Commentary

Give Thanks

/ Denis Wilhelm / Leave a comment

Every year as a nation Americans pause on the last Thursday of November to give thanks. For many of us this is really just a day to enjoy turkey, pumpkin pie and football. And for that I’m thankful, too. But this year I have so much more for which to be thankful. I’d like to thank God for all of my blessings. 

Here goes:

  • Thank you for my beautiful wife of 35 years who gives more than she ever receives (even though I try).
  • Thank you for my children who will always be my babies even though they are adults.
  • Thank you for my grandchildren – they are my greatest joy and hope for the future!
  • Thank you for my son-in-law who is not only another son but my friend and my brother in Christ.
  • Thank you for my siblings who help keep me grounded and remind me of the importance of family.
  • Thank you for my parents who are examples of married love and devotion.
  • Thank you for my in-laws, nieces and nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles and all other family members – you fill my life with love and kindness.
  • Thank you for my friends who have carried me many times when I have lost my way.
  • Thank you for employment, my co-workers and my cherished customers and business partners who are my extended family.
  • Thank you for a good home, good health and a full belly.
  • Thank for my faith; for Your Son and for my community of believers.
  • And thanks for the shitty stuff, too. It makes the good stuff somehow seem even better.
  • And thank you God for all the many blessings that I take for granted each day.

My wish is for each of you to have a beautiful Thanksgiving and a moment to reflect on all of your blessings, too.

Peace,
Denis

Yo Quiero Mexico!

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Last week I was in Mexico City and Guadalajara on business.  In two weeks I’ll be back in Mexico City – that will be my 5th or 6th trip to Mexico this year.  Even though it’s business travel I’ve come to have a fondness for Mexico and the Mexican people who I have encountered.  Now to be fair I’m the customer or guest in all these encounters so I guess that I likely don’t have a realistic view of life in Mexico – just what “my handlers” want me to see.  But I’ve been well handled.

Laguna de Chapala near Guadalajara

While everyone at home has been telling me to “be careful” in Mexico and to avoid travel there; that hasn’t really been an option for me.  Others in my company have backed out of travel “south of the border” for various and assorted reasons but I suspect fear or ignorance or a combination of both.  I’m not so naive to believe that there is no danger in Mexico right now.  But my experience has been no different from when I travel to any major city or unknown destination – exercise caution and employ common sense.  Also I don’t knowingly associate with drug dealers or any other sketchy characters.  And I don’t make myself a target by hanging around in less than desirable locales. 

The professionals that I have dealt with are well traveled, intelligent, thoughtful individuals.  Their hospitality and consideration toward me has been overwhelming.  Again, as I stated before, I am their customer so I would expect some deference.  But the way that I have been treated is much more than the standard customer service to which I have become accustomed.  So while travel to Mexico is slightly challenging (long lines in customs, language barriers, cultural confusion), the plus side is that I have met some wonderful people who love their country and are proud to be Mexicans.  In addition they have treated me as a welcome guest instead of an annoying outsider. 

A company that I am working with is owned by one family.  The patriarch is named Edmundo as well as his son Edmundo Junior.  They work with their nephew/cousin also named Edmundo.  Both of the junior Edmundos each have sons named Edmundo as well.  One family building and sharing a successful business together is remarkable in and of itself.  The fact that they have employees that have been with them for over 30 and 40 years is a testament to the company and the extraordinary leadership and loyalty of the Edmundos.

I look forward to my next trip and my continued association with my new friends.  For me Mexico was once little more than a vacation destination.  Now I realize that is a splendid country which is home for some truly remarkable people.  And I thank God for letting my world get just a little bit smaller. 

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me.” Matthew 25:35

Gracias,

Denis

Pets, Peeves, and Pet Peeves

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Pets:  My wife has two dogs.  A retarded (sorry – developmentally disabled) Maltese named Sophie and a Yorkshire terrier (terrorist) named Lulu.  I hate these dogs.  No wait – that’s not fair – hate is not a strong enough word.  Sophie the Maltese likes to run away on occasion – Run Sophie, run!  Where do you think that you’re going?  Would anyone else put up with you?  Doubtful.  Your only redeeming quality is that you are pitiful and you make others feel better about themselves by comparison.  Even the birds and rabbits in our backyard mock you. “Try to catch me, stupid dog”, they seem to taunt.  Lulu the terrorist likes to bark at me when I leave home EVERY MORNING.  Sort of like “get out of here!” or “never come back!”  Really Lulu???  Like I don’t despise you enough already.  Okay, the dogs do give Deb some company when I travel and when I had surgery last year Sophie laid by my side for days while I recovered.  And of course our granddaughters LOVE the dogs.  So as long as Charlise and Anna love them I guess they can remain.  But there are days…   I know that this makes me a DOG HATER and puts me in the same category as people like Hitler and Dick Cheney but I can live with that.

