Fees, Fees, please no more fees…

Posted by random olio

I was talking to a colleague yesterday about the fees he incurred to purchase one $27.00 concert ticket. After the fee and order charge (which totaled $12.00) the ticket cost was $39.50, and that was using will call, so no shipping fees. So my question is: what does the $8.50 and $3.00 go to? Why not just post the tickets as $39.50? Is it like a plane ticket where depending on the website you purchase from, you sometimes have to wait until the final screen to know how much you are really paying in taxes + fees?

Fees and taxes seem to be on the rise across many industries. We all know the crazy airline fees and taxes we have had to pay in recent years. I am not sure many of us even understand what we are truly paying for when we purchase a ticket. Add on to that a hotel room, or a rental car. After you add-on the taxes and fees, it often feels like you have paid twice as much. It seems like it would be easier to just give the price to the customer inclusive of all the taxes and the fees. Although just a few weeks ago, airlines rolled out new fees that are supposed to make travelers happy. This article states:

“Extra legroom, early boarding and access to quiet lounges were just the beginning. Airlines are now renting Apple iPads preloaded with movies, selling hot first class meals in coach and letting passengers pay to have an empty seat next to them. Once on the ground, they can skip baggage claim, having their luggage delivered directly to their home or office.”

Now we pay extra taxes and fees when we purchase a ticket, to bring extra baggage, and for the luxury to not have to share the seat next to you. What will be next? Purchase an entire row so you can stretch out?

Listen up now

Posted by random olio

We all want to be and feel heard. Right? Is that so much to ask? If that is what you want, then I ask you, are you a good listener? How often do you truly listen? You know what I mean. The times when you are already thinking about what you want to say next. How often do you focus on the needs, words, and emotions of the other individual(s) in the conversation?

Listening. It is an idea that continues to loop in my thought. Whether it is that quiet voice inside my head that tells me to slow down and listen more, or the voice that wants me to scream to someone else: “Stop. Slow down and just listen to me!” We see it all the time. The mom that is going too fast and has too much happening that she forgets to really look into her child’s eyes and listen to what they have to say. Or the dad that has a child that never stops talking, do you think he sometimes stops listening? The co-worker, boss, or employee that like to talk, but do not return the favor and actively listen to you.

It is tough. You have to stop all the interconnected wires in your head, the questions you might need to ask, the tasks you might need to accomplish, and just be present for the other individual(s). When we do it, when we truly are present and actively listening the other individual knows it. They feel it, see it, and appreciate it. (Well we hope they do). It might not be obvious, but listening is a win-win situation. You learn more about others and yourself.

I had an ah-ha moment yesterday. During a conversation at work, I stopped my head from going fast and I really focused and listened. Instead of letting what was on my mind spew out of my mouth, I focused first. When I really listened I found good questions came to the surface. Questions that hopefully helped the person I was talking to get to the answers they needed. It is better to listen, engage, and ask questions, rather than listen and tell someone just what you think they should do. Let them figure it out for themselves.

My goal is to try to listen more each day. Even if it is one conversation, then two, then three a day. I know the moment I am present. I know when I am consciously listening. You will too. Try it, and let me know if you notice a difference.

What drains you?

Posted by random olio

Lately I have been thinking about what drains me in life. The bright light I keep being led to is: negativity. Now I am not going to tell you I am a perfect angel. Yes, I get negative and frustrated and the world does not always look bright and shiny. When I speak of negativity I am thinking more of the person that is consistently negative. I do not want them in my life. I do not want them in my house. I do not want them Sam I Am. Sorry I got a little Dr. Seuss on you.

We all have someone in our life that sucks us dry, takes, and complains, and we have to work hard to find our equilibrium again. Why do we continue to allow this to happen? Sometimes we do not have a choice. They could be a client, vendor, family member, friend, or co-worker. We might have tried to share our thoughts and opinions while the other person remained defensive or could not see our point of view. What do we do when that person continues to drain us?

