melonie gallegos dot com

Here's the worst case scenario of customer experience that follows the same annoying wasteful practices and will piss your customer off. Maybe even cause attrition vs grow your business. Blu Cross...

Letter 1: Dear Melonie, we've significantly raised you're insurance rates. If you don't like it, cancel. Love, The VP

Letter 2 (received about 1week later): Dear Melonie, Did your company recently raise your insurance rates in this horrible economy, blah blah blah we can save you money...love, some marketing director

Snail mail marketing come join us in 2010, there is magic and wonderment awaiting you.

...and why we bounced. It was quite the ordeal getting out. The bleachers were strategically placed near the porta potties in the back lot valet and it was raining so the stars didn't even stop to look at us as they rushed from their cars to the carpet. Yet we were instructed by the ever so friendly production leaders to scream on command, and look excited. The closest I got was Vanesa Williams back. There was no shelter and the snacks and refreshment promised consisted of bottled water in melted ice located under the bleachers in the rain. Water sounds yummy when your soaking wet.

Our VIP experience continued on the way out (our badge reads red carpet bleachers vip access). After explaining to several security drones that we had not been 'kicked out' (as they had threatened to do to us if we didn't stay in a tight group or try anything in the VIP welcome speach) but were leaving by choice with about twenty other bleacher abandoners, they blocked off the star arrivals as not to mix royalty with the commoners so we could walk down the driveway to the street to await the shuttle out. There the group waited together in the rain while security figured out how to coordinate the shuttle and gave us a friendly farewell speach about not trying to sneak back into the carpet because it "wouldn't be pretty". Still in denial a bit about us voluntarily leaving their event

20mins later we're soggy n soaking wet walking a new york block as they'd directed us to look for the shuttle outside the hotel property. Nobody was really sure where the shuttle was landing, but hey they got us off the property so their job was done.

20mins later we're calling a cab from Starbucks and spot the shuttle at the stop sign. Waved it down.

TGIStarbucks

I've heard people pay for this, something like $2k Luckily I will not be fighting for my refund because we were guests of NBC San Diego, thank you NBC. It was nice in theory and not your fault the event was managed this way.

At the moment I'm in LA traffic heading home to SD hoping to catch the Golden Globes on tv. So far I've seen one police chase and one accident involving an overturned truck on the hwy. Carrying the same feeling I leave LA with every single time, man I 'm glad I live in San Diego.

If you were on the red carpet what star would you want to see?

1. Text Message a Donation

It's effortless, takes 1 minute and will show up on your phone bill. You'll never notice it.

RED CROSS is Accepting Text Donation
How to donate: Text "HAITI" to "90999" to donate $10 instantly or click on the link for other options.

•   The Red Cross is accepting donations for the Haiti earthquake
• You can donate with your cell phone here is what you need to do:
  • Text "HAITI" to "90999" and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts, charged to your cell phone bill.

Yele Haiti is Accepting Text Donations
How to donate: SOS text "Yele" to 501501

•  Wyclef Jean's Foundation Yele Haiti is accepting donations right now.
• Here is how to donate:
  
  • SOS text "Yele" to 501501
    You will be charged $5 and this $5 will be a donation to earthquake victims in haiti.

2. Donate On the Web

Choose your own monetary denomination over a TRUSTED, secure website. Be aware of scams stick to familiar organizations with a good rep. Charity Navigator is a good source to find charities that have been rated and reviewed, it event includes a revenue break down: http://www.charitynavigator.org/

UNICEF is Accepting Online Donations for Haiti

visit www.unicefusa.org/haitiquake

Red Cross is Accepting Donations Online for Haiti

visit www.american.redcross.org

3. Donate PR - It's Free

Your word is valuable. Spread the word and share information with your family and friends on how they can help. If you are strapped for cash as many of us are, this is is just as valuable if not more than any single donation. Email it, Facebook it, Tweet it, or what ever you do to communicate to your peeps. One word can affect change one hundred fold. Here are news sources to keep your horn up-to-date.

Haiti 911

visit www.earthquake.haiti911.com for a mash up of news, donation programs, and a forum where people are joining together to learn more and help.

Advertising Free Updates on the Relief Effort

visit the American Red Cross Newsroom for constant updates

More Comprehensive with Advertising

visit Haiti earthquake: News updates CNN.com

Last night I dreamed that I was in Burj Khalifa the tallest building in the world when the cold reality hit of what a dangerous place it was and the sacrifices it took to build it. Then I was stuck in a public bathroom with noone to protect me and had to walk back out into the crowded building as everyone celebrated and happily carried on. I woke up feeling so sad for what people do to others for materialism.

This story haunts me The Dark Side of Dubai

The death of ones child is horrific, what makes me even sadder is the tendency for people to feed on others pain.