Peeves:  I try to keep my anger in check but sometimes it just sort of ‘bubbles over’.  This is an extremely busy time of year for our business – trying to get everything installed in stores before the Christmas retail push (thank God for the commercialization of Christ’s birth!).  Folks in the office are a little frantic and nerves are on edge so EVERYONE needs to take a collective deep breath and calm the hell down. No one is going to die if a shipment or installation is missed.  I repeat – NO ONE IS GOING TO DIE.  However someone might get fired.  Today I would like to fire nearly everyone that has crossed my path – it’s just one of those days.  Why is it that when things get busy; people get stupider – see even me (I know that stupider is not a word)?  Today we’re having a little ‘Pizza Party’ here in the office and even that is annoying me – please stop asking me if I will attend!  Of course I won’t – I will take my pizza into my office and eat alone.  Trust me you will all be happier that way.  Now get back to work!  We can’t miss any shipments or installs!

Pet Peeves: The following in no particular order is a list of some of my major pet peeves –

  • People who drive S L O W in the passing lane
  • Infomercials
  • Paid Political Advertisements
  • The hillbillies that live next door (and their barking dog)
  • People who invade my personal space
  • Brett Favre, Michael Vick, and Manny Ramirez – yuck!
  • The way the old creepy guy at the gym walks around naked in the locker room
  • Text speak – OMG LMAO
  • People (usually old) at the airport security checkpoint who hold up the line
  • Junk mail
  • Stupid made-up holidays like ‘Bosses Day’ or ‘Administrative Assistants Day’
  • Crap that’s left under my windshield wiper on a parking lot
  • Cranky old men
  • People who ALWAYS need to be the center of attention
  • People who can’t stop complaining about stuff

Wait a minute; those last three kind of sound like me…

I guess I should  just go home and pet our dogs – then EVERYTHING will be better.  Oh no, I’m worse off than I thought!

Peace,

Denis

Spanglish

/ Denis Wilhelm / 2 Comments

Cuidad de Mexico

This year I’ve done quite a bit of work in Mexico City and Cancun.  And this winter we will be manufacturing, shipping and installing wall cases, racks, tables, mannequin platforms and other store fixtures for an additional 160 shops in Mexico.  Retail business is booming in Mexico.  Apparently when drug lords aren’t killing elected officials, one another or the occasional passerby they like to shop – who knew?

In addition to the work in Mexico, in early spring, I have another 120 shops scheduled for Spain. So I need to learn how to speak Spanish soon – well I would like to learn how to speak Spanish soon.  Here is my dilemma: I never got higher than a “C+” in high school Spanish and my current mastery of the language is limited to ordering a beer (una cerveza por favor) or asking for a bathroom (Donde esta el bano?)

Recently I purchased Rosetta Stone® with the hope of learning Spanish quickly.  I am learning but NOT QUICKLY.  Rosetta Stone’s whole premise is that it teaches you to speak a foreign language the way you learned how to speak your native language.  I think I was at least two years old before I could speak English, so I probably won’t be fluent in Espanol by January.

My written Spanish is poor at best and my reading ability is very limited.  But the hardest part is my understanding of native Spanish speakers!  Oh for the love of God -PLEASE SLOW DOWN!

Now I’ve been following Rosetta Stone’s lessons and I guess I’m making some progress but I have a meeting in Mexico City in about three weeks so I guess I’ll just be ordering beers and asking to use the bathroom a lot while I’m down there.

Someone suggested that I watch novelas on Univision® – they’re like soap operas but ‘las mujeres son muy sexy’!  I guess maybe you can teach an old ‘perro’ some new tricks!

Paz,

Denis

Speak My Mind(?)

