Customer disregard

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , ,
13 August 2012
0

guy with face in palms looking down in frustrated pose

photo credit: zachklein


You know what really irks me?  Companies that don’t care about being good.  This usually exhibits itself in two main ways: poor/non-existent customer service and dishonest (or not-so-honest) sales/marketing.  Unfortunately I came across both in one day, and found myself quite perturbed at the state that businesses are in.  Why is it the case that those providing outstanding service, great value, and by all accounts “do things right” are so few and far between?  Why is it that as a consumer and customer, I tend to expect that my voice won’t get heard?  I guess that’s why I love small businesses and start-ups, since they do tend to listen and care who I am and what I want.

It started when I came across an issue with Yahoo Mail and wanted to contact their customer service to request a feature be added.  After sending me on a wild goose chase of automated answers and browsing through their community forum, I reached a dead end that didn’t even allow me to email their service department (if they even have one!).  That’s like spending half an hour on the phone going through a tedious menu with robot voices only to get hung up on in the end.  Why waste my time?! Ugh, I was so completely disappointed in Yahoo at that point and almost didn’t even care if I could contact them anymore.  Here I am trying to help them make their service better and I feel like I’m yelling into an abyss with nobody within miles.

yahoo help dead end - only option go to community forum

The only option?! What about a contact form for YOU, Yahoo?!

Then a couple hours later, I got a phone call from a guy who started talking about setting up a consulting appointment for me.  Excuse me – what??  First of all, what consulting?  I never asked for any sort of consulting service and I certainly don’t have money to spend on that.  Second of all, who are you to offer me consulting?  Then when I asked him what this was about he answered: “Your website” to which I asked, “Which one?”  There was a pause of confusion before he was able to look it up I guess – terrible service.  You’re calling me about my business and you don’t even know the name of it?  Great.  Maybe you should get to know me before you assume you know what I want/need.  So anyway, I hated how he went ahead and assumed I had already agreed to this and just needed to set up a time to discuss details with a consultant.  That sort of sales tactic is too pushy and frankly, dishonest.

I then requested to be removed from whatever list they had me on and the guy basically ignored me, talking on about some other part of his sales pitch or something.  When I repeated myself, he told me there was no need to be testy.  Oh boy!  He hadn’t seen testy yet!  I retorted that I wasn’t being testy YET and made sure he confirmed that he’d take me out of their database before ending the call.  It was so frustrating to deal with him and his annoying assumptions that he could just bulldoze over me and get me to set up an appointment when I knew nothing about his company AND didn’t even want to change my site anyway.

Whew, so now that that’s off my chest, I vow to always strive to provide value, excellent customer service, and honest marketing.  I want my business dealings to engage customers, not drive them away.  I’d rather stay a smaller operation that really takes care of it customers than expand into a multi-national conglomerate that forgets about the little people.  And I hope that I never forget to listen to the customers, pay attention to what they’re telling me, and ensure that they are being taken care of as responsibly as possible.  Nobody should ever feel voiceless against my business.  In fact, I’d love it if we built a community around us, where we’re all like family and everybody contributes to the whole experience.  That’s my dream for my own companies.

Fashion-un-ista

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , ,
30 July 2012
0

Fashion and I have an awkward relationship.  I’ve never really felt like I was a fashionable person, or that I understood fashion, or even liked it.  I probably own some things that can be considered fashionable (or at least it was in its prime), but I certainly didn’t pick them out because I knew they were.  Most of my clothes fall into the categories of tacky, practical, free, and/or branded.  I’m a sucker for a free t-shirt or a UCLA-branded anything.  I also totally bought into the various groups I was part of – swim team, track team, JROTC, and other student groups – each of which had its own set of clothes that you could buy to show your association.

