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September
2004 -Innovations Newsletter
Customer No Service My thanks to Clark Howard for this month's editorial title. It just seemed perfect for my story. (Clark is a radio talk show host who gives out wonderful and useful consumer advice.) http://clarkhoward.com/ I am leaving out many details and names as this involves an ongoing situation. A few months ago a lie was told to an FBI agent in Michigan. The person telling the lie was a trusted source who the agent had worked with before. He had no reason to doubt what he was told. However, as far as I can tell, the person telling the lie was simply passing on information that he had been told and never checked out. I didn't know about this until months after the warrant was issued. The lie could have easily been disproved and the FBI should never have been involved. The Federal warrant, complete with at least one false statement, launched a nation wide manhunt and expended many, many man-hours by well-intentioned police officers who had much more important things to do! I know because four of them surrounded my home, here in Atlanta, and then searched it looking for the persons listed in the warrant. When I finally got to see the warrant, I discovered the error. I thought it would be a simple matter to call and have it corrected. Silly me, I was about to enter into "Customer No Service Land!" I called the office in Michigan where the warrant was written. I spoke with the agent that wrote the warrant. He was polite and explained the process to me. When he finished I told him that part of his warrant was untrue. I "politely" asked the procedure to file a report to have the person or persons who lied to him held accountable for their actions. He immediately became defensive and belligerent. He said he couldn't care less and it didn't matter because he could have written the warrant anyway. He offered to let me speak to his supervisor. I declined, as I've learned I can't trust anyone in that part of Michigan. I then started calling FBI offices around the country, hoping that one of them would tell me where I could file my complaint. Every one of them acted the same way. I would contact an office and before I could get out two sentences, I would be stopped and asked where the problem occurred. As soon as I said Michigan, they would tell me to call Michigan and that was the end of their involvement. I decided to go to the top. I wrote to President Bush and asked for a referral to the agency or person to whom I could file my complaint. I eventually received a nice letter from the White House saying they had referred me to HHS for action. Didn't sound right, but I "assumed" they knew what they were doing. Five weeks after I sent my original letter I received what amounted to a form letter from the HHS telling me to contact certain agencies in Michigan. Right back where I started from. Five weeks wasted. I wrote back to the White House and told them what happened. Hopefully, they will read my letter this time. I called the Whitehouse switchboard and got nowhere. They wouldn't listen. So, I kept calling. I finally got an operator that let me speak. She said I needed to talk with the Justice Department and connected me. The person at the Justice Department cut me off, refused to give me his name, and said I had to contact my local FBI office. I called them and left a voice mail. They haven't returned my call. Even if they do, I will be told to contact Michigan. Now I was really getting mad! Is this the kind of customer service our taxes are paying for? I know they are busy, but there is such a thing as courtesy and I experienced very little of it. Thank goodness for Google. I finally found out why the FBI won't talk to me. They don't do their own investigations. Investigations are done by another agency. I've contacted them and filed my written complaint. We'll see what happens. You're probably wondering how this has anything to do with you and your children. As I've been going through this I started thinking about how the people I've been asking to help have treated me. Just like I was a child who had no clue what I was talking about. They refused to listen, cut me off, and then told me where to go based on their few seconds of hearing what I started to say. I've run into the same problem speaking with lawyers. They know best. They will not shut up and let you tell even a portion of your story before they break in and change the subject. They treat you like a child. When your children come to you with a problem do you let them form their thoughts and get everything out before you jump in with your wisdom and superior knowledge? Do they get to the point that they know if they don't blurt it all out at once, they won't be able to tell their story? I know it's hard to let them speak without jumping in. But, think back. Has it happened to you? Do you