Rare Great Customer Service Moment

So, usually I turn to social media to complain about terrible customer service. However, today I am excited about a rare and shocking positive customer service experience. 95% of the time my interactions with customer service reps are actually ok, while only about 4% are terrible and send me into tyrants of rage and frustration which I usually post on FB, Twitter, or in this blog. That leaves about a 1% chance for outstanding customer service interactions, those few experiences when the customer service reps go above and beyond the expected or anticipated level of hospitality and who appear to genuinely enjoy their job. Well, I had such an experience yesterday in, of all places, a McDonald's. I have never in my 32 years on earth encountered such a pleasant experience in a McDonald's during the lunch rush. My family and I made an unplanned stop at the McDonald's (store # 32170) in Benton, Arkansas en route to the Magic Springs Amusement Park yesterday at around noon. The place was packed with families and other patrons looking for a quick lunch. We walked in with a sense of dread as we looked at the long lines and assumed that this "quick" stop for lunch would delay us for at least another thirty minutes. However, this was not the case at all. To my surprise, the lines moved quite swiftly. I was eagerly greeted by a cashier who accurately and efficiently took my lengthy order with no errors. The manager could be heard encouraging his staff with remarks such as : "good job grill team getting those orders out", or "I like the way you cleared the drive thru line in less than a minute". The entire team seemed to work together seamlessly and it appeared that everyone knew what job they were responsible for and they did that job. The cashier did not once show signs of being annoyed or frustrated by my large order that consisted of a few special requests. Our food was delivered to us piping hot and just as ordered in less than a minute. Everything that we requested was on the tray, including the sauce for the nuggets. I did not have to ask for anything, not even napkins. I left this McDonald's as a highly satisfied customer wishing that the McDonald's at home was as great as this one. The McDonald's in Benton, Arkansas has proven that great customer service and food can be delivered at a fast food restaurant.

Alaina's Journey

On June 6, 2008, my daughter ,Alaina, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. She was 8 years old and we were thrown into a world of daily, multiple finger sticks and insulin shots. Eventually she started to use an insulin pump, which eliminated the multiple insulin shots each day, but she still has to poke her fingers 5-10 times a day to check her blood sugar levels. Now that Alaina is in middle school, we struggle with "having a pump or having to go to the nurse's office to check her sugar is not cool". I know that this phase will pass eventually, but I don't want Alaina's health to be negatively impacted as she tries to cope with the typically middle school issues, in addition to having type 1. Alaina and millions of others like her need a cure! Every dollar counts and we need your help to make the dream of those living with type 1 a reality. This is our family's 4th JDRF walk and we encourage each of you to participate as a walker or with a donation. Alaina thanks you in advance for your contributions!
We would love to surpass our $500 goal this year! Please support Alaina in a cause that is her life! Alaina needs a cure!

Here is a link to our team page:http://www2.jdrf.org/site/TR?team_id=52919&fr_id=1876&pg=team

JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes Fundraising

I am participating in the West Tennessee 2012 Walk to Cure Diabetes! Please support Alaina!

The Burdens of an Educator

I am an educator...Not too long ago my profession was a very distinguished one, one that stood out above the rest. Today, as an educator, I find myself constantly on the defense. Defending myself against the government, politicians who do not understand the daily struggles inside a classroom or against the small percentage of parents that do not value education in any way, shape, form, or fashion. On a daily basis, I am a teacher, mother, nurse, and social worker to more than a dozen children. It is difficult to encourage and motivate children who come from homes where reading a book is unacceptable or frowned upon, but during the school day I am able to accomplish this task. My own children have been the victims of snide remarks from relatives who question why they are always reading a book or why they talk "white". These comments infuriate me and although the offending relative usually believes that the comment is harmless, it is actually quite harmful. My children love to read and these types of comments over time can discourage a child from wanting to read in front of others. I have students who face similar criticism on a daily basis (I have actually witnessed such negative interactions between students and parents). My children have me, their father, and grandparents to encourage them to read daily. We provide the positive reinforcement to counter the negative on a regular basis. I cannot be expected to motivate the child in the classroom and change the mindset of the parent at home. The reality is that children like to be praised, they seek acceptance from their family first. Unfortunately, making honor roll or having the most AR points is not a major event in all households. So many excuses can be created about where the disconnect came, when education started to lose it's value in some homes, but none of them make sense to me. I was not born rich, my children weren't born rich, but education is highly valued in our home. I have often heard that many African Americans do not value education because we were not offered the same opportunities in the past as other Americans. I cannot agree with this statement. I was not raised in a two-parent household. I was raised by my great-grandmother (mama), whose formal education ended at around the third grade. Mama could read and write and she could do basic arithmetic. Most of her life she and my great-grandfather were sharecroppers, by the time I was born(after my great-grandfather passed) she was doing domestic housework. Her main goal in raising me was to ensure that I received a quality education and that I became somebody. I attended a small public school in a rural, farming community where I was the ONLY African American student in my class from kindergarten through 5th grade. Never once was I made to feel inferior to my classmates, even though none of my teachers were African American. I was always an honor student and when mama couldn't help me with my homework or if my mom wasn't around, she found someone who could. I excelled throughout elementary school (my school was a k-8 school) and high school. I was a cheerleader, played basketball, ran track, was in chorus and participated in many civic clubs and honors organizations. Mama believed that failure was not an option and she expected me to become successful. She knew that education was the ONLY way that I could achieve my goals. I was taken to the library regularly and to Kmart to purchase books if the library didn't have what I wanted to read. Even after becoming a teen mom my senior year of high school, mama's determination for me to receive a college education did not waver. She did whatever was necessary to help me finish high school and attend college. Although I was not a traditional college student and I faced many obstacles along the way (I was the mother of 4 by the time I completed my degree), with the prayers of mama and the help of my mom, I  graduated Cum Laude with a BA in Applied Psychology . I returned to grad school soon after to complete the coursework necessary for my teaching certification and I haven't looked back since. I am almost certain that if it had not been for mama's encouragement and support (along with my mom later on), I wouldn't be who I am today. She taught me that no matter what happens in life, you can always reach your goals with hard work and a desire to succeed. I have instilled in my children that education is the key to their futures. I have high expectations for my children, as mama had high expectations for me. I just wish that all parents could sincerely see the value of education and support their children as they strive to make their dreams a reality. My goal as a teacher is produce lifelong learners and productive members of society. Sometimes, I just need a little help from home.

