“Who Are You Voting For?”

Don’t answer. I don’t want to know. What I really want to know is if you’re as frustrated as I am with the entire Political System? As a Middle Aged Man Living in Virginia, where we have been bombarded with negative Television Ads, with four kids, a small business, and significant responsibility, I want CHANGE! No, not a slogan by talking heads (Great Band, by the way!) but “How about we change EVERYTHING about the System” Change! Full Disclosure: I’m an Independent with a Liberal Social Lean and a Fiscally Conservative One. I’m Moderate and look at each topic or issue separately and on its own merit. I despise how we lump people together and assign views to them based on which of the two candidates that they support. It really is the lesser of two evils at this point. Like most of you reading this, I interact with hundreds of people every week and over the years I’ve found that the majority of people who I talk to are similar in thought to me. They’re not locked into only one way of thinking, Liberal or Conservative, but moderate and open to rational discussion and the evaluation of the facts. With that being said I would like to suggest some changes/ideas for you to chew on. Your non-abusive feedback is appreciated.

1. “Implement Term Limits for All Politicians!” I propose 6 years for all offices and then you’re done. Are we really served well by “Career Politicians”? They spend all of their time striving for votes and not results. They can’t possibly make the RIGHT Decisions because they might not be popular ones! Also, they waste half of every term running for “Re-Election”! President Obama has been raising money and campaigning for two years! HALF OF HIS TERM! Get to work! The very best part of my idea is that I truly believe that more Americans will see serving as their civic duty and run for office. This will bring in much more talent, creativity and excellence. With only one term everyone will want to leave his or her stamp by truly doing what is right!
   
   
2. “Abolish Lobbying”! How is this whole idea a good one? How is this process even legal? Isn’t it really just bribing politicians for their votes with very little consideration for their constituents? It doesn’t pass my litmus test: Is money or sex involved? In the case of Lobbying, it’s money (I sure hope it isn’t sex too!) If so, then decision-making can get murky at best. Let’s make our Politicians earn their salaries and benefits. Our Congress only works 200 days a year. The average American works 250. 25% LESS than we do! Let’s use that time to create “Congressional Evaluations” where Special Interest Groups that have been properly vetted get to present their plans, ideas or needs to Congress in a Formal Presentation. No back room deals at Fancy Clubs, Restaurants, Exclusive Golf Clubs, or even Coffee Shops! Stand up and present your facts and let Congress vote based on the merits of the argument. Nothing Else. If your group wants money, tell us why!
   
   
3. “Institute a Flat Tax System Immediately!” Most Economists agree that 28% is the number that works. If everyone pays 28% of their income in taxes, how is this NOT FAIR? Let’s say LeBron James makes $100 million and you make $100,000 then he’s paying $28 million and you’re only paying $28,000 BUT everyone is paying at the same rate! That’s FAIR! LeBron James IS contributing WAY more than you are but he has it! The RICH will be doing more! You can even take out the bottom 5% and the numbers still work. We would be WELL ahead of our current system in terms of successfully delivering Tax Revenue. I would love it if they just took the 28% out of my check and I never had to think about it again. Now comes the really good part: You could cut out most of the IRS. You wouldn’t need a very large workforce just to verify payments. Tax Lawyers would have no use. Good Bye Accountants. It would be simple, streamlined and effective. “Then why doesn’t it happen?” you ask. Special Interest Groups. The people I just mentioned above are continually lobbying politicians with millions of dollars a month to prevent it. Have you ever heard of the “Bar Association”? These groups stand to lose so they will do everything in their power to block it and keep our VERY complicated Tax Code in place! If we implemented my Number 2, then they wouldn’t be able to lobby!
   
   
4. “Form a Legitimate Third Party” It’s time. It’s been time. Our country has a much larger population now and is far more educated and diverse. Americans love choices. We need another one! Does anyone reading this actually feel passionate about their party and not want to change a lot about it? Wouldn’t another choice really shake things up and eliminate all of the Washington Gridlock, Rancor, and Divisiveness caused by this ongoing partisanship?
   
