Enterprise: Update

By Stephen Anthony Campbell

After I posted my blog entry about my experience at Enterprise Rent-A-Car's downtown Atlanta location, I sent an email to the Chairman and CEO of Enterprise, Andrew C. Taylor. I was very surprised and pleased to get very swift response. I received an email from the Enterprise Regional Rental Manager. He wrote:


" Mr. Campbell,

My name is Jason De Lucca; I am the Regional Rental Manager over the West Region of Atlanta. I have been made aware of the situation that happened at our Courtland location this past weekend and I would like you to know that on behalf of the Enterprise Rent-A-Car and the Taylor family I truly apologize for this terrible inconvenience!

I would like the opportunity to discuss this with you if possible; is there a phone number you can be reached at? Enterprise Rent-A-Car is fully committed to your complete satisfaction as well as respecting and serving the needs of any person with disabilities.

Again, I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss this with you if you are available.

Sincerely,

Jason De Lucca"


I spoke with Mr. De Lucca and he assured me that Enterprise is committed to customer satisfaction and in no way encourages the practice. He also told me that he will have a conversation with employees at that location as well as all others within his territory. After our conversation I was satisfied that this was an isolated incident and the company's immediate action to the matter reinforced is apology. Mr. De Lucca at one point asked me what they could do to win me back as a customer. I told him that I was satisfied with them taking action on the matter. He asked me if I would be willing to accept a free weekend rental to make up for the situation. I accepted, however I made it clear that my main concern was for this not to happen to anyone again.

Enterprise Shamefully Advertises Cars In Disabled Parking Spaces

By Stephen Anthony Campbell

Everybody does it right? It's no big deal parking in the handicap space. It's not like someone will actually use it. It's a waste of a prime parking space. I'm sure those are some of the reasons people who are not disabled use when they park in parking spaces assigned for person with disabilities or "handicap." It's shameful when an individual does it knowingly, for the sake of convenience. It takes on a disgraceful and just plain mean tone when a company violates the use of the space.

It’s July 4, 2009, and my uncle and I were looking to rent cars for the weekend. My uncle is a long haul truck driver, his truck is being repaired in Wisconsin, and so he was able to get a ride down to Georgia from another driver heading to Florida. We were going to book a car for Friday July 3, but my uncle was running late and didn't get into town until after midnight. The airport location was sold out, so I looked for locations that would be open on Saturday 7/4 and found the Atlanta, 303 Courtland Street location open and they had available cars.


When we pulled into the parking lot, I couldn't help but notice that someone at Enterprise had parked two of their cars in the disabled parking spaces, with signs that said "Rent Me 404-659-6050." I found this to be really distasteful. Perhaps they thought that because it's the 4th of July, that disabled people would be interested in renting a car there. Perhaps they thought that no one would be offended by this.

I find it amazing that management at Enterprise would allow this kind of behavior. It's practically a slap in the face of people that utilize those parking spaces. I think the most sickening thing is not the fact that they parked a car there, but they are using the space to advertise. Needless to say, I decided to not rent the car. I didn’t need to rent a car that bad that I'd give this company my money. So I only got out of the car to take a picture of what this Enterprise location did. Enterprise really should be ashamed of their actions. I don't know if I will ever deal with this company again. I'll wait to see what Enterprise's corporate management has to say before I make a decision.

Atlanta City Council President Victim Of Home Break-in

Lisa Borders, the current Atlanta City Council President and candidate for mayor was the victim of a home break-in this week. According to news reports she was home at the time of the burglary. The intruders got away before the police arrived. She posted on the twitter that she was "Ok", and thanks everyone for the well wishes. When the local news ran the reports of the break-in you could see several Atlanta Police personnel fingerprinting and investigating the incident.

