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Posted: 31 Aug 2011 04:33 AM PDT  Ugh. My washer broke this week. You don’t realize how important it is until you don’t have it. Isn’t that the case for everything? What a pain… Back in 2006, I spent about $2600 on a front-loading washer and dryer combo. High efficiency models, top of the line. Of course, if I needed repair work done on a Mercedes it would cost far more than work done on a Honda, right? And so is the case for a high-end washing machine. Several quotes I received for the work were between $350 – $450. I was pretty distressed. I thought, if it’s going to cost that much, I should just buy a new one. Apparently, I had forgotten how much I spent six years ago. The prices had remained steady, I just had forgotten that I had spent about $1300 for that darn machine – until I found my receipt. $450 wasn’t looking so bad. I purchased the part I needed from a parts and service store about twenty minutes away, $120. I waited breathlessly as a local handyman tried to work his magic. The fix seemed quick and easy – initially. My washing machine savior refused payment, until I forced $20 into his hand. I happily loaded several beach towels in, started the wash, and walked away with a wave of relief rushing over me. My relief, however, was short-lived as my return twenty minutes later brought the discovery of my flooded hallway. Nothing is ever easy. I should just know this by now… A few calls later, I was able to secure an appointment with a highly-recommended appliance repair service. The service call fee was only $35 compared the previous service that was prepared to charge me $129 service call fee. They gave me an expected arrival time of 4pm to 7pm. He arrived at 6:30pm, of course he did. 1.75 hours and $250 later, my washer was fixed and re-washing the load of towels that had previously facilitated my mini-flood. My little inconvenience was nothing compared to those who suffered (and are still suffering) at the hand of a little hurricane this last week, I know. And $390 is nothing compared to the millions upon millions of dollars that will be spent to bring convenience back to the lives of several million people. So, I am not complaining, I am grateful my flood was contained to a small hallway. It could have been so much worse. It has been so much worse. It is so much worse right now for so many others. Upon my father’s death, my siblings and I gathered in his apartment and sorted through the things that mattered to him while he lived. There were blankets that stirred memories of my youth. There were pictures he kept in books and tucked away. There were favorite cufflinks and rings scattered in drawers. One of the items I selected and have favored most of all was a simple 6″ x 9″ spiral bound notebook dated June 6, 1999. It was labeled, “My Gratitude Journal – List Five Things a Day”. There were a mere five entries that gave a glimpse into five days of my dad’s life. I have taken over his journal and have made numerous entries. On the day of the washing machine debacle, I made two entries, one in the morning – one in the evening – ten things for which I was grateful. Sometimes, you just need to change your point of view – you may be standing too close and your perspective is skewed. My morning entry was pleading and the evening was resolute and proud – I had survived. And on distraught days of despair, what more could you ask for? **Thoughts and Prayers go out to those still suffering from the aftermath of Irene and bracing for Katia in the next seven days.  Rayanne Thorn, @ray_anne is the Marketing Director for the online recruiting software company, Broadbean Technology. She is also a proud mother of four residing in Laguna Beach, California, and a contributor for Blogging4Jobs. Connect with her on LinkedIn. |
Posted: 31 Aug 2011 04:17 AM PDT  To say I’m a big fan of engagement and relationships both online and offline is an understatement. My direct phone line is listed on nearly every social media profile I own. You call the number listed on my Twitter bio, and it’s me who will answer. You tweet me directly and I immediately see a push notification because I use a tool called Boxcar. Yes, unless I’m away from my phone, in a meeting, or without cell service altogether, I’ll likely see your message. One of the downsides of blogging is that it doesn’t offer conversation in real time. You, the reader post a comment and leave a message waiting for the blog user to approve your message. And *sigh* you are disengaged, disenchanted, and less likely to conversate or engage on this or any blog on a future date. This tactic is the worst at promoting open and timely engagement. It’s the reason all comments here at Blogging4Jobs post immediately. Unless you are flagged as spam either from a past comment post on this blog or via the WordPress plugin, Askimet, your blog comment is guaranteed to be posted automatically. (Leave a comment & give it a try.) Because those who take the time to comment on a post, should be rewarded. And while I don’t respond to every comment instantaneously, I do read every comment and do my best to post a thank or response at best. Many of you know that I have a toolbox geared towards the recruiting, human resources, and talent management industries that provides tools, tips, and instructions on how to use social media. It’s called ToolBox HR. If you are entering the speciality part of my website, it’s likely that you are attending an event where I’m speaking or you are fully vested as a regular reader of the blog. ToolBox HR offers up resources for industry folks on how to use social media whether it’s setting up a Twitter account or creating an RSS feed, the site and its videos are here to help. One of my favorite features is the interactive help box that pops up on the site. After spending a minute or so on a page contained within ToolBox HR, you will likely see a popup box with my picture on it that says, “Hi there. Have any questions I can help you with?” I added this feature in early June via a tool called Snag Engage. I interact directly like an online help desk with website visitors to answer any questions without the visitor leaving the page or picking up the phone. As long as I am logged into Skype, you can talk with me (it’s really me) directly. What started out as an experiment has been extremely successful. With Snap Engage installed on my site using a simple html code, I have landed several paid speaking events and have been able to answer questions of clients and social media users quickly and easily. And if I’m not signed in, vistors can still interact with me. After each conversation on Snap Engage, I receive a conversation transcript via email allowing me to follow up at a later date if contact information is provided. Visitors are anonymous. I can only see the city, state, and country where there are located from their ISP. Snap Engage offers an inexpensive way to engage my visitors providing an experience they will receive no where else. The cost is minimal ($19 a month for one user) compared to the benefits and contracts I’ve snagged since adding the service. I can see Snap Engage useful for the HR, recruiting, and talent management industries whether you are a HR service provider or vendor, an internal HR services center for employees, or a recruiter fielding candidate questionw on the company career site. These relationships, conversations, and engagements add value providing service they can likely receive no where else. Photo Credit Mike Stimpson.  |
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