Even super heros get crook!!

         

 

 

                                                                                       Edition 350 Monday 26/09/16

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,first things first and most importantly congratulations on being part of Edition 350!!!!!!YAY.

My sincere thanks for your honesty,frankness and unconditional support during what has been just over seven ‘Upbeat’ years keeping up with the Joneses and selling plenty of sizzle!! Cheers to us!

Secondly contrary to me thinking I was out of the woods medically last week I discovered there was more than a sting in the tail of my mystery condition.In an unprecedented move I relented and visited my GP who after a series of tests had no hesitation in referring me to Hospital!

More tests and days later the source of my unrelenting and raging fever was isolated to my right lung in the form of a nasty pnuemonia bug. So understandably hospital staff said sorry buddy you aint going anywhere and that is where I still remain with this weeks edition coming out to you from the Ward of hope. So what did we learn here? 1)If you are genuinely unwell there is a reason so get help. 2)You will never ‘work through ‘it’ or treat ‘it’ if you don’t know what ‘it’ is so refer back to point #1.Hmmmmm the importance of fitness and health just went to a new level daily for me. Speaking of gratitude I cant speak highly enough of the treatment received in Public Hospital from every department I had anything to do with, fabulous people working hard in a busy and sometimes thankless environment, lots of bad press so good to give an ‘upbeat’ thumbs up!!.

Fletcher reckons;hospitals arn’t that bad really….plenty of gadgets to play with on Dads bed…funny watching him go up and down in the air…..not sure he is that keen on blood tests though !!

Cant wait to rip into another ‘Upbeat’ week albeit a little more subdued…….Cheers Jonesey!!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon there may have been a valid reason for the moaning last week from the grumpy man….perhaps they were a little quick to point the bone!!??

 

 

“It is not who I am underneath but what I do that defines me”. Batman

 

WOW….what an eventful week healthwise…but wait theres more……So the story goes like this…….

Lady goes for walk in Woodhill Forest with baby and dog.

Returns to car and puts baby,dog and pram in car closes doors and car auto locks!!

Problem is the car keys are attached to the pram so now baby and dog are locked in car Mother outside freaking out.

So……Muriwai Volunteer Fire Brigade called but all at work so…

Christine calls me at home sick in bed ravaged by fever and says can I go comfort the lady, rescue the baby and dog!! Me being the ‘upbeat’ type of guy I am of course didn’t hesitate (much).

So off to the rescue armed with my trusty wire coat hangar to break into ladies car.(misspent youth)

Arrived at scene to find general chaos with some guy trying to break the window and all others saying its ok the Fire Brigade will be here soon….yeah right……(little did they realise)……

I told them I was sort of the Fire Brigade and this was as good as it gets for now(Cavalry coming).

Heaps of people standing round me trying to feed coat hanger between window and door, baby crying, dog barking, mother crying…….so I then tried to force a loose back door and only set off the car alarm so then baby and Mother crying, dog barking,and now alarm screaming!!!Then over the hill on cue came the Cavalry in the form of the Kumeu Fire Brigade with all the proper kit and had the situation solved in 10minutes………….At least I fronted and had a decent crack.

As if that wasn’t dramatic enough same day I was at the local store and noticed a car heading slowly and driverless towards the building.With another mother screaming in the background I managed to get my super hero self between the building and the car(dumb) just as the brake was applied.

Fighting pneumonia seemed easy compared to saving dittsy Muriwai Mums!!....I am a legend really!

 

“There is a right and a wrong in the Universe and the distinction is not hard to make”.

Superman

Running on Empty

 

                                                                                       Edition 349 Monday 19/09/16

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,I have spent a bit of time talking about things to be grateful for lately.One thing that appears high on my daily list is ‘health and fitness’.I tend to take this one a little bit for granted but was reminded this weekend how lucky I really am.I spent most of the weekend in bed trying to recover from  something but don’t know what?Hard to explain medically but try a mans version….worst feeling in the world,hit the wall, run down,out of gas,hot, cold,achey shaky and flakey amongst others!!!

I am grateful my family tolerated me back to health even if they thought I deserved an acting Oscar.

