Out and About – Week of April 26th

If you haven’t already done so, you only have a day or two to stop by Main Street Cafe and wish Darlene a very HAPPY RETIREMENT. After twenty-six years, she’ll finally be able to pour her own cup of coffee and sleep in an extra hour or two. Who knows, she might even be the keeper of the light at some coastal lighthouse.

Once again, I’m confused. Being Out and About lately, I can’t help but notice how many “Now Hiring” signs I see displayed. Restaurants, factories, and many other businesses are looking for help. Even McDonald’s has a difficult time keeping people willing to work. The confusing thing to me is why is unemployment so high? The two answers that come to mind are that the unemployed are making more money on “Unemployment” than they would make if working. The other reason might be that many of the unemployed can’t risk taking a drug test. Part of the solution might be to insist all those individuals receiving unemployment get a drug test before receiving a check. That would be infringing on their rights, of course. I love America!

Customer Service is in need of attention. I spent most of my working life in some form of customer service. It is not a career for just anyone. I have dealt with some fantastic customer service workers and their attitude has had an affect on mine. I might walk into a business in a less than pleasant attitude. By being greeted with a smile and pleasant greeting, my attitude begins to change. After being properly taken care of and a final “Have a great day and come back soon”, I leave with a very positive attitude. This is also true when dealing with someone over the phone. I might call a public utility with a question or complaint. If the person on the other end of the line is pleasant and helpful, I feel like a fool if I don’t respond with the same attitude. It helps tremendously if the person I’m calling speaks clearly. This involves speaking at a less than rapid speed and at a volume where I don’t need to remove my phone away from my ear, yet I don’t need to ask the person to repeat what they just said. It’s all about proper training. We all have our problems and if you’re in customer service, you must leave your problems at home. If you are the customer, be patient and remember that the person you are dealing with probably didn’t make up the rules.

If you’re bored with nothing to do except staying home and staying safe, you might want to try to do something unique, or something that doesn’t make a lot of sense, but you might get your name in the paper. Back in July of 1930, two men, James Hargis and Charlie Creighton, drove a Model A Ford from New York to Los Angeles. A difficult task at the time. To make this trip really unique, they drove out to Los Angeles and back again in reverse. The trip took forty-two days and covered 7180 miles. There weren’t any Interstates back then and the roads probably weren’t the nicest. It would definitely be a pain in the neck. There are easier ways to rollback your car’s odometer.

The 19th Annual Ice Breaker happens this Saturday, May 1, at the St. Joseph County Fairgrounds. The entrance to this Silent Auction Fundraiser is the entrance at 316 East Charlotte Street, in Centreville. The Ice Breaker is open to the public and kicks off at 7 PM. The cost is $20 per person and includes food and beverages. Tickets may be purchased through the Three Rivers Area Chamber of Commerce. They can be reached at 269-278-8193, or visit their website at: info@trchamber.com.

“1880 A.D., straight razor and having soap. 1930 A.D., safety razor and BURMA SHAVE”.

See you Out and About!

Submitted by Norm Stutesman

Check Also

Out and About – Week of March 25th

As much as we all might enjoy getting Out and About, there are some places …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *