I am selling some generic domain names that are great for banks, insurance companies, brokers and other financial institutions. They should provide some good SEO, PPC options and should help the potential buyer get better exposure via search engines. They are:
http://www.stockbrokingcompany.com/
http://www.stockbrokingcompanies.com/
http://www.brokingcompany.com/
http://www.brokingcompanies.com/
Contact me at johncarson AT gmail DOT com if interested in buying them. Thanks!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
On A Personal Note
It's been a busy few weeks for me.
On the day job front, we launched our first-ever online Annual Report 2008-2009 at the school; 15 days from start to finish. I was the project manager, and had the support of an excellent team of people.
On a personal note, Karim Kanji was also kind enough to ask me "5 Questions ..." for his Techvibes blog. (Met him at PodCamp Toronto 2010, nice guy.)
And, to round off on the start-up front, Mashable finally featured Greenscroll. That's great exposure for us! (Candice Batista also interviewed some Greenscroll team members for her new upcoming TV show.)
On the day job front, we launched our first-ever online Annual Report 2008-2009 at the school; 15 days from start to finish. I was the project manager, and had the support of an excellent team of people.
On a personal note, Karim Kanji was also kind enough to ask me "5 Questions ..." for his Techvibes blog. (Met him at PodCamp Toronto 2010, nice guy.)
And, to round off on the start-up front, Mashable finally featured Greenscroll. That's great exposure for us! (Candice Batista also interviewed some Greenscroll team members for her new upcoming TV show.)
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Beer And Bagels For Breakfast 2010
For various periods between 1989-1994 I lived on a kibbutz in Israel; spent a total of two years there, loved it, had the best time of my life.
So good, in fact, that in 1997 I founded Kibbutz Volunteer to help other young travellers experience what I did. I also wrote a book called Beer and Bagels for Breakfast that was published in 1999.
Even though it was well received in the kibbutz volunteer community, I felt it wasn't promoted sufficiently by my publisher. C'est la vie.
Well, I got some good news a few weeks ago -- the rights had reverted back to me, and with the advances in self-publishing since 1999, I was able to now produce my own quality copy via Lulu and sell and promote it myself.
Check it out. It's not Shakespeare ... but everyone has a book in them, and this is mine!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
PodCamp 2010 = Very Cool
I just got back from PodCamp Toronto 2010; made a ton of new contacts, met some old friends and generally had a good time.
Some cool, smart people of note whose presentations I watched, or just hung out with in the halls:
Donna Marie Antoniadis, Karim Kanji, Treena Grevatt, Evelyn Hannon, Jodi Echakowitz.
And, on the Greenscroll front, reconnected with Zell Artan, a very connected lady that we'll be partnering with on an exciting project. More to come on that soon ...
Some cool, smart people of note whose presentations I watched, or just hung out with in the halls:
Donna Marie Antoniadis, Karim Kanji, Treena Grevatt, Evelyn Hannon, Jodi Echakowitz.
And, on the Greenscroll front, reconnected with Zell Artan, a very connected lady that we'll be partnering with on an exciting project. More to come on that soon ...
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
My Very Detailed Post On Why Europcar Customer Service Is Terrible, And Why You Should Rent Cars With A Company That Gives A Damn About Its Brand
On December 21 I headed off on a Christmas trip to Scotland with my in-laws and sister-in-law; my wife was on a separate flight. To cut a long story short, because of the bad weather, delays, lost baggage and a flight diversion from Aberdeen to Edinburgh, we eventually got off the bus at Aberdeen Airport 24 hours later. Frazzled, tired and totally spent.
Last item on the momentous trip: collect a car from Europcar. So, the desk is short staffed, and I get a long story about an employee not turning up for work. Europcar, first mistake. That is not my problem, and I do not want to know what goes on behind the scenes at your company. You have my money, please give me a smile and provide the car. Thank you.
Thus, because of the lack of staff, there is no one to meet us in the rental car park to show us where our car is. My father-in-law and I hunt around in the dark, scraping the snow off cars so we can spot the licence plate and identify our car. Twenty minutes later of stumbling around and ... there it is! No ice scraper or defroster provided -- why would we need that in a Scottish winter, Europcar? Silly me! I wait another 20 minutes for the heater to melt the ice off the windscreen, collect the rest of my family and off we jolly well go.