   
5. “Shrink the Government” We need to do whatever it takes to make our Federal and State Governments Smaller. MUCH SMALLER! Why? Because they’re not very good. Have you ever dealt with the IRS, State Tax Office, City Hall, or the DMV? Of course you have! How’d you like the great customer service? Wait Times? It’s a travesty! I’m sure that the employees themselves are wonderful people but the organizations that they work for are horribly run! We’re $16 TRILLION in Debt! Doesn’t that tell you something? Could your business operate successfully using the Government Model? Of course not. Your customers would leave in droves never to return! What are the answers? Privatize what you can. Americans are Entrepreneurial by nature. People will figure out how to make money filling these voids. Remember, Government Jobs are an EXPENSE. A HUGE EXPENSE! Creating more of these jobs is disastrous. You’re just buying jobs with tax dollars WITH INTEREST! See Number 3. A Flat Tax would dramatically trim Federal and State Taxing Staffs. Let the States make more decisions. Decisions customized for each state BY each state. If you’ve traveled, our great country is very diverse and each state has it’s own set of needs and problems. Let them solve them. They can and they will.
   
   
6. “LEGALIZE MARIJUANA” I bet I have your attention now! Yep, legalize weed. Full Disclosure: I don’t use but strongly believe in legalizing it! The reasons are many and persuasive. It would become this country’s Number One Cash Crop! It would bring in MANY BILLIONS in revenue! Farmers would make a great living without Tax Payers Subsidizing their crops. If you sold it at “Marijuana Shops” that would be modeled after ABC Stores, you’d create jobs. We’ve lost the Drug War. We lost many years ago. A very high percentage of Americans use and only the criminals are getting rich from this crop! People are dying for it! Remember Prohibition? How’d that work? Pretty Well for the Kennedys but people drank illegally anyway, people died from violence related to the illegal trade of alcohol and yep, the criminals got rich! How did we solve those issues? We legalized it. The system is working very well today 80 years later! How do I know? Because our Comptroller visits the ABC Store every day and tells me (Sorry Pete!)! One final thought: how many Americans are incarcerated today because of non-violent marijuana violations? FREE THEM! This is absurd. This will save us millions!

There you have it. Some ideas to digest, discuss, categorically reject or agree with. Thank you for letting me let off a little steam.

Until next time.

William Prettyman

Las Vegas - LA/Santa Monica - Memphis New York - Richmond - Virginia Beach
Great Voices... Great Production... Great Service!
1-866-515-2111	Be sure to check out our other blogs!	www.studiocenter.com

“Word to Your Mother”

Mother’s Day is the one day a year that we should all reflect on all that Mother’s have done for us. I know it feels WAY too commercial now, but the intent is quite lovely. Whether our Mother’s are living with us, among us, or deceased, we ALL should take inventory of all that was done for us by these remarkable women. We should remember and appreciate ALL of it: the unconditional love, the nurturing, the wisdom, and even the nagging. Oh, the nagging. I never really appreciated the nagging; in fact I abhorred it, until I became a PARENT. Guess what? She was almost always right! Here at Studio Center we thought we’d share what we “Learned from Our Mothers” as a tribute to them. Feel free to send us some of yours and we’ll post them on our Facebook.

Dave Davis, Operations Manager: “Honor Your Commitments.”
I learned many things from my mother, but the one thing that I really admired about her was the loving dedication in honoring her commitments. She honored her relationships to her children and grandchildren by always putting their needs before her own. Her caring extended beyond our family by teaching Sunday School. Every Saturday, she would sit at the kitchen table with her bible preparing her lessons. Every Saturday for many years. It’s probably why I teach Sunday School myself every Sunday.

Genevieve Hayes-McBride, Sales & Marketing: “Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say”
Mom was a soldier, my manager, chauffeur, coach, scout leader, personal shopper, event planner, seamstress and the list goes on. I still call her first no matter what I’m struggling with. Of the many words of wisdom that she has said, the phrase that made the most impact was: “If you say what you mean, and mean what you say, it will always be worth saying. Don’t be afraid to admit that you are wrong after you say it!” She taught me to never fear putting my foot in my mouth or asking a stupid question, but rather to fear what I might miss out on by staying silent. For that, and for so much more, I love my loud-mouthed Mommy.

Robin Russ, VP-Sales: “Love Words”
One of my favorite things that my mom, “Bunny” would do was when she heard a word that she didn’t understand she’d say: “I don’t know that word” and have the person tell her what it meant or grab a dictionary and look it up right then. It’s why today I know words like quietus, riparian, and dido. I love my Mama for teaching me to love words and the power of using just the right one when needed.

Maria Workman, Casting Director: “If Something Works, Stick With it”
My mom is old-fashioned Greek. She is VERY passionate about her beliefs. She believes that Oil of Olay cures everything. Yep. Everything. If you’ve seen the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, you remember the guy who used Windex to cure all ailments. Same concept. What I learned from my Mom is if you find something that works, stick with it and use it to the best of your ability. Use what works best and make the best out of it. I guess you could say the same about Studio Center. We cure everything, like Oil of Olay and Windex.