Exactly how many people were assigned to this burglary? I know people that have had their homes broken into, I've been a victim as well. I've even been in a Subway restaurant when it was robbed. Not once in any of those incidents did Atlanta police send the fingerprinting unit to investigate. If you live in the city of Atlanta, you are probably lucky to get one officer to respond within 45 minutes of calling 911.

Did Lisa Borders get special treatment in the investigation of her break-in because she is the City Council President and candidate for mayor? That is probably a question every Atlantan should be answering themselves. As citizens you pay taxes, and if Shirley Franklin had her way you'd be paying more than you already do. So you deserve and should insist on getting the same level of service from law enforcement as Lisa Borders is apparently getting.

I've lived in Atlanta for much of my life. When my home was burglarized in 2005 Atlanta police sent one officer out to take a report. I was referred to a detective that I spoke to over the phone. Even though I had serial numbers of the items taken and a pretty good idea of who the culprit was, nothing more was done on my case. I had over $2000 worth of items taken. No fingerprints were collected and I had to write it off ass a loss. The response times for police in the city, in my experience is unacceptable.

When I was present at the robbery of the Subway sandwich shop on Piedmont Rd, it took over 30 minutes for police to arrive. The suspect was long gone. A man robbed the store at gun point. He threatened to shoot the employees and customers if the manager on duty didn't give him all the money from the back office. Subway employees called police three times. The dispatched said they had problems locating the subway. It was really ridiculous. When police finally arrived, two officers showed up and took statements. They didn't send out a finger printer or a detective. They didn't even call me to follow up on my statement.

I've heard of people having their car stolen and having to wait for police to call them back to make a report over the phone. What's wrong with that picture?

You drive around the city any weekday during the lunch hour, you can find officers in groups of 5 or more gathered at eateries across midtown and downtown Atlanta, yet they don't have officers to send to investigate serious non-violent crimes.

Atlanta Police is already under fire about incidents involving officers. I think response times are horrible in some areas, they obviously are having problems with integrity after the Kathryn Johnston shooting and this latest shooting incident. The leadership at the police department and city executive level is is less than impressive.

Atlanta and its citizens deserves more than they are getting from the mayor and Atlanta Police.

V-103's "Frank And Wanda Show" Contest Trips

As I reported back in November I won trips to New York City and Las Vegas as part of a prize package courtesy of V-103’s Frank & Wanda Show anniversary contest. The show selected 10 listeners to receive 10 of Frank and Wanda's 10 favorite things.

My adventure started in New York City, where myself and 9 other winners had the opportunity to see the musical “Wicked.” And what a "Wicked" good time we had. The show was amazing. The hotel we stayed at, the Flatotel was fabulous. We also got the chance to check out NYC, see the sights, sounds and sample the best of New York cuisine. Frank Ski was our host for this trip.

Two weeks later our destination was fabulous Las Vegas. Our accommodations for this trip were at TI: Treasure Island Hotel. As New York was cold, with snow on the ground, Vegas was warm, sunny and lots of people. Somehow I always manage to get to Vegas during college spring break. Our host for this trip was Wanda Smith, and her sidekick the wonderful Miss Sophia.

I would never have guessed I would say this, but Cirque du Soleil’s Mystere, was actually pretty good. The show is very interactive with the audience. I have to admit, the show is pretty impressive. I call it a sensory explosion, as there were performers in front of me, behind me, overhead and even below the stage. It was very entertaining.

Being that this was like my fourth or fifth time in Vegas, I stopped counting a while back.... I tried to do some fun off the strip....so

I took a tour of the Ethel M chocolate factory. Ethel M or Ethel Chocolates are the gourmet candy division of M&M's and Mars candy. Ethel was the mother of the company's founder. The factory also has a botanical cactus gardens. All types of cactus species are grown there. What is also interesting about the gardens, the factory uses different techniques to recycle 100% of it wastewater without using harmful chemicals.

Finally I took a trip over to what is called old Vegas. These are the early hotels on and near Fremont street. They are old, but still bustling with life. I’ve been told by some that the odds are much better at these establishments. My luck wasn't so good; I lost $7 on the quarter slots. $10 was my limit; after all we are in a recession.