For the next few days, I realize that the car is not safe = it does not grip the road, we slide around the country lanes and the windscreen washer does not work properly. Time to take it back and request a safer car. Off we trot back to Aberdeen Airport.
Now, I am not silly. I have rented cars before and I KNOW that you have to return it with a full tank of fuel. I ask the lady at the counter: “So, do you need me to fill up the tank?” Reply: “No, that’s not necessary.”
I check a second time; they have my credit card and I do not want to be dinged once I get back to Canada. “Are you sure that I shouldn’t fill it before I exchange it?” Reply: “No, it should be OK.”
Last check. “Are you sure that I don’t have to fill it before I return it?” Reply: “No, it’s OK.”
Three times. Great. I’m covered. They feel bad, and in the spirit of good customer service, Europcar is writing off the half tank of fuel for my trouble. The world is good again.
At the end of the trip, I return the second car -- with a full tank of fuel -- and head home.
You know what’s coming, dear reader. Credit card bill comes in. What’s that extra charge I spy? Oh, it’s 48 pounds (around $82.) FOR FUEL! FOR HALF A TANK?
So, I phone the Europcar customer service department, and are told that the extortionate rate is part fuel cost, and part fees for making an employee go to the trouble of filling up the tank. There is a fuel station exactly 60 seconds’ drive from Aberdeen Airport. There is no justification for bumping up the cost of the fuel in the first place, and then overcharging me for a Europcar employee to drive one minute up the road to fill up.
So, I get an e-mail reply on January 14 from Europcar to my complaint. Read this part: Some of our branches have private refuelling facilities and, unfortunately, Petrol Company’s [note to Europcar, please make sure your customer service reps can spell, looks more professional] charge relatively more to fill small storage tanks. Alternatively, where we do not have private refuelling facilities, an agent of ours has to take the vehicle to be refilled at the nearest filling station [which is one minute away, what a chore]. In both instances, and in order for us to cover our staffing, administrative and investment costs [what investment costs?], a refuelling service fee is added to the cost of the fuel itself, and forms part of the refuelling charge.
Regarding the weather and the Snow conditions [snow doesn’t have a capital ‘s’ last time I checked, Europcar], we advise that the driver should take care when driving in such conditions and adhere to weather warnings and road conditions. [Gee, thanks for the condescending advice, Europcar! I’ve only bloody been driving for 23 years in all conditions! I’ll make sure to slow down when I have my family in the car around the wintry Scottish lanes!!]
Guess what? I am not happy with that response, so I send an e-mail back on January 17 asking for the contact details of Europcar’s head office so I can pursue the matter further. No reply.
Time to track down a real human and try my luck. The lucky winner is Karin Weibel, listed on the website as Europcar International – Corporate Communications. Surely she understands about making sure the company’s brand is protected, might help out a customer who is very frustrated with the service he’s getting ... at least, gulp, REPLY to the e-mail I send her on January 18? Nope. Tumbleweeds blowing in the wind.
So, in the meantime, I’m trying to get some help via social media channels; maybe someone from Europcar is listening to their customers there?
Here’s my first request via Twitter. Second request. Third request.
So, it’s now January 26, exactly 12 days after this sorry saga started. Obviously I am resigned to not getting a reply -- let alone $82 -- back that I feel is an unjust charge on their behalf. This is not about the money; it’s about a very large company that, after five attempts to get some sort of reply, is still silent.
Well, Europcar, I hope that $82 gets you some satisfaction. As much as writing this very public blog post got me.
Oh, and by the way, it took me an hour to compose this, so you owe me $100 for my PR services.
Update: February 5, 2010
Still no response, so mailed a copy of this post to the CEO.
Update: April 3, 2010
I found the e-mail address of Mark Cotterill, UK Managing Director, so just sent an e-mail, and a link to this blog post, inviting him to explain how he plans to repair his company's customer service.
Update: April 8, 2010
Dawn Sharpe, Quality and Client Liaison Manager, Europcar UK Group, e-mailed me with an apology and an offer to refund my money for the fuel.
So, I'm obviously happy with that result ... but a bit disappointed it took three months and a blog post to get a response. Is this a social media customer service case study? You decide.
