Insightful Solutions

Lost wallet

2012-02-25T17:18:00.000-05:00

Ever had that moment of panic when you realize your purse or wallet is missing. That sinking feeling after realizing you left it in a store. A colleague recently told me of his wife losing her purse - and all its contents. After the sinking feeling came the realization that she did not have her credit card numbers, driver's license number, or any other information written down. Joe and his wife spent the next few hours scouring files to find all the information so they could contact the various companies and have credit cards cancelled and bank accounts changed. Joe looked at me when telling the story and said, "we should have listened to you."

Here's my advice. The quickest, easiest way to compile all your wallet information is to make a photocopy. Begin with your credit cards and debit cards. (why you have more than two credit cards in your wallet is for another blog!) First photocopy one side of the cards, then the back side. Then do this for insurance cards, driver's license, and any other card you may carry. Next do this for your bank accounts. Make two copies of all documents. One should go in your home file, the other in your estate binder or safe. Should you ever be unfortunate enough to need the information, it is easily accessible.

And my last bit of advice - NEVER carry your social security card in your wallet.

Kudos of the Week - Country Club of Fairfax

2012-01-23T08:34:00.000-05:00

I am not a member of a country club. However, I do have the opportunity every week to attend a breakfast meeting at the Country Club of Fairfax. For over a year, I've been the point of contact for organizing these meetings. And to say the people at the CCF are polite and accommodating is an understatement. I usually work with Mark Maroon, and have recently begun working with Melonnie Goble as well. They go way beyond the necessary to accommodate our ever-expanding and boisterous group. Questions are answered immediately, whether via email or in person. Salvadore, the gentleman who serves our group each week, is phenomenal. He always has a smile, is pleasant, and is genuinely a pleasure to be around. I would happily host any event at this facility.

I do not belong to a country club. If I were to join, it would most definitely be the Country Club of Fairfax. And for the great customer service, they get my kudos of the week.

Melissa Sorensen, CPO

Insightful Solutions, LLC

melissa@insightfulsolutions.org

www.insightfulsolutions.org

703-497-5904

Facebook at InsightfulSolutionsLLC

Twitter @InsightMelissa

InsightfulSolutions.blogspot.com

Kudos of the Week - Jenkins Restorations

2012-01-15T13:36:00.000-05:00

The very last thing you want to see is a water spot on the ceiling of the spare bedroom. Sadly, that's what I saw two weeks ago. After a select cuss word or two, I logged on and filed a claim with my insurance company, USAA. They sent out Chad Grover of Jenkins Restorations to assess the situation. Jenkins is the company USAA also contacts with to do the repairs. Chad has been excellent throughout this process. He answered any questions I had, both in person and via email. Having never filed an insurance claim, he walked me through the process. He's kept me up-to-date on what service person would be out to my house and when. We are currently in the middle of the repair process, but so far I have nothing but good things to say about Chad and Jenkins. They've made the process as painless as possible.

Thanks Chad. And for your great service, you and Jenkins get my Kudos of the Week.

Hack Proof Your Password

2012-01-09T20:16:00.000-05:00

Here's an excellent article in Consumer Reports on how to protect your password. This is especially important for financial information. Call Insightful Solutions for assistance in protecting your identity.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/01/hack-proof-your-passwords/index.htm

Kudos of the Week – Basic Organization

2012-01-08T12:01:00.000-05:00

Kudos of the Week – Basic Organization

Usually I give a shout out to a company that has gone above and beyond the necessary in the previous week. This week I’m giving kudos to Janet Schiesl of Basic Organization for her exceptional company every day of the week. You can follow Janet’s tweets @BasicOrganizer. The reason I’m mentioning Basic Organization is the way Janet runs the company. As a professional organizer and daily money manager, I frequently run across individuals who can do his/her job well, but have no idea what it takes to operate a successful business. Janet is one person who is a true business person. She spends as much time on her business as in her business. Things don’t just happen. Janet has a business plan; and she executes it. The huge success of her organizing company is a testament to the quality job she provides her clients. So for that Janet and Basic Organization get my Kudos of the Week.

