Do the Hokey Pokey!

                                                                                       Edition 262 Monday December 1st 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,once upon a time I was a drainlayers labourer happily digging drains and mixing concrete from dawn to dusk. I would then run home and go to footy practise! Then up and off again the next day! Crikey this weekend I lifted some furniture and loaded some rubbish in and out of a trailer and  collapsed in a heap with exhaustion! The next morning I could hardly move I was so sore,I felt like I had been hit by a bus that had then reversed back over me!Getting old is painful and sore in places you forget you had!!

A few well earned beers and a special treat Sara Lee deep dish apple crumble with lashings of hokey pokey icecream went a long way to restoring my faith in decadence and the aging process…bless!

Fletcher reckons; the word ‘why’ is a winner, the secret is to just keep saying it and the information and the frustration flows aaaarrrggghhh. New Ipad is pretty cool too, already know more than Dad about how to make it go ! (not that hard really J).

As I sit here writing to you I am enveloped in the beautiful natural pine smell and sheer magnificence of our freshly chopped Christmas Tree(photo).We made sure we were among the first to choose our tree for this festive season at our favourite local ‘pick and chop’.We love the look, the feel and the smell of a real christmas tree and reckon it signals the official Jones build up to the big day not to mention the competition between the dogs and Fletcher for the low hanging decorations and sparkling lights!ggrrrrrrr

Fletcher was on hand at the local fire station to sadly farewell his good mate ‘Dennis’( photo) who is being retired in favour of the slicker ‘Mitsy’(Mitsubishi).At least with Dennis gone it will mean that ‘Henry’(Ford) is able to be parked inside again out of the rain and cold….Yay.

I hope you are getting excited about the silly but happy season approaching and planning to spend plenty of time relaxing with family and friends, have a great week…………….Cheers Jonesey!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon apple crumble and icecream allround sounds fairer!

 

One customer well taken care of could be more valuable than $10,000 worth of advertising.– Jim Rohn

 

I was reminded this weekend about the importance of getting customer service right.

I made plans to do some stuff and needed to organise equipment to assist which I did in advance.There were mistakes made with the bookings that caused me inconvenience and frustration at short notice. I perservered and eventually got what I wanted after a number of phone calls and extra kms. This was not made easier by the unhelpful/negative attitude displayed by the staff of the company I was dealing with.There was a distinct lack of care or responsibility shown toward me as their customer at any stage of our interaction over the course of the weekend.I dealt with two branches and four front line staff.The equipment and the service was sub standard and for all my trouble I was charged top dollar for the embarrassment of being ignored and treated like an inconvenience.I wont use this company again nor will I recommend them to anyone else ever.This experience could have been so different if the attitude of the staff had been friendly or positive.I would not have minded the hiccups or inconvenience if I had felt my business was important.Getting customer service right should be simple not difficult or an imposition and as employees we all have a responsibility to make the effort required to meet or exceed our customers expectations.Too many staff fail to accept ownership, accountability or responsibility for the hugely important role they all play in the customer service process. Too many managers fail to accept that they too must set an example through their own actions and by providing ongoing training and commitment to service delivery and excellence. Companies have a lot to gain…..and lose in this vital area.

“Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm”.– Samuel Taylor Coleridge

"The perfect ride for every stride"

         

 

 

 

                                                                      Edition 260 Monday November 17th 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,all my problems and those of every person I know wouldn’t have come close to comparing with the terrible tragedy that befell one of our very own Green Gorilla drivers last week! He was sadly killed in a horrific accident on the South Western motorway. The #1 Health and Safety goal of any company has to be to ensure their team members return safely to their family, friends and loved ones after work every day.It was indeed with great sadness and shock to all of us that one of our team was unable to do that on Monday night. It is certainly times like these when you are reminded with a jolt what is important in life and why all of us have to live every day to the fullest and without regret.

Nothing is more important than your own personal safety and we all need to accept and respect that!

Thanks to all of you who made contact and offered your condolences and support, it was appreciated.

Fletcher says; his hair stylist(barber) is a legend, his name is Peter and him and his buds are located in Durham Lane,Auckland City. Now Peter wont mind telling you he was reluctant at first  but after 10 minutes wrestling the Jones kid they were done and dusted,great doo and great mates.