Brian Bartusiak, Video Producer: “Use the Restroom before ANY Trip”
To pee, or not to pee?...that is the question. Mom always used to remind us kids to visit the restroom prior to any trip, even if we expected it to be a short one. You never know when delays will arise or when the next opportunity to go will present itself. Words of wisdom, especially now that I find myself traveling all over the United States producing projects for Studio Center. Thanks to Mom: No Accidents!

William Prettyman, CEO: “Never Give Up”
My mother, Sharon taught me to “Never Give Up on Anything!” She is a fighter and a very tough, strong woman. She’s buried both of her parents, her brother, and her son yet she perseveres and even thrives! She ingrained in me that same attitude. Like everyone reading this, I’ve had some real challenges in business and in life but I can always hear Sharon’s Voice saying “Get back in there and keep fighting. Do NOT give up!” Should I really be hearing voices? Probably not. I need to get that checked. Anyway, thank you Sharon and all of our Studio Center Mother’s for all of the nagging. We actually learned some stuff. Happy Mother’s Day!

Until next time.

William Prettyman

Las Vegas - LA/Santa Monica - Memphis New York - Richmond - Virginia Beach
Great Voices... Great Production... Great Service!
1-866-515-2111	Be sure to check out our other blogs!	www.studiocenter.com

“Lessons in Customer Service from
The Jefferson Hotel”

What’s better than great service? Wait, a great product WITH great service? Nothing? Ok... Food, Kids, Puppies, “30 Rock”, and Sex but that’s IT! Rarely, and I mean rarely is a company able to combine the two with any consistency. Great Products? The iPhone is an example of a truly great product. Have you ever tried to get it serviced when something goes wrong? It’s not the most pleasant process. Do I go to AT&T? The Apple Store? Both? I invariably go to both and it’s painful. Two business categories generally deliver very good service, though sometimes with an inconsistent product: Hotels and Restaurants. Your product experience can vary wildly from night to night based on what room you get, the chef, your dinner choice and what staff is on duty. The service, however, at most restaurants and hotels is usually very good with sufficient attentiveness, responsiveness, and a sincere (or at least well faked) friendliness. Why? PLENTY OF COMPETITION! Competition breeds great service! There are a TON of choices out there in the Restaurant and Hotel Space! The opposite of NO COMPETITON and GREAT Service: The DMV. Yikes. The formula is simple: As the competition in a space goes down (Cell Phones, Municipalities, etc.), the service goes down at a much faster pace until it hits “DMV Level”!

During my time on this planet, I’ve stayed at hundreds of hotels and eaten at even more restaurants, yet only ONE stands out as having the VERY best service: The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Virginia. It maintains a “Five Diamond” rating from various services and is regularly lauded for its excellence. “The Jefferson” has earned EVERY one of those awards and tributes. In the past three years, I’ve piled up over 100 Room Nights there and NEVER had an unpleasant experience. Sure, little things have gone wrong but this is when the hotel is at its finest: FIXING THEIR MISTAKES. Mistakes, in many cases, are opportunities to shine at CUSTOMER SERVICE. The Jefferson delivers every time. I actually feel BETTER after they fix whatever little thing went wrong. The Jefferson realizes that every single Customer Interface is extremely important. Every SINGLE one. From the time that I pull my car up and am greeted by the Valet on a first name basis with a “Welcome to the Jefferson” to the final check out, I feel special, important, “at home”, and emotionally attached. Isn’t that the way EVERY business should make you feel? Isn’t that all Customer Service IS at its most basic? Humans make their purchases based on emotion and then justify them with logic. The Jefferson understands this better than any company that I have observed. If you can stay there, it’s worth it. If you can’t, take these Lessons in Customer Service from the wonderful “Jefferson Hotel” and utilize them in business.