I have to say thanks to "The Frank and Wanda Show", V-103 and it's staff for the great "recession vacation." In the current economy there would have been no way for me to go to both Las Vegas and New York in the same month. I had a great time. Special thanks to Wanda and her pal George Wallace for inviting us to his "I Be Thinking Show", at the Las Vegas Flamingo.

Oprah Creates Unprecedented Demand For KFC

-Ashville, N.C. Let it be known from this day forward, that the power of Oprah is not to be underestimated. The queen of daytime announced earlier this week that coupons for a free KFC grilled chicken meal would be available on her website. The coupons were available for download until 11:59 p.m. on May 6. The announcement triggered heavy internet traffic which made it difficult to download the coupons. There are reports that it took some viewers three to four hours to get the coupons to print.

In Macon, Georgia, where in 2007 the city was named the location of Oprah’s most loyal viewers, had record turnout for the promotion. It was reported that by noon restaurants in the Macon and Warner Robbins area had all served more than 500 meals per store. A KFC manager that has worked for the chain for 29 years said, “It’s not busy here, it’s a blowout.”

But that’s only half the story, KFC’s across the country were caught off guard by the crowds of people trying to redeem coupons. Some stores called in additional help while some turned customers away after running out of supplies. In New York City there were unconfirmed reports that customers staged a protest over not being able to redeem their coupons. The company has denied those reports, only to say that customers were upset. In Greensboro, N.C., traffic was so congested by motorists trying to get to a KFC that police had to block streets and deny access to the restaurant because the lines of cars created a safety hazard.

A KFC spokeswoman said that there has never been this kind of demand for a KFC promotion in the chain’s 50 year history. Because of the delays and unexpected crowds, the company will be issuing rain checks to people with coupons. KFC wants its customers to have a positive experience eating their new grilled chicken. It’s KFC’s hope that grilled chicken, will attract customers that don’t usually eat at thier restaurant. They have even created an entire campaign with that theme, “Unthink what you know about KFC.” The website they created for the promotion is unthinkfc.com. KFC may indeed benefit more than they ever expected from the enormous turnout for free chicken. The chain has been struggling with sales in recent years amid controversies regarding unhealthy food, cruelty to animals and it’s rebranding to downplay the “fried” in its name. The move to align itself with Oprah means new customers and a success in offering a healthy alternative to its trademark fried chicken.

I’m sure corporations are taking note of the “Oprah Effect.” It’s pretty much a sure thing that anything promoted or endorsed by Oprah, will be an instant hit. From books, music and politicians, Oprah’s word seems to be gold. After all she did pick our nation's President.

GP

CBS turns The Lights Out On The Guiding Light

The longest running soap opera in televison and radio history was put on the chopping black last week by CBS. The Guiding Light started out as a 15 minute program on the radio 72 years ago. In the 60's it made the leap to television as a 30 minute live serial eventually going to an hour broadcast.

Rumors have been swarming for years that another popular soap would get the ax, many speculated that NBC’s Days Of Our Lives would be the next soap to fall. In the last 15 years NBC has nearly eliminated all of its daytime soap operas. In the 90's it did away with "Generations ", "Santa Barbara", "Another World" and the Aaron Spelling production "Sunset Beach". Days Of Our Lives is the only NBC soap still on the air. Daytime televison is currently feeling the economic pinch, it has been for years now. Shows are tightening it budgets just to remain on the air. Just last month Jess Walton walked off the "Young And The Restless" set over a proposed pay cut. "Y&R" is the number one soap on the air for 16 years running, If they are cutting salaries imagine what the other shows are doing to stay afloat.

At the end of the day, the soaps that are loved by many and have been a staple on televison as long as televison has been around, is just a business. And like any business it has to make money for it’s owners. Declining ratings over the years as viewers mostly housewives either lost interest after two writers strikes or moving into the workforce, has forced significant cuts in daytime programming. My fear is that the soaps will go the way of the radio serials, a thing of the past.