I tend to get the most “normal” clothes I can find at places like Charlotte Russe, Forever 21, and Kohl’s.  I don’t go for the stuff that makes me look indie or hip or preppy or whatever.  I don’t connect with those identities, so I don’t really buy clothes that would make me feel that way.  I’m also not into fashion brands of any sort and probably can’t identify most of them.  I saw a place called Bottega something by Rodeo Dr and I thought it was Bottega Louie, a restaurant I’m particularly fond of.  The only Coach or Louis Vuitton stores I’ve been to were in Vegas and they made me highly uncomfortable (who likes to shop with security guards staring?).

header image from tse parfait blog

Case in point: Tse Parfait blog. Full of creative partial shots and TONS of fashionable stuff that confuse me.


Yet, when I see people dressed so fashionably and taking cool pictures with their DSLRs or using Instagram, I kind of wish I had that sort of inspiration.  I am creative in many ways, but not with my clothes, accessories, and makeup.  In fact, I don’t even wear makeup and I rarely wear more than plain stud earrings.  I thought of this because I recently came across a bunch of blogs, all of which seem to have the same themes: fashion, photography, food (and a combination thereof).  These people take such creative pictures, or vivid ones, or just plain beautiful ones.  They’re the kind of people I’d expect to find at a lomography store, with thick frame glasses and really cool bangs and skinny jeans.

I don’t want to look like them, but I wish I had that kind of skill with a camera.  They have this ability to take pictures of parts of things and then piece them into a collage for a stunning masterpiece.  They turn Instagram into their personal playtoy and pump out all kinds of cool images.  Meanwhile, I’ve avoided using Instagram because it’s too overwhelming for me to decide how to take a picture and then filter it.  My pictures are practical – they show you exactly what I thought was interesting, but not really in an interesting way.  So I guess this isn’t so much about how disconnected I feel with fashion, but more about the creativity I associate with fashionable people and how they all seem to be pros with a fancy cam.  Photography is one thing I plan on learning more about, and while I plan on taking a class one day, I don’t know if I’ll ever be as innovative as the fashionistas out there.

Blog makeover

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , ,
26 July 2012
0

Yesterday I finally decided it was time to update my blog’s look since it’s been two or three years and my needs have changed.  While my old theme served me well, I wanted some different features. For one, I wanted my intro section to be above the fold. Additionally, I wanted the subscription box to be visible above the fold too. I planned on adding a “Follow Me” section with icons linking to my profiles on social media sites, but that wouldn’t be immediately apparent on the old theme. Other than that, I wanted a similar three-column layout with nice use of colors, but something a little less flashy.

So here’s how my blog looked before and after the changes:

maryqin.com blog using the wordpress theme notedpad chaos

The old look.

maryqin.com blog using the wordpress theme page style

And the new look!

As you can see, there’s more width in the blog post section to allow for larger pictures and videos. You also get more content above the fold since the lists are more condensed vertically. Finally, it’s much easier to see who I am, how to subscribe to the blog, and where to find me on other sites! I’m quite pleased and I’m sure this theme will last me a few more years.

Desserts first

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , ,
25 July 2012
0

holding a pineapple-flavored ice cream cone at the dole plantation in hawaiiBack in high school, my best friends and I fancied ourselves famous (at least to the Olive Garden waiters) for being the “desserts first” type of people.  Every time we got together for a meal at Olive Garden, we’d insist on our dessert item as the appetizer.  We usually got a very confused and momentarily dumbfounded waiter who’d check with us: “Are you sure you want to have the dessert come out first?”  We’d confidently confirm our choice and eagerly await the sweet treat.  To a certain extent we did it to be rebels, but it was also a way of doing what we wanted instead of what was expected.

Over the years, I haven’t gotten the chance to continue this tradition, much to my dismay.  I always start a meal saying I’ll get dessert only to get halfway through the entree and be too full to continue.  Luckily, at most places they have desserts that I can just eat at home for cheaper anyway so I don’t feel like I missed out on too much.  Instead, I happily stock up on loads of sugar-laden snacks at home to satisfy my unwavering sweet tooth.  In fact, I have so much junk food at home that it often becomes my meal.  I have a bad habit of forgetting lunch these days, or grabbing an ice cream bar in lieu of something more filling/less sugary.

