What's the deal with Reality TV?

Tonight M-Net airs the first episode of SA's version of Celebrity Survivor. I've never really been a big Survivor fan, but I'm going to watch this one purely for the celebrity factor. Where else will we get to see Cindy Nell and Christina Storm roughing it? I personally cannot wait! Wait a minute, it's still early and I'm already wishing it was 7.30pm - what's wrong with me? The same thing happened on Sunday afternoon with the first episode of American Idol. How do these reality shows suck us in, keep us hooked, and have us eagerly awaiting the next episode - as if we have no life of our own?

This got me thinking of all the reality shows I've watched over the past few years, and there are plenty! I blame DSTV, which now fortunately (or unfortunately) I don't have. I've narrowed down my favourits and least favourites. Which ones did you love, which did you hate, and which kept you unashamedly glued to your screen?

   My all time "glued-to-the-screen" favourites:
- American Idol:  Two words - Simon Cowell
- The Apprentice:  Got to love Donald Trump and his famous "You're fired!" line.
- Punk'd:  America's version of Leon Schuster, only better!
- Wife Swap:  Is anything better than a Christian mom who trades with a Goth mom?!
- Extreme Makeover - Home Edition:  Love, love, love this show!
- Momma's Boys:  32 women, 3 single men.....and their mothers! Need I say more?

   When there's really nothing better on TV:
- Fear Factor:  Creepy, disgusting, scary - pretty entertaining when you're in the mood for it.
- America's Next Top Model:  Two words - cat fights!
- The Biggest Loser:  Great motivation to stop eating those little cup cakes.
- The Bachelor:  People trying to find love on TV...something's just not right here.

  You couldn't pay me to sit through these!
- The Swan:  Plastic surgery + highlights + contact lenses = happiness. I think not.
- Big Brother Africa.  Boring, boring, boring. Bring back Ferdi, Brad and Margaret!
- Cheaters:  If you've seen one episode, you've seen them all.

Ok M-Net, now you've got our attention, I know I'll be watching you later. With all the hype around this Celebrity Survivor, let's hope it lives up to the expectations. Tonight, 7.30pm - let the games begin!

The good, the bad and the ugly

A friendly smile, a polite nod, an "I don't care" attitude and then the really ugly, over the top height of rudeness. From the chatty petrol attendant, to the arrogant woman behind the pharmacy counter; these are people who either make your day, or break the cheery mood you left home with.

I've worked in customer service and I know how hard it is to put on a smile when you're really upset or in a bad mood, but you do it; that's the job and you get on with it. So why should I have to greet the Checker's cashier first, ask for a bag and say "thank you" with a smile, when I get none of that in return? On the other end of the scale, there's my favourite petrol station. It doesn't matter what time of day I go, I'm always greeted with a smile on arrival, and leave with a few cheerful words that often include; "Have a good day!" These petrol attendants are in the sweltering heat in the summer, and the freezing cold in the winter, but do you see them moaning, rolling their eyes or giving attitude? Never. It amazes me sometimes that we're still trying to get out of this recession and people are either struggling to find jobs or are getting retrenched, and yet you get attitude and rudeness from people who couldn't care less.

As someone who continously tries to give really good service, I expect nothing less than this when I go out. Most of the time I'm disappointed, but sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised at getting a bit of excellent service! I'd like to introduce you to one of my favourite websites, and one of the best sites I've ever come across. The next time you get lip from that cranky shop assistant, or great service from the bank manageress who has gone the extra mile; let your fingers do the talking here. The site I'm talking about is www.hellopeter.com. The best part about this site is that most of the suppliers or stores you choose to complain about come back to you, either with an apology and a promise to improve their services, or they offer a discount or free product as a way of making amends. I've used this website for complaints and compliments from time to time when someone has either really amazed, or really horrified me with their service, and I can without a doubt say that it's one of the best sites for consumers. That said, I'm ending off with a few personal "thank you's" from the past few weeks:

Thanks to:
The Assistant at ABSA Bank in Tygervalley who pulled me out of a long queue to deposit my cheque with her directly just after Christmas 2009.
The staff at Vines Pharmacy in Aurora, Durbanville who have successfully ensured that I will never set foot in their outlet again.
The waitors at Dros, who were on the ball but not overbaring that particular evening.
The attendants at Kenridge Petrol station who always have a smile and a friendly attitude.