/ Denis Wilhelm / Leave a comment

I feel like I’ve spent most of my life trying to be understood.  I am the youngest of three boys and my parents were probably just exhausted by the time I arrived on the scene.  So as long as I wasn’t crying I guess that everyone assumed I was just fine.  And the kind of attention that my brother Dean was getting (spankings and lectures) wasn’t really what I was looking for anyway.  So I learned to be quiet and ‘fly under the radar’.  Not always a bad idea.  But it’s hard to get your point across when you’re silent.

I remember raising my hand in class (until my arm was tired) at Saint Peter Elementary School, oh so many years ago, and rarely being called on.  I guess I wasn’t very good at getting the teachers’ attention either.  It really wasn’t until high school that I got much notice at school and it usually wasn’t the ‘good kind’.  It’s not that I didn’t have friends; I just wasn’t that interesting.  But when given the opportunity, I could speak articulately and most often get my point across.  I just needed (waited for) permission to speak. 

That has all changed.  And to me it seems like it was gradual but Deb thinks that I have ALWAYS spoken my mind and that I have ALWAYS made my point (I believe beat a dead horse is the expression that she uses).  But I know that it was her love and respect and approval that helped me to become the man that I am today.  She has given me confidence because she has listened to me when others didn’t (wouldn’t).  And she is the kindest of critics – gently suggesting that I might be wrong about some things (as if…).  And teaching me that you can be right and still not always be able to ‘get your point across’ if you are bombastic and obnoxious about it.  She has this innate ability to ‘win people over’.  It’s called gentle persuasion.  Unfortunately patience is required and I often lack that precious commodity.  Still I have learned from her and now I can state an opinion without alienating everyone in the room usually. Well maybe only sometimes. 

Debbie lives with the credo that “one should never discuss politics or religion” in social settings.  That doesn’t leave me much to talk about because those are my two favorite topics (after my grandchildren, of course).  So I often struggle through ‘polite conversation’ at dinner parties and such.  I’m certain that at times I appear aloof or bored but actually I’m just trying not to “speak my mind”.  I’ve literally bitten my tongue to keep from telling someone that they were completely asinine (my opinion) about something or other.  When I do try to make a point without using abusive language or questioning someone’s parentage I usually sound pretty unconvincing – so often I revert to my childhood inclination to remain silent.  I guess its enough to just know that I’m right and they’re wrong.  But at times I would like to “tell it like it is” however, trying to educate the entire world is just too much work.  And besides when someone asks for your opinion it seems to me that they really only want to hear what they believe anyway.

I’m a little anxious these days – with mid-term elections and the conservative back-lash in the Catholic Church I often feel alone in the wilderness.  Yet from time to time I need to “speak my mind”. 

So here goes: 

  • I think that our country is better off today with President Obama than we were with President Bush.  And I will work for his re-election in 2012. 
  • I believe that the policy of “Don’t Ask – Don’t Tell” is wrong and should be repealed. 
  • I support marriage for gays and lesbians. 
  • I am pro-life BUT that means ALL LIFE: not just unborn babies – capital punishment should be abolished. 
  • I am in favor of women’s ordination in the Catholic Church. 
  • I believe that the Catholic Church should have a married clergy as well – this is what I pray for when asked to pray for vocations. 
  • Oh, and those Tea Party Candidates scare the beejeezus out of me! 

But the next time I’m at a dinner party I’ll likely stick to talking about sports and the weather and my grandkids.  After that I’ll probably just look bored…

Peace,

Denis

Clarksville (Revisited)

/ Denis Wilhelm / Leave a comment

My sister Kay and I took Dad and Mom to Clarksville, Missouri yesterday.  It’s only about an hour north of where we live but it might as well have been on another planet – it was just not anyplace we ever visited.  My grandmother grew up in Clarksville.  And her parents. And her grandparents.  So for our Dad this place has significance but for me I only remember a sky-lift that operated there years ago that as a kid that I was too scared to ride.  My great-grandfather died long before I was born and my great-grandmother died when I was only seven.  As a child I only traveled to Clarksville once and I don’t know why; it was after Great-Grandmother Jenkins had died.  Maybe we went to visit her grave – I’m not sure, I only remember being scared of the sky-lift.  The sky-lift now sits still and rusted like some ghost from the past.  It hasn’t operated in years.  All that’s left in Clarksville for us are ghosts of the past. 

