Why didn’t Cinemark just apologize?
Posted on | January 17, 2012 | 1 Comment
A few days ago there was information on social media that a Loveland, Colorado man was missing, and his family was reaching out to the local community to help find him. He was in poor physical health, and they were concerned that he suffered some sort of medical incident – perhaps a stroke – that left him unable to return to his car (which was found parked outside a theater in Fort Collins), or to lose some cognitive ability and wander off.
That was January 9. On January 14, 66-year-old George DeGrazio’s body was discovered in a public restroom at a movie theater in Fort Collins. The Larimer County coroner’s report suggests that he passed of a heart attack on the day he went missing. Which means his body was in the restroom, behind a locked door, for five full days — while theater employees served thousands of theater patrons, showed dozens of movies and collected thousands of dollars for tickets and concessions. What ultimately alerted them to his presence was the scent of his decomposing body.
I think it is important to note that this wasn’t a big, main restroom off the main lobby with a long row of sinks, urinals and stalls that sees huge amounts of traffic. It was a small satellite restroom with one sink and one toilet and a door that locks from the inside.
But still . . . it seems odd, at the very least, that a public restroom facility would go unchecked — and uncleaned — for five straight days.
Now, compounding that issue/image problem for the theater, it seems that the management of the Cinemark movie complex at Timberline and Harmony in Fort Collins, Colorado, has failed to apologize to the DeGrazio family for allowing George’s body to go undetected for the duration of a work week. This, according to a family member who appeared in a story that aired on the Denver NBC affiliate last night.
Here’s a link to the 9News story:
http://www.9news.com/news/article/242761/188/Family-asks-for-answers-after-body-found-in-movie-theater
It astounds me that Cinemark would not have immediately issued a personal apology to this family. One can only theorize as to why they did not. Were they embarrassed? Likely. Were they concerned with some sort of liability? No doubt. Were the local employees scared more about their jobs than anything else? I’m betting that. Were they truly clueless that mis-handling this could blow up in their face and generate bad publicity on a national — international — scale? It would seem so.
No matter what it is that they were afraid, concerned, embarrassed or ignorant of, there is simply no excuse for failing to take the simple, empathetic, human step of issuing a heartfelt apology to the family. One that should have been offered even if no one on the planet realized what had happened — let alone when all of northern Colorado was looking for this man, and when it was clear that the entire nation, and beyond, was soon to read about this in the weird news section of their favorite print or web news outlet.
It seems certain to me that this incident will change the daily operating procedure at this particular Cinemark facility, and probably at all of the chain’s locations — which is wise. And that should also serve to take away the need to ever apologize to a deceased patron’s family for neglecting to realize they’d been unwittingly hosting a corpse for an extended period of time. But Cinemark should get itself in the habit of empathizing with its patrons asap, and start with a genuine apology to the DeGrazios immediately.
Tags: apology > bad PR > bad public relations > crisis communications > insensitivity
Office Depot deal this week, etc.
Posted on | December 12, 2011 | No Comments
Popped into Office Depot today to pick up a couple of things — needed ink for my Kodak printer and a new cordless phone setup that is more compatible with our new Vonage service than we had before.
I was feeling a deal coming on, because I had a coupon/card for $10 or $15 off purchases of $50 or $75. I also had a rewards card from a prior purchase. But first, they have a current promotion going on that gives you batteries for “free,” in the sense that when you purchase a 20-pack of AA of AAA batteries, they then send you a rewards debit card to spend there that is equal to the price you pay for the batteries.
So, my experience and a couple of lessons learned:
-It seems like 3:30 to 3:00 was a huge rush today here locally, on the roads and in Office Depot. They went from one checker, who had some sort of complicated transaction, to a 2nd, who also had a slow check out process, to a third, where I was, also not too fast. Finally they sent some people in line to the copy center. I don’t know if it was a process problem, a technology problem, the nature of our individual transactions, or an issue of staff/training, but it was nice for them to add more checkers, although frustrating when each one they added seemed to bog down in succession.
-You can’t use the $10/$15 off purchase cards on technology/software/consumer electronics – they are only good for office supplies, ink, etc. Just FYI. Read the fine print on the back of each card/coupon.