Have you had any really good or bad experiences recently?

Kate Zabriskie puts things into perspective with this quote:

"Although your customers won’t love you if you give bad service, your competitors will."

Shopping Online vs Malls

I had the pleasure of visiting many a shopping malls over the festive season, and have come to a simple conclusion: SHOP ONLINE!

Why? The list is endless, but here's my two cents.

My job ensures that I spend at least half my day flying in and out of retail shops, factory outlets and malls so I thought I'd share with you what I've discovered...

ONLINE SHOPPING - THE PROS
1. No getting up super early to find good parking.
2. Not having to avoid the really annoying makeup, perfume and any other promoters.
3. No people bumping into you with their bags, trolleys or huge baby prams.
4. No feeling bad for not having change to pay the friendly person who needs a donation.
5. No feeling bad for not being able to give change to the blind guy with the dog.
6. No people randomly stopping in mid aisle to having a fat chat with a long lost friend.
7. No rude cashiers whose faces would crack if they attempted a smile.
8. No sales people harrasing you the minute you enter their store.
9. No wondering around aimlessly without a sales person in sight to assist you.
10. No standing in long queues.
11. No listening to staff scream and shout at each other.
12. No hearing customers getting uppity because their favourite item is sold out.
13. No having to listen to kids throwing tantrums while their mothers ignore them.
14. No fighting over a much needed last item with another customer.
15. No having to listen to strange store music (which isn't bad half the time).
16. No appologising to the parking attendant when you really don't carry change.
17. No driving home hot, exhausted and in a bad mood from all of the above.
18. Lastly, no having to put on makeup, do hair or change out of PJ's!


ONLINE SHOPPING - THE CONS
1. You can't touch or smell a product.

Online Shopping vs Malls - 18 to 1. What more can I say, other than I cannot wait till inventors come up with something for that last con, so that I never have to set foot in a mall again! ;)

The beginning

This is it. My very first blog entry, so welcome! Thanks for taking the time to read it, and I promise to keep it as short and sweet as possible.

If you didn't already know, Social networks have grown BIG in the last couple of years. If you're not on Facebook or Twitter, people start to wonder what's wrong with you. If you have a business and you're not on one of these networks, you're in for some huge competition - because this is we're are all headed. Now it looks like the next big thing is blogging. So here I am, my first New Years resolution crossed off the list - what a relief!

It's a little intimidating trying to come up with something interesting as a first blog, but I've settled for a very quick introduction of who I am and what my blogs are going to be about.

Short and sweet. That almost sums me up....almost. Most people don't see the other side, which usually works quite well for me in some situations. Creative, dreamer, animal lover, romantic, impatient, persistent and impulsive. These are just a few words that describe me. I've worked in the Admin & Accounts fields in a variety of positions, for close to 7 years trying to work my way up to that perfect job. A job that combined both creativity and administration with room for growth - but sadly that never happened. In January 2009 I decided I wanted more, I needed more - not only for me but for the sake of my family and friends aswell. It's no picnic for anyone close to you when you're in a job that stresses you out all the time, or that you don't particularly enjoy. It was a "now or never" moment, and time to take that leap of faith and start my own creative business - a huge risk and something alot of people would consider out of character for me, but if you don't know me - that's what I do! Here's some of what you can expect from my upcomming blogs:

* Small business and social media tips, advice and trends doing the rounds.
* Latest movies and series, and the odd bit of Hollywood.(I'm a bit of a TV junkie).
* Travel, dancing and food - good places and news of interest.
* Shopping and service - this is part of my job, I spot deals, new products and places to try or avoid.
* And any other general topic of interest

And, that's it. Blog #1 finished, done, finnito! Short and sweet.