2012 is the year to stop Whining!

2012-01-01T21:05:00.000-05:00

How often do we hear the same people complain about the same things. Over, and over again. With a new year comes a new attitude - one of doing rather than whining. Are you getting horrible service from your doctor and complain about it to your friends or spouse. Stop whining about it. Tell your doctor. Or find a new doctor. Always annoyed that the cleaning lady does a horrible job. Has your constant complaining about her to your mother made a difference? Likely not. So fire her and hire somebody new.

And with the new year comes new year's resolutions. Here are the three most common The first is to lose weight. So do it. Get off the couch, and instead of complaining your pants don't fit, exercise. Or call a personal trainer. The second is to get organized. Really, you are responsible for the pile of magazines that pile up as well as the linen closet that looks horrendous. Get organized. Hire a professional organizer. The third is to live within a budget. So you never have enough money for a vacation because you are overspending on everything. Do something about it. Hire a daily money manager to put you on track.

Insightful Solutions can help you with all your new year's resolutions.

Speak Up

2011-12-19T09:34:00.000-05:00

When something is wrong with a product, or you receive substandard service, speak up! Visit Tara Hunt's blog, HorsePigCow.com for some interesting statistics.

Have a complaint

2011-12-07T18:56:00.000-05:00

Ever complained to a customer service rep on the phone and had no resolution. Take your grievance to twitter or facebook. Many companies now have representatives that monitor the company's facebook page or twitter account for any disgruntled customers.

Kudos of the Week - Rustica

2011-12-04T20:19:00.000-05:00

Another fabulous dining experience. On Thursday night we dined at Rustica in Alexandria. The appetizers were very unique, and all very good. The service, however, was beyond wonderful. Ahna, our server, was excellent. She was friendly, attentive, and provided tips on suggested menu items. She didn't hover, yet when we needed something, she seemed to simply appear. If you visit the restaurant, definitely try the carrot hummus, and request Ahna as your server.

Germs this holiday season

2011-11-30T20:25:00.000-05:00

Who wants to be sick during the holiday season. Nobody. So how do you protect yourself when you're out shopping. According to health.com, here are the 8 germiest spots at the mall.

Restroom sinks; Food Court Tables; Escalator handrails; ATM keypads; Toy stores; Fitting rooms; Gadget shops (iphone, nook); Makeup samples.

Now go wash your hands!

Secure website purchase

2011-11-27T09:13:00.000-05:00

Have you ever wondered if the website you are purchasing an item from is actually secure. Is it safe to provide your credit card information? Once you get to the purchase/provide credit card information page on any website, make sure the URL begins with https.

For example, when you are browsing at Amazon.com, the URL will look like this: http://www.amazon.com/

However, once you place an item in your cart and head to the payment page, the website should have a URL that looks like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/cart/view.htmlasks

If any site asks for payment information but doesn't have a secure site, indicated with the https, then don't purchase the product. You are opening yourself to having your financial information compromised.

Kudos of the Week - jetBlue and Patricia

2011-11-20T16:49:00.000-05:00

I really didn't think I would ever be giving kudos to two different airlines in such a short period of time. I flew on jetBlue for the first time on Thursday; we took flight #693 from DC to Orlando. The row in front of us and across were filled with young kids. Thinking the worst, I planned for a loud and annoying flight. My kudos is for the flight attendant, Patricia, though the mothers of the four kids deserve a huge Yay for raising such well behaved kids! Patricia was extremely pleasant throughout the flight. She took extra time with the kids, asked the mothers' permission before the kids got snacks, and was just downright nice the entire time. This attitude extended to all the passengers. And it wasn't a fake, saccharine sweet niceness - Patricia was just genuinely nice. And while her colleague, Popcorn, was in the front section of the plane, she too was extremely pleasant.

So my kudos this week goes to Patricia, Popcorn, and jetBlue.

To see more from Insightful Solutions, look for us on facebook at InsightfulSolutionsLLC and on twitter at InsightMelissa.

