Category Archives: Modern Marketing

Gadzooks! Some GOOD Management Stories!

Wouldnya know it? Hot on the heels of my recent management kickin’ (see previous post), along comes BHP with an announcement that they are buying back the homes of the Ravensthorpe nickel mine workers they laid off a couple of weeks back. The value of the homes had plummeted after BHP’s decision to abandon mining in the region, which they had previously flagged was guaranteed to prosper for at least 25 years.

Not only that – BHP are intending to provide financial support to businesses in Hopetoun and Ravensthorpe likely to suffer from the inevitable exodus of mine workers and their families. This doesn’t make them heroes. Shit, they are merely acknowledging their moral responsibility to the folk they misled with their 25 year mine guarantee assurances. But it’s something, at least, that they’ve taken some honourable action without the stimulus of legal action to help them on their way.

THEN, we have good ol’ Richard Branson’s response to the now-famous letter of complaint from a passenger about in-flight food during a Virgin flight from Mumbai to Heathrow. Evidently, Branson phoned his disgruntled client personally, apologised with a double topping of charm, and offered the bloke employment as a food and wine selector for future Virgin flights!

Mind you, looking at the passenger’s pic of the offending vittles, Branson’s shoe-shuffling charm offensive was very much required!

Virgin food 1
ERK!
Virgin food 2
…and ERK again!!

Anyway, that’s how it’s done, all you management bozos out there. There is always a win-win solution. And working to find it is always worth the effort.

Related posts:

  • Why Should The Taxpayer Save Ravensthorpe and Hopetoun?
  • AntiSpywareBOT – Another ‘Free’ Software Con

    I’m pissed off!

    I did some way overdue computer housekeeping today. Having satisfied myself long ago via various tech-savvy sources that Norton and McAfee suck and that the best of the free anti-virus/anti-spyware programs – AVG, Adaware and Spybot Search and Destroy – do the job just fine, I set about the once-routine task of running all three, clearing the cache, deleting temp and internet files, running Disk Cleanup, defragging…

    I used to be diligent with this stuff and do it weekly. But bit by bit, I’ve returned to my default state of slackness. Dunno when I last ran Spybot Search and Destroy, but when I tried to update it I discovered it had been replaced with AntiSpywareBOT.

    Not to worry. Spybot Search and Destroy is one of the good guys. No tricks. A quality program. And free when they say they’re free. It’s right there on their home page. See?

    antispyware-bot-site.jpg
    [click to enlarge]

    Without hesitation, I accepted the free download invitation, then ran the program as instructed. Spunky new skin. Nice. Let’s put this baby through its paces. I selected the C drive, clicked on ‘Scan’, watched for a minute to make sure it was working, and went off to lunch. Continue reading AntiSpywareBOT – Another ‘Free’ Software Con

    Ramsay – Unworthy of The F Word

    Gordon Ramsay has claimed ownership of the F word. How, in a time where it’s all but lost its cojones through excessive use? Well, by even more excessive use! Excessive for TV, that is.

    I know a couple of women who make Ramsay look quite proper. Ah yes, I do like a woman who swears. But it has to be a certain type of swearing that issues from a certain type of woman. Rough, coarse cussing coming from someone who knows no better is just – well, rough and coarse. Crass. And a turnoff. But a woman who is capable of bunging on a polite act in public, who knows something of sophistication but rejects it – or even better, retains it against the odds as she lets fly with mouthfuls of Chaucer’s best – that’s a potent and wondrous proposition. Continue reading Ramsay – Unworthy of The F Word