Last item on the momentous trip: collect a car from Europcar. So, the desk is short staffed, and I get a long story about an employee not turning up for work. Europcar, first mistake. That is not my problem, and I do not want to know what goes on behind the scenes at your company. You have my money, please give me a smile and provide the car. Thank you.
Thus, because of the lack of staff, there is no one to meet us in the rental car park to show us where our car is. My father-in-law and I hunt around in the dark, scraping the snow off cars so we can spot the licence plate and identify our car. Twenty minutes later of stumbling around and ... there it is! No ice scraper or defroster provided -- why would we need that in a Scottish winter, Europcar? Silly me! I wait another 20 minutes for the heater to melt the ice off the windscreen, collect the rest of my family and off we jolly well go.
For the next few days, I realize that the car is not safe = it does not grip the road, we slide around the country lanes and the windscreen washer does not work properly. Time to take it back and request a safer car. Off we trot back to Aberdeen Airport.
Now, I am not silly. I have rented cars before and I KNOW that you have to return it with a full tank of fuel. I ask the lady at the counter: “So, do you need me to fill up the tank?” Reply: “No, that’s not necessary.”
I check a second time; they have my credit card and I do not want to be dinged once I get back to Canada. “Are you sure that I shouldn’t fill it before I exchange it?” Reply: “No, it should be OK.”
Last check. “Are you sure that I don’t have to fill it before I return it?” Reply: “No, it’s OK.”
Three times. Great. I’m covered. They feel bad, and in the spirit of good customer service, Europcar is writing off the half tank of fuel for my trouble. The world is good again.
At the end of the trip, I return the second car -- with a full tank of fuel -- and head home.
You know what’s coming, dear reader. Credit card bill comes in. What’s that extra charge I spy? Oh, it’s 48 pounds (around $82.) FOR FUEL! FOR HALF A TANK?
So, I phone the Europcar customer service department, and are told that the extortionate rate is part fuel cost, and part fees for making an employee go to the trouble of filling up the tank. There is a fuel station exactly 60 seconds’ drive from Aberdeen Airport. There is no justification for bumping up the cost of the fuel in the first place, and then overcharging me for a Europcar employee to drive one minute up the road to fill up.
So, I get an e-mail reply on January 14 from Europcar to my complaint. Read this part: Some of our branches have private refuelling facilities and, unfortunately, Petrol Company’s [note to Europcar, please make sure your customer service reps can spell, looks more professional] charge relatively more to fill small storage tanks. Alternatively, where we do not have private refuelling facilities, an agent of ours has to take the vehicle to be refilled at the nearest filling station [which is one minute away, what a chore]. In both instances, and in order for us to cover our staffing, administrative and investment costs [what investment costs?], a refuelling service fee is added to the cost of the fuel itself, and forms part of the refuelling charge.
Regarding the weather and the Snow conditions [snow doesn’t have a capital ‘s’ last time I checked, Europcar], we advise that the driver should take care when driving in such conditions and adhere to weather warnings and road conditions. [Gee, thanks for the condescending advice, Europcar! I’ve only bloody been driving for 23 years in all conditions! I’ll make sure to slow down when I have my family in the car around the wintry Scottish lanes!!]
Guess what? I am not happy with that response, so I send an e-mail back on January 17 asking for the contact details of Europcar’s head office so I can pursue the matter further. No reply.
Time to track down a real human and try my luck. The lucky winner is Karin Weibel, listed on the website as Europcar International – Corporate Communications. Surely she understands about making sure the company’s brand is protected, might help out a customer who is very frustrated with the service he’s getting ... at least, gulp, REPLY to the e-mail I send her on January 18? Nope. Tumbleweeds blowing in the wind.
So, in the meantime, I’m trying to get some help via social media channels; maybe someone from Europcar is listening to their customers there?
Here’s my first request via Twitter. Second request. Third request.
So, it’s now January 26, exactly 12 days after this sorry saga started. Obviously I am resigned to not getting a reply -- let alone $82 -- back that I feel is an unjust charge on their behalf. This is not about the money; it’s about a very large company that, after five attempts to get some sort of reply, is still silent.