Fletcher reckons;feeling crook is no excuse for not keeping two hands on the steering wheel at all times and he regularly reminds his Father about what he sees as a key flaw in driving technique!

Our son is a good wake up call alarm in the car and certainly puts me off any temptation to drive with one hand or check emails and texts which can only be a good thing.

As it turns out it was a good weekend to spend in bed because of the stormy weather although Fletcher and Christine headed out into the elements when answering my calls for attention became too much for them…(see attached).

Go the mighty invincible ABs and the amazing ,inspiring Para-Olympians!

Cant wait to rip into another ‘Upbeat’ week ahead,hope you do too!…….Cheers Jonesey!!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon they never moan that much when they feel crook!!

 

 

“What do we live for if not to make life less difficult for each other?” George Eliot

 

The Consumer Gurantee Act is a great thing but how far should it go?

Christine bought a new pair of running shoes last week and opted for a pair of off roaders.

She did this after consultation with the sales guy who asked her a lot of questions about where she normally ran etc.

We had not bought her old pair to the store with us (always a good idea to do so) so it was a bit difficult getting the fit and feel right.

She went for a walk and two runs in the new shoes which hurt her a great deal so they clearly werent right.

She called the store and talked to the guy who sold her the shoes and he offered to take them back and swap them for a better fitting model.

This time we took the old ones with us and she made sure she thoroughly cleaned the off roaders so they were in immaculate order.

The guy at the store was unbelievably nice and super appreciative of the effort Christine had made to clean the off road shoes before returning them.

He told us about aggressive customers returning shoes covered in mud and expecting him to not only replace them but to clean them as well!!

He said that their store was always willing to sort something out for its customers especially ones like her who were appreciative and responsible even with the Consumer Guarantee ACT in place.

So what did we learn here;

• Courtesy,friendliness and responsibilty are infectious
• Smiths Sports Shoes rock (Mt Eden and Albany) and we recommend them to you all!!
• Always take your old pair of shoes when buying a new pair for a fail safe solution!

 

We couldn’t speak more highly of this store or its staff,something all companies need to strive for !

 

“Our attitude towards others determines their attitude toward us”. Earl Nightingale

Snow Planet ,another Universe!!

         

 

 

                                                                                       Edition 348 Monday 12/09/16

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,we are in the lucky position of still having my Mum and Dad actively in our lives. They are both fit,well and thriving.We see them regularly ( never enough!)and it gives us absolute pleasure to make the effort to remember and recognise special occasions.In the modern electronic age it is easier to stay in touch remotely however also easy to lose the art and the importance of the face to face communication.My message…face to face takes more time and effort but is worth it x infinity!!

Fletcher reckons;as a four year old it’s a bit rich rolling out the whole ‘Santa only visits good kids’ thing this far out from Christmas!! Cmon folks youll have to do better than that haha J.

Speaking of Fletcher, Christine took a third mortgage on the house and booked him in for a snowboard lesson at ‘Snow Planet’.Sadly our son was a natural and wants to go back as soon as possible!(see attached).As someone who dislikes the cold and anything to do with alpine sports and the people it tends to attract I have to say I am less than enthused.I am secretly hoping he grows out of it before I have to take a secondary job to fund his future Winter Olympic campaigns! Arrrrggh!

Speaking of elite sport what about those All Blacks?another legendary performance in the Tron and more to come against the Springboks next week in Christchurch!Beuden Barratt for Mayor or PM??

 I am certainly in the mood to have an ‘Upbeat’week ahead, hope you are too…….Cheers Jonesey!!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon they might like to have a crack at snow boarding!!

 

 

“Thank your customers for complaining and mean it. Most will never bother to complain they will just walk away”. I like Marilyn Suttle, she makes sense!

 

As a sales person I try to tell anyone who will listen that without a sale you havent got a business.

Then if they are still listening I tell them after the sale WE all have a new customer to nurture.

Then if by some miracle they are still listening I tell them that without customers we don’t have a business and without a business none of us have a job!

It never ceases to amaze me how many people don’t get it when they are told one or all three things.

In the last week I have run into a number of people in a number of businesses (our own included) who seem intent on blaming their/our customers for their own personal flaws or problems.

