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Rants

Flickr cause of death: Yahoo missed the point

May 15th, 2012
by Michelle Heath.
No comments yet

I read today’s Gizmodo article How Yahoo Killed Flickr and Lost the Internet and couldn’t help but think about how easily this happens. Giant company A buys hipster innovative burgeoning company B and then sucks all the life out of it only to see it be squelched by up-and-comer company C that gets sold to Facebook for billions of dollars. Ah, capitalism at its best. What killed me (excuse the pun) the most about the quiet death of Flickr, is how badly Yahoo misjudged the ‘real’ value of the Flickr business thus missing the vision completely. They focused on the database of stuff instead of the people who posted the stuff. Seems so 101 but alas, their business is dead and the photo-sharing business that focused on the people behind the stuff is now rolling in the dough. Gizmodo says:

“It was a stunning failure in vision, and more or less the same thing happened at Flickr. All Yahoo cared about was the database its users had built and tagged. It didn’t care about the community that had created it or (more importantly) continuing to grow that community by introducing new features.”

The article goes on to site a laundry list of Harvard Business Case reasons Yahoo killed Flickr but, at the end of the day, they missed the point. They missed the vision that the people who post pictures are a community, an active network, and need to and want to be engaged – with each other and with the cool app or site they use. They totally focused on the perceived value of the data, when without the social network, there is not data to value. Made me think about the prize and whether my eye is on it as I walk through the doors of my office each day. More importantly, do you know what the prize is? If you pause for a second as to what the value is that your company provides, let’s have lunch. Or else be eaten as the entree.

<RIP Flickr>

Newsflash: You don’t have all the answers.

Apr 5th, 2012
by Michelle Heath.
1 comment

I watched an episode of “Modern Family” a few months ago and heard a line that I loved. First off, how can you not love Sofia Vergara? Sexiest woman alive IMHO. In addition to her physical assets, her personality on the show is spectacular. She said on one episode: “Listen to me, I have all the answers.” I was watching this episode with a friend who said, “Holy crap, that’s you!”

Courtesy of Richard Rantz

There are times when I feel like I have all the answers but no one is listening. It’s frustrating and makes me mental but that is life when you have lots of ideas and opinions – not everyone can absorb what’s coming out of your mouth. They are not always the best answers or ideas or pieces of guidance or advice but I think they are pretty good.

While I may have lots of answers I am the first to admit I don’t have ALL the answers and continue to realize how completely annoying these people are. You know them…

             The Know-It-Alls.

Traits of a Know-It-All:

- Talks incessantly without breathing

- Unable to consider or hear other opinions

- Completely unable to listen to critique about why ideas might have flaws

- Blinders to any ideas that might be better or similar (aka ‘there is no competition in this market’)

- Continuously looking for validation on why ideas are killer even when they’re not

- First to squash an idea that is not his/hers

- Frequently craps on work that others do because it’s not how he/she would have done it

The worst part about these people is that they appear to want your help – ideas, brainstorming, collaboration – but they really just want you to agree with them and validate their opinion of themselves: that they are always right and know exactly what the customer wants and what needs to be done. Silly me, thinking I might actually add value.

Sometimes you need to check yourself at the door. I know you’re smart and accomplished and creative and all that stuff. Just imagine how much bigger, better and more exciting your ideas could be if you actually…listened. Aka: considered other opinions, opened your mind to trying new ways of doing things, appreciated other peoples’ intelligence and could actually admit you don’t have all the answers. There is a fine line between ignorance and wisdom. Admitting you know nothing and being open to learning from others is a huge step toward the wisdom of knowing that you don’t know it all. It’s humbling and you will soon discover you are way smarter because of the creativity, counsel, perspective and ideas of other smart people. Try it, I bet you’ll like it. And, as an added benefit, other people might just like you better too.

Dear Bank of America: You suck.