-I wish Office Depot formatted its receipts in a clearer way. Instead of an item and a price, and then the discounts, they do some sort of math and take the discount/reward card off in various chunks from the items you purchase. You need to know the original price of each one, and what your discount/credit totals are, to tell if your items were rung up correctly.
-Confession: I bought the extended warranty on the phone system I bought. I know. I never, ever do that; but this time it seemed to make some sense. The system has four cordless phones, each with a battery. The extended warranty, at around $15, is two years of coverage for anything going wrong with any of the phones, including batteries. Have you priced rechargeable batteries for cordless phones lately? I plan to make sure that between months 20 and 24, if they have not already gone bad, that I use that policy to replace the batteries in each phone.
HR, benefits and the myth of “unlimited PTO”
Posted on | December 11, 2011 | 4 Comments
One of my clients is an early-stage tech company doing some important and industry-leading work in its field. They are currently hiring, and have openings for some pretty smart people. They are also competing with some well-known companies seeking similar talent — talent that is in-demand and relatively scarce even in the current market of 8 to 9 percent unemployment.
They’re re-thinking the organization and messaging on the company’s website — including some very dry, boring, standard language that now exists on their “Careers” page.
In a discussion with their HR person, who is looking to do a better job with that page, and their overall recruiting efforts, it came up that at least one of the area’s hot companies notes on its careers page that it offers employees “unlimited paid time off.” There is language that follows that suggests that this means “within reason” and as approved by the department/manager.
In further discussions with my client’s HR director, though, it became clear that this offer might help with recruitment; but in practice, it poses challenges for both the company and its employees. This was further confirmed when she met up and discussed the realities of unlimited PTO with an HR person from the company making that offer.
The insider shared that, in reality, that policy leads to employees actually taking *less* time off that they might under different policies. Why? Several reasons.
Primarily, because the vagueness of “unlimited (within reason)” leaves employees and their managers unclear on what is really acceptable. That leads employees to take fewer days, and different managers with different takes on what is reasonable.
You can certainly understand the concern of employees, given the economic situation and the fact that there are lots of people seeking jobs, and lots of companies looking to keep costs down. Anyone not clearly indispensable to their organization is likely at risk, and anyone truly taking advantage of “unlimited” time off is perhaps calling undue attention to themselves. Some who take time may generate resentment among others who don’t, or who have managers who are not as free about approving time off.
As a result, the firm is re-evaluating how it educates its managers on what is acceptable when it comes to time off, and looking at the policy as a whole to see if they might need to change it.
Have you worked at a company that offers “unlimited paid time off?”
Have you, as an employer, offered unlimited time off?
Have you, as an HR person, managed a workplace with unlimited time off?
What sorts of challenges did it present? What sort of policies helped to make the policy consistent and manageable for everyone?
Graham’s Carpet Network Joins the Fight against Breast Cancer through Facebook Campaign
Posted on | October 24, 2011 | 1 Comment
Loveland, CO, October 24, 2011 — Graham’s Carpet Network is asking the community to join the fight against breast cancer and participate in a Facebook campaign aimed at promoting disease prevention and awareness. Mohawk, the world’s largest flooring manufacturer and a leading supplier of Graham’s Carpet Network flooring, is using Facebook to help raise money for breast cancer research. For every new person who likes the Mohawk Facebook page during the month of October, Mohawk will donate $1 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure® on that person’s behalf.
“October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month and we want to do our part,” explained Monica Graham, of Graham’s Carpet Network. “We’re a local business that cares about our customers and our community. Partnering with Mohawk just seemed like a fun way we could all work together and make a big difference in the fight against this terrible disease.”
Graham says it’s rare to meet someone who hasn’t been touched by breast cancer in one way or another, and statistics show that’s no exaggeration. According to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast cancer claims at least 40,000 lives annually in the U.S. More than 200,000 American women are diagnosed with the disease each year.
“These are our mothers, daughters, sisters, friends and neighbors,” added Graham. “With just a few clicks of a computer mouse, you can help Mohawk give these women a second chance at life. It really is that easy.”