Soaps have always been apart of our pop culture. The theme song from the "Young And The Restless", is famous the world over. Susan Lucci is a celebrity because she’s a soap star. Many of today’s biggest celebs got their start in Daytime TV, "CSI: NY’s" Melina Kanakaredes, "Heros" Hayden Panettiere, movie stars Rachel Miner, Brittany Snow and Kevin Bacon all got their start on "The Guiding Light". It’s a shame that a show with such a rich history is coming to an end. Even though I understand the reasons CBS is pulling the plug, still I feel like the networks are not in touch with what the viewers want. They pull shows off the air, leaving the audience hanging. It took a massive letter writing campaign to convince CBS to bring "Jericho" back on air only to see it cancelled again. When NBC canceled "Passions" they tried to move it to Dish Network but it was just prolonging the inevitable. In the end the nets only care about dollar signs and not what the viewers really want. They wouldn’t hesitate pulling a show or changing its time slot in favor of something they think will attract the preferred demographic. If only we the viewer could launch an effective protest to get our point across, a couple of million dollars in lost revenue would get their attention.... wouldn’t that be something?

The President Signs Economic Recovery Plan Into Law

This week President Barack Obama signed his $780 Billion economic stimulus bill into law at a Denver, Colorado event. The President warned of hard times ahead as he signed the bill. The bill is supposed to be designed to help the country get out of this recession. The bill is intended to help with the massive amount of foreclosures across the country, create over 3.5 million jobs, create tax cuts for millions of low to middle income households, provide $150 billion for infrastructure repair projects for roads, water systems and dams and $10.5 billion towards healthcare.

It looks as if the Presidential honeymoon is over and things are back to business as usual in Washington. The President extended more than one olive branch to the republicans in an effort to get some kind of substantial economic relief package to help turn the economy around. All but three republicans in the U.S. House voted against the bill, citing that Democrats locked them out of the process. No one in the House of Representatives have clean hands in this recent skirmish. The Democrats have been heavy handed and uncompromising in drafting this bill. The very nature of politics involves compromising with the opposite party for the benefit of the people they represent. I think most people understand that everyone can’t get what they want, but when a bill this important comes up our representatives are suppose to put their differences aside and help the country.

Both parties have to find a way to work together, it’s essential. There is very little room for mistakes as we go forward. One needs only to look as what happened to Japan in the early 90’s. It’s only recently that Japan has leveled out of its recession. They made many mistakes including waiting too long to take action to correct the downturn of their economy.

I’ve been thinking about we got into this mess and it doesn’t make anyone look good. We bought our lattes at Starbucks everyday, we had to have our I-pods and Sony flat screen TV’s, and we bought more foreign cars than domestic. Looking at it differently American car companies haven’t been producing autos comparable or better than imports; banks gave out bad loans and enriched their executives as a reward. So if the mortgage crisis helped pull us down, but there are far too many other things we did to reach this point. Now is the time to act, we can’t afford to wait any longer. We have already waited too long as it is.

Barack Obama Becomes The 44th President Of The United States

Just a few minutes past noon, President-Elect Barack Obama took the oath of office to become the 44th President Of The United States Of America.

Barack Hussein Obama was sworn into office by Chief Justice of The United State John Roberts. During the oath, the Chief Justice made a gaff in the wording of the oath. It was awkward for a moment, but the wording was easily corrected and Barack Obama in front of millions of people in attendance took the oath and became the 44th President of The United States of America.