Feb 2nd, 2012
by Michelle Heath.
1 comment

I got an email today from Bank of America stating that my debit card may have been compromised. Great way to start an already busy morning but happy to know they are looking out for me. So, I call and talk to a service rep who reviews the potentially fraudulent charges (which they were) and she tells me she needs to cancel my card and issue a new one. Okay, I get it. So, of course, my question at this point is: When can I get my new card? Her answer: 7-10 business days. I pause to collect my thoughts because I’m not sure on what planet a human being can live without their debit card for close to two weeks. At this point, I plead my case as to why I need it sooner and she still says no way. I pull out all the stops and she finally says she can expedite it but that I’ll have to pay $25.

image c/o johngaltfla.com

Hang on a sec. So, I did nothing to cause my card to be compromised, I now have no bank card and you’re telling me you want me to pay to get my bank card faster? And, this is why Bank of America sucks. When it comes right down to it, it’s all about the service you provide your customers and their service couldn’t be any worse. So, I ask to speak someone who can waive the fee. I get transferred to the supervisor. She apparently cannot waive the fee either and said I have to pay it. So I ask her if there is any person among the 200k+ employees at BofA who can waive the rush fee. She then tells me I need to speak with Customer Service (I thought I was talking to Customer Service all along) as they are the only ones who can waive the fee. I’ve now been on the phone for over 30 minutes and my board meeting is in an hour. After being transferred twice, I finally get the fee waived only to find out that “expedited” = 2-3 business days which still equates to almost a week given they can’t ship the card till tomorrow. The whole way around, this was a big bowl of fail. Oh and I get charged a monthly service fee for this amazing service too. Blech.

Big banks are like the computers that were built back in the 80s. Big, clunky, expensive, not user-friendly, not easy to adapt. The difference is that computers evolved into the sleeker, cheaper, easier to use laptops and tablets we use today. But the banks are still the same as they ever were except more expensive and even slower and less focused on the customer. It is amazing to me that the banking model has still not really evolved and there aren’t tons of choices for a new way to bank. When I Googled “bank of america sucks” I was faced with hundreds of entries of angry customers, including this one from John Galt who seems to second my emotion. (This key word phrase seems like a ripe Google Adwords campaign for ING Direct.) It made me wonder if BofA even listens to what people on the interwebs are saying? Seems like a big opportunity to connect with the people who buy your service but that requires expending time and resources and dollars to actually care.

So if I say to hell with big banks, where do I turn? From what I read, ING Direct seems to be the best option and Bob Griggs did a great write-up of the advantages (including great service and paper checks if you need them). It’s a pain in the ass to move your bank accounts but I am seriously considering doing it as I am sick of dealing with big banking and their complete inability to make it easy to be a customer.

Have you switched your bank account to an alternative to the big banks? Would love to hear your experience as I consider this move.

 

Is chivalry dead?

Dec 10th, 2011
by Michelle Heath.
3 comments

As a hopeless romantic, I’d like to believe that the art of treating a woman like a lady is alive and kicking but am seriously having my doubts.

I walked out of an elevator with a bunch of guys the other day and not one of them stopped to let me go first. Like a herd of testosterone pouring out into the lobby. Yuck. I walked into an Au Bon Pain just a few days later and the guy in front of me, not only doesn’t hold the door, but doesn’t even offer to let me go ahead of him. Pathetic.

"He opened the door! Wow!"

It’s all so annoying because I grew up in a family where the men always treated the ladies like ladies – whether you were 5 or 50, your door was opened, you entered first and you were always looked after. What the heck happened?

I have a few hunches.

First, some guys never learned the simple rule: “Ladies before gentlemen.” I must say this to my 5yr old son 5 times a day. But it’s working and he now repeats it to my 8yr old daughter on the few occasions he remembers to let her go first or hold the door. But he’s 5 and learning and not a 35 old who should know better.

Second, some guys just don’t see a lady as someone who should be treated special. I believe this is also taught somewhere along the line and is a tragic trait to pass on. Not much to say here other than these are the guys that will end up very alone.

Third, it’s a cultural thing. Part of me says that I get this and believe it and part of me says it’s a cop-out. Maybe it’s cultural in YOUR country or if you just moved here a week ago…But if you’ve lived here for 15 years? I’m not buying it. I will say that I work with a team of Japanese men who are some of the most hospitable and courteous men I have ever met. They stand when I enter the room, they wait for me before they start walking or talking, they hold the doors and open them. That may be cultural but it is also chivalrous. I thanked my friend Masa the other day when he offered to carry my bag for me and I said: “Chivalry is not dead!” He had no idea what that meant. Case in point. He was just raised that way.

