Whew… it has been one crazy week!

In fact since this past Monday I feel like my life has been playing out in front of me like a double feature of sorts… Planes Trains and Automobiles meets Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Between travel for speeches & consulting work and happy & sad personal celebrations (weddings & funerals) my recent schedule has been full & frenzied with little free time to fan the flames of Facebook, Blogs, Links or Tweets.

When I finally sat down tonight to do some bookwork and total the donations I had collected for the John & Mary Bichelmeyer Tribute Site this week I realized that while I had been focused on going from moment to moment of late the moments had been adding up to a milestone that is pretty great and frankly worth bragging or at least blogging about!

Drum roll please…… WE DID IT!

We hit the $10K Donation mark at the www.HeartsWeLeaveBehind.com John & Mary Bichelmeyer American Heart Association Tribute Site!!!

We set the goal on the day we launched the site November 9, 2009 (my Mom’s Birthday) and we hit it on the anniversary of my Dad’s Birthday… July 18, 2010!

As tired as I am right now I am not sure what to make of all of this… I just know that I am going to bed tonight bursting with pride and gratitude to all who have helped me keep my parents legacy alive in such a heartfelt and meaningful way.

What a gift!

Once again… THANK YOU to all for visiting this site and Happy Birthday Dad!!

Always the Butcher’s Daughter…

Mary B. Lucas, B.D.

Mid-Week Food for Thought & Inspiration!

While flying Southwest Airlines this afternoon I picked up the July issue of the in-flight magazine Spirit and found a quote in an article that I wanted to share.

In the magazines "Advisory" section "kindred spirit Richard Wiseman" the author of the book 59 Seconds was quoted and credited for "distilling dozens of simple, practical tips that one can apply in a minute or less". These "scientifically proven methods" the article went on to say are "designed to fit anywhere on your calendar".

So on this particular Wednesday aka "Hump Day" I decided to share the following excerpt that made me SMILE and hopefully will have the same effect on you.

"In a classic study, researchers asked one group of people to furrow their brows while another group adopted a slight grin. These simple acts of facial contortion had a surprisingly significant effect on mood. The group that smiled reported feeling happier than the people who frowned. The study proved that people don’t just smile when they feel happy, but also feel happy because they smile".

So there you have it... the thought for the day... Say Cheese Please!



Clipart Courtesy of: clipart-for-free.blogspot.com/2008/08/smiley-...

Don’t Forget the Comeback Sauce!

I got a message from an old friend and colleague yesterday (just to clarify… our friendship is old she is not) sharing a story about a not so great customer service experience she had recently.

In her message she said…

I was thinking of you the other day and wished for a printed recipe card for your "Comeback Sauce".

I was at the tire dealer seeking a tire for our trailer. Side note - we are going to NJ to pick up some of the last items from my Dad's estate and thought a spare would be a good idea. Well one guy behind the counter was helping someone and the other counter person was on the phone looking for tires from another dealer or ??.

No problem they are busy and I am happy to wait. I'm patiently waiting and the phone guy hangs up, but he doesn't acknowledge me and proceeds to make a few more calls. Now I can understand if he said I'll be with you in a moment or how can I help or something before he proceeds to get back on phone.

At that point I felt like I had on my invisible cape, of course borrowed from Harry Potter. After another 5 minutes of being invisible I just left. Needless to say I won't be back at that place of business.

After the wonderful years of working with you, I thought boy they need some Comeback Sauce and wouldn't it be fun to leave them a recipe card!

Those words of wisdom continue ...

Do you think they would get it?

How many times have you wanted to do that?"

Now… I know that I have been adamant about the fact that The Butcher Block Exchange is a place to share inspirational food for thought and you might be asking yourself what is inspirational about sharing a not so great service story like this one?

Well… the inspiration for me came a result of noodling on her experience while drafting a response to her questions.

Below is a copy of my detailed reply for your consideration and consumption.

Hi there…

Hmmm… your message IS interesting Food for Thought!

The first thought I had after reading your post was… my Dad would be so proud that you are quoting him!

Next thought… I am sorry you had such a frustrating service experience… unfortunately these days I am finding that you are not alone and yes I have felt the same way many times.

I actually have had numerous Lunchmeat & Life Lessons readers ask what "a recipe for Comeback Sauce” might look like and as a result I put one together that I often share when speaking about the book.

So… here goes… the recipe for Comeback Sauce is:

Comeback Sauce Recipe

1. One Part Recognition
2. One Part Connection
3. Add a Dose of the Unexpected
4. Pour on Liberally & Often

If you would like to know a few more secrets behind the sauce you can check out the YouTube link below:

http://www.youtube.com/maryblucas#p/u/7/sKOcFOTfJmg

Can you just imagine the difference in the interaction you had if the people you mentioned would have followed the recipe above?

Instead of the frustrating experience you detailed in your message I am thinking your exchange might have played out more like this?

ONE PART RECOGNITION:

You walked in to the dealership and the employee on the phone looks up at you acknowledging that you entered the room and he smiles at you holding up his finger and mouths the words “I will be right with you… hang in there with me ok?” and gestures for you to take a seat.