"Teachers are expected to reach unattainable goals with inadequate tools. The miracle is that at times they accomplish this impossible task." Haim Ginott

5x7 Folded Card

Birthday Burst Pink Birthday Card

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Stationery Card

Bright Blocks Summer Summer Invitation

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JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes

Hello! This year, I'll be taking part in JDRF's Walk to Cure Diabetes, along with one-half million other walkers across the country, as we try to reach our goal of raising $89 million. My  12-year old daughter, Alaina, was diagnosed 4 years ago and this will be our 4th walk. 

Type 1, or juvenile diabetes, is a devastating disease that affects millions of people, a large and growing percentage of them children.

There is some good news, though. JDRF is our best hope for finding a cure. It funds more type 1 diabetes research than any other charity worldwide and it's making progress along many promising paths toward better treatments and a cure.

Now, more than ever, you can make a crucial difference. Won't you please give to JDRF as generously as possible? Together, we can make the cure a reality!

Thanks,
LaTia Ellis
Alaina's mom and Team Captain of Alaina's Elite Forces

Personal Page Link:  http://www2.jdrf.org/goto/alaina-latia
(copy and paste the link into your browser)

 

Caution in Freebies Websites

So, I am always looking for freebies, something new to try. I enrolled in this program that gives you an opportunity to host parties and share new products with your guests. I signed up for various events with this company over the years and was never accepted to host a party. I signed up for a party in May and was utterly shocked when I was selected. I visited the party page several times as I anxiously awaited the arrival of my party kit. The party kit arrives and I go into full party planning mode. I invite guests and send out messages on Twitter and Facebook. The product could not be shipped directly to me, so I immediately embark on a journey to find this product. I search high and low, travel to surrounding cities, but have no luck finding this product. I finally decide to search the product website for the nearest retail location. The 3 nearest retail locations were in Kentucky and Missouri, each at least 100 miles from my home. So my question is, how do you offer an opportunity for someone to try a product (that makes this person obligated to post pictures, videos, etc.) that is not available to them locally? I was not able to complete my obligations as a host because I was not willing to drive an hour to purchase this product. I will probably never be accepted to host one of these parties again, I probably don't ever want to be selected again. Lesson learned with this particular website. I am ending my affiliation immediately.

Family

My family came into town this weekend from all across the country for our annual family reunion. I was so excited to see everyone and my kids were ecstatic about having a chance to play with all their cousins. Well...things didn't quite go as anticipated, as with any family function there were some issues. Feelings were hurt and at times I felt downright insulted, but every cloud has a silver lining and that silver lining for my family was my cousin and her family. I am absolutely thrilled about the new relationship that we have established. We were raised on opposite coasts and have only seen each other a few times in our 30+ years on earth, so we have never had the opportunity to get to know one another. Her family traveled here from Texas on Friday and by the time they left Monday afternoon we had to pull our children apart and wipe their tears because they hated to be separated from their cousins. It makes my heart glad that I now have a cousin who I can visit and keep in touch with. I have never been able to do this with anyone else on my mom's side of the family, I have always felt like the outcast. I am so thankful for my cousin and her family. We are making plans to see each other again real soon. My children are already counting down the days. I no longer feel that I have to find acceptance with this side of the family, this relationship with my cousin is all I need. I have learned this weekend that you do not accept mistreatment and abuse for the sake of family. Your family should respect you and make an effort to embrace you, too. I will no longer go out of my way to please people who do not care to be a part of my life. I will no longer subject my children to mistreatment because I desperately want them to be a part of a family that does not fully accept/embrace us. I want my children to grow up feeling loved and accepted by the people in their lives. I want them to understand that they don't have to seek approval from people who are mean or indifferent towards them. This is the last year that my children will have to defend themselves for the sake of family. No longer will I spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to attend reunions that make my family uncomfortable. We will use our time and resources wisely and invest in the relationships that are meaningful and that will really matter. My family will invest in making trips to Texas in the future, to visit family that cares :)