Really what it comes down to is enjoying what I like.  Why do I need to go through a ritual of drinks, appetizers, and entree before I can get to my dessert?  There shouldn’t be obstacles in my way for such a simple goal.  In many ways, this little choice speaks volumes to my own life philosophy.  I believe in being able to enjoy what you want and not having to hold back because the world told you so.  As long as it’s not irresponsible, I don’t see the harm in having my cake first or buying that item I like or treating myself to a massage.  And so I do eat, buy, and experience what matters to me.  Don’t get me wrong though – I exhibit a lot of self-control when it comes to making these decisions!  I don’t jump at every opportunity to do what I want; I make sure to weigh the pros and cons extensively before diving in.

Kickstarter funding addiction

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , ,
21 July 2012
0

For awhile I had heard whisperings of a site called Kickstarter, where you could use crowd-sourcing to help fund things, but I didn’t check it out.  I forgot how I eventually ended up visiting the site one day… I probably read an article that led me to look into it further.  Well, whatever the case, I found a gold mine of cool ideas that made me happy.  After browsing through a bunch, I ultimately decided to fund one called Twig.

It’s an ultra-portable USB charger and stand for your iPhone.  I hesitated at first because the new iPhone will be out in a few months (hopefully within 2!) and I plan on getting that.  As it stands, the rumors of a smaller charging dock is probably true, so this device wouldn’t work with the new iPhone without a converter of sorts.  Still, I really liked the idea and wanted to get behind it, so I went ahead and funded it.

Then I got one of the emails Kickstarter sends out highlighting some of their favorite projects and one of them really caught my attention.  This one, called the Lumi Process, is like the opposite of developing film in a darkroom.  Whereas traditionally you had to keep your negatives away from the sun, this process actually uses the sun to do the printing.  They have a special ink that reacts to sunlight and imprints itself into any fibrous material.  So the other cool thing is that you aren’t limited to paper like you are in a darkroom; now you can print on a wide variety of mediums, including various types of cloth and even wood.  Being the wannabe amateur photographer that I am, this fascinated me and I just had to get in on the action.

I’ve even got some ideas brewing for Kickstarter projects that I want to post!  It’ll be awhile before I’m ready for that stage, but I’m pretty excited and have done quite a bit of research to brainstorm some cool reward levels.  If you haven’t already checked out the site, you should, and maybe in a few months you’ll see of my projects up there!

Shopping style

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , ,
17 July 2012
0

I’m a “ponder a lot before buying” kind of person.  Usually I don’t get something unless it falls into two categories:

  1. I’ve been meaning to get something like this
  2. I’ve been researching and wanting this

The first type is the spur-of-the-moment sort of purchase for me.  While I didn’t have that exact product in mind, or any specific product really, it’s something that has been in the back of my mind.  So I’ve been considering it and when I see something that is close enough and good enough, I might just pounce.  It gives me the satisfaction of an unexpected surprise but still with some forethought so I don’t feel too impulsive.

The second type is the really thought-out sort of purchase, where I noticed the product before, checked it out in store and online, and waited for a sale or good deal to come along.  Sometimes I do get a nice deal on it, sometimes I just reach a point where I feel like it’s worth it at full price, and sometimes I wait so long that I miss it.  When I do get an item though, it feels really rewarding – like I accomplished a goal that I’ve had for awhile.

Because I don’t usually buy things the first time I come across it, I tend to walk around a store getting tempted by this and that, putting them into my cart, then reconsidering before checking out.  Much of the time, I end up walking out with nothing because I reasoned that none of the items I got were really worth it at that time.  Sometimes all I needed was to hold it and have it for a brief time to feel satisfied.  I’m pretty good at convincing myself out of purchases most of the time.

Of course, there are just times where I splurge on something I never meant to, but I like to think that most of my purchases are reasonably vetted.  😛  I’ve yet to meet someone who goes around a store filling up a cart only to end up buying nothing, so speak up if you’re like that too!  I imagine most people either don’t put the item in the cart in the first place or buy it if they do.  Do you agree?