Or maybe feminism screwed us. I was discussing this topic with a friend of mine who said that he was raised to open the door and be chivalrous but that some girls feel like it’s sexist and don’t want their doors opened and want to do it all on their own. How confusing for a guy! As I thought about it, I couldn’t help but think how kind of bananas that is. I am the first person who believes in women’s rights, bringing home the bacon, frying it up in the pan, being strong and independent and all of that jazz but at the same time, I fully embrace the wonderful gift of being a woman. I don’t see a man opening the door as a sign that I’m weak or inferior, I see it as a polite gesture and one of respect for a lady. Oh, and I always say thank you.

So, what’s the deal, guys? It’s not that hard to help a lady with her coat or open the door – it’s called being a gentleman and paying attention. If you want the 101 on how to open a door for a woman, check out The Art of Manliness blog. Love it – especially the Man Skills section. Can we get more manly men, please?

Why Flash-based Websites Make Me Cuckoo Bananas

Jul 5th, 2011
by Michelle Heath.
1 comment

So, I get an email today from a website design and development company telling me about their services and asking if we can set up a call so I can learn more. Cool, I get it. Cold call email. They are looking to generate some new business. Being the kind of girl I am, I decide not to say no right away and to at least take a look at their website and their work to see what they are all about. That’s when things failed big time.

I clicked on their URL and got this:

 

 

 

 

You know what that is, don’t you? It is that horrendous count-down (or count-up) you wait for when you have to load something in Flash. Now, let’s say you send me a flash app or a file or something I know is built in Flash. Well then whether it’s right, wrong or indifferent, I expect to wait for the thing to load (still annoying but my expectations are set). When you send me the url to your website, I expect it to load immediately – seconds or less – not take over 3 minutes to buffer a completely useless Flash intro that then leads me to another completely unusable Flash-based menu. I know you creative types. I am one too. I want things to look amazing and hip and all that jazz. BUT…I am also a a practical marketer and know that I only have a few seconds to convey my message before someone yawns, gets frustrated and moves on. I know HTML is not all that snazzy or sexy. It doesn’t spin and whirl and twirl. It doesn’t play music and talk. But, it loads fast and helps me get a potential customer interested right away.

If you are in the business of attracting customers and getting them to buy what you sell, skip the fancy Flash crap and get ‘em right to the goods. Your bottom line will thank you later and so will I.

<end rant>

Screw the resolutions and just live your life

Jan 10th, 2011
by Michelle Heath.
2 comments

Every year, it’s the same thing. People making a bunch of resolutions to do things that they will 99% of the time do for about 2 weeks and then go right back to not doing until maybe next year. Quitting smoking, exercising more, eating less, drinking less, spending less, swearing less, working less and other personal nits usually make the list. According to Wikipedia, recent research shows that while 52% of participants in a resolution study were confident of success with their goals, only 12% actually achieved their goals. A separate study in 2007 by Richard Wisemen from the University of Bristol showed that 78% of those who set New Year resolutions fail. I too used to make resolutions until I realized I was falling into this same trap of starting something I couldn’t finish. Here’s why I don’t make ‘em anymore.

Carpe diem.

It’s not just an aphorism. Or an overused Latin phrase. To me, it is how I live my life every day. And it means something very special to me. I believe that life is short and at any moment it could be over. Done. Finito. Sure, it’s kind of morbid, but how differently would you live your life if you started to think about what you want to do, need to do, long to do NOW versus what you want to do but are going to do when you retire? Or when your kids are older? Or when you have more money? Or when work is less crazy? Whatever it is, you’re going to wait and my point is…don’t wait.

Picture 78Seizing the day is really about being present. Living in the moment for the moment. Being aware of all that life has to offer. I am a very passionate person and, at any second in time, my head is whirling with about 20 things I’d like to be doing right at that second. Riding a zip line in Costa Rica. Watching the elephants on a Safari. Running the marathon. Driving cross-country. Learning to play the guitar. Re-learning how to play the piano. Practicing yoga. Learning French. Shopping in Paris. Going to a runway show. Are you tired yet?? That’s just what I thought of in the 2 minutes it took me to type:) It can be really frustrating to have to push some of those thoughts aside because the reality is, well, the reality. But, I focus on the things that make me happy. And the things that might not make me happy, but make other people happy (yeah, gotta work on that). And the things that makePicture 81 me feel scared (but in a good way). And the things that challenge me to be a better person. And the things that delight me (chocolate, cupcakes, cheeseburgers, pizza, and the list goes on;). And the things that make me grow (great friends and family, new experiences). And the things I’m passionate about (my style biz, my work, life). And the things that complete me (my kids).

