Daily Dose of BS Feb 19 customer service

Customer service is on top of my mind this morning as I had conversation about it yesterday and heard a national story about how Walmart is at the bottom of the food chain and has become America’s Most Hated Store.  I am taking a class on customer service and time and time again the store gets called out by students.  I don’t think I agree with having the pleasure of being the worst, but they still have a long way to go to crack the top ten.  I like when I shop at a place and there are staff members around to answer questions about whatever I am looking for, and I feel as though not only are the big guys lacking on this but often times some of the smaller chains have these same issues.  We as Americans are always pushing for low cost items, having customer service, and I mean good customer service costs money.  I think that paying a fair price for something and getting great customer service is better than paying the rock bottom price and no customer service.  What are some extremes of service you have received?  

Daily Dose of BS feb 18 stickers

When my kids were young I always loved seeing the bumper stickers that said inappropriate things.  The questions that followed were always welcome.  There was a truck that used to be on the South Side of La Crosse that had he vinyl lettering that said my other toy has (begins with t ends with t and has an I in the middle) I remember that conversation with my kids like it was yesterday.  On the internet we see lots of people post what they think is funny or those who want to make a political statement, in fact the other day I say someone post the bumper sticker on their facebook page that said “I work hard because millions on welfare depend on me”.  What brought this up as a topic is yesterday when driving home from work I saw a car ahead of me with pink on the trunk, I drove up on it to see what the pink tape was for and the owners of the vehicle had written in bright pink duct tape across the trunk of the car “Walker Sucks”.  I also recall seeing a few bigger stickers with the frequently asked questions monogram lettered on the back of a few vehicles which is fine until you phonetically say the letters together.   

Daily Dose of BS Feb 17 ash trees

I just read that neighborhoods are going to be a changing April 11, 2015 the landscape along Losey Boulevard will be a bit sparse.  The city of La Crosse will be eradicating the Ash Tree from the fabric of the city.  I am guessing that when we drive down Losey on April 12^th we will notice the clear cutting of the Ash trees from the boulevard.  Besides the loss of the trees we will be viewing the exposed stumps of 117 Ash trees that have been cut down in hopes of eradicating the Emerald Ash Borer.  It saddens me to think that all these trees will soon be gone from our beautiful city, and that our lovely canopy of leaves will for a long time be missing from the city streets.

Daily Dose of BS Feb 16 basketball

I was at a basketball tournament at Central over the weekend.  There are a lot of bad sport parents in the stands, in fact one of the parents sitting over to the side of me was screaming and yelling and questioning the refs at every call.  I am glad I wasn’t sitting right in front of him.   I wasn’t the only one who was upset by this guy’s behavior; I also think that his “from the stands” coaching caused the kids to loose.  Which brings me to my next thought on this, I have mentioned in the past that my kids are never going to be professional sports stars but they try, and they have fun playing the game, so when the kids are there at every practice and work hard at practice and show up to play the game, play the kids.  I don’t care if you play the kids for 2 minutes a game, play each of the kids, not just your favorite, how do you expect these children to get better.  It is a game you know, especially when the kids playing this game are 13 years old, and it isn’t an A team not by far.  All I can say is I am glad that this season is over and I am guessing that others on the team are also happy.  

Daily Dose of BS Feb 13 triskaidekaphobia

The ever popular Friday the 13^th, weird that some have a fear of it, there is even a word that describes that fear triskaidekaphobia.  Try saying that word 5 x fast.  Heck try saying it once, it is a mouthful.  I am not sure what causes the fear of the 13^th, the fear of black cats crossing the road, or any other fears or phobias.  I think for me this year the biggest fear is tomorrow, Valentine’s day.  What do you get someone you have been married to for almost 25 years?  Flowers, a card, chocolates or other candies, I know candy conversation heart, actually to me Valentine’s Day to me it is a made up holiday in order to sell cards and candy.  I know, call me Mr Romantic, 50 shades of blah, I am going to stimulate the local economy and take my wife out for dinner, and maybe a movie, if not it’s hot pockets and Netflix.  By the way what’s good on Netflix these days? 

Daily Dose of BS feb 12 little league

One of the feel good stories of this past summer has a bad ending.  The Chicago-based Jackie Robinson West little league team was stripped of their little league world series, for pushing the boundaries.  I heard lots of grumbling that it’s too bad for the kids, that it doesn’t seem fair, blah, blah, blah.  What the team did was recruit kids from different neighborhoods, neighborhoods that were outside the boundaries set up to make the teams fair.  Much of the grumbling I have heard is that it was a great thing for these kids to win, why take it away, it wasn’t their fault.  Really, what about the other great teams that played by the rules that didn’t make it, how fair was it to them?  If this would have been something that would have been let go and allowed to go on without being what would that have showed these young athletes, they may be sad and mad now that the title got stripped from them, but the right thing was done.  