Well, Europcar, I hope that $82 gets you some satisfaction. As much as writing this very public blog post got me.
Oh, and by the way, it took me an hour to compose this, so you owe me $100 for my PR services.
Update: February 5, 2010
Still no response, so mailed a copy of this post to the CEO.
Update: April 3, 2010
I found the e-mail address of Mark Cotterill, UK Managing Director, so just sent an e-mail, and a link to this blog post, inviting him to explain how he plans to repair his company's customer service.
Update: April 8, 2010
Dawn Sharpe, Quality and Client Liaison Manager, Europcar UK Group, e-mailed me with an apology and an offer to refund my money for the fuel.
So, I'm obviously happy with that result ... but a bit disappointed it took three months and a blog post to get a response. Is this a social media customer service case study? You decide.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Some Nice Coverage In Yonge Street
Many thanks to Shawn Micallef and Edward Keenan for taking the time to chat to Greenscroll for some nice coverage in their new weekly blog, Yonge Street.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Happy 2010! And Please Get Back To People, People
Well, it's been about a month since I last posted, so time to get back into the groove. I was in Scotland over Christmas, and doing some Greenscroll stuff. We bought our first 12 RECs which was exciting, as it means we have officially greened some of our supporters' websites, so it's great to be off and running.
I read some bloggers' predictions for what will be hot in 2010, and most say mobile or location-based apps. Can't say I disagree, but one thing I think we'll see more of is self-professed social media "experts" finally disappearing as potential clients realize that they can't produce one case study of work they've actually done. Great! Let's call some people out, and make them put up or shut up.
On that note, my eyes were opened at various times in 2009 by the amount of people who profess to be in social media ... actually run companies on that claim ... and yet can't be bothered to answer e-mails, respond and follow up as promised behind the scenes. How effing social is that?! I'm holding back here, but will be keeping an eye on them for the future.
I read some bloggers' predictions for what will be hot in 2010, and most say mobile or location-based apps. Can't say I disagree, but one thing I think we'll see more of is self-professed social media "experts" finally disappearing as potential clients realize that they can't produce one case study of work they've actually done. Great! Let's call some people out, and make them put up or shut up.
On that note, my eyes were opened at various times in 2009 by the amount of people who profess to be in social media ... actually run companies on that claim ... and yet can't be bothered to answer e-mails, respond and follow up as promised behind the scenes. How effing social is that?! I'm holding back here, but will be keeping an eye on them for the future.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Rogers On Demand Online Beta Is A Little Frustrating, Unless You Like Muppets
[Just to make it easier for the social media trackers out there in PR Land, here's the tags first: rogers on demand online beta, thornley fallis, dave fleet, joe thornley.]
OK, so I was very kindly offered a sneak peek of the above said service, but due to my time constraints, only just got to try it. So it's more of a late peek, but I really appreciate the gesture!
The things I liked about it were: easy to select and pick an episode of a show to watch; good quality video, even in full screen; the cool "dim the lights / raise the lights" option (nice touch, it's the little things) and the fact this service is now online, which makes it very convenient.
One VERY annoying thing that drove me crazy (and it is beta, may be a glitch) but when I tried to drag the slider (fast forward) in an episode of Survivorman, it kept taking me to an ad featuring the very lovely Teri Hatcher, but that was balanced out by Miss Piggy. I tried a few times, but it kept happening! Help! Is it me or the service, guys?!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Did The Toronto Maple Leafs Use Selective Social Media?
OK, attention-grabbing headline aside, did the interactive department of the Toronto Maple Leafs select a well-known social media specialist for VIP treatment?
In a nutshell: Dave Fleet posted a blog entry about tweeting his upcoming visit to a Leafs' game. Jonathan Sinden [of the Leafs' interactive department and official Twitter account manager] picked up on that and invited Dave to a behind-the-scenes tour: "For the TB game Tues, let me know when u arrive, and if u have time, i can show u some behind the scenes stuff."
Good for Dave!
But, I wondered if Dave's status had any bearing on the special VIP treatment he was offered? Would Joe Smith from Oakville with two followers get offered the same privilege?
So, I asked Jonathan. He replied: "Hi John, We already have. Its not about following. It's about opportunity and timing. just works out sometimes. js"
I'm not sure if that means they have offered others some special treatment, maybe so. Anyway, curious if others have seen examples of selective social media out there?
