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Are You Using Your In-Home Communication Services?
Once you have taken stock of your in-home entertainment memberships, spend some time thinking about your in-home communication services and whether or not you are using them daily. The upkeep will not only help you maintain your resolve to live below your means, but it will allow you to measure whether the service is worth the cost. Check the following before the end of the month in an effort to get organized.
Take Stock of Your In-Home Media Memberships
There's no greater time than the beginning of the year to check in with your in-home entertainment memberships and make sure you are getting the biggest bang for your buck and relishing the packages you have signed up for. The upkeep will not only help you maintain your resolve to live below your means, but it will allow you take stock of whether or not your services or habits are sustainable. Check in with the following before the end of the month in an effort to get organized.
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The Customer Service Halls of Shame and Fame
Nobody wants a customer service experience that leaves you swearing under your breath, but these situations aren't exactly avoidable. MSN Money knows how important customer service is to consumers and conducts an annual survey that measures customer satisfaction.
It's named 10 companies that need a lot of improvement in the customer service department and 10 that would be good examples to the companies in the Hall of Shame.
I'm Asking: Does Customer Service Influence Your Chances of Revisiting a Business?
Depending on the type of business, customer service can be a big part of your shopping experience. Whether or not you're actually offered service, if the staff has a way of lurking around you, or if they're overly attentive can weigh on your impression of a store.
I'm likely to skip out on returning to a restaurant if the service was rude, but customer service at stores hasn't kept me away or driven me to revisit.
What Are Your Thanksgiving Plans?
You may be worried about your stuffing and pumpkin pie recipes or finding a festive Thanksgiving outfit, but airlines, airports and transportation services are gearing up for one of the busiest weeks of the year.
In fact, according to the US Department of Transportation, the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s holiday periods are officially the busiest long-distance travel periods of the year. During the six day Thanksgiving travel period, the number of long-distance trips (to and from a destination 50 miles or more away) increases by 54 percent compared to the average number the rest of the year.
I'm Asking: Would You Make a Donation for "Free" Services?
Not that I'm one to turn down a little something for nothing to save money, and take advantage of museum free days or other no-fee exhibits while traveling, even gratis concerts in the park can have people asking for donations to keep these things a reality.Still the reality is, seeing the donation bin doesn't always make people toss in money or it'd be overflowing daily! Even Google's free holiday Wifi program has a giveback option. If you're looking for a way to spread holiday cheer and generosity, you can make a charitable donation to one of three organizations, and the company will match it up to $250,000 — whoa, now that's some pricey WiFi!
On Board and Ready To Buy
In a new move to up their retail, airlines may soon be offering more in-flight opportunities to purchase anything from limousine services to Broadway theater tickets. Though The New York Times reports that only American Airlines has begun limited testing of the retail concept, nearly all airline carriers have confirmed that they are planning to unveil similar expanded retail offerings on flights.
So why expand retail, especially in the midst of a recession?
Free Credit Report Scams Aren't Going Away
By now we all know about the not-so-free nature of those FreeCreditReport.com services; a few of you even say you've fallen for its misleading practices. But even after the government publicly condemned the site, "free" credit monitoring services — which require you to sign up for a paid service, but promise you can cancel at any time — are popping up everywhere.
One friend recently had a particularly nasty experience with one of these companies while apartment hunting.
Money Talk: If a Meal Is Comped Should You Still Tip?
This sticky tip etiquette question comes from Angelica, part of our Money Talk group.
I had brunch with a pal recently at a fairly upscale new restaurant and the entire experience was a bust. We had just worked out and were starving so we put in our order as soon as we sat down.
Restaurant Owner Eliminates Tipping to Ease Tension
Tipping was brought to the US from Europe after the Civil War and was met with opposition — six states even passed anti-tipping laws that prevented diners from having to tip. The laws were later repealed, but the angst toward the tradition of tipping lives on in the minds of many American customers. San Diego, CA, restaurant owner Jay Porter observed that tipping was not only a point of contention for his customers, but was also causing tension between his staff members and adding to the stressful environment.
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