Black Friday

A whole bunch of people with too much time on their hands.

(Photo courtesy of Knoxville (TN) News Sentinel)

Have to offer a comment as we celebrate "Black Friday," the traditional start of the Christmas shopping season. Or, as I like to think about it, the season when Americans reveal themselves as the shallow profligate consumers that they really are.

Despite what my family probably thinks, I actually do enjoy the Christmas season. Love the weather. The music. The lights (especially, the lights!). The times with family. And, the general feeling that the season brings upon us. With the arrival of a couple of children the last few years, I'm looking forward to creating some traditions with them as well.

However, where those feelings go spinning off the highway is the focus on the "buy, buy, buy" mentality that's now taken over the season. Breathless media coverage today about people showing up at 5 a.m. to pick up the latest worthless electronic trinket from Gigantic Mart. Talking heads explaining the meaning of Black Friday as the day when most retailers go from being in the red to now becoming profitable for the year.

Yeah, profitable for the year. Have you looked at Wal-Mart's quarterly profits so far in 2006? According to CNN last week, "the world's biggest retailer said net income rose to $2.65 billion, or 63 cents per share, in the third quarter that ended on Oct. 31, from $2.37 billion, or 57 cents per share, a year earlier." Keep in mind that that's net income, as in profit. I don't think Black Friday is really going to be a make or break for them.

My wife and I have worked hard to get where we are and are fortunate to not want for a lot. We live way below our means, have no expensive hobbies and few major material wants. We save a lot for retirement, carry little debt and are smart consumers. So, when I need something or want something I go and buy it. If it's a little more expensive (for me, more than $50, it seems), I wait a few weeks for the urge to pass and it usually does. Or, I save up the money and buy it anyway.

Millions of people aren't that fortunate. There are children going to sleep each night with no thought of what they're going to receive for Christmas this year. Why? Because they're probably not going to get anything. My kids won't have to have that worry and I work hard every day for that. And, as they grow, I will be teaching my kids the values of hard work and financial responsibility that my parents and others taught me.

When it comes to this season of "unbridled avarice," as it was so aptly put in A Christmas Story, I want to take a stand and try to change things. However, it's difficult to do that without being labeled a Scrooge. Told my family last year that I didn't need them to buy me anything for Christmas and I'd rather they spend the money on themselves or on someone else who could really use it. They pretty much complied but I don't think they were happy. So, I'm struggling with what to do this year. I don't want to cause a family schism but feel like something has to give. After all, if you don't try to change the world, you'll never actually change the world.

My sister said something recently that really impacted me and has begun to shape an evolution in my thinking. She was paraphrasing an author who said "we can choose to be citizens of the world or we can choose to be consumers." It was simple and powerful and if I get the source from her, I'll share it in the blog.

Meanwhile, my thinking will continue to evolve. Shop on.

Rants & Raves--Vol. 1

RANT--Customer Service

My experiences with customer service lately are like changing a diaper on my five-month old; I never know what I'm going to get and it's often pretty scary. I'm blown away at the attention to detail and incredibly consistent pleasantness of some hotel staff members, for example. Then, I question who the idiot was who hired the receptionist who's rude to me at the doctor's office.

I guess it's that inconsistency that's so maddening. It's easy to think that the quality of customer service can be directly correlated to the salary level of the person delivering it. If you just pay people really well, so the thinking goes, they'll deliver good service. Wrong.

It's wrong in the way that a teenager at the register at McDonald's can be friendly and helpful making $7 an hour and the experienced receptionist at that doctor's office making twice that is rude and obnoxious. Upbringing. Training. Understanding of teamwork. Personal motivation. And, a desire to pay your dues and learn on the way up. Those seem to be the attributes of good workers. The companies that are drilling that into their employees are the ones who will get my hard-earned money.

RAVE--Parenthood

Me to My Almost Three-Year Old Son: "Alex, please come into the kitchen. It's time to eat."
Him: "Just a minute."
Me: Wide grin and head shake.

I'd like to throw a shout-out to all the parents out there with kids under five. I'm not sure I can inject anything new into the parental literature but it sure has been interesting to be a parent.

In a fun, unscientific sort of way, my wife and I have established that our children are operating right now at a 50:1 ratio. For every one thing that might frustrate or befuddle us, there are at least 50 things they do that cause us wonderment, awe and uninhibited love for them. I hope that ratio continues to hold. . .


RANT--Professionalism

Can't anyone here play this game? I'm continually amazed and frustrated as what I see as a lack of professionalism in the business world. Showing up for scheduled meetings five to 10 minutes late when I've busted my ass to make it there on time. You've had the meeting on a calendar for weeks. Get yourself there on time or don't show up at all.

Taking two days to return phone calls. A woman in our organization actually has an outgoing voice mail greeting that says she'll return your call within 48 hours. I'm sorry, but in 48 hours I'm not even going to remember why I called you in the first place, so what's the point?

Using e-mail to avoid, rather than enhance, communication. By the third "RE:" on the e-mail, pick up the damn phone and solve the problem. E-mail should be about communication enhancement, not avoidance. Use it wisely or don't use it at all.