One challenge too many???
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Thursday, July 02, 2009 |
Challenges often appear from the most unusual situations and the last few weeks have certainly been that.
Most of you will know that I have had some battles with the Government over the test case under the new email marketing laws and the consequences have been the crushing of our businesses by the imposition of $5.5 million of fines.
Even after that sort of penalty, the Government wants to Bankrupt me, to prove a point I suppose. There has been no reduction in unsolicited emails, in fact many millions more a day have been sent since the law came into effect in 2004 - so go figure??
My partner in the business, Elaine has been recovering from a serious injury experienced in the Asian Tsunami. After 9 operations, and an enforced 6 month hospitalisation from June 3rd 2008 to mid January 2009 when she caught a "super bug" in hospital, which has meant many of the things that have usually been capably handled by her, have been done less than adequately by myself.
Elaine is back on deck and superbly handling the back end of The ThirstyFish program... but still requires 3 times a week intensive physio treatments - a big challenge from a short holiday in Thailand nearly 5 years ago.
All that I can take in my stride and get on with life... a series of challenges to make you stronger I believe. [well that's what I say to myself!!]
and then, out of the blue, ONE TO KNOCK YOU FOR SIX! well this was unexpected...
Joanne and I have been married for 34 years and I don't recall a day of sickness passed a common cold or a little flu in that time.
Well, after travelling to London to see our daughter Eric in May, she returned and went for a check up at the local GP and has been diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer that is seriously life threatening and requires serious treatment.
So, a seemingly healthy, non smoking, non drinking, vibrant woman has to face to challenge of huge battle against breast cancer and I have been thrown into a support role which means for that 6 weeks from diagnosis to the first chemotherapy I have been attending to matters close to home.
Erica should arrive home from London soon, Matthew who is in the Middle East setting up our business there, is on his way home too.
The office situation has been resolved with Stacey and Tahya starting this Monday and doing everything possible to catch up with all the promises and commitments made to you and other loyal clients.
So, I apologise for not sharing my situation sooner and leaving you without an explanation but it could have gone a more drastic way.
I think we are back on track... and I will be doing my best to catch up and do more than we have promised for all of you.
Thanks you for the kind thoughts and best wishes. Joanne and I appreciate them. |
posted by Wayne Mansfield @ 4:37 PM   |
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19 Presence Management Chores You COULD Do Every Day
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Monday, June 29, 2009 |
Great blog post from Chris Brogan's Blog :
If you’re looking to establish your online presence, and build relationships, it’s not the kind of project where you show up, build your profiles, friend a few people, and call it good. It’s a lot like tending the farm. Here are seven particular “chores” you could do every day that should prove beneficial to your online interests. Twitter- Find seven things worth retweeting in your general feed and share.
- Reply to at least five things with full responses (not just “thanks”).
- Point out a few people that you admire. It shows your mindset, too.
- Follow back at least 10 folks. (I use an automated tool, but this is a personal preference. If you want such, I use SocialToo.)
- 10 minutes of just polite two-way chit chat goes far.
Facebook- Check in on birthdays on the home page. (Want a secret? Send the birthday wish via Twitter or email. Feels even more deliberate.)
- Respond to any comments on your wall.
- Post a status message daily, something engaging or interesting.
- Comment on at least seven people’s status messages or updates.
- Share at least 3 interesting updates that you find.
- If you belong to groups or fan pages, leave a new comment or two.
LinkedIn- Accept any invitations that make sense for you to accept.
- Enter any recent business cards to invite them to LinkedIn (if you’re growing your network).
- Drop into Q&A and see if you can volunteer 2-3 answers.
- Provide 1 recommendation every few days for people you can honestly and fully recommend.
- Add any relevant slide decks to the Slideshare app there, or books to the Amazon bookshelf.
Blogs- Visit your blog’s comments section and comment back on at least 5 replies.
- If you have a few extra minutes, click through to the blogs of the commenters, and read a post or two and comment back.
- While on those sites, use a tool like StumbleUpon and promote their good work.
- Write the occasional post promoting the good work of a blog in your community.
It’s Not EasyMaintaining your online presence takes time. If you look at all I’ve listed above, that’s easily more than an hour of work. But it depends what the value of that presence is to you, if you’re doing this as an individual, or to your organization, if you’re doing this on behalf of a brand or product. We’ve traded dollars for time, in lots of these equations, as we see the return on our advertising spend diminish. It’s your choice whether you want to maintain an active online presence, or if you want to get away with a bit less. Labels: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Wayne Mansfield |
| posted by Wayne Mansfield @ 11:12 PM |
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Dont Quit
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Wednesday, June 03, 2009 |
Don't Quit ~ Author Unknown
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and its turns, As everyone of us sometimes learns, And many a failure turns about When they might have won, had they stuck it out. Don't give up though the pace seems slow, You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than, It seems to a faint and faltering man, Often the struggler has given up When he might have captured the victor's cup; And he learned too late when the night came down, How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out The silver tint of the clouds of doubt And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far; So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit, It's when things seem worst that you must not quit! Labels: Facebook, Maverick Spirit, Wayne Mansfield |
| posted by Wayne Mansfield @ 7:48 PM |
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Lenovo Service - Lift Your Game!! part 2
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Monday, June 01, 2009 |
I though that I would try again to get some satisfaction in getting my Lenovo S10 IdeaPad netbook fixed... remember last week I couldn't get through to the service "hotline" after nearly an hour waiting.
Well this evening 6pm Perth time I tried again... on the theory that a 24 hour 7 day a week service might not be busy at that time - being a public holiday and all here in Perth.
Success occurred in phase one of the process: from the Lenovo web page is says 24/7 you can call 1 300 557 073 Option 1, Option 3, Option 2, Option 1 phew... my robotic american friend started saying "Your call is important etc..." when a real live american voice came on Dennis L Coleman answered.
Well, Dennis was pleasant enough BUT he was in New York, it was 6am there and he really didn't have a concept of the distance from Perth to Sydney where lenovo's ONLY authorised repair centre is located. Let me say that again - Lenovo's ONLY authorised repair centre is in Sydney.
I asked Dennis if he realised that Sydney was 4000 kilometres from Perth and that 7 to 10 working days was an unacceptable wait for the repair of a noisy fan. [Geez Portacom in West Perth have a guaranteed 4 hour turn around or replacement machine AND they sell Lenovo's too]
Dennis's answer was unacceptable so I asked to speak to someone who had some authority and he asked me to call back in 4 to 6 hours as people in new York didn't come in for another 4 or so hours... so much for 24/7 service!!
I purchased my Lenovo from Harris Technology - part of the Coles mega group which includes OfficeWorks who are currently still selling Lenovo machines. You'd think that there would be a realisation that there should be service available in Perth given that that's where Wesfarmers who own Harris, Coles and OfficeWorks has its Head Office... so, I think this will be a long drawn out customer service saga. Labels: Customer Service, Lenovo, Perth, Stupid Stupid Stupid, Sydney, Wayne Mansfield |
| posted by Wayne Mansfield @ 6:23 PM |
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8 Hours of Travel - What a difference mode makes
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Saturday, May 30, 2009 |
On Monday I travelled to Albany by car. [My last of its kind Ford Fairlane Ghia] It was a 4 hour trip each way for a 3 hour meeting. So, Matthew and I covered 800 kilometres and it was a pleasant enough adventure.
So, that's a 8 hour for 800 kms by car... good days travel!
 On Friday I travelled to Sydney and return by Qantas on an Airbus A330 for a three hour Twitter for Business seminar and I travelled nearly 8,000 kilometres... mmm Australia is a big country and a days travel can mean lots fo different things to different people.
To me, its all in a days work.Labels: Qantas, Travel, Twitter, Wayne Mansfield |
| posted by Wayne Mansfield @ 6:46 PM |
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Lenovo Service - Lift Your Game!!
