Can I get some "Personality" with that, Please?

I just finished reading an article: Baby Boomer Generation wants Good Service and it became the inspiration for today’s blog.

First of all, I’m a stickler about good, quality customer service. As a baby boomer who grew up during a time when customer service was so important to the success of a business, I refuse to accept anything less. My attitude is if you work in that industry then it is YOUR JOB to see that I get the kind of service I deserve. No, this doesn’t mean following me around a department store to see if I’m going to steal anything; but it does mean making sure that I can find what I’m looking for and do it with some enthusiasm.

The other day I was in the check-out line of Food Lion and the young cashier obviously had an attitude for some reason. No greeting---no smile….she didn’t even acknowledge that I was standing there---other than when it was time to tell me my total. Upon leaving the store, I told her if she felt the same the next day, she needed to call out sick. She gave me the evil eye---as if to say, “Who do you think you’re talking to?” It was apparent that she was never taught how to deal with the public.

But you know what? The negative attitude isn’t limited to young people. Members of my fellow baby boomer generation and post boomers could also learn a thing or two about quality customer service. I was in the hospital waiting room area just yesterday when a so-called “older” patient advocate ignored me as I stood at the reception desk waiting for some assistance. He was piddling around doing nothing while another (younger) advocate was trying to multi-task by answering the phones and waiting on the people at the desk. Suddenly, he decided to ask me if he could help me. My response was, “Now, I know you saw me standing here all this time. So if you’re just now asking me if you can help me, FORGET IT! I’ll just wait for this woman to get off the phone.” Then I took his name and reported him to his supervisor. But I also gave a wonderful compliment about the woman who bent over backwards to assist me and others in the waiting room area.

Any business that wants to win this baby boomer’s business has to not only create new and different ways to help me realize its value; but these companies must be more prudent in hiring people who want to make them look good.

I’d love to hear about your customer service experiences. (Maybe it’s just because of where I live).

One Size DOES NOT Fit All

Just because you’re older doesn’t mean you can’t get a sexually transmitted disease. As a matter of fact, more than ten percent of all new U.S. AIDS cases are now in people over the age of 50. In the last few years, new AIDS cases rose faster in middle-aged and older people than in people under the age of 40.

In older women, sexual activity has been the most common cause of HIV infection, followed by infection from a blood transfusion before 1985. Women and men are equally responsible for protecting themselves before engaging in sexual intimacy.

The problem is some older men feel condoms are not for them. On top of that, some health professionals say they are regularly confronted by men's complaints that condoms do not fit, or that they are uncomfortable. Correct condom use is critical for preventing unwanted pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmissible infections (STI), yet an Indiana University study found that study participants who reported problems with the fit and feel of condoms were also among those who reported the highest rates of condoms breaking and slipping.

Although condoms remain one of the most effective means of preventing both unintended pregnancies and sexually transmissible infections (STI) such as chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV. Ensuring that men and women use condoms consistently and correctly, however, is often a challenge. In addition, discussing penis size or condom issues with a healthcare practitioner can be challenging for many men.

One size DOES NOT Fit All: In the Indiana University study, a substantial number of men reported a variety of problems with the fit and feel of condoms. Specifically, 21 percent reported that condoms felt too tight; 18 percent reported that condoms felt too short; 10 percent reported that condoms felt too loose; and 7 percent reported that condoms felt too long.

So what is the answer? Viagra advertisers need to stop encouraging the former Woodstock- free love baby boomer generation to get it on and, perhaps, work with condom manufacturers to get it right.