Confession time; We are ‘block aholics’ and have been glued to the show for 12 weeks following the fortunes of the contestants.The final episode and auction was gripping telly with something for everyone as the houses went under the hammer! We ended up shedding a tear or two at the end as the winners Alex and Corban(from Muriwai mind you)unbelieveably gifted the wooden spooners Quinn and Ben $30,000 bucks of their $300k winnings!....WOW how cool was that?!!!We had fun getting up early on Sunday to watch the mighty AB’s take on the Scots, roll on the Welsh!

Crikey, I knew I spoke too soon about the Summer last week as we hunkered down against the Southerly over the weekend, it got so bad we even lit the fire on Saturday night….tch tch soft Jaffas!

Stay safe,well and focused on spending quality time with family and friends…………….Cheers Jonesey!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon a good dog is a bad dog !!

 

 

Brooks running shoes…”The perfect ride for every stride.”

 

Its that time of year again, I have nearly cut out another 1500km and my Brooks Adrenalines are screaming “enough”. My feet have burst their way through the webbing that has been attacked by the sand, salt and sea water countless times and finally said enough to the pressure and let go.

So why don’t I think twice or for a split second about what brand or where to go for a new pair?

Because;

“Every runner has a dream. A dream of the ideal run. Our job is to make it come true.

This isnt just a pair of the worlds finest running shoes.Its our passion. What you see here is the result of paradigm-shifting technologies that have been tested and re tested (again and again). Years of research on fit,ride,comfort and biomechanics,and an almost frightening obsession with every last detail.

Brooks mission is to deliver the perfect ride for every stride. Tucked with care in this box is your ‘Run Happy’ revelation.

Go set it free.”………………….. hand written on the inside of my new shoe box….how cool is that ??!!!

Yes, I am the proud owner of a new pair of Brooks Adrenalines for a flying start this Morning!!. They had me 5 years ago at ‘Run Happy’ and they have made me feel they are as interested in running and my fitness as I am and that they want me to be happy doing it ever since….and I am !!!

 

I can only hope I can instill the same belief in my customers about recycling and refuse!!!

 

Brooks…….”Run Happy”

"If Only"

 

 

 

Edition 259 Monday November 10th 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,you wouldn’t be human if you didn’t find yourself thinking ‘if only’ occasionally.Recently I caught myself drifting into this territory and realised how counter productive it is. The reality is it causes us to look back and regret not doing things we hopefully now know we should have done.It takes us down horrible dark little side streets littered with self doubt and guilt sleeping rough!Crikey none of us need that carry on,so it is important to have an internal sensor or force field that is activated to protect us.My best defence is to be excited about the now and what is to come in a future that identifies and eliminates the terrible twins ‘what if’ and ‘if only’.That is life and it makes us grateful for what we have and more prepared to make the most of a life that is far too short to worry about it!

Fletcher says; he has stumbled on a winner after pushing the full flush while Daddy was still seated on the toilet!Who needs a bidet when the good old flush toilet can achieve the same outcome grrrrr.

The new fireworks legislation banning public places and the damp weather combined to make the Guy Fawkes week a quieter one than normal for the emergency services in our hood! The dogs spent their least favourite week of the year camped out on our bed making it one of my less looked forward to as well L

We are enjoying the All Blacks Northern tour game replays over Sunday brunch as a family.Fletcher is displaying an interest in the haka and the various players kicking techniques that has his three rugby balls flying around the lounge intermittently…….go the ABs where ‘better never stops’.

Wow what a weekend of incredible weather,we cranked up the BBQ,dined and wined Al Fresco more than in fresco,if this is a taste of the Summer to come then bring it on!

I trust you were able to make the most of time in the sun with family and friends,cheers Jonesey!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon ‘if only’ Guy Fawkes had a dog!

 

 

     ‘They’ say “Give a job to a ‘busy’ person because you know it will get done.”

 

As a busy person who has received a number of extra jobs recently I was wondering if whoever ‘they’ is had a workload limit or threshold in mind when making this recommendation?

In an exciting fourth quarter move two customers one existing and one I have been pursuing for four years have called tenders for all their work!

