever give a man a video camera for a gift. You’ll very rarely see him again.
I think the truth is that I am a shameless self-promoting maniac. However, I believe that is what you must risk becoming if you’re ever to make a name for yourself. And maybe I’m just deluding myself. You can still become a raving success without anyone really knowing who you are. I guess my shameless style is just who I am. So, I have to accept that and move forward.
I’m constantly working toward achieving my every goal. And, I don’t appear to have it in me to ever quit. And as we all know, the journey always seems to trump the destination. And, it’s a fine fun journey I’m on, if I do say so myself.
Enough about me. Way more than enough. Except that if I can take this journey, so can you, my friend. The hills are alive with the sound of…endless opportunity. So, get out there and make it happen. All you have to do is determine what “it” is. And that you can do today.
Grant “Brad” Gerver is an entrepreneur and co-owner of Filibi.com: Free classifieds, 70% commissions, free to join and earn. Post your free ads here (Free Auctions coming soon). “gbgerver” is also a performing blues artist and songwriter with numerous videos. He is a retired elementary school teacher who currently works in the mental health care field.
Question by Jenny: how do you feel about girls with mohawks?
okay so i’ve always been one for crazy hair. i used to have coon tails, then i got rid of those and just had it really long and choppy and big. but i recently cut it to shoulder length and it’s so normal and boring i wanna do something crazy. so i’m thinking mohawk. not like http://www.evan.org/images/mohawk.jpg BAM mohawk but more of a feminine one, some thing like one of these:
so what do you think? more bada$ s or just butch? and guys, what’s your take on girls with mohawks?
ps, idk if any of this matters but:
my hair is pretty light blonde, and i’d keep it that way i’m not gonna change the color (or at least not all of it).
i’m 16, junior in high school. i figure this is the time to do it if i wanna, right?! .
and also i’m very into the whole fashion scene/nyc/etc. i spend my weekends exploring/partying in the city.
i’m not looking for a serious job or anything so that’s not a concern at the moment. but i’m thinking in the future i wanna be some kind of artist. maybe visual presentation or something.
Best answer:
Answer by RJ If you want one go for it. They show individuality on the people who have them. They may be non conformist but they can look great. You don’t always have to have the mohawk in place you can allow it to cascade down giving you another option of how you wear your hair depending on the length of mohawk you have. Good luck
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
Six Celebrity Secrets for Making Your Customers Feel Like Stars
If Johnny Depp walked into your workplace today, how would you behave? If you’re like most people, you’d drop whatever you were doing and approach him, smiling, ready and eager to serve him. If Halle Berry walked into your restaurant, you’d immediately escort her to the best seat in the house. If Tom Hanks was on the phone asking questions, you’d do whatever you could to get him his answers…cheerfully….right?
What about the rest of your customers?
Perhaps you’re thinking, “Of course, we’d treat them exactly the same way!” Maybe. In general, though, customer service has become a “buzz phrase” that is rarely lived up to. A study done by Connell and Associates (2004) found that 45% of all respondents felt that most companies simply do not provide good customer service. In a Harris Interactive Study 80% of respondents stated they had made the decision to never do business with a company again because of bad customer service.
How can you – the business owner or service professional – turn this trend around? By treating your customers like stars!
As Garrett Richter, president and CEO of the First National Bank of Florida, tells his employees, “If we roll out the red carpet for billionaires, they won’t even notice it. If we roll out the red carpet for millionaires, they expect it. If we roll out the red carpet for thousandaires, they appreciate it. And if we roll out the red carpet for hundredaires, they tell everybody they know.”
To his point, the same Harris Interactive Study found that 60% of respondents said the main reason they would recommend a company is outstanding customer service. Here are six secrets from the world of celebrity that will get your customers buzzing about you.
1.Give Them a Red Carpet Arrival. When a celebrity arrives for a movie premiere or a charity function, it’s a big deal! There’s a red carpet. There are photographers. There are hundreds of fans lined up, shouting their name and begging for a chance to spend even two seconds with the star. When the rest of us arrive at a place of business, we’re lucky if we can even get someone to acknowledge us. Treat your customers like stars by showing them you’re glad they came. Look up, smile, walk out from behind the counter and greet them. Most people don’t need a fancy carpet or paparazzi – just eye contact is enough!
2. Call Them By Name. Motivational guru and author Dale Carnegie said that when remember someone’s name you “make them feel important.” Remember your customer’s name and use it each time you see them. Make it a top priority, and you’ll find remembering names easier than you think. You can also find unique ways of using someone’s name. For instance, High Point University welcomes all expected guests with their own parking space designated by a sign bearing….you guessed it…their name. Some restaurants name dishes after famous people. What if you named some of your products after your best customers? Now that’s the star treatment!
3.Remember and Refer. Aside from their name, remember other details about your customer as well and refer to them. When one grocery store manager recalled that the “grumpy lady who comes in on Wednesdays” had been to Chicago to visit her daughter, he asked her about the trip….and made her day! Now, that once grumpy customer seeks the man out with a smile on her face whenever she comes into the store. It doesn’t take much to make ordinary people feel special. Just pay attention.
4. Cater to their Personal Preferences. While your customer may not be as picky as the celebrity who wants all the brown M&M’s taken out of his candy dish, everyone has their likes and dislikes. Surprise your customer in little ways and let them know you are paying attention. In his former career as a banker, Author and Speaker Dave Timmons earned the business of a prospect after he tossed him two baseballs signed by the members of his grandsons’ favorite sports team. One hotel dining room supervisor heard a guest say that she enjoyed blood oranges, so he secretly had a few brought up to her room. Delight people in this way and you and your business become unforgettable.
5.Give Them SWAG! At every awards show celebrities walk away with gift bags filled with products and paraphernalia worth thousands. There is a reason why people line up – and even pay good money – to give their goods away to celebrities via the swag bag. When the superstar wears or uses their product, it creates buzz. When Katrina Campins, star of the first season of The Apprentice wore a watch on the show that was given to her by Jacob the Jeweler, she was swamped with calls from men wanting to buy one for their wives. While your customers may not have the platform that Katrina had to show off your product, when you give them something for free they will talk about it. Just watch how much press Ben & Jerry’s gets next time they hold a “Free Cone Day.” What kind of swag can you give your customers to get them talking about you?
6.Be Extraordinary…And Then Some. Make a commitment to be remarkable in every way that you serve your customer. Be the first one to respond. Have the widest smile in the room. Call everyone by name. Constantly be on the lookout for little ways that you can make your customer feel like the most important person in the world. When you do, you will find yourself not only with a customer for life, but with a raving fan that will go out and spread the word about their incredible celebrity experience.
Donna Cutting is the author of “The Celebrity Experience: Insider Secrets to Delivering Red-Carpet Customer Service.” (Wiley, 2008) She is one of less than 600 Certified Speaking Professionals worldwide, and provides training, consulting and keynote presentations to help business leaders develop a culture based on red-carpet customer service.
A skit by Noel Fielding which is not that rare but extremely classic…
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