Kudos of the Week - Potomac Mortgage Group and The Settlement Group

2011-11-13T21:37:00.000-05:00

The best service! I assisted a client this week with a refinance. As with any financial dealing, there was a lot of paperwork involved. From the beginning both Sebastian from Potomac Mortgage Group and Katie from the Settlement Group provided excellent customer service. They were attentive to my client and answered all of his questions. Both were professional and courteous, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them in the future.

So a huge thanks this week to Sebastian and Katie.

Is your password wimpy?

2011-11-13T11:55:00.000-05:00

Think you have a good, safe password that will resist hacking? Very few of us actually do. Here are a few tips to have a more secure password that will protect against identity thieves.

Longer is better. Any password should have a minimum of 8 characters. The password should include numbers, letters, upper case, symbols, and punctuation. For example: In$ightFul9

Most people use the same password for every account. This, too, is not wise. If you insist on using the same password, use the same root word, but vary the remaining characters. For example: *InSight545

What to avoid: using a family, pet or child's name, part of a social security number, birth date, or address.

Save yourself the aggravation and inconvenience of having your identity stolen and your files hacked. Change your password today.

Kudos of the Week - Marriott

2011-11-06T18:01:00.000-05:00

I have to give a big thanks to the shuttle bus driver from the Marriott Dulles Airport hotel. Unfortunately I did not get his name. I flew in from Atlanta and grabbed the shuttle to the hotel. I was the only person on the bus, and the driver was very friendly. When we got to the hotel, he asked me where my car was parked. I told him and, without even hesitating, nice driver took me directly to my car. And while this would have been fabulous had I been lugging a huge suitcase, it was none-the-less appreciated even with my little carry on bag. So thank you Mr. Shuttle Bus Driver, you made my day.

Protect Your Family

2011-11-02T17:32:00.000-04:00

If you only do one thing for your family today, make sure your vital documents (will, power of attorney, trust) are up to date.

If you need asssitance with this, hire a professional organizer or daily money manager.

Identity Theft - Protect Yourself

2011-10-30T18:07:00.000-04:00

Identity Theft is on the rise. In 2010, 8.1 million Americans were victims. Here are 5 ways to protect yourself.
1) Install anti-virus and anti-spyware software on your computer.
2) Use credit, not debit cards.
3) Check your credit report once every 4 months.
4) Change your passwords quarterly.
5) Avoid giving out your social security number.

Delta Airlines - Kudos of the Week

2011-10-30T18:00:00.000-04:00

Another week that I'm left shocked by the excellent service I've received from an often annoying business. My sister and I booked an airline ticket for our mother to come for a visit. Within a couple hours of booking we had to change the departure date. I went online to Delta and, even though the change occurred within two hours, the fee to change was $150. So I decided to call Delta directly.

Whenever I make a customer service call, I always begin by being pleasant. When the customer representative becomes unhelpful, that's when I can go from 0 to snarky in a matter of seconds. I spoke with one customer representative who asked for the information. She was not in the department I needed, so she transferred me to Lisa. I now love Lisa. She took the info, checked other flight information, and said, "we'll be able do an equal exchange for you at no cost." I, of course said, "I'm sorry, what?" Again Lisa repeated there would be no fee for the change. She did the change, I received email confirmation within minutes, and for that Lisa from Delta Airlines, you get the Kudos of the Week.

Kudos of the Week

2011-10-23T09:18:00.000-04:00

Good customer service is beyond measure. I think it says a a lot about the quality of people that work at a store or restaurant, as well as the dedication to the company.

On Saturday I had the experience of making a delivery to Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Manassas. Not that I usually comment on parking lots, even though ReStore's was a bit tight to get into, they have a drive around area that allows somebody to drop off donations and drive out without interfering with incoming traffic. When we dropped off our items, we expected to unload the trailer and car ourselves. Instead two very nice young men came to assist. They unloaded the items, chatted with us, and both were both pleasant and helpful. We were thanked for our donation, provided a donation form, and happily went on our way. And while we did the drop off ourselves, ReStore will schedule a pick up. I would be happy to donate again in the future.

If you've never heard of it, here is information from their website.