If you would like Mohawk to donate $1 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure on your behalf, visit www.Facebook.com/MohawkFlooring and “Like” the Mohawk Facebook page. Be sure to visit this website today, as the Mohawk Facebook fundraising campaign ends Monday, Oct. 31.
About Graham’s Carpet Network
Graham’s Carpet Network is a locally owned retail and commercial flooring store serving the Northern Colorado and Southern Wyoming communities for more than 9 years. “We’re YOUR traveling floor and window covering store.” We understand that each customer is unique and believe in finding flooring solutions that are tailored to the individual’s specific needs. When you shop with Graham’s Carpet Network, you can expect our excellent Red Carpet Service. Our friendly design associates and project managers are experts in all aspects of flooring, including product, style, design and installation. Additionally our installers are outstanding local craftsmen. We’re here to help with many projects such as tile and natural stone, hardwood and hardwood refinishing, laminate, carpet, vinyl, area rugs, even countertops and window coverings.
About Mohawk
Mohawk is a leading supplier of flooring for both residential and commercial applications. Mohawk offers a complete selection of carpet, hardwood, ceramic tile, laminate, stone, vinyl, rugs and other home and business products. These products are marketed under the premier brands in the industry, which include Mohawk, Karastan, Columbia, Century, Dal-Tile, American Olean, Quick-Step, Lees, Bigelow and Durkan. Mohawk’s unique merchandising and marketing assist our customers in creating the consumers’ dream. Mohawk provides a premium level of service with its own trucking fleet and over 250 local distribution locations.
About Susan G. Komen for the Cure®
Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure and launched the global breast cancer movement. Today, Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure® and Komen 3-Day for the Cure®, we have invested more than $1.9 billion to fulfill our promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN.
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Tags: breast cancer > campaign > donatino > facebook > public relations > social media
Popeye’s misses the mark
Posted on | October 19, 2011 | No Comments
I sometimes stop in to the Popeye’s Chicken along the local interstate highway — not the healthiest of food, but tasty and not your typical option around here. I ducked in earlier this week for a quick snack on the way back from a client meeting.
I was greeted by some signage on the door. The first was that a specially promoted product that had been touted in a national TV ad campaign (and which I had in mind when deciding to stop there) was such a hit that they ran out. This was not a temporary sign, it was a full-color, corporately created piece.
Another sign advertised a “crawfish fest” – but with small language at the bottom noting that it was “coming soon.” A third noted that they wanted to hear from you to get feedback on your experience there, and that you could win an ipod for taking the time to share. You may or may not have or use an ipod, but my take on that is that it is a piece of technology that is perhaps on the decline – and that is added on to my being greeted by not one but two different items that I *can’t currently order or enjoy* on this visit to this establishment.
I got to the counter and it took some time for me to be greeted – it seems they had a rush just prior, and everyone was scrambling around preparing the orders that were just taken. No big deal.
A young man did then greet me and take my order — nuggets, 5 count, honey mustard sauce and a side of red beans and rice. Gave him my debit card. He’s swiped it and given me my total. He notes to the kitchen that he needs an order of nuggets. The manager, now done preparing orders, rather brusquely tells us both that they are out of nuggets. How do you run out of nuggets? No idea, unless that is the same as the other product named on the door that they are out of.
Young man sheepishly notes to me that he did not know that. She suggests the chicken strips — and I observe that the small strips meal is still $2 more than the large (9 count) nuggets meal. I switch my order to the small strips meal. Counter lad voids the transaction, as it was all but done — and I ask, would it have been that hard to just complete the transaction and give me the same order, with strips instead of nuggets?
So I already have to get out my card again — and, holy short-term memory, Batman! — he has to go through the entire order process from two minutes prior again. Spicy or not? What flavor dipping sauce? What side? Repeat after me . . . .
So, predictably, I get my order and the beans and rice are good, the biscuit tasty, got the right dipping sauce — but, a first for me, parts of the strips are dry and leathery.
My receipt gave me the chance once I got home to tell them about my experience, and I did — in a way that I thought was measured and fair. This was not really an awful visit/experience, but the several small disappointments I encountered, and the missed opportunities they had to address them, certainly made it a less-than-satisfactory encounter with the Popeye’s brand, one that I have long been a fan/patron/supporter of.