know someone like that? I do, it's me. At least it used to be me with certain adults. I would mentally race ahead of what the person was saying and cut him or her off. I was way ahead of them because I knew them. It drove them nuts. I just got some of my own medicine and I didn't like it! Next time a little one tries to tell you something, get a cup of coffee, tea or juice and try letting them get it all out. You both may be pleasantly surprised at the result of your conversation. P.S. If any of you know an investigative reporter who is looking for a great story please give him or her my name. I have a good one for him and this is only a very small piece of this ongoing story. And now for this months sites: PhotoStamps (Personalized Postage Stamps) You've got to give the U.S. Postal Service credit for trying something new. It's worked in other countries and may work here. Take a picture, send it to their authorized vendor Stamps.com and you will get back real postage with your picture on the stamp. I haven't received any yet, but you can get them. They are more expensive then regular postage, but would make a cute gift for new parents or grandparents. If you do buy them, please let me know what you think of this new product. http://photo.stamps.com/ Put Your Picture on a Watch Robin Bowers emailed me about this site and highly recommended it. Here's her review: "I wanted to let you know about another great company online. It's called ewatchfactory.com. They have the coolest watches that you can put pictures on. They even engrave the backs of the watches. Their prices are reasonable too! Right on their website you can design the watch and see your uploaded image on the face of the watch you choose! I ordered one with a picture of myself and my children for my husband's birthday as a surprise gift, but I was the one surprised! I really expected it to be a "cheesy" watch that he may wear to church one Sunday morning to appease the kids. It really is nice! (She also stated she has no connection, other than as a customer, with this company or website.) Thanks for the nice review and recommendation Robin. http://ewd4.ewatchfactory.com/wreq=ewdenter&sctx=ewf Best of History Web Sites Help with Johnny or Sarah's History Assignments "Best of History Web Sites is an award-winning portal created for history teachers, students, and general history enthusiasts. BOHWS contains annotated links to over 1000 history web sites as well links to hundreds of quality K-12 history lesson plans, history teacher guides, history activities, history games, history quizzes, and more throughout its pages." http://besthistorysites.net/index.shtml All About Nuts ". Browse the nut growing information, recipes, links to nurseries and growers where you may obtain tree seedlings of all the nuts grown in PA. These include black walnuts, almonds, carpthian walnuts, pecans, hazel nuts, hickory and chestnuts." Could be an interesting rainy day project. http://pnga.net/ Fun Things to Do A safe, fun, interactive site for you to visit with your kids. Wholesome activities for the entire family. http://pbskids.org/ Lewis and Clark's 200th Anniversary "Two hundred years ago, an incredible journey of exploration and mapping of the unknown took place in the United States: the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery Expedition. The bicentennial commemoration of this journey began in 2003 and continues into 2006." Every child should learn about this part of our history. http://www.esri.com/lewisandclark/welcome.html That's it for this month. We still have a lot going on with our grandchildren which continues to take up much of our time. My October and November newsletters will feature as many unique personalized sites as I can fit in. Should give you a nice shopping list of personalized products to choose from. Hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday. My best wishes to everyone in Florida including my parents who, at least report, are riding out the storm on Florida's West coast. C U in October Ron Nixon RWR Innovations We Make Reading Fun Again! Issue: 9/1//2004 ISSN #: 1543-9275 Note: The websites in this newsletter are listed because I find them interesting and have value to parents and children. They have not paid money or given me anything to be mentioned. Permission is given to reproduce the complete text of the article listed at the top of each newsletter as long as credit is given to: Ron Nixon, Innovations Newsletter, http://rwrinnovations.com/mailing_list.htm Home Page RWR Innovations Personalized Books make great fund raisers. Personalized Children's Books P.O. Box 460939 Papillion NE 68046-0939 770-850-1400 (Atlanta) 402-592-9199 (Omaha) 877-402-7167 (Toll Free) Best time is 3-11 P.M. (EDT) or 9 AM to 9 PM on weekends Webmaster: Ron Nixon wa8zde@bellsouth.net 3807 Shadowood Parkway SE Atlanta GA 30339-2301 770-850-1400 Site Map 9/1/2004 |