Apparently this mentality is rare among people and it makes me sick. I have always toyed with actually posting about my bad experiences because I don’t want to seem like a negative person but today I have two examples of bad customer service to share with you.

The first event happened to a friend of mine who was trying to make a reservation at a restaurant. She wanted to make a reservation for so many people, which was fine, but when making the reservation the manager of the establishment informed her that if anyone did not show up she would be charged for that missing seat. And maybe this is the policy of the restaurant but the manner in which he dealt with the situation upon the second response was not, in my mind, a very thought out move. Either you can read the full story here.

The second event of lack of customer service comes from my local Quizno’s and if you know where I live then you know the one I’m talking about. There was a time when you could go into that Quizno’s and walk out with a good sandwich but not anymore and I like Quizno’s sandwiches.

After having to poke my head into the back storage room to get someones attention I was finally helped and I got the same sandwich I have got there for 7 years. A Prime Rib and Peppercorn. After getting my sandwich without as much as a thank-you from the staff I thought my sandwich felt lite. Sure enough when I opened it up there was barely any meat on the thing. Having gotten these for years I know there should have been more. The sad thing is this has been the case since a new owner took over. I don’t know if the staff just don’t know any better or if this is a cost saving way to make more money. Regardless I’m not happy.

You know I can look past most crappy customer service and I understand the strain on employers to keep good people but somewhere along the way people need to buck up and do better.

Thanks to Ernie’s Sports Centre in Grande Prairie for hooking me up with a wicked Specialized Camber Pro 29er for the series.

I explain all about the series on YkOnline.ca here but the bottom line is I want to spend all my time on a bike traveling around.

This was one of two videos, check out the other one here.

I don’t know what it is about me or the bike seats but (haha pun!) we never get along and afterwards I’m always walking a little funny. Yes, we can make jokes about this but seriously where is my doughnut cushion!

Hopefully this condition is only temperately.  

While the events of this weekend have not dramatically changed the way I live my life they have left an impression, just like many times before, that will not be soon forgotten.

I was once again reminded that life is not easy and will always be a challenge. I was also reminded once again of the strength of the person closest to me, my mother. Without a doubt I know that not many would be able to handle what she has gone through throughout her life. I praise her for her strength and thank her for it, as that same strength also lies deep within me.

Keep moving forward.

With this new account within the company we need more talent. Or more so, I need a new awesome co-worker to come work with us on the many projects we have going on.

We are looking for a Digital Account Manager to join our web team here in Yellowknife. Basically it is the same thing as I’m doing. This person would be managing the build of websites from the initial client contact or RFP writing to the design, development and delivery. Additionally they would be managing Social Media Campaigns and helping with digital and web strategies.

Working with the KELLETT team is a lot of fun and one that I’m proud to be apart of. The team is made of our fearless leaders and then a mix of designers, developers, managers and copywriters. Needless to say, when you need to brainstorm something the KELLETT team has enough experience and knowledge to find a solution for everything. I have come to learn that nothing is out of the realm of possible at KELLETT, I’ve already gotten to do many things I never thought I’d get to do.

Then there is Yellowknife, where the job is located. Yes it is in Northern Canada but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have everything you could ever want and more, because it does. All the big name stores you need with great local shops with awesome customer service. Oh yeah and our backyard it huge. Endless lakes and wilderness. Boating, fishing, hiking, biking, camping, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, skiing and kite surfing are just some of the endless activities you can do within seconds of downtown Yellowknife. Trust me, this place is great and I’m proving it on YkOnline.ca.

If this job – full description here – sounds awesome – because it is – and it sounds like something you could do, contact Bill Kellett, our president. He’s a cool guy, he’s on Twitter so tweet him or email him.

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I have been at KELLETT now for just over a month and half and I’ll be honest, I didn’t know what to expect when I started. I didn’t really know what I was going to be doing orwho I would be working with, I just knew it was a good decision and that it was.

Yellowknife is a small town with a competitive marketing industry which is why the past couple weeks have been somewhat awkward for me. I’m so use to publicly shouting out what I am doing on a regular basis, but with this I couldn’t. To make matters more awkward I have a good relationship with many of the people that work with these other companies and I certainly hope work aside we can continue that.

What I am referring to is of course the Northwest Territories Tourism Account, which KELLETT has submitted a proposal for.