Panda Loves

laelene Posted in general blog，
12 July 2012
0

What does Panda love, you ask?  Well, hop on over to PandaLoves.com to find out!  I’ve been working on fine-tuning it and finally decided it was ready to launch today.  I still have a great lineup of products to add to the site, but for now I’m starting with 5 products that come in a huge variety.  The premise of the site is that we will offer cute gift items that you won’t normally find when you shop for jewelry, accessories, and trinkets.  Most will probably come from various regions in Asia where I’ve traveled and discovered cool things, but anything that Panda likes, goes!

As for Panda, her design is still in the works and she will be unveiled soon.  She’s the mascot and curator of the site, recommending cool things that she loves.  Since she hails from China, she enjoys sharing things from that part of the world.  She’s also into arts and crafts, spending her free time making jewelry, knitting scarves, and trying out new crafts.  It’s her desire to introduce the world to all the great products out there that you’d normally find sold from a stall.  She’d love it if you liked her Panda Loves Facebook page and followed the Panda Loves Twitter account and Panda Loves Pinterest account!

Curated craze

laelene Posted in general blog, subscriptions，Tags: , , , , , , ,
09 July 2012
3

I subscribe to a random smattering of newsletters and daily deal sites, one of which is blissmo.  Earlier in the week, I got an email with a special offer that piqued my interest – sign up for a blissmobox membership and get a special edition box free!  I’ve been aware of these subscription-based programs that offer a box of curated goods each month, but I had never gotten into them.  However, after looking into blissmoboxes, I felt that for $19/box (or just $17.54 if you count the bonus one too) it was worth a shot.  After all, I’m a sucker for trying new products and what better way than to let the people of blissmo pick out some eco-friendly ones for me?

This experience got me thinking about this whole “curated” trend that’s been going around.  From daily deals that are curated by experts to monthly themed boxes curated by the team at a company, options are popping up everywhere.  You can go for environmentally-friendly products like I did, or choose from food only, beauty products, fashion, and countless other angles.  I won’t talk about daily deals today, since this whole monthly box thing is my newest interest.  I love the idea because you get introduced to a bunch of cool new products without having to scour the aisles yourself.  Plus, who doesn’t enjoy receiving a package?

While looking into what the latest blissmobox contained, I discovered a blogger who reviewed a bunch of these services.  I’m pretty baffled by how many she subscribes to, but if you cut out shopping in stores and buying snacks yourself, I can see how it wouldn’t cost too much more to exclusively use these subscriptions.  There’s definitely a strong appeal to getting on this trend, whether it’s purely because you like to receive packages or you’re actually looking to sample a variety of products to help you choose what to use in your daily life.  In fact, I almost convinced myself that it wouldn’t be so bad if I subscribed to just one more…

I remember when I got a mystery gift bag from Burt’s Bees; it was really exciting to open it up and discover what they had put in there for me.  Similarly, one of the perks of being involved with Opportunity Green is the chance to score some pretty awesome swag.  It’s just so satisfying to get a bag of stuff!  Emotionally, it can be very satisfying to sign up for one these curated boxes.  On the other hand, to a certain extent it can make sense practically as well, since you often see products that you aren’t sure about and wish you could try.  This way, you get a bunch that have been test driven by people at the company providing the boxes, so generally you can expect a pretty good product. You can then test them out yourself to figure out if it’s something you’d continue to use.  There’s also the fun factor of not knowing what you’ll get.  Most people enjoy a little bit of mystery and surprise to spice things up!

I personally can’t wait to get my first blissmobox and start experiencing this craze.  I’ll be sure to post up what I get in each box as they come!

Nocturnal syndrome

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , ,
04 July 2012
0

Sunrise is a beautiful time of day.  Especially when I haven’t slept all night.

