I personally prefer to register my domains at Dotster.com. Why? I have learned my lesson the hard way!

A domain is like buying a piece of property. If you are building a house, you want to make sure your land is in order. My first domain was purchased back in 1998 for the bargain price of $300! How times have changed! You can buy a domain for under $10 these days!

But… as the phrase goes … you often get what you pay for!

Things to consider when buying a domain.

• Who owns the domain if the domain expires and you forgot to pay to renew it? Some registrars “own” it if you fail to renew in a timely fashion and they’ll be so kind as to sell it back to you with a big markup.

• What country is the registrar in? I purchased a domain once through my hosting company only to learn the registrar was in Australia. That is fine and dandy, until you have issues and I had to pay some hefty international long distance charges to contact them. Then there was the time difference. Domains expired in Australia time, not USA time   If there ever was a legal issue with your domain, it could be handled by a court in a foreign country and not subject to US regulations (which… could be a pro or con LOL!)

These are just a few of the things to watch out for when registering a domain. I have had great luck at Dotster. Their interface is easy to use and well laid out. A domain I accidentally forgot to renew – I just had to pay the regular fee and it was up and running and even had a bit of a grace period (Though I do NOT recommend you let your domains expire!) It’s just a nice assurance that you’re dealing with some decent people.

Check them out today!

Let me explain…

Checking out tonight at the grocery store, I was assisted by an overzealous teenage bagger, who so kindly put my large loaf of bread, a package of sandwich thins, a package of hamburger buns and my English Muffins all in the same little grocery sack! Hello? Did we skip Bread Bagging 101? Do NOT squish bread! Do not cram too many items in  with the bread (like they did last week!). I carefully rebagged the bread items myself and headed out the store wondering why I keep coming back to this location expecting something different.

As we left, an employee by the door (aka security so you don’t walk out with extras!) said goodbye and thanked us for shopping.  Impressed by the large number of badges and pins he was wearing on his red vest I thought,  “Ah! Someone that cares about customers, look at all of those awards!”  Boy was I wrong.

“Sir?” I asked, “Can I make a suggestion?” and not really giving him a chance to respond…”It would be great if you could spend some time with your baggers and teach them how to properly bag bread so it doesn’t get squished!”

He looked at me for a moment then said,”Ma’am, I am JUST a greeter. You need to go back to Customer Service and let them know.”

Now, I could see Customer Service from where I was standing, and does the store really expect me to turn my cart around, walk back about 50 yards to stand in line behind the 2-3 people already waiting, just to tell them they stink at bagging bread and get with it? After just standing in lines to check out, does one really want to stand in a line that is typically only for cigarettes, lottery tickets, and problem solving, when I am already a bit irritated? I digress.

I looked the poor “Greeter” in the eyes and said, “Sir, you are not just a greeter! You are an employee and representative of this store and company and you should be able to take my concern and share it directly with your manager. I shouldn’t need to go back in and stand in a line to share something that you could share with them.”

And alas, I left, leaving a greeter a bit dumbfounded and still, I believe, unconvinced that he did actually have the ability to share my concern with his superiors.

The store was added to my mental list of retailers that I’ve patronized that just don’t get it! One of my favorite stories is from a lady’s clothing store I’ve shopped at, who, when I complained about them always being out of my size, she readily agreed and told me I should go to their website and complain “Because our area manager never listens to us.” I am really supposed to drive home, put everything down, spend time finding your website, then finding your complaint form, and sending a message, to people who don’t even listen to their own employees? If you don’t care enough to carry my size, you will fail to get my money! This particular store has lost hundreds, if not, maybe $1,000 or more potential dollars, by not ever having my supposedly popular size in stock when I come to shop and end up leaving empty handed.

Dear greeters and managers…have you ever considered the amount of money you are losing by not having a concerns/request process in place? Employees are on the front lines and hear and see how the customer interacts with your brand and goods. They hold valuable information that could make a difference in your current and future sales.

Enable and empower them to be more than just Greeters! Then, listen. Success will follow!

Snacks, sleeping bags and my best friend kept me company as we prepared to stay up all night to watch the magical wedding of Diana and Charles. Long story short, we stayed up watching all of the preshow fun and the royal traditions that came before the actual ceremony in the Cathedral. Unfortunately, curling up on a big couch to watch tv can only lead to one thing….falling asleep! Just as Diana arrived at the Cathedral and I missed the entire ceremony!

Now, 30 years later, thank goodness for the DVR! Now I can not only get my beauty sleep, but I can record a couple of channels to get multiple views of the big day.

30 years later, I’m no longer obsessed, but definitely interested and know that somewhere in Heaven, Diana would be so proud of her son! Congratulations Prince William and Kate!