So, I challenge you to think differently about 2011 and, rather than focusing on short-term changes that you will most likely abandon…focus on the things in life that make you happy and make you want to get out of bed every day and feel like you can take on the world. It’s your life. What are you waiting for?

Jet Blue you blew it – again

Oct 1st, 2010
by Michelle Heath.
3 comments

Picture 29If you’ve been following along from my previous post, you’re probably wondering what happened when I raised the service issue to Jet Blue. I tweeted this post, got it retweeted a bunch of times, posted it to Facebook, sent it through the Jet Blue Cares feature on their site and told everyone I could about my bad  Jet Blue service experience.

Here’s what happened.

Sept 22nd 10am: Posted blog post, tweeted, facebooked

Sept 22nd 12:18pm: @JetBlue responds via Twitter and says:

We can’t track the details without info – please leave us a note at http://jetblue.com/speakup

Sept 22nd 12:19pm: I respond to @JetBlue by saying:

Hi and thanks for responding. I did that this morning (submitted form). Let me know what else you need. Got an email saying to wait for response.

Sept 22nd 4:48pm: I heard nothing so I sent another tweet to @JetBlue saying:

So, should I wait?

Sept 23rd 9:28am: Still nothing from Jet Blue. Sent another tweet saying:

Wondering when @JetBlue is going to address my issue from yesterday’s blog post? http://bit.ly/bCjrKM So disappointed in lack of service.

Sept 23rd 1:44pm: Finally get an email from Jet Blue. Here’s what they said:

Hello Michelle,

Thank you for contacting JetBlue Airways regarding your recently booked reservation and the
promotion offered the next day. We certainly appreciate your candid blog regarding the customer
service experience you had. Please understand this is not typical of the customer service we know
most of our jetters have grown to expect. Our leadership staff has been notified and will provide
some feedback to the crewmembers you spoke with.

The promotion offered did start after you booked your reservation. The guidelines for the promotion
were very specific. They did state the promotion was available to newly booked travel; changes to
existing travel are not eligible. It also stated the flight had to be booked on
www.jetblue.com/promo. Your flight was booked prior and not from the link provided the next day when
the promotion began.

Michelle if you would like to take advantage of this offer there is an alternative option. You are
welcome to cancel the current reservation and follow the link to book again using the same dates you
selected. You can go online to www.jetblue.com to cancel or call one of our friendly crewmembers.
You will be subject to the cancellation fee and any increase in fare when rebooking for the
promotion.

We truly value your patronage, and we hope to provide you with a renewed JetBlue experience in the
future.

I read it. I keep re-reading it. I am still dazed and confused. “A renewed JetBlue experience.” How exactly do they expect to “renew” me when they basically offered me nothing to keep me as a “valued” customer? Now, keep in mind, this promotion was not for a free ticket or something of what I’d consider significant consumer value. I run $50 promos all the time and 1) they work 2) if someone missed it I would give it to them to keep them happy and loyal. I especially love that they are happy for me to cancel and rebook but that I will be subject to cancellation fees. How is that helpful to me?

What kills me here is how Jet Blue could have really turned this around and made it a kick-ass experience for me. My friend, Nathan Burke, recently wrote a post about a bad Zappos experience that a great Zappos service team member totally turned around. He is now a huge fan of the brand – enough to tell everyone through his blog.

Well, Jet Blue, you blew it again. Rather than just giving me the promo and keeping me as a happy customer, you basically send the message that my business is not worth $50 and 500 Jet Blue points. For realz?!

So, I put it back on you yet again, Jet Blue. Is this really all you guys have got? The service bar has been raised my friends – are you doing the limbo or the pole vault?

I look forward to your reply.

Jet Blue you made me blue

Sep 22nd, 2010
by Michelle Heath.
2 comments

I’m running the Army 10-miler in DC at the end of October. I’m so excited for the race because I get to stay with my high school friend who lives in Maryland and hang with her for the weekend. I needed to book my flight so, of course, I checked Jet Blue to see if they fly to Baltimore. Jet Blue is always the airline I check first to see if they go where Picture 23I’m going. If they don’t, I am usually bummed because I love flying Jet Blue. Great prices, excellent in-flight service, cool brand. But, Jet Blue, this week you tweaked my nose and I’m not happy.