Yup, that’s right – I find the start of a day most pleasing when it’s actually the end of one for me.  Why?  It’s hard to say.  Probably because my energy levels are even-keeled and at a comfortable level.  I’m not trying to drag myself up at a time when my body and mind are rebelling against me.  Instead, they’ve been relaxed all night as I work away online.  While I may be starting to wear down, they’re not overly stressed, so it’s actually a positive experience for me.

On the other hand, trying to get up at the crack of dawn is never an easy or pleasant thing (unless I’m in China, interestingly).  I’ve struggled with this all my life, as school and then work demanded that I be up at a certain time.  In fact, in college I quickly learned that 8 AM classes were too torturous for me, so I started to schedule nothing earlier than 9.  Even then it was a constant struggle to get up when I needed to.  Once I got into the work culture, it got a bit easier since I was getting some more sleep each night, but I definitely wasn’t happy to be waking up in the morning.

Now that I don’t necessarily have to get up or sleep at any particular time, I’ve discovered the joy of watching the beginning of a day.  I had gotten a sense of this in college when I pulled some all-nighters, but usually I was so delusional by the time the sun rose that I didn’t really get to appreciate it.  It’s really pretty cool!  I love the freshness that a sunrise brings with it, as the world comes back to life and the energy around me builds up.  I don’t know why I’m such a night owl, but it’s what feels good and natural to me.  I’ve tried to fix it and be more “normal” but it just doesn’t work very well, so why fight it?  I’m much happier and more productive this way.

The business of partnerships

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , ,
01 July 2012
0

I’m a strong proponent of business partnerships – not in the legal sense (LLCs seem much safer), but definitely in the collaboration, motivation, teamwork, and synergy sense.  I think it was sometime in college, when I was thinking more seriously about a future as an entrepreneur that I got this idea in my head.  Was it from articles I read?  Companies I looked into?  Other media influences?  I can’t remember now.  All I know is that I soon formed an opinion that the best way for me to find success in business was by pursuing ventures with a partner.  Maybe I’d have a different partner for each project, or one who I could do multiple ones with.  Maybe it’d be a man or a woman.  That much didn’t matter insomuch as 1) we both worked hard toward a common goal, 2) we had similar values, and 3) we had complementary skills.

Once I got this idea in my head, I kept a watchful eye out.  At professional events, at social events, and even during chance encounters.  I met a lot of interesting, smart, driven people throughout my years in college, but none meshed with me the way I wanted my business partner to.  I was always thinking in the back of my head, “Is this person someone I could build a working partnership with?”  Sadly, the answer was always no.  Usually it was because we didn’t share the same interests – they didn’t want to go into the same industries I did, or they didn’t have the entrepreneurial drive that I did.  Sometimes other factors came into play, like clashes in personality.  I thought I might have a chance when I went to work in Singapore, but that fell apart before we ever got going.

After years of dreaming, I decided it was time to address the real life issues I had to face.  I got a normal job at an established company and settled into an average workweek.  Luckily, the company was small, young, and still had a start-up vibe.  I had a lot to learn and got plenty of responsibility.  Over the next two years, I learned a lot and experienced a lot of change at the company!  Things were pretty stable and I was getting antsy.  That entrepreneurial bug came back to bite me and it was an itch that I needed to scratch.  I had a business idea that I felt was worth pursuing and finally, finally, I had met a business partner!  After six long years of searching, it kind of just fell in my lap and I was not about to let it go.  Oh, life.  😛  Well, now that I saw the opportunity, I went for it.  I felt confident that within a couple of months (ok, maybe a year), we could make it work.

Ultimately, I don’t know if I would have pursued my own venture if I didn’t have a partner to collaborate with.  Even in some of my personal side projects, my mom is my proponent and unofficial business partner.  Even if I do the majority of the work, I feel so much more confident when there is someone else there, whether as an equal partner or more of a supporting role.  I’ve even gotten so much self-belief that I’m looking into pursuing some of my own little side gigs!  As they say, nobody succeeds on their own, and I am so grateful to the support network that I have behind me.  While partnerships may not be the optimal approach for everyone, it is for me and I think it’s worth considering no matter who you are.

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