Together We Can Make a Difference!

"Buy American" has almost become a cliche. I have actually grown up hearing this phrase from nearly everybody. But are we? Judging by the number of companies who have taken their manufacturing to other countries in attempt to cut cost, I would say not. If we were buying only product manufactured in the good old USA, companies like Herseys wouldn't be closing their plants here and moving them to Mexico. But maybe that is the reason why. You may think you are buying American, but in actuality, you are not.  Maybe it's time we start checking those labels even closer.

The following was an email that was sent to me this week that really got me thinking:

Check this out. I was in Lowes the other day, and just for the heck of it I was looking at the hose attachments. They were all made in China. The next day I was in Ace Hardware, and just for the heck of it I checked the hose attachements there. The were made in the USA. Got me thinking. Start looking at the labels.

In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy, or do, affects someone else - maybe even their job. My grandson likes Hershey's candy. I just noticed that it is marked "made in Mexico" now. I choose not to buy it any more. My fovorite toothpaste, Colgate, is also made in Mexico now. I've switched to Crest. You have to read the labels on everything.

This past weekend I was at Kroger. (Can be true for any store) I needed 60W light bulbs, and Bounce dryer sheets. I was in the light bulb aisle, and next to the GE brand I normally buy, was the off brand labeled, "Everyday Value". I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats - they were the same, except for the price. The GE bulbs were more money than the Everyday Value brand... but the thing that surprised me the most, was the fact that GE was "made in Mexico" and Everyday Value brand was "made in (you got it) the USA", in a company in Cleveland Ohio.

So throw out the myth that you cannot find the products you use everyday... made right here AT A GOOD PRICE!

On I went to another aisle. Those Bounce dryer sheets I needed - yep, you guessed it Bounce costs more money and it's made in Canada. The Everyday Value brand was less money and made in the USA. Bye-bye Bounce! I did laundry yesterday and the dryer sheets performed just like Bounce Free I've been using for years and at almost half the price!

Judging by this story those companies didn't cut costs to save us money, they did it to increase their profits. So why should we stay loyal to a company that is not really loyal to us, the American public.  Let's revive that old cliche and "Buy American". Check the labels when you shop, the job you save may be your own.

Think about it!

Sometimes I just don't get it!

There are two things I just don't get about companies buying software. One deals with the cost of the software and the other is getting training to use it. Or I should say the lack of training.

First question I have. Why do customers have very strong reservations about paying 3-5 thousand dollars for software that is needed for the business to thrive, but don't hesitate to spend 10 times that for a car that simply gets them to and from work?

The second question I have. Why do customers spend any amount for software then don't bother to learn everything that software has to offer. Like the brain, which we only use about 10% of, when it comes to software the same holds true. We never really get the most of our software purchase because we never bother to learn more than we need to, to use it.

I have been working in the customer service area or working directly with end users for all of my adult life and I can assure you that over 90% of problems people have with software is caused by their lack of knowledge. I swear that if states didn't bother to give driving tests there would be more accidents because we never learned to drive before we got behind the wheel.

If you are going to spend the money to purchase software for your business, spend the extra and make sure your staff knows how to use it. Let me illustrate. If I give you a piece of blank paper and pencil and ask you to draw me a picture. You may give me something like what you see in the first illustration.

BUT, with a little training and practice you could give me a drawing more like the second. Same paper and pencil the only difference is the person using them.

We should spend the little extra to make sure our employee's have the training needed to use the software. Not only will you have fewer problems with the software you will get the most out of it. Each and every day our Tech Support staff hear the same comments from our users. "I didn't know it did that!" Every time one of your employees says that you should cringe and realize, cha-ching, it just cost you in lost revenue and production.

Some of the art work included in this post are courtesy of
Brian Duey at www.dueysdrawings.com.