Daily Dose of BS Feb 11 trains

The DNR has given their blessing for another rail line through LaCrosse.  7.2 acres of wetland will be filled in for the extra rail track.  With the millions of gallons of gas and other highly flammable and toxic liquids, and other potentially hazardous materials that will be brought though our fair city, I think it’s safe to assume that with the added line comes the added pressure of more trains through LaCrosse.  Are you ok with this?  Are the trains going to be whistle silent when chugging through town, or are we going to be hearing the whistle blow each and every time that a train passes an intersection?  Is the addition of the new line going to mean more trains running this line, or will it mean more efficient use of the tracks and faster trains?  I also wonder if the owners of the rail have trains running close enough to their own homes to hear the thud, thud, thud, thud each time a train passes?

Daily Dose of BS Feb 10 beer drinking

In Wisconsin we can take our kids to the bar and buy them a drink.  Now the land of 10,000 lakes want to offer the same service to their 18-20 year olds.  I always thought that the law that allowed a parent or guardian to take their kids to the bar to enjoy a cocktail was odd, that is until I had a beer with my son at my favorite watering hole.  Being able to drink a beer with your late teen child is like a rite of passage for them.  My Mom and Dad never allowed me to have a beer with them until I turned 21, I still remember that day, the day of my 21^st birthday over 25 years ago having that first legal beer, I was at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater and my folks took me and my future wife out for dinner and a show, I don’t remember what show it was, or what I had for dinner but I do remember ordering my first beer with my parents.  I think that all adults aged 19 and older should be allowed to buy what they want.  They can fight in a war, live on their own, be treated as an adult, be married, do just about anything someone 21 and older can do, but they can’t go into a bar or legally buy alcohol. 

Daily Dose of BS Feb 9 Brian Williams

I know I am going to take some crap for this but if you can’t trust the media, who can you trust?  Now, hear me out, I chose a profession where integrity and honesty are key, I chose to work in the media.  I have been given crap from everyone from my Dad who loves me to my friends to people I don’t even know about the integrity of the media, calling us a bunch of liars and news fabricators.  When someone who is an anchor of one of the networks gets called out as a liar, it gives all the media a black eye.  If you are going to tell stories and fabricate things, please get into writing novels or tv shows not tell them as fact on the news.  I like Brian Williams, however as a media person, I feel as though he should step down as the anchor of NBC.  Don’t be a liar, take personal responsibility for your actions.   

Daily Dose of BS Feb 6 vaccinations

Should I or shouldn’t I, that is the question.  The debate has been around I am guessing for many more years than how long I have been a parent, but I never paid attention to it until I was.  Should or should I not vaccinate my children.   We are seeing more and more opting out of the shots for many different reasons.  And I am not sure what those reasons are.  If something is going to protect my little bundle of joy wouldn’t I as a parent do that?  Proponents say it is safe and one of the greatest health developents of the time, opponents say that a child’s immune system deals with infections on its own.  What is the right thing to do?  I personally think if I can give my kids an advantage for a healthier life, I am going to do it. 

Daily Dose of BS Feb 5 worries

There are lots of factors when it comes to stress, from home to work and everything in between.  In a survey released earlier this weeks is shows that 72% of adults report feeling stressed about money at least some of the time.  72% really?  I would like to meet the other 28%.  I remember the last presidential election, it was said that there were the 99% of us and then the 1%’ers out there, now we are hearing about the 28%’ers that don’t worry about finances.  I wonder what the 28%’ers worry about?  There are so many things out there that can worry a person, am I doing a good job at work, am I a good parent, have a done this well or that well.  Did I get that homework done correctly, will they like me.  Can I afford it?  There is stress everywhere.  One of the things I noticed is when I have worried about some big life changing decision and the worry that comes with it, most of the time that what I have worried about never materialized. 

Daily Dose of BS Feb 3 budgets

Its budget time, across the county, nationally and budgets are being turned in for states as well, from what I heard this morning about new programs makes me think, how is this going to be paid?  Ever thought about all these programs that are in the government need to be paid for by someone or something, guess who that is, it is us.  I have a hard time keeping to my budget at certain times of the year, and I always want more things as do most of us, but here is the difference between me and the government , I save then buy, not buy, then tax, then buy some more and borrow.  We need to get these state and federal budgets taken care of.  The burden for every man, woman and child right now is nearly $56,000.  WOW and we are paying interest on that money.  We need to have a balanced budget and need to have it done soon, we can’t afford to continue this spending.   What happens when the bills come due?  

Daily Dose of BS Feb 2 super game

I think that the Seahawks now know how the Packers felt a couple weeks ago.  I am sure that the feeling among fans of Seattle was we got this, only a few seconds left in the game we are up and had the ball.  Time running down and intercepted all I can say is wow.  That was about the most exciting thing in the game was the final seconds.  I wasn’t impressed with the commercials this year.  The excitement of watching the game for the commercials may have run its course with me.  I can honestly say the only one that I really liked is one that won’t be able to play again, it was the one right before the big game when the tv signal went away and it ending up being a Chevy commercial.  I am guessing the there was a collective yell across America with the word that rhymes with my last name when that happened.  No wings at the Schmidt house during or before the game, just nachos and the family tradition of Waffles for Waffle Sunday.  Btw the waffle machine gets put away now till the next big game, the 50^th.  