ReStore is a resale business that sells new and used building materials and home improvement items to the general public. All materials are donated by local retail businesses, building contractors, suppliers and individuals, and are made available for sale to the public at 50% to 90% below retail prices.

All donations are tax deductible, and proceeds go back to the local Habitat for Humanity Affiliate to build houses for families in our community.

Speechless

2011-10-16T20:23:00.000-04:00

This will never, ever happen again. That's why it is this week's Kudos.

On Friday I picked my friend Jill up at the airport. I pulled into the parking garage and took a ticket. I was pulling into a parking spot when Jill texted to say she had arrived. Rather than parking, I told her I woud pull up to baggage claim.

So within three minutes I was now pulling out of the parking garage. And I just knew that I would have to pay the $2 fee. I was ready to become indignant. Or to be snarky when the gate attendant wouldn't let me through. The parking attendants at Washington National Airport are not known for their bright, sunny personalities or for giving people a break. But in an event that still leaves me speechless, I pulled up the the ticket booth, provided the lady with my ticket, and she smiled (actually smiled) and told me to go ahead.

So thank you nameless ticket lady who truly made my day.

Leadership

2011-10-11T17:47:00.002-04:00

I must follow the people. Am I not their leader?
Benjamin Disraeli

Shout out of the week

2011-10-09T21:13:00.000-04:00

What job is the smelliest that you can imgaine? Trash collection. I have to give a huge thank you to my trash guys. The company I use is Charlie and Sons based in Woodbridge. The guys who pick up my trash twice a week are amazing. They take things that should never even be at the curb. If I've exceeded my limit for bags of leaves, the bags magically disappear anyway. If I am outside when they arrive, the guys are always friendly and wave. And really, what time of the year is good for a trash collection job? In Virginia it's either so flaming hot in the summer or so frigidly cold in the winter, that being outside is miserable. So thank you trash guys for making my life so much easier. That, and I'm sorry for the sink that was at the curb not so long ago!

Kudos of the Week

2011-10-02T20:31:00.000-04:00

Had dinner last night at Fogo de Chao in DC. The restaurant is a Brazillian steakhouse offering 15 kinds of meat (who wouldn't love this!) The food was quite good and the service was fantastic.

www.fogodechao.com

Downsizing in Place

2011-10-02T20:21:00.000-04:00

Send me an email (melissa@insightfulsolutions.org) with an organzing question or a an organizing topic you'd like to find out more about, and I'll send you a free copy of my Downsizing in Place booklet.

Big Kudos

2011-09-25T20:20:00.000-04:00

My big shout out this week for excellent customer services goes to Community Thrift Store in Manassas. As a professional organizer I frequently use donation pick up services for my clients - as well as for myself. Community Thrift exceeded every expectation I had. When I phoned to schedule a pick up, they were very accommodating. Not only was I able to select the date, but sit down for this, a two hour time window! The boys (they were my age, but after this experience I refer to them as "my boys")phoned when they were on the way. My client had numerous items to load. My boys hauled everything down the stairs. Not only did they take great care not to ding or damage the walls, they were friendly. I have used many different companies in the past, but in the future will use Community Thrift whenever possible.

Community Thrift
7381 Sudley Road
Manassas, VA 20109-2612
(703) 392-1234
www.communitythrift.org

Customer Service

2011-09-24T09:40:00.000-04:00

How often do you contact a company that has provided you with excellent customer service? I'm currently in a fight with my lawn care company, MowCow. Absolutely the worst customer service I've ever seen; along with the worst lawn care I've ever seen. My neighbors are having the same problem. During the months long back and forth attempting to have our issues resolved, it made me realize that I don't often give a shout out to the excellent companies. So my goal for the next year is that once a week I intend to blog about a company that is worth mentioning.

As far as MowCow goes, I wouldn't recommend them nor will I use them in the future.

Time Saving App for Smartphone and Computer

2011-09-21T12:34:00.002-04:00

Love this time saving application for smart phone and computer. Allows you to put a file, photo, or note, on your smartphone and retrieve it on your computer. Password protected for added security. Extremely easy to use. Go to www.catch.com