I’ll tell you right off the bat that tourism, especially in the NWT, is something that I have a deep passion for. It is something that I have thought about for many years stemming back to before YkOnline.ca, to the days when I worked for a tourism operator. This place is my home and I want to share it with others.

As the proposal was coming together I was ecstatic to be apart of it. There were so many aspects that were getting me pumped about the future. The first was all the really creative ideas we talking about as we were building the proposal and of course the second was the team. I have come to learn that the team I’m working with is one of the best and no matter the project they will be a blast to work with. The late nights with them at The Black Knight are fun too.

I know no matter the outcome I will work my best to do great things and to think different.

To kind of show some fun in what we were doing I came up with the idea of the following video, shot and edited it together. It is staring friend, James Rubec, as the hyper active northern delivery boy.

I ask that you share this post or the video around to help spread the word that KELLETT and myself are in relentless pursuit.

1. Opening the oven door while something is cooking, even though they have nothing to do with the cooking process.

Let me break this down for you. You are in the kitchen cooking up a storm for your family or guests. You have stuff going in every which direction, but you know exactly what is happening in every stage. Then out of know where a random walks in. I call these people randoms because they are pointless to the cooking process and have nothing to do with it. So they walk in and sick their nose around the room and then fling the door to the oven wide open to check out what is cooking inside.

I don’t know your oven works, but mine cooks food by heating up a confined area sealed on all sides. You break that seal, heat escapes. It just disappeared out that opening leaving cooler air behind. Think of a house in the winter, you have doors and windows sealing in the heat coming from the furnace, but when you open the front door the heat escapes and leaves you house cooler.

Why this is an issue in the kitchen is because food needs to cook at a constant heat. You open the door, it doesn’t. Sure not all food needs too, but I want to eat on time.

So the next time you go wondering in a kitchen where someone else is cook, don’t touch the oven. Don’t even think about it. If of course you have to, you the oven light, that is what they are for.

2. This one is the biggy. Put down the lid on the toilet seat!

I will open with an example of another situation: When you take the peanut butter out of the cupboard, you take the lid off. You then smear peanut butter on your bread and eat. Once you are done you put the lid back on the peanut butter jar and put it away.

See what happens there, the lid, which isn’t even attached to the jar, goes back on the jar. It is a rather amazing series of events, which is why it boggles me that the lid, which is attached to the toilet, is never put back down.

Now ladies I’m sure you can relate in terms of the toilet seat, but I would like to point out most of you are bad for not putting the lid down either. The shoe is on the other foot now.

So the next time you visiting the throne, do it right thing and put the LID back down on the toilet. It is less effort then having to screw the lid on a peanut butter jar, so I’m not sure what the issue is here.

These are my two rants and as I’m sure you are wondering, yes, I do have OCD tendencies. But seriously, this makes sense.

I have always been one to like routines. I like my mornings to be planned and uninterrupted – not to say I’d freak out of it changed. I just like to have a plan, so I know when I’ll be ready for the day.

It did not occur to me how meticulous I was being until talking about it at my office. I was referred to as Sheldon Cooper of The Big Bang Theory. I have never even made the connection until then, but now I can see it.

So here has been my morning routine this week.

• 5:45am – 5:50am - Awake up/Get up
• 5:50am – 6:25am - Run on treadmill
• 6:25am – 6:30am - Cool down period
• 6:30am – 6:35am - Shower
• 6:35am – 6:45am – Get out of shower/Get dressed
• 6:45am – 7:00am – Make and eat breakfast
• 7:00am – 7:30am – Check news, blogs, social media
• 7:30am – 7:40am – Start Jeep and gather lunch
• 7:40am – 7:50am – Drive downtown to work
• 7:50am – 7:55am – Walk from Jeep to office
• 7:55am – At office

It seems a little said that it is that planned out and I am so not kidding. While this is happening I’m always checking the clock as if I’m going to miss something or be late somewhere. To make that even worse sounding, I go into work 35 minutes before I actually need to.

The catch being I had all my computers and phone setup so they wouldn’t change during Daylight Saving. This caused me some confusion when waking this morning, as I believed my phone had in fact sprung ahead an hour. Well it didn’t, so as I entered the rest of the hour I instantly lost an hour. Like I said on Twitter, it was mildly depressing.

Now I have to find all the devices I had set like that and change them to MST.

My childhood wasn’t that bad, but there were moments and days where it was. Maybe that is why I’m so determined to succeed professionally.