1. Make sure that EVERY Customer Interaction is PERFECT. Test each link in the chain. Mystery Shop.
2. Remember NAMES! Keep them in a database and use them. People LOVE to hear their names and really love it when they are memorable.
3. Retain your Good People! They have a terrific staff and VERY little turnover which only adds to the “comfort” and emotion associated with “buying” them.
4. Fix Mistakes the RIGHT WAY! Fast and Sufficiently! Say “I’m sorry that..”, then fix it, then ask if you fixed it. Do it fast! Time is your enemy.
5. Prioritize Customer Service! Your business has customers and they need service. If you don’t, your competition will. Don’t talk about it, DO IT!
6. Eliminate those who don’t buy in. What is the price of ONLY one lost customer to your business?
7. Make Customer Service Fun! Staying at The Jefferson Hotel is ALWAYS fun! They have it seasonally decorated and are frequently hosting events. It’s buzzing with Celebrity Sightings, etc. Celebrate your holidays, birthdays, successes, whatever with your customers... just have FUN!
8. Reward Your Customers. People love to be thanked and given stuff! Thank your customers and REWARD them! I am frequently upgraded to huge suites at The Jefferson for my frequent patronage. It sure feels good.
9. Create “Fans” of your business. Become SO good at Customer Service that people like me are writing stuff like this about YOU!
10. Remind Your Customers that they love you. Stay in touch. Sounds simple. Are you REALLY consistently doing it? Do it. People forget about you when there are many choices. I get reminded twice monthly by The Jefferson.

Until next time.

William Prettyman

Las Vegas - LA/Santa Monica - Memphis New York - Richmond - Virginia Beach
Great Voices... Great Production... Great Service!
1-866-515-2111	Be sure to check out our other blogs!	www.studiocenter.com

“The Holiday Survival Blog”

“Holiday” by definition, is “leisure time away from work devoted to REST or PLEASURE”. Ok, so why do we all look, seem and feel so stressed out? How come I needed a few days to recover from my Thanksgiving “Holiday”? We have all of these unbelievable demands put on us, my Family (the Primary Culprit), Friends, Work, and Society. Have we, in fact, destroyed the Holidays and replaced them with frenzied festivals of chaos? It kind of feels like it. Every day since December 1 my wife and I have compared Task Lists in preparation for the Christmas-New Year “Festival”. Our conversations begin with “Don’t forget...” or “When you’re out, could you...” . Phase One is ON! Phase One you say? Yes the “Three Phases of The Holiday Season”:

Phase One-“Pre Game”: This is BY FAR the worst Phase! It might be the most STRESSFUL TIME OF THE YEAR! (Any Carol Writers out there?). Lists, Christmas Parties (Didn’t they used to be fun?), Rushing Around, Crowds (try Amazon!), Family Event and Accommodation Planning (Airport Runs!), Juggling Parents, Step Parents, Kids, Step Kids, Food Planning and Shopping (this remains constant in all Phases!), Work (like anybody is really working!), Spouses, Pets, and Lists! (It needed to go in here twice! I have List Nightmares!) If you can survive the “Pre Game” without incident, you can usually manage a little fun in the next Phase.

Phase Two-“The Events”: You need to be prepared to attend at LEAST two functions per day even if they are quick “Stop Ins”. This Phase is ALL about being SOMEPLACE at someone else’s TIME! NIGHTMARE! Learn the phrases “Sure” and “If you want to honey”. You’ll need them and a little booze.

Phase Three-“The Aftermath”: Hopefully you made it, marriage, liver and sanity in tact. Phase Three is the best phase. It’s usually the week between Christmas and New Years. Everyone is running on fumes so you won’t be pulled in a million different directions and can actually...just maybe RELAX!

I’ve been through 48 mostly wonderful and certainly blessed Christmas Seasons! Please accept these “10 Tips for Surviving The Three Phases” as my gift:

1. “Make Lists”-They haunt me but I would be lost and INEFFECTIVE without them. Santa is right.
2. “Host ONE Big Event”-Bite the bullet for one day and save yourself a hundred visits while welcoming your family and friends into your home.
3. “Cut Down on Gifts”-Give Gift Cards, Homemade Stuff (Food is always nice! Who doesn’t like Fudge?), or Framed Photos!
4. “Say NO”- You cannot do everything! See Number 2.
5. “Put Down the Electronic devices and Talk!”-Talk to each other! Really talk, not mutter under your breath while texting. We have a “No Phones at the table” Policy.
6. “Watch One Christmas Movie a Day”-There are some really wonderful Holiday Movies! Sit down as a family and watch one EVERY DAY! Some of my favorites are “Christmas Vacation”, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, “A Christmas Story”, “Four Christmases”, and “Miracle on 34th Street”. You can Google a comprehensive list. Wikipedia has a nice one. Trust me. Your whole family will love it!
7. “Drink”-Pick a beverage and nurse it throughout the first two phases especially!
8. “Do Something Nice for Yourself”-You deserve it after all you’ve been though in Phase One! How about a massage? Day of Pampering? Nap? Just do SOMETHING!
9. “CALL Your Old Friends”-I realize that you probably “Facebook” but try picking up the phone and hearing their voice, like the old days! Ask them about their lives, families, and careers. They’ll love to hear from you and you’ll feel great after each chat!
10. “Reflect a Little”-Take it all in and try to enjoy the craziness while reflecting on all that is wonderful about this time of the year. How many more Christmases do you have? They are ALL very precious so treasure this one.

