MEETING MINUTES
Friday, May 22, 2009
Volume 16; Issue 20

Membership Update
Russ Perry has submitted page 2 of the membership application.  There have been no objections.  He will be invited to join the group.

Follow-up to Last Meeting
"What are you willing to do that is different?  What are you willing to try?"  Give it some thought.

Customer Service
Sandro Menasci got a water bill that was triple the normal rate.  It was due to a new meter the City installed which gave an incorrect reading.  Unfortunately, when he called to get the problem fixed, the representative he spoke to provided very poor customer service.  He told his employees to never treat his customers that way.  He also called Channel 12 so you may see a news story on the problem.  New job for Sandro Menasci...special investigator for hire.

Chris Curran was very interested in this...class action lawsuit pending?  

Steve Chilton had a similar situation just happen.  He didn't have time to fix a dishwasher so he called a contractor to do it.  They were going to charge him double for the part than it was listed as.  It is understandable for a company to mark up the price of parts to be profitable.  Just make sure the markup is fair.

MABE Book Club
From about January to August is when Chris Curran does the bulk of his reading (no football).  He would really like to start a small group where members read a business book and have a thought provoking discussion about it.  Let Chris know if you are interested in being involved.  Coming soon...A section will be added to the website that will include a list of recommended books. 

Keith Miller suggested that the concepts learned from this club should be brought into the meetings since that is what we are here for.  Dave Lathrop absolutely agrees.  But what it takes is for members to approach the board with a willingness to share what they read and lead a discussion on it at a meeting. 

Electronic Stuff
Dave Crissman shared his thought on the social network sites.  He doesn't understand it.  He has a person in his office that handles it.  She asked for a budget to advertise on Facebook.  They have only been on their for 2-days and they have had a couple hundred impressions.  Out of those impressions, 33 people clicked on their ad.  He wouldn't get that from the Yellow Pages.  He doesn't know if it will lead to sales but for $250 it seem a reasonable start.  It is definitely a good vehicle to tell your story.  Think logical progression.