Some say…..;Rule #1 The customer is always right AND,If the customer is wrong refer to rule #1.

Others say customers are obnoxious and demanding so how could this saying ever be right?

The reality is customers are demanding and not always pleasant however if we react the same way to them then they are not going to be our customers for long!

The secret is to not let issues with customers wear us down or make us react badly.That in turn will allow us to show customers empathy and get them to also see our side of the story.

Too often staff react badly to customers because they see them as the cause for all their issues and frustrations instead of seeing the customer as the reason they have a job and a life.

Customer service is a two way street and needs to be seen by staff as a partnership with customers where they also accept we have obligations we both must fulfill in order for the relationship to work.

Thing is there are ways to communicate this and they don’t include demands for payment and understanding without some TLC ,gratitude and courtesy coming back the other way.

The key message to staff and anyone who has anything to do with a customer either verbal, written or face to face is if we don’t communicate effectively with them then someone else will!!

Customer service is not an antonym it is an attitude you need to live and breathe daily…..do it NOW!

 

“When you depersonalise abrasive behaviour and see it is as a call for help you become a catalyst for the best kind of change”.

“Your customers are responsible for your companies reason for existing”.

“Compassion is the shortcut to connection”. I like Marilyn Suttle (x3)

R.A.O.K it UP !!!

 

 

 

                                                                                       Edition 347 Monday 05/09/16

 

 

 

 

 

Hi,day off work for birthday Friday,actual birthday Saturday and Fathers Day Sunday,all spent with family ,life doesn’t get any better.This time of year for me is a time for reflection and gratitude not for the presents received but for the many precious gifts I already have in my life.

That said in order to reflect properly I highly recommend the day off work annually to ensure the maximum benefit is achieved from the process……after all it is YOUR day and it is SPECIAL!!

Fletcher reckons; he has almost perfected the art of lighting and blowing out birthday cake candles quick enough to be able to still lick the icing from them wax free.September is a BIG birthday month for the Joneses and he is looking forward to getting more practice in at Nana and Poppas birthdays coming up soon!!

Wow September means Spring and daylight saving with Summer just around the corner.Time to get those indoor projects sorted so you can start on the outdoor list…..Clinton!

Speaking of projects and Summer we are excited to have a set of front wheels for the trolley and look forward to getting it on the road (much to Christines consternation!).I think Dad is more excited than son about the prospect….watch this space folks…..its bound to end in tears (probably mine!!).

I hope you are equally as enthusiastic about the change of season and looking forward with great expectation to the opportunity of having a totally ‘Upbeat’ week ahead…..Cheers Jonesey!!

 

Harry and the Hendersons reckon the trolley will be 1x Dad power NOT 3x Dog power!

 

 

“The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention”. Oscar Wilde

 

Last week featured ‘random act of kindness (raok) day’.

A day where each of us was encouraged to do something kind for someone else without being asked or expected to do so.

It is sort of sad that we have to be reminded to do this when everyday should feature a raok or two!

How do you measure up in the raok stakes?....is it something you do naturally or need a prod to do?

Personally I find through my sales and customer service background that wanting to please customers and help other people comes naturally to me.

I think it is something we all need to strive to be better at because I reckon giving is always better than receiving.

The really interesting thing about that last statement is that if you get into the habit of giving first without thinking then you will always receive more than you ever anticipated(good karma).

Good things come back to those who are willing to make the scarifice without thought for what and how it will benefit them before doing so.

If on the other hand you only give with the thought of what you could receive or benefit , then your act of so called kindness will be shallow and insincere (bad karma).

A raok can be a simple courtesy like a please or thankyou thing or it can be a gift of time or product.

In fact it can be anything in your personal or business world that someone gets a surprise or benefit from given or orchestrated by you personally.

I guess the question we have to ask ourselves is do we have to ask ourselves or do raok’s come naturally to us?....so how can we make sure they do?

I have found that ‘Upbeat’ and grateful people are good raok givers…how so?

My advice is to start every day by thinking of a couple of things you are grateful for,this will create an ‘attitude of gratitude’.This will unlock the secret to an unconditional raok daily….so give it a crack!!!

 

“One kind word can warm three Winter months”. Japenese Proverb