I’ve not yet heard back from the company based on the online feedback I provided, and I don’t necessarily expect to — and if I don’t, it will be just one more small disappointment added to the several others from Monday afternoon.
But what can you expect, I suppose, from a fast food joint? Except that the news has covered a number of long-time, established eating chains (like Friendly’s, which recently filed bankruptcy, or Ground Round and others) that are on their way out or already have faded from existence — and I would expect that those organizations did not find themselves in that state as a result of paying relentless attention to details and customer service . . . .
I’ll certainly be back to give them at least one more chance, as I like their food as a change of pace — maybe by the time I return, they will have crawfish, along with nuggets and the rest of the items promised on their menu.
Playday for the Raptors Children’s Festival
Posted on | September 14, 2011 | No Comments
Playday for the Raptors Children’s Festival
Saturday, Sept 17th
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m
Edora Park
Fort Collins, Colorado
Come out for a fun day jam packed with entertainment and birds of prey.
There will be a silent auction, a “paint a suncatcher” table, a giant chalk mural, a Foodies Culinary School owl mask activity and other arts & crafts. TimFoolery, the magician, will perform, as well as The Best Face Painters. Enjoy a climbing wall, giant inflatable slide, Kidzfit jump castle and Crackerjack the storyteller & Colorado Eagle mascot Slapshot.
Enjoy games for the whole family (geared to 5-13 year olds), including a cupcake walk game, bean bag toss, pinata, egg-and-spoon race, fire brigade relay, scavenger hunt, water balloon toss, ring toss, tug of war, sack races and more! There will be great game prizes and door prizes donated by our sponsors, including Elitch Gardens, Boondocks Fun Center, Denver’s Wilderness Experience, Carmike Theatres, Fort Fun, Christy Sports, Cinemark Theatres, Chippers Lanes, Pump It Up, Weld Family Chiropractic and more!
Adults are sure to be interested in silent auction items, including: Ft Collins Hilton Overnight Stay in deluxe king suite & breakfast for two, Denver Broncos Autographed John Elway Print, Ft Collins Hilton High Tea for four, Ranch-Way Feeds Bag of Dog Food and pooper-scooper, Ranch-Way Feeds Bag of Bird Seed, Nordy’s BBQ gift certificates and other items.
Bring a blanket and enjoy a picnic in beautiful Edora Park. Bring a gift for the Rocky Mountain Raptor Wish Tree (http://www.playdayfortheraptors.com/Raptor_Wish_Tree.html). Festival food, ice-cold drinks and more than 30 exhibitors that serve families, kids and parents will be there. Free general admission with affordable game and activity tickets.
This fun event is a benefit for the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program (http://www.rmrp.org) of Fort Collins. It will help the organization continue its rescue, medical care, rehabilitation and public education efforts to give injured, sick and orphaned eagles, owls, falcons and hawks a second chance at freedom. Last year they had an 88% release rate!
Come on out and play! It promises to be a HOOT!
The event is still looking for additional volunteer help, as well.
Contact:
Georgia Evans
Georgia@playdayfortheraptors.com
970-663-7492
www.playdayfortheraptors.com
Or find our group on Meetup.com: http://www.meetup.com/PlaydayForTheRaptors-A-Family-Playday/
Event Sponsors include TRI 102.5, Northern Colorado 5, Westwind Graphics, Home State Bank, Hilton Fort Collins, International Black Belt Academy, City of Fort Collins Fort Fund, Weld Family Chiropractic, Big Grins, Fort Collins Nursery, Pepsico, Comedy Magic by Tim Foolery, Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Shop, Foodies Culinary Academy, Fort Fun, CrackerJack the Rocky Mountain Storyteller, Chipper’s Lanes and GK Gymnastics, and many others.