Here’s what happened.

Okay, so I booked my flight to Maryland Monday afternoon. Paid full price. Done. Then the following morning, I get an email with an offer:

Book a flight by October 1, 2010 for travel through December 15, 2010 and get $50 off a future flight on JetBlue, plus 500 bonus TrueBlue points.

I read the fine print and decide to call Jet Blue to see if they will apply this promotion to the flight I just booked. They are service-oriented people. They want me to jet happy, right? Hm, not so much. The call goes something like this:

Me: Hi. I booked my flight yesterday and got an email with a special offer that I’d like to apply to the flight. I registered for the promotion online and just need to apply it to my flight.

JB: Hm, I don’t think we can do that.

Me: Really? I just booked my flight – just 12 hours ago.

JB: Well, I need to put you on hold to check.

Me: Okay

<listening to static-infused horrible music for 15 mins>

JB: Okay, I am transferring you to someone who can help.

Me: Great. Thanks.

JB2: Hi, so you want to apply the $50 promo to the flight you just booked?

Me: Yes, that would be terrific.

JB2: Sorry we can’t do that.

Me: Why?

JB2: Because you need to book the flight online to get the promotion.

Me: But I already booked the flight online. And I registered for the promo. And I’m a True Blue customer. Can’t you just apply the promotion through your system?

JB2: No, we can’t.

Me: Really? I fly you guys all the time. Your the first airline I think about flying. I was even thinking about opening a Jet Blue credit card. So, you’re saying that there’s no way to make this happen for me? Think about it. You guys win. You give me points and a $50 voucher and I spend more to fly. (I know, I’m a dork, I seriously said that.)

JB2: No, I’m sorry, I can’t. It’s our procedure. But, I’ll write down your concern and send it to our customer feedback team.

Me: Is there someone else who can help me? I am really disappointed.

JB2: No I’m sorry. Is there anything else I can do to help you today?

Wow. I hung up the phone dazed and confused. How is it that I could get such great service on the plane – entertaining in-flight attendants, TVs in my seat, on-time flights – everything that signifies happy jetting. But, then when I call their service line, I get not one but two service reps who cannot apply a promotion to a purchase to keep a loyal customer happy?

So, Jet Blue, I ask you, where did your customer service food chain go wrong? Maybe it’s because most people do everything online and never need to call. Maybe it’s because you only care about the in-flight service. Maybe it’s just fluff you add to your brand to make it seem better than the other fuddy-duddy airlines. In someways, I don’t care because all that matters is I feel like I was fooled. You showed me a side of your brand that didn’t live up to the image you created through your ads, your messaging and your in-flight experience. What a let down.

We all know that air travel is competitive. Travelers like me are always looking for the easiest way to travel at the best price. I want to keep on lovin’ you, Jet Blue, but you did me wrong. It’s an important message to all of us running businesses. Think about the message you send to your customers – are all the customer-facing teams in your company aligned around meeting the expectation of that message?

To me, Jet Blue is to airlines what Zappos is to online shoe shopping. Recently I called Zappos to apply a promo code for free shipping. Guess what, they did it – no questions asked. I was on the phone for probably 2 minutes. And she even asked how the weather was in Boston. That’s a well-rounded, empowered and customer-focused company. It makes a difference to customers who have choices about where to spend their money and where to apply their brand loyalty. Jet Blue, I encourage you to learn a lesson and take a look at your approach to service.

My $.02 look at Facebook Places

Aug 21st, 2010
by Michelle Heath.
4 comments

When Facebook Places launched this week, I was like a kid waiting to unwrap a present. You know it’s coming but you don’t know what’s inside. I was ready to see what Facebook dished-out in their geo-app and how it would compare to Four Square. Here’s my $.02 and why I fail to be impressed.

Picture 8Facebook Places is a yawn. I mean, honestly, you’re Facebook and you launch a location-based app with two features? Yes, there are two features: 1) check in and 2) tag your friends. Checking in – duh, every other location-based app let’s you do it. So I’d say that’s more of the basics than a feature. Tagging your friends, now that’s unique and cool and the power of the Facebook social graph. But, it’s also where things get interesting, and that’s not necessarily a good thing.

