Vantage Point

Strategic marketing concepts and business observations. Small business start-up experiences.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Comfort and quality - two characteristics I like in shoes. Well, I found some at the mall in Colorado; a pair of hemp-sewn suede flip flops. Couldn't find them on the website but did see that the company has a lot of choice. Go to: ACORNEARTH.COM

.: posted by Carol Gamel - Carol@GoldenStarFruit.com 2:26 PM

Sunday, July 16, 2006

This is a good website with interesting stepping stone molds. They also sell pigments for the concrete the stepping stones are made from, or they sell concrete paint.

View All Molds: Concrete Stepping Stone Molds By GardenMolds

.: posted by Carol Gamel - Carol@GoldenStarFruit.com 11:13 AM

Saturday, May 13, 2006

Someone sent me the following email a few weeks ago. I was skeptical at first so I verified Citgo's ownership on their website and in SEC filings. I never knew it was owned by the Venezuelan government. The email has stayed in my mind, so much so that I've thought about picketing the gas stations around town to bring awareness to the public. Then today I read an article in the St. Petersburg Times that quoted other South American leaders as being annoyed by Chavez's meddling in their politics as he expands his reach across borders.

#####

PLEASE forward this to as many people as possible.
s>

Cindy & Chavez
Venezuela Dictator Vows To Bring Down U.S. Government

Venezuela government is sole owner of Citgo gasoline company

Venezuela Dictator Hugo Chavez has vowed to bring down the U.S. government. Chavez, president of Venezuela, told a TV audience: "Enough of imperialist aggression; we must tell the world: down with the U.S. empire. We have to bury imperialism this century."

The guest on his television program, beamed across Venezuela, was Cindy Sheehan, the antiwar activist. Chavez recently had as his guest Harry Belafonte, who called President Bush "the greatest terrorist in the world."

Chavez is pushing a socialist revolution and has a close alliance with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

Regardless of your feelings about the war in Iraq, the issue here is that we have a socialist dictator vowing to bring down the government of the U.S. And he is using our money to achieve his goal!

The Venezuela government, run by dictator Chavez, is the sole owner of Citgo gas company. Sales of products at Citgo stations send money back to Chavez to help him in his vow to bring down our government.

Take Action

Please decide that you will not be shopping at a Citgo station. Why should U.S. citizens who love freedom be financing a dictator who has vowed to take down our government?

Very important. Please forward this to your friends and family. Most of them don't know that Citgo is owned by the Venezuela government.

YOU CAN VERIFY THIS ON THE CITGO WEB PAGE.
http://www.citgo.com/AboutCITGO.jsp

.: posted by Carol Gamel - Carol@GoldenStarFruit.com 8:50 AM

Monday, February 27, 2006

Hey BIG Business, here's a strategic marketing thought for you . . .

You go to the trouble and the expense of making a large retail sale but your delivery department takes its turn and slaps the customer in their face. What, you think they have bought everything they need to buy from you?!?!?!!!!

It started with Sears. We purchased a dishwasher and refrigerator, on sale, and it was scheduled (at their convenience) to be delivered on a Saturday between 1:30-3:30. It was after 6:00 when they finally appeared at the door, ready to slam the installation process in 5 minutes or less.

Then we purchased a large-screen TV from Circuit City. Almost the same story except they made the delivery window. Problem was the installer being so rushed he rattled off instructions so fast we couldn't follow him. Left us a bit frustrated and needing to reconfigure antennae and DVD installations oursevles.

So we get the sofa to watch TV from and the delivery guys were so inexperienced and hurried that they damaged the front doorway fending their way into the house. Repair department comes out to fix it and runs out of time. Leaves, saying that Customer Service will phone with a follow-up appointment to finish the repair. We haven't heard word One from them. Surprise.

So now it's off to buying office furniture. The salesman is a Saint. He spends beaucoup time with us and we finally settle on our purchase. Delivery is scheduled for the next day with installation/set-up to be completed three days later between 1-5:00. At 4:15 I'm calling to verify they are still coming. The CSR tells me they show the set-up completed on the day we purchased, transfers me to Dispatch who never answers and I wind up in computer phone hold musicland for 20 minutes for the second time that day. I finally phone the store manager who didn't believe me. After researching the problem, however, he winds up livid with the set-up crew who doesn't want to reschedule us for 3 days. Mr. Office Depot Store Manager does the right thing and finds another installation crew who could come out the next day to finish the job.

Moral is, we don't want to buy anything else even though we still have a list. The delivery/installation crews have made us weary and leary.

Maybe tomorrow I'll write about our internet purchases.