My apologies

Posted on June 28, 2011 by David

Busy with life. Family, church, work, health.

My apologies for not writing regularly. To my loyal followers, I’ll be back to regular writing shortly.

😀

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Presidential Inspiration

Posted on June 25, 2011 by David

A period of our history that no man should be proud of.

There was nothing civil about the War Between the States. But a figure that rises above the bloody battlefields and old slave quarters is the man pictured above.

Coming from a relatively poor family, Abraham Lincoln rose from humble beginnings and was elected to the highest office in our land, becoming the 16th President of the United States.

What makes this man so inspirational is that he forged ahead in the name of what was right instead of what was politically expedient, a rare occurrence no matter the decade.

What about the choices you make in your life? Are you making decisions based on what is right or what is convenient and easy?

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Award Winning Inspiration

Posted on June 22, 2011 by David
Award Winning Inspiration

Award Winning Inspiration

It’s the latest picture I have, but it’s not the latest award. Nor is it his first. His peers believe he is doing a great job. And he is.

He was just named Multi Operator of the Year.

He’s celebrating 25 years with the same company in one form or another.

He’s focused on pleasing the customer, because he knows how important it is. And it’s not just so he can make more money as a business owner, but because it’s the right thing to do.

We don’t always see eye to eye on every decision made. But I respect him for his unwavering support of providing great customer service.

Congratulations, Nelson.

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Family Inspiration No. 22

Posted on June 22, 2011 by David
My dad

My dad

Today is my dad’s 78th birthday. Lee Balentine was born June 22, 1933.  He passed away December 23, 1977. That makes 44 years, 6 months and 1 day.

August 28, 2008 was a day that passed with a lot of thought and reflection. That was 44 years, 6 months and 2 days following my birth. Work backwards and you can figure it all out. 🙂

To this day, I still get people who ask if I’m Lee’s son. To this day, I can still go just about anywhere in the country and run into someone I know or who knew him.

That’s something my dad would do.

As the story goes, he stepped off a plane onto the tarmac somewhere in Germany. Before too long, someone yells out “Dynamite!” (That was his boxing nickname.) What are the chances of running into someone half a world away?

It’s because he put a big value on relationships. They weren’t superficial. They weren’t about him. They were about the other person. That’s how he left his mark.

How you will leave you leave your mark?

Happy Birthday dad. Although you’ve been gone a long time, you still left us an example on how to make relationships today. Love you!

Oh, by the way dad, you’ve got some really cool grandchildren. They each have their own abilities and talents.  And your son- and daughter-in-law are taking care of your kids very well. We’re all trying to look after mom. Some of us don’t do so great of a job. Others are right in the thick of things.

She’s still got some spunk but she misses you too.

Although it will be nice to reunite, we’re in no rush to see you.

Posted in Family, Inspiration | 11 Comments

Excuse vs. Explanation

Posted on June 21, 2011 by David

Thank you Seth Godin for inspiring today’s post.

When a customer asks for a product you’re out of, do you offer an excuse or an explanation?

They are not the same. And it’s the difference between good service and bad service.

An excuse shows your failure. An explanation shows you accept responsibility for the failure and that you’ll do whatever you can to fix it.

Sure there are manufacturing issues, credit problems and weather delays.

Your customer doesn’t care. They just want their product.

What’s your excuse?

Posted in Excuse, Explanation, Good Service, Service, Seth Godin | 7 Comments