In my existing customers case should we be successful we will see a 50% increase in work revenue and profit!

In my prospective new customers case this also obviously represents a huge opportunity for brand new additional work, revenue and profit!

WOW, whilst exciting is an understatement so too is ‘busy person’ as both tenders close on November 28 and like the hour glass of time the sand is fast running out !

Best stop dwelling on how busy I am and get cracking on making every post a winner on these and the other opportunities we are working on.

As I alluded to last week the closing months of the year are an important time for us all as we seek a successful finish to the year. Just like the last minutes of each half in a football game it is also a time where we can be vulnerable if we are not focused. Did you realise more points are scored for and against sides in this part of a match due to complacency and inattention?

I hope you are all focused on a big finish to the year as we round the final bend for the all important run home….time to pull out that little bit extra that will push you to the front!!

 

By the way, ‘they’ whoever ‘they’ are also say….”Careful what you wish for.”

What a Blouse

         

 

 

Edition 258 Monday November 3rd 2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,I used to reckon I was pretty good at ironing until I offered to have a crack at some of Christines blouses! Blouse is probably a good description of my attempts to make those things look half decent. Crikey Ive never seen so many creases and frills…I should have kept my mouth shut :(

Been a bit grumpy lately over one thing and another,not quite sure what is causing this however in my observation the older the grumpier? I am determined this not be the case however not doing that well at arresting the slide toward carrying off this years ‘grumpy old man’ award. I reckon I have about six weeks in which to pull myself back from the brink of receiving this unwanted recognition!

Fletcher says; the highlight of his trip to Butterfly Creek with his day care buds was undoubtedly the trip on the ‘Purple Party Bus’ ! Little does he realise that this was the first of many rides he will take on this bus in his life, some he will remember and some he wont :) !

Crikey Summer is cool (oxymoron!) just loving the sun, surf, BBQ,and the long lazy weekends at the beach. A word of caution though, make sure you wear hats, sunscreen and life jackets if you are out in the sun or boats. We got caught out on the weekend and paid the price with some angry sunburn!

I hope you are also having fun in the sun as we count down to the festive season and the end of yet another full on year. Also a good time to get things ticked off that may have been hanging around for too long or to complete something you have been working on for a while!

Have a good ‘Upbeat’ week ahead, smile,have fun and take care………………..Cheers Jonesey!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon they could be a solution not a source but 6 weeks is tight

 

“Short cuts make long delays.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien (Lord of the Rings)

 

Some cool feedback;

 

1. On using the 018 Directory service I am now greeted by name and treated like a real person by a real person.What a difference some personal attention makes….remember that !
2. Thanks for the feedback regarding Toastmasters, I am honoured that a number of you have joined clubs and made enquiries about doing so as a result of my passion and enthusiasm for the organisation.What are you doing to ‘better’ yourself? www.toastmasters.org.nz
3. From my MC role at the recent New Zealand Association of Training and Development Professionals I have made a number of contacts that will be fruitful in future for further roles and business.You need to put yourself out there at every possible opportunity, use or lose.
4. The largest Construction Company in New Zealand made a plea for help on the largest single Construction site in Auckland last week when they finally admitted the company they are using is not fulfilling their needs ! This is a great reward for resisting the temptation to point this out to them and preferring instead to let them come to their own conclusion on that…..which they did! How sweet does that feel…….pretty sweet at the moment for the smiling Green Gorilla!
5. The bar has been raised in the clean car stakes with our newest recruit cleaning their car twice weekly and their windows and mirrors daily. Clearly I have inspired them to greatness but will have to step up to stay ahead in order to be the cleanest Gorilla on the block !
6. After the Jones machine got the speed wobbles Christine has resigned from full time employment and will seek a part time role. We have decided that quality of life, life balance and family equilibrium are far more important than stressing on the motorway daily x 2!!
7. Halloween down just Guy Fawkes to go,good luck to the local volunteer fire brigade with that!!
8. My year 13 ‘Mentee’s’ have won a National recognition award for their business idea!
    
   “So every single day, I found something to be grateful for and that's a powerful lesson.”
   Alice Barrett