The other guy helping the customer smiles as well and says “thanks for coming in” and something like “I am with a customer just now so Joe here will be with you shortly”.

ONE PART CONNECTION:

While waiting for the “phone guy” to end his conversation you look around the dealership and you continue to be acknowledged while he is winding up the phone call with eye contact, a nod, a smile and some gesture like “hang in there I am winding up the conversation right now”.

The other guy continues to work with his customer and keeps looking over his shoulder to make sure you are ok. “Phone guy” finishes the call with some comment like… “Thank’s for calling I promise we will take good care of you when you come in so I hope to see you soon” and you get a good feeling about him from the interaction you just over heard. He hangs up the phone stands up and walks over to greet you warmly with another smile and an extended hand and says “Thank you for waiting on me now I can totally focus on YOU. So what brings you to our dealership and how can I help you?”

ADD A DOSE OF THE UNEXPECTED:

You share your concerns about the car with him and during that exchange you mention that you are heading to New Jersey to finish packing up your Father’s estate… he asks about your Father’s passing and expresses his genuine sympathy and concern for your loss. He then proceeds to help you with your spare tire question and the wait is a distant memory as the warmth of the exchange has melted Harry Potter’s invisible cape and the last thing you feel at the moment is invisible.

WHY? Because “phone guy” and “the other guy” already know the recipe for “Comeback Sauce” and have obviously been pouring it on their customers for years! That is why the place is so busy!

Thanks again for sharing your comments and questions. Oh and as far as your last question “Do you think they would get it?”

My answer is NO… I don’t they would and I don’t think I would waste my time giving the recipe out to people like the “phone guy” and his co-worker.

In an example like the one you described I think I would have just walked away as well smiling and waving on my way out mouthing something like… “seems like you are really busy and I am sorry we could not connect... have a great day” and leave it at that.

I have found that the people who don’t have an appetite or aptitude to mix up a batch of Comeback Sauce are pretty easy to spot and I think that handing them a recipe card would just be wasteful. We both know where it would end up.

I do however think that this not so secret recipe should be shared with people that already have an appetite for it and by sharing it with them it may even inspire them to pour on more.

So... here is my inspirational thought for the day… thanks to my friend Roberta's suggestion.

What if we all made up recipe cards and carried them around with us and anytime someone poured Comeback Sauce on us we could leave them a card as a sign of our appreciation? One side of the card could have the recipe printed on it and the other a note reading something like this:

Date: (Fill in)
Location: (Fill in)

Dear --------- (Write in name),

Thanks for treating me so well today, because of you I had a great experience here at -----.

Rest assured I will be back the very next chance I get and I will tell others about how great you are to work with as well!

Again Thank YOU… you are just exceptional at what you do and I thought you should know that!

All the BEST!

Signature (Fill in)

You know... we might just be on to something here... by leaving these Comeback Sauce cards for worthy recipients we would actually be pouring Comeback Sauce on the very people that poured Comeback Sauce on us!

Sweet… Comeback Sauce double dipping!

Friday Afternoon July 9, 2010 My Home Office

Last coaching call for the day complete I prepare to walk out my door when I feel the tug of my inbox begging me to check it once more.

I feel bad when I see all the new messages and realize that I can't possibly provide a timely reply when a new message from my friend Ruth catches my eye...

Ruth McCurdy has left a new comment on your post "You can't Judge a Book by its Cover":

So often, when I find myself judging someone by the way he or she behaves or looks, I am reminded that I've created a story about that person with (as my husband Steve says...) no data!

I think one of the best examples of this is the Susan Boyle story. When she stepped onto the stage on the Britain's Got Talent show the cameras panned the audiences faces. We saw shocked, smug faces turn to awe and delight as she began singing.

What a lesson! Thanks for sharing this story. It really touched my heart.

I am touched by her message and the memory of the YouTube video she describes and I decide in honor of TGIF I will download it again for the 999th time!

I click on the link Britians Got Talent and grab a glass of red wine and I find myself wishing that Susan Boyle's voice was actually mine.

So as I close out this week I share this last thought with all of you... CHEERS Butcher Block Friends... may all of YOUR wishes come true!!!

Scene: Logan International Airport –Boston Mass.

5:15 A.M Announcement: "This flight is oversold we are offering anyone interested in giving up their seat on the 6 A.M flight to Kansas City a $300 voucher and a confirmed seat on the 2 P.M. flight through Newark".

Seasoned traveler that I am I know this drill... I take a quick glance at my boarding pass and breathe a sigh of relief... yes I do have an assigned seat for the flight... whew.

I look around the packed seating area surrounding the gate... no takers and no one seems the slightest bit concerned... except for the baby wailing by the bathroom it is quiet and I assume everyone else around me is still operating in that sleep deprived haze that goes along with a wakeup call at 3 A.M. for a 6 A.M. flight.

5:35 A.M Announcement: "This flight is oversold we are offering anyone interested in giving up their seat on the 6 A.M flight to Kansas City a $350 voucher and a confirmed seat on the 2 P.M. flight through Newark".

Again I look around... no takers and no one seems the slightest bit concerned. And the baby is STILL wailing.