Merry Christmas and Happy “Holidays”. See you in 2012!

William Prettyman

Las Vegas - LA/Santa Monica - Memphis New York - Richmond - Virginia Beach
Great Voices... Great Production... Great Service!
1-866-515-2111	Be sure to check out our other blogs!	www.studiocenter.com

“PLEASE Sell Us a Conference Table!”

Every day we’re reminded about just HOW LOUSY Customer Service is in this country. WHAT IS THE DEAL? It’s SO bad that we are all shocked when a company or person actually delivers the MINIMUM in customer service. We almost want to thank them for simply doing their job! Here at Studio Center, we talk about Customer Service on a Daily Basis! We share the frequent “Horror Stories” and the rare “Blew Us Away Stories”. The following would fall under the “Horror Story” Category.

Several months ago as we were nearing completion of our new “Video and New Media Center” here in Virginia Beach, I began shopping for a Large Conference Table for one of our Conference Rooms. I quickly found one that I liked on Office Depot’s Site, put it in my cart, carefully read the discouraging and painfully boring “Delivery Instructions” and bought it! After inputting my Credit Card Data and Billing Information, I soon received a Confirmation Email. All is well, right?

NO! Two days later I received an email stating that my order had been cancelled because of an “Incorrect Billing Address”. After two hours explaining that I’d had the same card for 7 years and that our Billing Address WAS correct, I was advised to go online and complete the purchase ALL OVER AGAIN. “We can’t do that here.” Um, ok, I really liked the table. That night, I go back to Office Depot’s Site and make the purchase yet again. I promptly received another Confirmation Email. That wasn’t so bad, or was it?

Two days later I received another email stating that my order had been cancelled because, you guessed it, of an “Incorrect Billing Address”. Two hours later and after much “holding” I was advised to go online do it all over again. Did I mention that I liked the table? That night, I go back, yet again, to Office Depot’s Site and complete the purchase one more time. Another Confirmation Email arrives. It didn’t take quite as long as I was beginning to get the hang of it! Two days went by and while holding my breath I checked my email. There was NOT an “Incorrect Billing Address” Email.  I fist bumped myself and went back to work. A week went by and it was now time to check the “Delivery Status” of my order. I logged in to the Office Depot site and began searching for ANY information regarding my table. NOTHING. I called and held. Then held some more before being advised that I needed to leave a message with another department. I obliged and left my cell number. The next day I received this:

Can't see the audio clip? Click here.

I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP! Office Depot cancelled my order for the THIRD TIME, didn’t bother to tell me, asked me to call them again, and referred to me as “Wullem”!!! Fearing that I might crack, I delegated purchasing the table to my Comptroller, Pete Bouker. Guess what? The SAME THING HAPPENED! Calling, holding, checking the Billing Address, etc.

Next up, Dave Davis, Operations Manager. Dave is very patient, calm, and deliberate, a perfect fit for ordering online at Office Depot. In an unbelievable coincidence, Dave went through the ENTIRE PROCESS TWICE before somehow completing the purchase without an “Incorrect Billing Email”. He tracked the table and informed me three weeks ago that it would arrive (fingers crossed) November 1. Dave sent me this update today:

Studio Center’s 10 Ways to Great Customer Service:

• Talk About it EVERY Day
• Hire Only Smart, FUN People (They get it.)
• Reward GREAT Customer Service (We give away money!)
• NEVER Ask Your Customer to DO WORK! (“Call back.” “Fill out this form.” “Call another department.”)
• Make it RIDICULOUSLY EASY For Them to BUY! (“Let us help.” “We’ll do that for you.”)
• NEVER Tell Your Customer “NO”! (If you can’t do it, suggest something else.)
• Do NOT Let BAD PEOPLE Talk to Your Customer! (No offense grouchy accountants.)
• TRAIN Your People! (The Best Service Industries, Hotels and Restaurants TRAIN their people daily!)
• Frequently Solicit Customer Service Suggestions From Your Staff! (You hired Smart People Already, right?
• ELIMINATE the Bad! (Harsh? How MUCH are they costing you?)

Hey Office Depot! Bring us our table and we’ll help you!

William Prettyman

Las Vegas - LA/Santa Monica - Memphis New York - Richmond - Virginia Beach
Great Voices... Great Production... Great Service!
1-866-515-2111	Be sure to check out our other blogs!	www.studiocenter.com