But for a long time Dad’s been talking about Clarksville and his visits there as a boy – Dad’s 84 years old now.  His memories are clear of his time spent in Clarksville and he loved his grandparents and they must have loved him, too.  All of his memories of Clarksville as a boy are happy and he cherishes the time he spent there.

Dad (and I) favor his granddad (my great-granddad) in appearance.  It’s strange to see photos of someone who you never knew but with whom you share a remarkable resemblance.  Here’s what I know about him:  Clarence Crockett Jenkins was the Post Master for Clarksville around 1910.  He was also the Town Constable or Sheriff for a while. He and his wife Augusta (Gussie) had two children: Kyra Kathleen (our grandmother) and Clarence Jr.  For some time they lived in a home that was at the base of ‘The Pinnacle’ – a mound of earth that enables spectacular views of the Mississippi River from its top.  Later the (now defunct) Clarksville Sky-lift was built on that site and their house was razed. 

Much has happened since the 1930’s when Dad spent time in Clarksville as a boy.  But  yesterday we got a chance to ‘walk back in time’ with him.  Clarksville today has some antique shops and there’s an art glass studio and a great little coffee-house but not much else.  We found the local cemetery but Dad couldn’t find the family plot.  We encountered another family at the cemetery and Dad (who has never met a stranger) explained that he was trying to find his grandparents’ graves.  Frances, the lady at the cemetery (she and Dad became fast friends) suggested we go back into town, hunt down the mayor and ask her to help us.  We did.  Or I should say, Dad did. 

He talked to every person in town he could find and while Mom and Kay and I were looking through some antique shops Dad had managed to locate Mayor Jo Anne Smiley who not only found the Jenkins/Gauding/Fielder Family plot on an old map but copied it for us and gave us directions.  This was on a Saturday.  City Hall was officially closed AND the Mayor’s position is voluntary – NO PAY.  Mayor Smiley you are my new hero! 

Needless to say, after visiting the few blocks of Clarksville that still exist we made our way back to the cemetery, found the gravesites and made Dad’s day.  Watching while Dad honored his grandparents and great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents, I imagined a little boy in the 1930’s holding his granddad’s hand and walking proudly through the small town of Clarksville.  I thought about the visits to the ‘Flower Show’ with his grandmother that earlier in the day Dad had told us about.  He claims he hated being dragged to those ‘Flower Shows’ as a boy but I suspect he traveled back there yesterday, too. 

Things have changed a lot in Clarksville in 80 years but much seems to have remained the same:  the kindness of strangers; the friendliness of folks on the street; the pride of community.  I’d like to think that my great-grandfather would have extended the same kindness to strangers as Mayor Smiley did.  Dad seems to believe he would have.  The stories he tells indicate that Great-Granddad Jenkins was a very honorable man.

I wonder if Mayor Smiley knows that she’s walking in the footsteps of former Post Master Clarence Crockett Jenkins? 

Walk proud Mayor, walk proud!

Peace,

Denis

Hurry Up and Wait

/ Denis Wilhelm / 1 Comment

Poolside in Cancun

Ever have one of those days (weeks) where everything required “hurrying” and then “waiting”?  I’m (sort of) stuck in Mexico right now on a jobsite – Cancun, actually.  We were supposed to deliver store fixtures and begin installation yesterday morning but…  Well, this is Mexico and every time I work here I’m reminded that we Americans do not rule the world, regardless of what we might have been taught to believe. Something about flooded roads and trucks not being allowed to pass through certain areas have caused delays.  My contact Ernesto keeps telling me everything is OKAY.  But somehow I’m starting to lose confidence in his assurances.  Actually it’s kind of refreshing to know that we Americans (by the way Mexicans are Americans, too) are NOT the grand imperialists that some people would have you believe, but that’s another story.

Anyway my Spanish is very limited and my patience is even less so, but I’m trying to “chill out”.  This might all be a test.  How much can I really relax and “let go”?  Am I really able to “unwind” and just wait for things to work themselves out?  NO SÉ? 