Daily Dose of BS Jan 30 waffle bowl

This coming Sunday is finally Waffle Sunday, it is also big game day, a national day of tv, wings, other high calorie tasty treats and lots of alcohol. My family however has a totally different menu when it comes to the big game, it started many, many years ago. At the Schmidt house we have a family tradition of waffles, and sausage on the day when football plays its big game. I remember the year we started it, it was right after reading the Sunday paper I glanced at a glossy newspaper ad that had a waffle maker on the front page, we went to the store and bought it, as a family we have been making waffles every single Waffle Sunday since. I love Waffle Sunday, because even if your team isn’t playing in the big game you can still waffle back and forth and enjoy the plays and of course the commercials. I even left a party a few years ago when the Green and Gold was in the waffle bowl to go home to have the breakfast of hotels with my family.  Have a great Waffle Bowl Sunday no matter how you spend it and go team go. #bswithbob #wafflebowl

Daily Dose of BS Jan 29 facebook

Has social media become a sounding board for the too afraid to say something in public?  Have the pages of facebook become a finger pointing, lets air our dirty laundry sounding board?  Do the posts that lots of people make kind of give the preverbal middle finger to others around that cannot do what it is that you do, or are doing?   I say yes to this, but I also think that the social media platforms have a place in our lives as well.  For each of the times that I have seen someone upset with their relationship and down on everyone and the very next person to post is having the best day of their lives and nothing can go wrong.  I don’t know how many times I have read a negative post on a politician and then see the complete opposite.  I guess what I am trying to ask is, do you think that we are to _____ on social media?  (open honest/ closed fake) I like my social media time, in fact I sometimes wonder what we did before we could peer in on others’ lives?  

Daily Dose of BS Jan 28 walker

I would think that running a state would take all your efforts.  Governor Scott Walker announced yesterday that he had formed a political organization to help boost his potential 2016 presidential run, Getting this group together is the first big step toward a possible presidential campaign that comes as other candidates are also building up their efforts to seek the republican nomination.  Governor Walkers group called “Our American Revival” was formed earlier this month and will be able to raise and spend unlimited cash to help Walker push his agenda to a national audience.  I asked Governor Walker in an interview if he was thinking of running for president someday and he was pretty vague, I think that if I were to ask him again I would get an answer.  Do you think that Governor Scott Walker would make a good President of the United States of America?  Please try to play nice on your comments.  

Daily Dose of BS Jan 27 choices

We all have choices to make these choices will determine your day and the day of others.  Funny I was thinking about that while driving into work, that the choices I make will determine how my day will go and could determine how the days of my coworkers will be as well or others that I run in to throughout the day.  It is the little things that add up to be big things I think.  You choose to hit the snooze, or skip breakfast, return that last email, take the call.  All choices, all things you decide to do in a day can have an effect on your day.  You can choose to react or over react, or ignore.  However you choose to take on your day, best of luck with your decision and remember you will have to live with the consequences.   

Daily Dose of BS Jan 26 vape smokes

When the smoking ban was first introduced in the state of Wisconsin I was against it.  I was a smoker for much of my adult life (I have not smoked since August 29^th 2007) and damn it I am not going to have my government tell me what I can or cannot do.  Well that stand softened once it became law, in fact I think I hit up the bar more frequently now than before because it was nice to come home and not have to strip off the stinky clothes.  In Madison they are no talking about doing the same with the vape cigarettes and making them illegal indoors, and guess what I agree.  I understand that these are only water vapor or steam but I don’t want to smell it.  I get offended when I see someone walking through the grocery store puffing away at their vape pen.  You don’t like walking through my sneeze do you? 

Daily Dose of BS Jan 23 ballgate

With all the crap that goes on in the world each and every day, in the grand scheme of things does it really matter that the balls were under inflated in the Patriots win over the Colts?  What is the NFL going to do strip the AFC Championship and chance to play in the Super Bowl XLIX (or 49, I had to google it) I seriously doubt it.  And for Tom Brady to say that he didn’t know, really?  I notice when someone uses my headphones, or when the tires are low in my car.  I am guessing that he knows all about the footballs that he is playing with to claim ignorance I find that offensive.  What ever happened to taking personal responsibility?  Also wouldn’t the Colts have the same advantage with the under inflated balls?  America it is time to move on to something with more substance, to complain about, something like what ever happened to good Saturday morning cartoons.  

Daily Dose of BS Jan 22 rebate

Ever bought something because it was on sale and with the rebate it was an unbelievable deal?  I have and for the most part I have received the rebates back.  A Midwest based hardware store offers lots of rebates, and I have at times purchased a couple of items I was going to buy anyway because of the rebate, for example when you purchase a tape measure at $5 end up getting it free after rebate limit 3.  Well a few years ago while working on the cabin we needed tape measures for the guys helping out, I bought them, got the rebate back in good time.  On black Friday there was a deal that was so good with a rebate that it brought me to the store.  I purchased the cordless drill (that I needed anyway) filled out the paper work, and waited, and waited, and in fact still waiting for.  If this were you, what would you do?   And have you had this happen to you?