5:45 A.M: While standing in line to board the plane a big bellied bear of a man bullies his way up to the counter and interrupts the gate agent taking the tickets and bellows, I mean BELLOWS out:

"Miss! Miss! I DO NOT HAVE A SEAT ASSIGNMENT ON MY TICKET... it says here 'SEE GATE AGENT.' Does that mean I DO NOT HAVE A SEAT ON THIS FLIGHT?".

Gate Agent response: "Sir could you please wait right over there and I promise that I will be with you in a moment".

Next in line, I hand the gate agent my ticket and give her a sympathetic nod and smile. I quickly make my way to the boarding bridge thinking that once I am on that plane and in my seat I am home free.

And to be brutally honest I am secretly hoping that the big bellied burly brusque Bear of a Bostonian behind me will NOT get a seat on my flight because frankly I would like to get some sleep and he left an impression as the kind of guy I DID NOT want to be near anytime or anywhere much less on a three hour flight at 6 A.M when all I was looking for was some ZZZZZZ's.

5:48 A.M: I turn down the aisle past the first class elite as they give me that knowing "You are not worthy" smile and I glance at my seat location 7A by the window when I notice Wailing Baby (a lap child) is in aisle seat 8B and the deer in the headlights look on window seat 8A's face.

5:50 A.M. Announcement: "This flight is oversold we are offering anyone interested in giving up their seat on the 6 A.M. flight to Kansas City a $400 voucher and a confirmed seat on the 2 P.M. flight through Newark".

5:50 and 1/2 second later A.M.: 8A stands up and raises his hand... "I'll do it!!! I WILL DO IT." he yells. "Where do I sign up?"!

5:51 A.M.: 8A whizzes past Wailing Baby rushing to the airplane door and my mind begins to process what I think is about to happen. "Please No" I silently pray as the baby continues to wail.

5:54 A.M.: My worst nightmare... the big bellied Bear of a bully brushes his way past the flight attendant & the first class elite and heads towards what I assume to be the ONLY open seat on the plane... 8A. Wailing Baby’s mama stands up to let Grizzly Adams in and I watch his face when he realizes he is about to be trapped next to wailing Baby and Mama and that's when I see the transformation... right before my eyes... Grizzly Adams MELTS... his scowl softens and the Burly Bear turned into a Teddy Bear.

5:55 A.M.: Bear settles in to his seat and I can barely hear his voice as says sweetly to wailing baby "there there little one nothing to cry about it's all going to be okay" and believe it or not Wailing Baby stopped wailing! I can't see the faces of Bear, Baby or Baby’s mama and I can't make out exactly what Mama says but I can hear Bear's soft voice respond with... "Nice to meet you both I am so happy to be here seated next to you. I almost didn't get on this flight and I was worried... you see I am going to Kansas City to meet my first grand baby and I can't wait, I hope he is as cute as you are".

6:00 A.M.: The plane is quiet and peaceful, I can't tell for sure but I think Wailing Baby is asleep and Bear is talking softly to Mama about their long journey from India and how tired she and Baby must be. The Flight Attendant announces "Welcome aboard everybody we are about to take off... please make sure your tray tables are in the upright position, your seatbelts are fastened and oh yes... enjoy the ride"!

Thanks to Bear... I did just that!

Today's Food for Thought & Inspiration:

You just Can't Judge a Book (or a Bear) by its Cover!

"Celebrate every chance you get."    -John Bichelmeyer

"The day will be most memorable in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival…It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade… bonfires and illuminations (fireworks) from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore."    -John Adams 

July 3, 1776 this quote was written by John Adams in a letter to his wife after the Continental Congress had decided to proclaim the American colonies independent of England.

"If you don't have a Happy Birthday it's your own damn fault."    -John Bichelmeyer

Wishing all of you visting the Butcher Block Exchange today a safe and Happy 4th of July.

Cheers!





Video Proud to be an American -God Bless the USA!

Reporting in from Boston and my weekend getaway with the results from last week's
"Good Good Book" survey.

Thanks to all who shared their picks via email, blog comments, Fcebook posts,
restarant run-ins(how timely to bump into the owners of Rainy Day Books while 
preparing this post) and my favorite... a personal phone call from my sister
Judy!

So with out further adieu... I present the first ever Butcher Block Exchange
Must Read List to you... think drumroll here ending in a TaDa!!!!

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand By Helen Simonson

The Bronze Horseman By Paullina Simons

Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections on and Off the Court By John
Wooden

Jane Eyre By Charlotte Bronte

The Help By Kathryn Stockett

Moviola By Garson Kanin

A Voice in the Wind By Francine Rivers

An Echo in the Darkness By Francine Rivers

(Two Books from the Mark of the Lion Series)

City of Thieves By David Benioff

U is for Undertow By Sue Grafton

In the Woods By Tana French

The God of Animals By Aryn Kyle

AND Last but not least..

Lunchmeat & Life Lessons: Sharing a Butcher's Wisdom by ME

No "Must Read" list would be complete with out a little Lunchmeat would it? :)

Enjoy and Happy Reading!!!