Watching the ceremony on television you couldn’t help but see the hope, happiness and joy in the people watching from the National mall. Tears of joy, smiles and an immense sense of pride were just some of expressions that were obvious on the faces of people attending the inauguration. I find it fascinating that on the very steps that were built on the back of slaves hundreds of years ago, now a black man would become President. It took generations of black people being enslaved, beaten, killed and oppressed before this nation would elect a man of color as President, not because of the color of his skin but for his character and intellect. It’s a partial fulfillment of Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream. Most civil rights leaders agree that we; as a nation still have lots of work before we truly reach Dr. King’s dream

I only wish that my relatives that lived during the times of segregation and the struggle for civil rights for black people could have been here to witness Barack Obama become President. As the ceremonies on television broadcast I can’t help but think of all those that came before, those that fought for the right to vote, fought for desegregation in schools, those that died so that we could reach this moment in history. I’ve heard news anchors on almost every network ask their black guests, “What you think Dr. Martin Luther King would say about today’s inauguration.” Many people give a similar answer by saying that he would think it was great but there is more work to be done. I think he would probably say something simple like “Well its about time.”

President Obama will hit the ground running. It’s expected that the majority of his cabinet will be confirmed no later than the end of the week. Not a moment too soon, the financial crisis continues to get worst as new set of mortgages are scheduled to reset, banks are having to write down more bad loans because of the increase in unemployment causing many to default on credit cards debts. The President has lots of problems to deal with and so little time in which to do so. The clock has already started on what President Obama and his administration can do fix Americas problems.

Circuit City Announces It's Going Out Of Business

Circuit City, the nation's second largest electronics retailer announced on Friday, January 16, 2009 that it will be closing all of its 567 stores. Circuit City recently filed for bankruptcy and was looking to sell the company or try to refinance its debt. According to media reports, negotiations went south with a potential buyer, forcing the company to close its doors.

Circuit City's web site wasn't available for shopping today, instead there was a full page explaining the company's current circumstances.

"Circuit City would like to thank all of the customers who have shopped with us over the past 60 years. Unfortunately, we announced on January 16, 2009, that we are going out of business."

It goes on to say:

"Due to challenges to our business and the continued bleak economic environment, Circuit City is going out of business and the company's assets will be liquidated to pay off creditors."
"The process was extremely difficult and we were left with no other choice but to liquidate. Circuit City had a proud heritage of serving the public for 60 years and we deeply regret the impact this decision will have on our associates, our customers and the communities where we have operated stores and other facilities."

It's is very sad to hear that more than 30,000 people are about to lose their jobs. Times are hard, harder than they have ever been during my lifetime. Again, I fault the company's management for part of its downfall. Circuit City in my opinion did not make customer service and satisfaction a top priority. That may have been their biggest mistake, allowing stores like Best Buy and Wal-Mart to sneak up and steal not only their customers but the market itself.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

It's 2009

Out with the old and in with the new as they say. As we say goodbye to 2008, I look back to see what made it the worst year in recent memory and also why it’s been the most interesting year.

President-Elect Barack Obama
Senator Barack Obama made history by being the first black candidate to win a major party nomination. He went on to become the nation's first black President. He also set records in fundraising during his presidential campaign. President-Elect Obama will be sworn into office on January 20, 2009.

Sen. Hillary Clinton
Sen. Clinton's quest to become the nation's first female President came to an end when she failed to win enough votes to secure her party's nomination. She then shifted her support for Sen. Obama. After Obama's win over John McCain, she was rewarded for her efforts; she is slated to become the next U.S. Secretary of State.

Caroline Kennedy
Caroline Kennedy, the only surviving child of President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Onassis expressed her interest in the senate seat that will be left vacant when Sen. Hilary Clinton is confirmed as Secretary Of State. First the media dogged Ms. Kennedy accusing her of using her family's name to bully New York's Governor to appoint her. Second, they have questioned her credentials and as of late her articulation is under attack.

One only has to look beyond Caroline Kennedy's name to see why she would make such a great senator. One, she really cares about people. She has worked for years to raise money for New York City's public schools. She is also an accomplished lawyer. Caroline Kennedy sits on the boards of several charitable organizations. She also credited with lobbying and helping to successfully campaign for Barack Obama.

