nicely done, fisher price

In my effort to acknowledge good customer service when I actually receive it, I offer a virtual hat tip today to Fisher Price.

I bought my son a “Little People” “Sail n’ Float Boat” (TM, (r) whatever) for Christmas. Ironically, we only started using it for bath time a week or two ago. After only a few nights use, it stopped working (there”s a button you press and it plays a song). I figured the batteries just conked out. But, when I opened it, it was filled with water. Apparently the seal didn’t work.

I called Fisher Price customer service today (there’s my only complaint with them is there’s no way to email them, phone only). The person I spoke with was efficient, polite, and immediately offered to send me a new boat. No faxing receipts, mailing mine back, etc. I was pleasantly surprised with how easy that was, given how hard most companies make things to handle warranty situations like this.

Very nicely done!

everything is a competition

Two things caught my attention recently and made me think about this. A few weeks ago, I saw an ad on HGTV for some upcoming show where their show hosts would be in some sort of competition of landscaping/decorations or such. I didn’t really pay that much attention to it. I thought, “You’re having decorators compete? Where does this ‘competition’ thing end?”

Then last Sunday in church, there was an announcement about the kids in the Awana program going to some Bible memorization competition. I’m all for kids learning Bible verses, but is a competition the right method to encourage this? Is it a good message to send to our kids? I don’t know. It just makes me wonder.

It just seems that everything in the world is a competition: singing, dancing, being locked in a house, castaway on an island, etc., etc., etc. Maybe it’s just human nature. I’ve watched my nephews make practically everything in life a competition between them–if they can make bathroom habits a contest, they can make anything a contest.

I guess I’m just pondering “out loud” at this point. It’s something I plan to study and pray about.

am i that transparent to God?

I had this thought last week.

My son (just turned 1 year old) was walking (yeah, he started that at 9 months, just like his Daddy) around the kitchen. I could see him admiring something on the counter. He then nonchalantly walked over to me with his arms open wide as if to hug me. But what he was really doing was hoping I’d pick him up. So, I did. He of course reached for the object on the counter with a sort of expression, “wow, look at this, I had no idea it was here.”

Now, perhaps I’m reading way more into my son there. But, it made me think about myself. How many times do I see something I want and then run to God with my arms wide open–pretending to seek Him but deep-down longing to be filled by that “thing” I seek, rather than longing to be filled by Him.

Yeah, I think I’m that transparent to God. Father, forgive me. Please help me purge my desire for this world.

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If you love the world, love for the Father [b] is not in you. 16 For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful people, the lust of their eyes and their boasting about what they have and do—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

bad bunny!

Here’s something I have been meaning to post for a while. Last year, after my son was born, we started using all sorts of toys/gadgets/gizmos to entertain the little guy–all of which eat up batteries. I dislike standard batteries and prefer to use rechargeable ones when possible. I had a good stock of AA and AAA rechargeable batteries. I did not, however, have any D batteries. My son loved a battery-powered swing and I wanted to get some rechargeables for it.

So, I snagged some Energizer rechargeable D batteries at a local store. I’ve been pleased with their AA and AAA ones. But, thankfully, when I got home I decided to comparison shop and make sure I wasn’t overpaying too significantly. One of the first things I hit was at Amazon, and the reviews there pointed me to something that was right on the label, but I neglected to notice and process it correctly.

It clearly says 2500mAh. Wow. That sounds like a lot, right? Not really, especially if you realize that the Energizer AA rechargeable batteries rate at 2450mAh. Also note that the price for 2 D batteries is roughly the price of 4 AA batteries.

What does that mean? It means that they took an AA rechargeable and stuck it inside a big chunk of plastic and sell it for twice the money–hoping people will be (like I almost was) dumb enough to fall for it.

Bad bunny! You should be ashamed of yourself.

so voluntary, it’s required!

The company for whom I have worked for the last 1.5 years was bought up at the end of last year. So, we’re going through the process of applying for jobs within the “new” company. No big deal, right?

So, as I’m completing my profile today, I reached a page that said “entering your sex and race information is strictly voluntary…” and “failure to provide that information will in no way affect you…” So, I decided not to enter it. I clicked the “continue” button.

I’m sure you can guess what happened next. Yup. took me back to the page with a red warning message: “You must enter all the information on this page before proceeding.”

So, it’s voluntary for me to provide that information–but it’s required. Brilliant! I’m applying for a job at a company that can’t tell the difference between optional and required. If I were just a few years older I could work as a greeter at Wal-Mart…