Schlosser Signs’ New Machine Speeds Manufacturing Process
Posted on | September 12, 2011 | No Comments
Schlosser Signs Acquires New Channel Letter Machine
Accu-Bend improves sign manufacture speed, efficiency, safety
Loveland, Colo.— Schlosser Signs (www.schlossersigns.com), a leader in the design, manufacture and installation of signage in northernColorado and beyond, has announced the acquisition of a new piece of equipment, an Accu-Bend Lite machine from Computerized Cutters, Inc., ofPlano,Texas. The computer-controlled machine automatically manufactures aluminum channel letters, reducing by up to 75 percent the time required to fabricate letters by hand.
“This machine lets us keep our skilled craftsmen focused on other priorities,” notes Carla Schlosser, CEO of Schlosser Signs. “And the improved efficiency and reduced waste will allow us to be more competitive, both for small orders and larger contracts, as well.”
The company will have a video of the machine in action at this year’s BIXPO event, where Schlosser Signs has booth #99 on September 15th at the Embassy Suites, 4705 Clydesdale Parkwayin Loveland. Schlosser notes that they are now the only retail sign company north of Denverto have a machine with this capability. “Channel letters” are the custom-made sides, exterior or frame of standard three-dimensional exterior signage commonly used by businesses and other organizations. The video will also be posted at www.schlossersigns.com by September 14th.
Once the machine has been programmed using a standard sign design software interface, the Accu-Bend machine takes raw stock aluminum fed from a coil on a motorized material feed table, sends it through the machine to be notched, flanged, bent, and cut, and places the finished product on a stainless steel offload table. Other companies have used the machine to increase their output of channel letters by 400 to 500 percent, while producing a more consistent, accurate product.
The company also plans to make use of the new machine to offer more options to its contract sign installation customers. Schlosser has long been a trusted sub-contract installation partner for national sign manufacturers, receiving signs shipped from around the country for installation acrossColorado,WyomingandNebraska. Now, it’s possible for computer design files to be emailed to Schlosser so the company can manufacture the channel letters.
The Accu-Bend was the world’s first machine created to automatically notch, flange and bend complete channel letters. It handles .063-gauge aluminum material at a feed rate up to one foot per second, and produces single-piece letters, shapes and logos up to 15 feet tall.
About Schlosser Signs
Schlosser Signs opened inLoveland,Coloradoin 1999. Our experienced team designs, manufactures, and installs a vast range of interior and exterior corporate signage — including monument signs, LED displays and electronic message centers, channel letters, awnings, and much more. Our goal is to create a top-quality, great-looking sign that will maintain the integrity of your brand while helping to promote your company to your guests and the general public.
Schlosser takes care of every aspect of each project for you, so you don’t have to worry about the details. From property surveys and visibility studies to permit acquisition, and maintenance long after the project is complete — we do it all, on a local, regional, and national scale.
For more information about all our products and services, call (970) 593-1334, email Carla@schlossersigns.com, or visit us online at www.schlossersigns.com.
Tags: automation > bixpo > business > capital > capital expenditure > efficiency > expansion > finance > machinery > northern Colorado > northern colorado business report > sign manufacture > signs
Looking back on the Twin Towers in 1993
Posted on | September 11, 2011 | No Comments
In May of 1993, I was the managing editor of a trade publication devoted to, of all things, industrial pumping. In February of 1993, the original terrorist attack on the World Trade Center happened, via truck bomb. Repairing the buildings was a large undertaking at the time, and we learned of a pump vendor that provided a key component. I interviewed them and wrote a story about the project for the May 1993 issue of Pumps and Systems magazine. This is the text from that article. I’ll look to scan the original in and make a PDF available, as well, as there were a couple of photos that accompanied the article, along with a table of pump specs.
Section: Pumps in the News
Title: World Trade Center — Unique pumping solution speeds World Trade Center’s return to operation
On February 26th the New York World Trade Towers were heavily damaged by a bomb detonated in the center’s basement parking garage. The blast blew a crater approximately 150 feet in diameter from the second level of the garage (B-1) down to B-6. Tons of rubble created by the explosion came down on the core of the building services and cooling systems.
Among the emergency systems needed to reopen the towers was a cooling system to control the temperature in the 110-story twin towers’ elevator engine rooms. Without this system to prevent the machine rooms from heating up, the rising temperatures would stress the engines. “If room temperatures rise above 140 degrees F/40 C, problems would occur and the engines would cook,” said Rich Cullen of Hugh J. Cullen Associates, Neptune, NJ. “Once cooked, the engines would be there for life, as there is no way to remove them.” Of special concern was the possibility that April temperatures in New York City could rise above 70 degrees F, as they did in 1990 and 1991.