Now before you start feeling too sorry for me let me tell you that the weather is better than predicted (70% chance of rain), the food is wonderful (shrimp tacos), the hotel is fabulous (pool bar) and the beach is just outside my door.  But still I want to get my work done and get home – WHAT’S WRONG WITH ME? Most people would kill to be “stuck” in a place like this but I just want to go home.  I’m told my granddaughter Anna prayed for “Pawpaw in Mexico” last night and that she misses me – “I miss you too, Anna!”  Plus I feel guilty – guilty for not working, guilty for enjoying the beach and the pool without Deb, guilty for spending company pesos on food and (maybe alcohol) while no real work is happening.  And guilty for being looked upon as an IMPORTANT AMERICAN BUSINESSMAN by these nice Mexican folks that have been waiting on me ‘hand and foot’ and are just are trying to eke out a decent living wage. 

In the meantime, I guess  I’ll go back to the beach or pool and try to tip as generously as possible to ease some of my guilt.  Also it seems that the occasional Corona seems to ease my conscience as well.  “Uno cerveza por favor”!  My high school Spanish teacher, Sister Madeline, would be so proud!

Paz,

Denis

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!

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Hey Little Man, welcome to the world! 
Noah Wilhelm Kleckner
Born 9-20-10 ~ 7:06PM
7 lbs. 15 oz.
19-3/4“
Noah Wilhelm Kleckner

Last night before you were born I didn’t think I could love anyone as much as your sister and your cousin but then I met you and now you have my heart, too.  I can’t wait to start our journey together.

Love,

Pawpaw

Jerks and Killers

/ Denis Wilhelm / 2 Comments

Years ago my wife told me that all people were either basically good or basically bad.  In her explanation she gave the following examples:  Good = saints and various kind people.  Bad = jerks and killers.  It’s an understatement to say that those are pretty broad categories.  My kids and I have laughed at this pronouncement ever since but I’ve been married to Deborah for over 35 years now and I understand that to her it makes perfect sense.  I suppose that if humans and pigs share 99% of the same DNA then it’s not unreasonable to believe that saints and kind people and jerks and killers belong in the same behavioral categories.  I just hope Deb includes me in the “good” category.

Today I would like to focus on the jerks and killers. 

Lately at work someone has been brewing very weak coffee.  We have a ‘state of the art’ brewing system that a trained chimp could operate and yet EVERY morning I pour a cup of weak-ass coffee because some jerk can’t follow the simple instructions.  Hey stupid – you might as well drink hot water!  I’ve yet to discover who the jerk that can’t make coffee is.  But I have my suspicions.

There is a traffic merge near my office where EVERY night some jerks feel the need to stop.  YOU DON’T NEED TO STOP – IT’S A MERGE!  All these jerks are doing is holding up traffic. This is a daily annoyance.  For the love of God – read the sign.  Keep the traffic moving!  Of course my honking and yelling never seems to positively influence the offenders. 

My next door neighbor’s lawn looks like a cross between a mole farm and a prairie grass preserve.  Hey hillbilly – if you don’t want to take care of your lawn then don’t have one!  Move to an apartment or condo development where they take care of that sort of thing for you.  Look around jerk neighbor – you’re the only one whose lawn looks like a toxic waste dump. 

At the gym I attend there are several jerks but the one that is most offensive is the crazy guy that jumps from machine to machine and then becomes noticeably irritated, muttering curse words under his breath, when someone else decides to use the equipment that he had planned on “jumping to” next.  This guy might be slightly unstable (his appearance would tend to make you think so) but regardless he’s a jerk supreme. 

So when do jerks cross the line and become killers?  Do all jerks have the capacity for murder?  And should I be concerned about the jerk at the gym “snapping” and killing me for using a piece of equipment that he planned on using next?

If the shirt fits - wear it!

Unfortunately Debbie doesn’t have any answers for those questions.  So rather than worry about being killed by some jerk.  I’ve decided to work hard on not becoming a jerk myself and eventually a killer.  I suppose the whole jerk/killer thing could be a slippery slope. 

And now I’m wondering if I am considered a jerk by others?  Someone might be writing about me at this precise moment. 

I’m the jerk that bitches about the coffee EVERY morning.  I’m the jerk that honks at drivers EVERY night.  I’m the jerk that gives my neighbor the ‘cold shoulder’ because of his inferior lawn care ability.  And I’m the jerk at the gym that jumps on a piece of equipment right before someone else was planning on using it.    

Oh no!  I may not be a good person after all.  Don’t tell Debbie.  But please help me before I kill someone!  Your prayers will be appreciated.