Financial Meltdown
With the new year, say goodbye to some companies that were once staples in the financial world. Bear Stearns closes its doors. Bear Stearns was once the one of the world's largest investment bank and brokerage firms collapsed because of sub-prime mortgages.

Washington Mutual, the nation's largest savings and loan and Wachovia both two of more than a dozen of banks that failed in 2008. WaMu was bought by JP Morgan Chase. Wachovia was purchased by Wells Fargo, and will over the next three years assume the Wells Fargo brand.

The big dips in the stock markets cause many Americans investing their pensions to lose a substantial amount of money. Although many experts predict that the market will correct itself and that people will get back most of the money they lost, at the moment that path looks far away.

2008 saw the largest increase in gas prices. At one point each week brought new record in gas prices. The rise in prices started with the damage Hurricane Katrina made when it hit the gulf coast. After the disaster oil speculators drove the prices even higher, all to make a profit for themselves.

Increased gas prices ensured prices of almost all other consumer goods would also rise, especially food. 2008 saw the largest and fastest increase in food prices in history. In an economy where the bottom has fallen out, people where making hard choices on weather to buy food, medicine or gas to get to work. It's probably the top thing people will not miss about 2008.

Home foreclosures skyrocketed in 2008. As most sub-prime loans interest rates adjusted, most homeowners could no longer make their mortgage payments leading to beginning of the current financial crisis.

Caylee Anthony
Caylee Anthony was missing for more than a month before her mother Casey Anthony reported her missing in July of 2008 at the prompting of her parents. Police investigating the case arrested Casey Anthony on suspicion of murder, neglect and giving false statements. Casey Anthony maintained her innocence and said that the child was alive and out there. Eventually Caylee Anthony's body was found near her Florida home.

Store Closings
The economy's slide south proved to be too much for some major retailers. Circuit City filed for bankruptcy and is closing over 100 of its stores nationwide. KB Toys filed bankruptcy for a second time and closed its doors at many of its mall locations. The country's financial woes are also pushing a lot of other stores out of business like Mervyns Department Stores, The Sharper Image, Linens 'n Things, Value City, Bill Heard Automotive, The Bombay Company, Steak and Ale, Shoe Pavilion, and Levitz Furniture.

Michael Vick
What does a man do when he has fame and fortune? He runs a dog fighting ring of course. Michael Vick shocked many of his fans when it was discovered he funded an illegal dog fighting ring on his property. His arrest led to him being let go from the Atlanta Falcons and fired from endorsements. He is currently serving time in federal prison.

Writer's Strike
The writer's started in November of 2007 and ended in February of 2008. The strike pretty much torpedoed the rest of the television season. Some shows did not return to air, to finish out the season, while others were canceled without any chance of redemption. The strike also had a lasting financial effect on Hollywood. Because production on shows stopped, production companies were forced to lay off thousands of crew members. Shows that were slated as mid-season replacements never aired. Awards shows were scaled back or canceled. After the strike was over it was determined that most people found alternate forms of entertainment. Some people apparently did not come back to the TV, its been reported that viewership dropped nearly 7%.

Gov. Rod Blagojvich
In December of 2008 Gov. Blagojevich was arrested by the FBI with among other things solicitation of bribery. The government claims that they have the Illinois Governor on tape attempting to sell Barack Obama’s senate seat to the highest bidder. So far none of the tapes have been released. From the very beginning members of both parties have called to have the Governor removed from office. It sounds easier than it actually is. The Governor has refused to resign, so state leaders are looking into impeachment. The state’s Attorney General has said that she would try to have him declared unfit to hold office. It’s a move that may not be constitutionally sound. Democrats have warned the Governor not to try to appoint anyone to President-Elect Obama vacant seat. But as it turns out, he defied them and appointed Roland Burris, former Illinois Comptroller and State Attorney General.