First, a couple funny, yet sad 911 calls locally: Last night, someone in Metolius called 911 to call help for a baby owl that fell out of its nest and couldn’t get back up there. Then, just now, a sheriff’s dispatcher – Crook or Jefferson, couldn’t get over to the scanner to check – said a mother called, saying her 7-year-old son refused to go to school and wants a deputy to stop by. “Scared straight” at 7??
OK, on to the point here – well, two points, one is please try http://prewww.ktvz.com and let me know what you think! Launches next week, oh boy!
Second point, behind the headline – I’ve taken to, as a small hobby, using consumer products’ Websites to share issues/sugestions. I finally did so the other day with Pepsi after getting exasperated how the new, thin-plastic (hey, I appreciate the “green” efforts to reduce waste) Aquafina bottles almost ALWAYS spill on you when you grasp the flimsy bottle tight enough to untwist the cap.
Today, I got a pleasant reply, saying they have “taken your feedback seriously and are actively working on improvging the stability of the Eco-Fina bottle, while maintaining the lower environmental impact.”
“We sincerely apologize for any problems you’ve had, and ask for your patience as we make the needed improvements,” it continued. “Thanks again for writing and sharing your thoughts with us,” said Margaret Corsi, a “consumer relations representative.”
Fine, nice. I wanted to thank her for the note.
I can’t. The reply address? noreply@pepsi.com.
Booo. It’s not just that “news is a conversation” now – all product interaction with customers and consumers can and should be conversations – and she just cut me off. Well, her mega-giant company did.
Too bad I can’t thank her personally.
Follow through, folks. Don’t stop a valuable link between a faceless megacorp and a lowly customer. Feed it, water it, tend it like a garden. Make a friend, make a fan! Don’t leave me hanging.
Leave it to Barney 
Hey Barney;
You’ve hit a home run with the new website. Sharp, quick, & self explanatory. Great job!
Thanks, Jerry. The poll seems to have got a lot of not-thrilled reactions, but as a colleague notes, you usually hear more from the critics than the supporters, so your kind words are very much appreciated.
Well, to some point you have a good point. For a third point, why not just drop the whole disposable bottle thing all together? So Nalgene will cause you cancer (m-kay whatever, but the new aluminum bottles are much cooler than the plastic Nalgenes except the water filter pumper thingy doesn’t fit on them, that’s another story), why not just get a stinkin’ water bottle and fill it up at the drinking fountain, or heaven forbid a faucet>
I am not going to reference anything in this, but may it be noted that the increase of water bottle usage has caused the general rate of recycling to plummet from around 53 percent in 1994 to 19 percent in 2003. As simple search finds these stats, but no matter the point is ditch the bottled H2O all together and utilize the faucet!
I mean come on, you live in Central Oregon. Isn’t it a prerequisite to be ‘green’ when you take the ‘moving to CO’ exam?
Good points. Reminds of something I’ve noticed – Bend’s from-the-faucet water doesn’t taste as great as it used to – think they’ve had to chlorinate it more? Anyway, you’re right, not a very ‘green’ post – was making a point about consumer interaction in today’s era, but … thanks.