I believe that we all have a choice in how we approach our day. We have a choice to how we are going to respond. Sometimes it is not always easy to stay positive and kind when our day might be throwing us curve balls left and right. But you know deep within if it is your tendency to lead with positive thoughts, happiness, and a smile on your face. You know if you are truly enjoying your life. If you throw out the random bad day, do you approach your life with a glass half full mentality? I hope so. It makes things so much easier.

When others have shared their struggle, I often want to find a thread in the story that shines to all the goodness, gratitude, and wonderful things they have going for them. There is usually always a silver lining. My hope is to cultivate that goodness and nip negativity in the butt. Who wants it around? Not me. What if we tried to lead with the joyous part of life, and tried to eradicate the Debby Downers? Are you with me?

The path of least resistance?

Posted by random olio

How often do you pursue an issue not because of the money you save, but because at the end of the day your decision to dig deeper has more to do with principle?

These past few weeks it seems there have been quite a few issues Chris and I have run into where we have to stay adamantly persistent to get to the bottom of an issue due to the principle behind the situation. We always ask ourselves, will fighting this potentially help someone else in the future? If we resolve this, could it mean that maybe what happened to us will not happen to someone else?

Often I think individuals just want to find the path of least resistance, yet that can be the easy way out. The harder, more involved, and sometimes frustrating path is to hold companies and individuals accountable for the mess they sometimes make. I will give you an example. Our company covers one preventative exam per year (per individual covered). It is free. This year Chris went to a different location for his check up. It was one of those quick places, that you just walk in. Quick and easy. Or so he thought.

After the specific provider forced him to pay his co-pay, he remembered that his preventative exam was free. Phone call after phone call to our insurance provider and the medical care provider to hopefully resolve the issue, what he found out was that while this medical provider was “in-network,” yet they were also listed as an “emergency care” provider. The contract between our insurance company and this medical care provider was that copays only apply for non emergency care providers, yet this is not disclosed to us. Based on that, and the contract they had with our company, we were required to pay the copay. Obviously a loophole.

After many hours and phone calls later it is finally resolved. We received a refund of our copay, after our company got involved with our complaint. While this was for a small amount of money, what if it was for $20,000? Does the amount really matter? Is it more about principle? $1 or $100, or $1,000? We should hold others accountable in hopes that we make life easier for individuals in the future.

What do you think?

A life full of opportunities, building, and being smart

Posted by random olio

I want to talk about this. I want to talk about this poignant acceptance speech by Ashton Kutcher flying around the Internet and Facebook. You have probably already seen it. I want to say a few things about his speech. Ashton is twice as old as many of the teens watching the Teen Choice Awards. He is also a midwest boy (Iowa) and went through a lot as a kid with his sick twin brother, his parents divorce, and the trouble he got in as a teenager. He is not just Hollywood fluff. He has lived.

I loved what he told teens in 2013. Teens that might be obsessed with those that have money and power. He did not talk about that. Not about all the glam, money, and fame that he has had in his life, but about working hard. That life does not just come to us, that we have to work for it, show up, grow into our next phase. My favorite part is when he said the sexiest thing is being smart. I hope that those teenagers watching understand what he means. Here are a few excerpts, but be sure to also watch the video below:

Opportunities:

“And I’ve never had a job in my life that I was better than. I was always just lucky to have a job. And every job I had was a stepping stone to my next job, and I never quit my job until I had my next job. And so opportunities look a lot like work.”

Being Sexy:

“The sexiest thing in the entire world is being really smart, and being thoughtful, and being generous. Everything else is crap. I promise you…it’s just crap that people try to sell to you to make you feel like less. So don’t buy it. So be smart, be thoughtful, and be generous.”

Build a life:

“Everything around us that we call life, was made up by people that are no smarter than you. You can build your own life that other people can live in. So build a life, don’t live one.”