Peace,

Denis

Bill, Silent Guy, and Dumb-Dumb

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Last week I was at a Macy’s Store in Milwaukee for a Designer Accessories Shop installation.  That’s what I do or I should say that’s what the company that I work for does.  We manufacture and install custom retail store fixtures.  As the V.P. of Operations I have project managers that are working all over the country (and sometimes internationally) setting up new stores or handling remodels.  Often our customers’ shops are inside a department store – we call those ‘shop in shops’ (don’t blame me – I didn’t make up that name).  Occasionally when my project management teams are spread too thin I will go to installations to meet with a customer rep or just to make certain everything is completed correctly. 

That’s what I was doing this past week.  I usually don’t announce to the installation crew that I’m a V.P. because it tends to make people nervous.  I’m just Denis.  Last week the crew that was at the Macy’s store was ‘contracted out’ – meaning that are not employees but instead they are hired for a specific location.  We may or may not ever work together again. 

I was told by the Installation Company that Mike would be the supervisor of the crew.  When I arrived and asked for Mike I was greeted by Bill who explained that Mike was not there.  Bill seemed okay so I wasn’t too concerned.  His ‘crew’ consisted of two others that I nicknamed ‘Silent Guy’ and ‘Dumb-Dumb’.  Let me explain:  First of all, I know that it’s not nice to call people names but for the record I only called them names in my head (or behind their backs – I have manners).  Secondly, ‘Silent Guy’ never spoke – he only sort of grunted.  And thirdly, well – we’ll get to ‘Dumb-Dumb’ later.

Initially things went well.  Our truck was on time.  The dock was available.  The store personnel were friendly and cooperative.  But as the morning progressed it became painfully obvious that Bill and his crew were  S   L   O   W !  I couldn’t have lit a fire under their asses with a blowtorch.  And time was slipping away!  Plus I discovered Dumb-Dumb down in the stockroom arguing with the ‘Trash Lady’ about why he should have to “breakdown” cardboard boxes!  Really Dumb-Dumb, you’re going to argue with the 80 year old lady who is kind enough to help you?  Taking care of your trash is not her job!  The store was scheduled to open at 10:00AM and after 2-1/2 hours of slowly dragging stuff to the sales floor, unpacking fixtures and wiping things down “at a snail’s pace” I finally (kind of) lost my cool.  We had 30 minutes to clear the aisles, remove all the debris, and make the space ready for the store opening.  Concerned that the store managers as well as my customer contact would “flip out” because everything was in complete disarray – I yelled at Bill and crew.  I told them to stop what they were doing (whatever that was) and to get EVERYTHING cleaned up, cleared out, and ready for merchandise.  Bill explained that they didn’t usually do things that way and I responded that “today is a new day – we’re doing it MY WAY”.  I went into full V.P. mode!

Within a few minutes the space was much more to my liking.  Lots of clearing, cleaning and straightening was happening.  The merchandise specialist arrived and began arranging handbags.  While Bill and his ‘crew’ were still sulking, I was strutting around quite pleased with my command of the situation.  Then it happened…

The Operations Manager for Macy’s came by to ask if everything would be ready to go by 10:00AM.  I was certain I was ready for a verbal “beat down” because of my installation crew’s lack of efficiency and orderliness.  Instead her reply was:  SUPER-DEE-DUPER!  And then she proceeded to tell me how much she enjoyed working with Bill and “The Boys” – what great guys they were; how they made each install easy because they were so relaxed in their approach. That it was ALWAYS a stress-free experience for all involved.  That all the store personnel LOVED working with them, etc. etc.  And that I was really smart to have hired them because she wouldn’t want anyone else working in her store.  I sheepishly thanked her knowing full well that Bill and his ‘crew’ heard every word she had said.

In my uptight and reactionary way, I had forgotten where I was.  This was Wisconsin not New York.  Not L.A.  These folks at this Macy’s loved ‘shooting the breeze’ with the installers.  They were more interested in knowing about the fish that Bill had caught at his cabin up north than whether or not everything was perfect in the shop at 10:00AM.  The Packers upcoming football season took precedence over the placement of fixtures.  In Wisconsin Aaron Rodgers is way more important than Michael Kors.

I had forgotten the most important rule of customer service – Don’t treat people the way you want to be treated – Treat them the way they want to be treated.  Bill and his ‘crew’ remembered that.

So who’s the Dumb-Dumb now? 

Peace,

Denis