Monday, July 21, 2008

Its the little things.

How the heck are you?
Well I am back from vacation. As you already know I was in the west coast of Florida from Sunday to Wednesday, then home for one day, then off to the AGD annual meeting from Thursday to Sunday.
Wow do I have a lot to tell you.
Well, we are home now. We are broke and tired and I have to go to work tomorrow.
Tell me why we went of vacation again.

We went to a place called the Colony in Longboat Key.
In its hey day the Colony was the country's #1 rated tennis resort of about 10 years running.
We went there about 10 years ago and were very pleased.
This time was a bit different.

The place was obviously resting on its laurels.
This was a place that thought it was a Tier IV resort that was giving a Tier II product and service. See Tier Dentistry blog.
The rooms were very outdated. The carpet was old and the furniture was old. Awesome 70's pastel colors on the walls. You know, it just needed a little updating.
Not that we planned to spend a lot of time in the room but when it rains from 8am to 4pm you are kind of forced to be in your room.

Okay so the days we were not in the room (it only rained once) we went to the beach and pool.
The beach... well it was the beach.
I am being a little knit picky but the umbrellas were like 40 yards from the water. So we couldn't use the umbrellas and watch the kids. Not a big deal but...it's the little things.
Like the little things at our offices that we think of all the time to try to make a better experiences for our patients.

They advertise in there handout that there is snorkeling available, just ask.
I went to the little bar that you rent and reserve things from. I asked about snorkeling. Well, it turns out there is no guide and no set time. The snorkeling that we advertise is we give you a snorkel and mask and you go out and do it on your own.
Wellll, Okaaayyyy.
I guess I will take my two older kids out. I say, "Can I get three snorkels and masks?"
He says, "Well we don't have any masks or snorkels."
What?!!
Yeah, over the July 4th holiday they had a lot of guests and after the holiday they have been wiped out.
Not my problem. I don't care what you guys were doing a couple of weeks ago.
GO OUT AND BUY SOME.
The pool was grungy.
I mean, am I being unreasonable to want things that are advertised.
Its the little things.

It is a beach facility and there are condos everywhere. There are wood walkways everywhere.
I was walking on one of these decks and stubbed my toe on a nail sticking up about 3/4 of an inch.
I mean you have wood decks with screws in them. You have people walking in beach attire on these decks, which sometimes means barefoot. This is something that should be a concern for the maintenance people.
Its the little things.
There is more, but I have to go, the wife and I have a doctors appointment.
I took some photos that I want to show you. But I have my camera here but the cord is at the office.
I will show you these pictures tomorrow.

I watched Rambo last night. It wasn't bad. There was alot of killing but the movie was like 88 minutes long. I hate movies that are short.
I have 10,000 B.C. and plan on watching tonight.
I am more than half-way through Black Hawk Down. It is very intense. I find my leg shaking as I am reading it because I can't wait to get to the next line.
I will finish it soon. It is not as good as Lone Survivor. It is about 100 men as oppose to 4 men with Lone Survivor. So the book is all over the place and you forget who the characters are that you are reading about.
Maybe it is not suppose to take you a month to read this book.

Talk to you later, maybe tomorrow (with the pictures).
john

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

How about holding on to 10,000 BC for a few more days so the Ghost can watch it. My vacation is next week....Batman perhaps?

Anonymous said...

John,

30 years from now, it will still be "the little things". Just another twist on the adage "the devil is in the details". When, oh when, will we ever learn that outstanding sevice begins and ends with the customer, one customer at a time.

I'm reminded of the time many years ago after having returned to this area from overseas. I saw my old fraternity brother who was in the last stages of dental school. I asked him what he had been doing recently. "Oral surgery!", he replied. "Oh", I recoiled, in fright. If you knew him, you would recoil too! To which he replied in a very nonchalant manner, "See one, do one." It is always 'the next one'. The next patient, the next partner, the next needy person who wants something and who is willing to trade something of value to get it: OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE. And our decisions are always a CHOICE! Unless we take them for granted, take them for a ride, ignore them, yada yada.

Enjoy your blog. It's like having a live, 'story-book' friend.

Kyle DeLoach
Life Coach to Professional Men and Women

gatordmd said...

Kyle,
I appreciate our virtual friendship too.
I appreciate all that you add to the blog.
I am glad you are enjoying it and I hope you hang around for as long as I do it.
john

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