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Wednesday, May 27, 2009 |
 I recently purchased a 10" IndeaPad Netbook made by Lenovo. Great little machine and does heaps more than you would think it could. Problem: Fan has started to be noisy... and obviously the machine is still under new warranty so I approached the seller - Harris Technology - and they said all warranty needs are handled by Lenovo. They gave me the number of who to call - Strike 1!! 131 426 and after the usual push 1 for this etc., and a 23 minute wait, "Sorry we are ThinkPad SmartCentres and not Lenovo so you will have to call them... the number is 1 300 557 073 option3, option 2, option 1... but I will put you through... I should have smelled a rat there and then!  An automated, american accented robotic voice, told me for the next 45 minutes that my call was important, all her agents were dealing with other clients, thank you for being patient etc etc etc etc etc... and I needed to go and do some work [I had it on loud speaker BUT you are tied to the desk JUST INCREASE someone actually comes on the line] So, noisy fan still, my little helper keeps working away. Lenovo... are you listening?? How about giving some "service" would that be too hard? Labels: Customer Service, Rant, Wayne Mansfield |
| posted by Wayne Mansfield @ 10:51 AM |
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Albany - Western Australia's First City
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Tuesday, May 26, 2009 |
Went for a short drive yesterday to Western Australia's first city - Albany. For my friends who live else where Albany is 400kms from Perth so round trip was 800km or roughly 500 miles.
On the journey you drive through a couple of other towns with the biggest Mount Barker having 3,000 people.
It gives you a sense of the size of my state 1 million square miles [7 times the size of Texas!!] with just 2 million people. Labels: Australia, Wayne Mansfield |
| posted by Wayne Mansfield @ 7:06 AM |
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Oxymorons 45 of the best
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Saturday, May 23, 2009 |
Just had to include this list, first posted by Bill Austin on Twitter @wbaustin and it is side splittingly true. The orginal list is published at Joke of the Day:
45. Act naturally
44. Found missing
43. Resident alien
42. Advanced BASIC
41. Genuine imitation
40. Airline Food
39. Good grief38. Same difference
37. Almost exactly
36. Government organization
35. Sanitary landfill
34. Alone together
33. Legally drunk
32. Silent scream
31. Living dead
30. Small crowd
29. Business ethics
28. Soft rock
27. Butt Head
26. Military Intelligence25. Software documentation 24. New classic 23. Sweet sorrow 22. Childproof 21. “Now, then …” 20. Synthetic natural gas 19. Passive aggression 18. Taped live 17. Clearly misunderstood 16. Peace force 15. Extinct Life 14. Temporary tax increase 13. Computer jock 12. Plastic glasses 11. Terribly pleased 10. Computer security  9. Political science 8. Tight slacks 7. Definite maybe 6. Pretty ugly5. Twelve-ounce pound cake
4. Diet ice cream
3. Working vacation
2. Exact estimate
1. Microsoft Works
Labels: Joke, Twitter, Wayne Mansfield |
| posted by Wayne Mansfield @ 1:44 PM |
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Wotif Madness Continues... stop this nonsense!
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What the...!
I am a regular visitor to seasons botanic gardens Hotel in Melbourne but the Wotif.com madness struck again.
I booked using wotif.com after negotiating with them last week that I didn't have to have the hotels photocopy and keep on file my photo ID... and on previous occasions have found Wotif to be cheaper than this hotels particular websites prices [how crazy is that??]
The only disadvantage [I can't think of any others at the moment] of living in Perth is that you fly out at midnight getting to Melbourne and Sydney really early... and most hotels RULES say check in is 2pm!!. So on Friday I arrived at 7am and couldn't get a room even though I could have booked one for Thursday night meaning they had rooms free but "Rules are Rules!"
Well a half reasonable compromise was a shower in the pool area - oh the smell of chlorine is so good early in the morning! Wotif Madness Kicks In! Yes Mr Mansfield, you have stayed with us many times BUT Wotif say unless you gives us photo ID you cant get into your room.. "I have stayed here before, many times, you know me..." and the reply was "But it's not our rule... it's wotif's rule" Blood pressure raising.. "Ring wotif and they will confirm I am a trusted client.." and the response was astounding "We cant do that...." Now, just to put this in perspective Seasons HAVE ON FILE my details, regularly charge on CC for functions at $1000 plus a time and THEY ARE LETTING WOTIF inconvenience THEIR [the hotels clients] clients.
wotif has become the 1000 lb gorilla.
Anyway I have had enough and I demand my luggage back, refund my money [we cant do that! Rules you know mmm] and get ready to move out of the hotel.
Commonsense approaches in the form of Lei Mifsud Seasons General Manager and sanity returns... and she convinces me to "enjoy her hotel" and she fixes the "rules{" issues. Apparently the "Enforcement of Wotif's ID" is a recent event with threat of non payment if hotels don't strictly enforce it. Also with the Global Financial Crisis really biting hotels, and wotif being the biggest supplier of customers, staff are told to strictly enforce the guidelines - sorry RULES.
