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Better English 101
Tips from the Big Apple
6 May 08
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-- Email from the Marriott
-- Cab Driver Gives Credit
-- Cookies at the Doubletree
-- Blank Business Cards -- Sorry Is Still a Great Phrase
I was in New York City for the Authors Guild Dinner in
May and want to share some instances of thoughtful
communications. |
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Email from the Marriott ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Before I even left Maryland, here was an email from
the assistant manager at an eastside Marriott hotel.
He welcomed my upcoming stay. And attached to the
email were several nice bits of information--a list of
New York City tours, a list of nearby restaurants,
parking information, and travel directions from
airports. The best ideas are the simplest. But how many hotels have bothered to share useful information like this with their incoming guests? And imagine the various ways to improve on this idea. He did miss one thing. The business center was free and open 24 hours. I didn't learn that until I had arrived and went snooping around. I don't know about you, but I think a free business center open 24-7 is too awesome, man. And the computer monitor was 22 inches!
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Cab Driver Gives Credit ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So the cab driver who has picked up my wife and me
from the train station goes three blocks beyond the
92nd Street Marriott. But he apologizes, and turns off
his meter until we arrive. What could I do but increase
my tip? Can you remember the times when a cab driver made a mistake that cost you four dollars more in fare and didn't give a hoot?
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Cookies at the Doubletree ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After our first night, we decide to move closer to
midtown. We leave the Marriott and check into the
Doubletree. We don't expect that our room will be ready since we arrive before noon. But the desk attendant tells us that there is a room available--nicer than the one that had been assigned to us. That's a pleasant surprise for sure. But then she reaches down, welcomes us, and hands us two thick warm cookies in individual bags! "My friends," Senator McCain would say, "those cookies were good." "Let me say this," Senator Obama would say, "they were some tasty cookies." Too bad we don't have reciprocal modes of thank-you communications. I wished I had brought a copy of one of my books to give her in thanks. Plus, it would be great advertising for that title. Or maybe we should always carry something--a thank-you gift or memento--when we travel. Or maybe somebody should develop that product. How about a personalized bag of jelly beans with a message like, "Thanks for the great service from Joe's Computer Back-Up. We protect all your data remotely." I can see Joe running after the mail person in thanks every morning.
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Blank Business Cards ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay, I want to go to the dinner in "light" mode, so I
take only my license and a credit card. So what
happened? I forgot to bring my business cards, I
discover as the first person I meet at the bar (cocktails
before dinner, you know how authors drink) describes
himself as an agent. And I don't have a business card.
I write my name and phone number on a Marriott Hotel
pad.Later I confess to Julie, a well-organized professional on the Authors Guild staff, that I have no cards. She has a solution. She has blank business cards! What an idea. Keep blank cards for all those occasions where he forgot his cards. "Here," you say, "write down your info on this blank card."
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Sorry Is Still a Great Phrase ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A gorgeous TV commentator came over to me after
the dinner. She apologized for asking me to remove
from my web site a photograph taken at last year's
dinner of her and her husband. I had assumed that she had concerns about personal security. No, she explained, she hadn't thought it was a good photograph of her. She thought that she looked drunk. I protested that indeed she looked her usual beautiful self. Then she finally admitted that the real reason was vanity. She was sorry, and she just wanted to apologize for not having given me a clear reason. The great communication lesson that she illustrates is that we should answer this question sometimes after a statement or act: did it have an effect that I hadn't intended? If so, is an apology a good way of explaining?
Best wishes, |
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Quick Links... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Contact Information ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email:
barry@beckhamhouse.com
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