Four years ago, I was given a Ford Taurus.
Originally owned by someone else, they didn’t want it and gave it to me for free. Not wanting to give up a free car, I took up the offer. Come to find out the only thing that worked on this car, were the roll up windows. I discovered that this Ford Taurus was the true definition of a lemon. Mechanics told me it wasn’t safe to drive. So it was sent to car heaven, and the original owner was sent… well, let’s just say I never accepted any gifts from him again.
So when Ford recently asked if I would be interested in test driving their 2011 Ford Taurus, I couldn’t help but be a bit skeptical. I had driven cars for them before, so I knew they had nothing but top of the line, but a Ford Taurus?
Again, I fell for the free ride. I was headed to Minnesota so why not put miles on a car that wasn’t mine?
This was a superior machine.
I don’t geek out on the latest gadgets that today’s automobiles are equipped with. However, I will say I am more and more impressed with the creature comforts now available.
The Ford Taurus was no exception. Talk about a comfortable ride. Here are just some of the highlights:
- The interior of the car is something out of a private jet.
- Dials and buttons that would keep me occupied for hours.
- All the buttons and controls on the steering wheel. Keeping my eyes on the road.
- Sensitive cruise control: It gages the distance of the the cars ahead and adjusts your speed accordingly. Awesome!
- SIRUS radio: a life saver. We listened to the comedy station the entire 10 hour car ride home.
- Quiet. I don’t like a lot of noise with my vehicles.
- Lumbar support.
- Back and “lower back” chair massage. Yep!
- Individual climate controls.
- You could even adjust the seat temperature.
- Incredible GPS
- Excellent gas mileage.27 mpg on the highway I believe.
- Check out this dealership’s video for a great inside look on the 2011 Ford Taurus.
This was a vast improvement over the last Ford Taurus I drove.
Getting your hands behind a vehicle like this puts a lot in perspective. You get a better appreciation for the work it takes to make these types of vehicles. It also brings back the notion of travel comforts that we all crave regardless of the mode of transportation.
So thank you Ford for the test drive. It was a lot of fun, and I’ll let you know when my next road trip is!
*disclaimer – Ford is not a client of re:group. Any promotion of their products is kept strictly to test driving their vehicles. No monetary compensation came with the test drive or this blog post.
Posted in
branding Tags:
ford detroit michigan automobiles cars brands
One of the frustrations of what we do is that everybody seems to think they can do it. Instead of allowing people who have years of education and experience do what they think will work, many clients think that they need to rule with an iron hand. Well, here’s a cautionary tale of what happens when we try to do a job we’re not the experts at:
I arrived early at my office one day last week to try to get through a number of important tasks before the official work day started. No such luck. When I pulled in, a gentleman in my building informed me that four baby ducklings were trapped in the storm drain in our parking lot. Being an animal lover and an efficient account person, I volunteered to handle the matter. I called the City. Fortunately for the ducklings, it was a slow crime day and both a police car and a water department vehicle arrived in ten minutes to rescue the adorable black and brown babies, whom I dubbed Donald, Huey, Louie and Dewey. They were quite vocal and it was clear they were happy to be free. The policeman wasn’t too sure what to do with them, so of course, I volunteered to act as real estate agent and relocate them.
My coworkers weighed in and it was agreed that I should take them to Gallup Park, by the Huron River, where ducks and geese hang out. I set them free at the edge of the pond and they swiftly paddled off together clearly enjoying their freedom. I returned to the office feeling like I had done my good deed for the day.
My euphoria quickly vanished when I returned to find the Director and a volunteer from the Bird Center of Washtenaw County who had received a call from the City about the ducklings. They had come to collect Donald, Huey, Louie and Dewey, as they have a volunteer who specializes in taking care of baby ducks. One of the women tearfully told me that their hours were numbered as other mother ducks aren’t keen to take care of babies that aren’t their own – wish I’d known this before I had willy-nilly set them free in a good sized pond. Of course, I felt totally guilty, so I offered to go back and see if I could collect them back. She handed me two small nets and a small bucket with some towels to keep them warm should I be lucky and recapture them.
I recruited some friends from the office and off we went. We searched around the edge of the pond and there they were. As we positioned our nets they high-tailed it into the middle of the pond far from our reach. We spent 45 minutes attempting to coax them to shore. They were clearly happy as clams paddling about and would have nothing to do with us. We returned unsuccessfully to the office where I called the Bird Center to report on my failure.
Next morning, I arrived early at their small building on Mary Street. I walked into this amazing space with tables covered with small buckets that held over 100 injured birds of every kind. There were five volunteers busy with eyedroppers feeding them various concoctions. It was a sight to behold. Until the day before I had no idea that this place even existed much less all the great work they are doing to take care of these injured or baby birds.
Having seen the efforts these volunteers go to for their birds, I suddenly didn’t have the heart to give up the hunt for the ducklings. I was given yet another larger net and some duck food with the hope that this time I could capture them. I will keep you posted on the outcome. But the important part of this story is that if you find an injured or baby bird or duckling or gosling in the Ann Arbor area, call the Bird Center of Washtenaw County 734-761-9640. They are the experts, and they are the ones who should be allowed to do their jobs.
Posted in
general
In a world of Google Business reviews, Angie’s list, personal blogs and countless restaurant reviews on sites like Urban Spoon, I simply don’t understand why ANY business would not try at least to provide the best customer service as possible.
There is a huge amount of power and importance that comes with a referral, more so than any amount of advertising or promotional materials can achieve. Everyone who interacts with your business could potentially talk about you to someone they know, or post a review online – so why not make that reference a positive one?
Customer service does not have to be large gestures, more often, it’s simple courtesies. You’d be surprised how much it means to simply acknowledge a customer or to thank one for his or her business. You can offer free samples, email an update on a project, follow up to get input, or just offer advice, whether or not it results in a sale.
Internal customer service is important as well, because happy employees make customers happy. Treat your co-workers as you would a customer. Offer to help when they are busy, cover a shift, stay late with them to finish a project on the deadline. By having a strong internal customer service, it will result in a stronger external customer service.
No one can make everyone happy all the time – you will receive a bad review. Once you find these bad reviews, respond immediately and decisively. Contact the reviewer to see if there is any way you can fix the problem. If there is no solution, acknowledge the problem and tell them how you are going to change things so that problem will not happen again.
Good customer service is ultimately good for business no matter what business you are in. So make sure it is a strong part of your business and your culture. In a world driven by reviews and referrals you can’t afford not to.
Posted in
general Tags:
customer service,
reviews,
word of mouth
Recently I came across this presentation by my friend and social media/marketing professional, Scott Stratten.
Scott has a style all his own when it comes to talking about the social web and how we all need to start thinking differently when it comes to communicating online. Check out his presentation as he talks about:
- Getting people to your door
- Making it easy for them to open that door
- Using social media only if you are going to be there too
- How social media is an extension of customer service and communication of your brand
- How too many companies are faking passion and authenticity
- Selling Social Media as Influence
- Why social media doesn’t cure sucking (think BP)
- Why emotion is the new vehicle
- The three pillars of the social web: Know – Like – Trust
- How ROI is not the point
- Building relationships and creating life long value
- Owning your platform, and owning your content
Scott has a new book, “UnMarketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging” due out this fall. He will also be stopping by Detroit’s Social Media Club during his Unbook Tour in September.
Posted in
social media Tags:
authenticity,
business,
communication,
content,
customer service,
detroit,
emotion,
marketing,
passion,
realtionships,
social media,
social media club,
social web,
trust
Four years ago, I was given a Ford Taurus. 