Thanks to Lei's commonsense approach I have stayed the night - I am writing this from Room P307...
Please join me in two things:
1. don't allow companies like wotif.com to enforce practices that make us targets for fraud and ID theft
and importantly, for this incidence,
2. stay at s eason botanic gardens melbourne next time you are here in Melbourne and say "Wayne sent me!' Use the hotels website and Lei says your rate will be the best possible.
Special Note: apparently Wotif.com's CEO still too important to address this matter... I have received any correspondence at all from Robbie Cook... Labels: Australia, Customer Service, Hotels, Stupid Stupid Stupid, Wayne Mansfield |
| posted by Wayne Mansfield @ 2:37 AM |
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Oxford Street Sydney at 1am Sunday May 17 2009
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Sunday, May 17, 2009 |
 The REAL place for a night out in Sydney is Oxford Street... where all sorts of cultures clash and meld.
Your senses are confronted but it is a very positive when you see all the people are having fun.
And the PIZZA was fantastic too...Labels: Sydney, Wayne Mansfield |
| posted by Wayne Mansfield @ 12:22 PM |
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Twitter #FollowFriday
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Saturday, May 16, 2009 |
So many people this week giving me a shout on #FollowFriday I need to do a second list...
#FollowFriday is one of the joys of being involved in the Twitter community. I am overwhelmed by the number of people who do a #FollowFriday mentioning me.
A couple of weeks ago I implemented a plan to record all the #FollowFriday 's here in Confessions of a Boy from Margaret River.
So, here goes, and I hope I get to mention everyone:
Labels: #FollowFriday, Twitter, Wayne Mansfield |
| posted by Wayne Mansfield @ 10:27 AM |
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#FollowFriday Thanks for May 15th 2009
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Friday, May 15, 2009 |
#FollowFriday is one of the joys of being involved in the Twitter community. I am overwhelmed by the number of people who do a #FollowFriday mentioning me.
A couple of weeks ago I implemented a plan to record all the #FollowFriday 's here in Confessions of a Boy from Margaret River.
So, here goes, and I hope I get to mention everyone:
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| posted by Wayne Mansfield @ 10:30 PM |
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Taxi Driver Fron Hell - Sydney Australia
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 In Sydney today for Twitter for Business Seminar at Portside Conference Centre after flying in on the Qantas redeye from Perth... geez why does it take so long for the luggage to come off?? 35 minutes this morning!!
But I complain too much!!
I get a taxi immediately and ask to go to Kent Street which is in a straight line from the airport. So I ask the driver to go "via Alexandria". The alternative route is the Eatern Distributor Freeway which has tunnels, tolls and an extra 5 or 8 kilometres which translates to be about $10 extra fare.
Well my driver was not happy... and he took it out on the brakes, changed lanes over a dozen times, cursed and grunted, and made my life hell.
I let him know that I was the customer and it was my right to pick the route... to which he ranted and raved that I was wasting his time... mmmm Labels: Customer Service, Sydney, Wayne Mansfield |
| posted by Wayne Mansfield @ 10:02 PM |
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Wotif - Still No Response and CEO ignores customers
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Monday, May 11, 2009 |
 Sometime ago I wrote how Wotif.com 's policies were facilitating unsafe credit card practices by insisting on third parties taking photocopies of photo ID so customer charge backs could be disputed.
Needing to use their usually "best in the business service today", I rang and asked to speak to the CEO Robbie Cook but was told that he was too busy to talk to customers. I was also told that my concerns were unfounded, that they were Credit Card company policy [absolutely not true] and that my concerns were unfounded.
Well, having experienced unauthorised credit card charges by hotels on more than one occasion, I beg to disagree.
However, what company has a protocol that insists that their CEO is "too busy" to talk to a good customer - I have used wotif.com over the last 5 years at about $1,000 a month which would equate to easily $50,000 or more.
Amazing how customer service becomes less of a priority when you don't have to try as hard, and being number 1 makes you become arrogant...Labels: Customer Service, Stupid Stupid Stupid, Wayne Mansfield |
| posted by Wayne Mansfield @ 1:31 PM |
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