Contracts were awarded to supply and install a temporary system for climate control in the buildings, but it could not be up and running until the first week of May. Meanwhile, the New York Port Authority needed a system to get the center’s 260 elevators running safely on a “pre-temporary” basis so that the buildings’ 200+ tenants that had already moved back in could get back to business. Six different ideas were proposed by World Trade Center engineers for using existing mechanical and heating/ventilating/air conditioning systems to feed cool air to the rooms that house the 260 electro-mechanical elevator motors.
Gene Geyer, a sales representative for Cullen Associates Inc., noted “they expected to have several choices, but found they couldn’t tap into the domestic water supply lines. Those pipes couldn’t handle the extra capacity. So the only option the World Trade Center really had became available when the New York City Fire Department approved using the current fire protection standby pipe system.”
The standby system supplies water for fighting fires on the building’s upper levels. The presence of this system allowed for a parallel piped-in water cooling system with locking and interlocking valves that required little additional piping. The plan called for pumping water up the fire risers and tapping them off into the machine rooms, on floors B-6, 7, 41, 75 and 108. The fire pumps are manual pumps, and the new system is electronically interlocked with the fire system, so if the water is needed to fight a fire, the interlock automatically locks out the parallel system to give the fire department the water they need.
After settling on this plan, the Port Authority then requested bids for equipment on March 30, specifying a 10-day requirement for delivery. Cullen Associates was able to supply 650 hp worth of pumps and an automatic on-demand control system from Canariis Corp. within seven days. Details on the three-pump system, which is in place in both towers, are given in Table 1.
The temporary system scheduled to take over in May includes 10,000 tons worth of cooling towers and 35 chilled-water pumps capable of moving more than 100,000 gpm. This system was provided and installed by NuTemp Inc. of Chicago.
Emergency system start-up was scheduled for April 19. The emergency pumps, tied into the existing fire pumps, will remain as back-ups once the temporary chilled-water system is complete. On a long-term basis, the system will remain in place as a back-up to the fire pumping system.
Tags: 9/11 memorial > al qaeda > anniversary > Cullen Associates > editing > FDNY > magazine writing > managing editor > NYPD > Osama Bin Laden > pumps > rebuild > repair > terrorism > terrorists > trade magazine > world trade center
An amazing day in Steamboat Springs
Posted on | August 26, 2011 | No Comments
Wow, hitting the hay after an amazing day in Steamboat Springs, Colorado for the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. Saw lots of stuff, including an incredible pack sprint finish to Stage 4 of the race. Met a bunch of great people, both locals and folks from the Front Range also up for the race. Even saw some old friends.
As a last-minute volunteer, I was initially put on bike corral/bike parking duty, but it turned out they asked for additional help in the media room, where a friend was already assigned to work.
I got to spend the day setting up for the post-race press conference, got to witness it (have some video I’ll post later), and learned a lot along the way.
Came away impressed with some of the racers, especially the Italian winner and a Russian top performer on the day, who, even while not speaking their native language, came across as engaging, funny, excited for the race and, of course happy to give a nod to their sponsors whenever possible.
Also met a CSU professor involved in a biotech startup, and a local young woman with a cool food product. Always liked Steamboat as a town with a ski area, rather than a ski town, but impressed with the show
How young is too young to be sexy?
Posted on | August 24, 2011 | No Comments
They’re at it again. And this was not intended to be a specific cause and pet peeve of mine, but not long ago I posted on Sketchers’ poor taste in marketing its toning shoes to girls as young as 8 years old.
That was bad enough. This is much, much worse:
http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/08/19/french-line-offers-lingerie-for-girls-as-young-as-four/
In what has become a bit of a global story, a French company has introduced a line of lingerie — or lingerie-like — clothing for very young girls.
Again, in an age where boys and girls are reaching sexual maturity at earlier ages than ever, why the rush in some circles to turn little girls into sex objects in the name of apparel marketing?