Let’s say you’re at Game On at Fenway and you run into a friend who you happen to be friends with on Facebook. You check-in to Game On and you tag that friend. Said friend now automatically gets a post on their wall that they’re at Game On with Mr. Check-in. Let’s say said friend told his wife he was working late instead of running to meet the guys for a beer. Hm, I’d call that plain cold busted.

This is a privacy nightmare. Checking-in is a first person prerogative. There are places I check in and share and other places or times when I want to remain stealth. It’s my choice. Now, Facebook gives other people the ability to “check me in” and share my whereabouts without my consent. As my friend Aaron Strout said in his post about the privacy issue:

This is the thing that could make or break Places. The major sticking point being the ability to check people into a location. While I personally like this feature in theory (and it is unique to Facebook as far as I can tell), this will cause plenty of problems down the road. It will only take 1-2 times of someone being checked into a location that you either don’t want to be checked into or weren’t actually at… but by the time your friend/parent/significant other sees the update, it will be too late.

The one thing they really missed the boat on, IMHO, is the gaming aspect or lack there of. I love Four Square. Sure, it has it’s glitchiness and sometimes won’t let me check-in or can’t find my venue, but I think of it basically as geo-location “game” and games are fun. Let’s face it, people, especially social media people tend to be a little competitive and just a tad ego-centric (#justsayin). The idea of checking in to become the Mayor is pretty powerful. I have been trying to oust Aaron B. from his Mayorship at my local coffee joint. Seriously, who is this guy and why do I care? This guy must be drinking espresso via IV over there – I just can’t catch him. See! I love that. I watch people on Twitter banter about stealing mayorships or earning Player badges (yeah, I have that one too:). It’s fun, it’s something to share with your friends and it makes me want to use the app. Facebook completely missed this aspect of the app. Maybe it was on purpose to keep it simple but, to me, it falls way short.

I was out last night and checked-in on Four Square and noticed about 10 of my Four Square friends had checked in at a variety of places. When I thought about checking in on Places, I noticed that none of my friends had checked in – none. It made me wonder if people are hesitant to use Places because of the lack of privacy settings. What if I don’t want to tell my wall that I’m at the coffee shop? Well, too bad. You check in, you broadcast it. I hate this and it will definitely alter the way I use Places vs. Four Square.

So, I haven’t written Places off but I’m definitely finding it less fun and much more invasive than Four Square. What’s your take? Are you using Places? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Prince goes crazy and says the internet is over

Jul 7th, 2010
by Michelle Heath.
No comments yet

I remember my job at Fidelity back in the late 90′s. We were cooking up this revolutionary new way for people to trade…online. It was back in the day when you sometimes paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for a url and every website had a little worker guy image on it because it was under construction.

I remember how many people at that time said it would never happen, this internet fad. It will never take off. Who wants to go on the internet to shop? Who Picture 3would ever give their credit card across the world wide web, into the ether? Why would people rather talk online than on the telephone? Well, friends, if you are living in the year 2010, you are living the internet dream. We are connected 24×7 and it’s getting easier and easier to shop, communicate, browse and work.

But there always has to be someone who doesn’t believe it. Along comes Prince, who I love dearly. My first album that was banned from my record player by my parents was Purple Rain. I think I know every word to every song on that album. The man is a musical genius and has millions of fans around the world but refuses to embrace technology and went so far as saying the internet is over in a recent interview picked up by Mashable. And, he went on to say

All these computers and digital gadgets are no good. They just fill your head with numbers and that can’t be good for you.

It is hard to believe that there are smart, influential, talented people out there who believe that the internet is the root of all evil. What about all of the great things the internet has does to open business and commerce? To connect people around the world? To create access to information? To make music available to fans everywhere?

Maybe we’ve all fallen prey to the cult of Steve Jobs, and Facebook, and iTunes and Twitter and the many gadgets and websites we use every day to help us do our jobs better, live better, learn more and be more productive members of society. Maybe we should go back to our pre-internet days and forget all the gizmos, gadgetry and websites.

…on second thought, I’ll stick with the cult. Sorry Prince, I ain’t buyin’ it.

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