[And just for the record -- in case you're wondering the purpose of this post -- I'm not a hockey fan, no sour grapes ... but if you're reading this TFC, give me a shout any time!]
In a nutshell: Dave Fleet posted a blog entry about tweeting his upcoming visit to a Leafs' game. Jonathan Sinden [of the Leafs' interactive department and official Twitter account manager] picked up on that and invited Dave to a behind-the-scenes tour: "For the TB game Tues, let me know when u arrive, and if u have time, i can show u some behind the scenes stuff."
Good for Dave!
But, I wondered if Dave's status had any bearing on the special VIP treatment he was offered? Would Joe Smith from Oakville with two followers get offered the same privilege?
So, I asked Jonathan. He replied: "Hi John, We already have. Its not about following. It's about opportunity and timing. just works out sometimes. js"
I'm not sure if that means they have offered others some special treatment, maybe so. Anyway, curious if others have seen examples of selective social media out there?
[And just for the record -- in case you're wondering the purpose of this post -- I'm not a hockey fan, no sour grapes ... but if you're reading this TFC, give me a shout any time!]
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Meet The Rescue Mediums In Toronto, October 24
My good friends The Rescue Mediums are in Toronto on October 24 for a meet 'n' greet. It's for a good cause, and full details are here.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Link Love
I've been so busy settling in to my great new job, that I haven't blogged for a while. I miss it. Here's some link love.
Went to Third Tuesday Toronto tonight to hear Shel Israel talk about his new book, Twitterville. It was a nice location, and I could actually hear people in conversation. Finally got to meet three people I've been following online for a while: Joe, Dave and Eden. Nice to put faces to the tweets!
On the Greenscroll front, we've been getting some nice buzz, especially from today's mention at Corporate Knights. Having a team meeting on Thursday to discuss next steps; after hearing Israel tonight, it will definitely involve ramping up our Twitter presence.
Went to Third Tuesday Toronto tonight to hear Shel Israel talk about his new book, Twitterville. It was a nice location, and I could actually hear people in conversation. Finally got to meet three people I've been following online for a while: Joe, Dave and Eden. Nice to put faces to the tweets!
On the Greenscroll front, we've been getting some nice buzz, especially from today's mention at Corporate Knights. Having a team meeting on Thursday to discuss next steps; after hearing Israel tonight, it will definitely involve ramping up our Twitter presence.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Some Good Events Coming Up
A couple of events of note that myself and the Greenscroll team plan to attend. Third Tuesday Toronto is on September 15 and CaseCamp is on September 16.
See you there?
See you there?
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
My New Job
On Friday I accepted the role of E-Communications Officer / Social Media Specialist at Greenwood College School, officially starting September 8. I'm very excited because I had a great experience doing the same kind of work at UCC, and wanted to get back into education.
Greenwood has some ambitious plans for the future, and I'm looking forward to helping the school achieve them!
Friday, August 28, 2009
Meet Entrepreneur Milcha Malaque
Let me introduce you to Milcha Malaque. She's an entrepreneur living in the Philippines, and thanks to Zoompass, I just loaned her $25 as an investment in her business via Kiva.
I did some research on the people that needed help, and was impressed by the fact that Milcha has already repaid a previous loan, and that revenue generated from her business will go to pay for her children's tuition fees.
People helping themselves is what it's all about, and I'm glad to invest in her future!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Blogger vs. Brands
I found this article very interesting.
Snip: London-based blogger Paul McCrudden has become the first to be paid for time 'owed' by brands after spending hours waiting around for different services and receiving poor responses from staff. McCruddon, who works in 'digital strategy and future technologies' at Imagination Digital, details his crusade on his blog, Six Weeks.
Here, he talks through the time he has spent sitting, viewing, queuing and waiting in restaurants or shops, put into context by contrasting with watching TV or sleeping, over a six-week period.
Hat tip: Contagious.
Snip: London-based blogger Paul McCrudden has become the first to be paid for time 'owed' by brands after spending hours waiting around for different services and receiving poor responses from staff. McCruddon, who works in 'digital strategy and future technologies' at Imagination Digital, details his crusade on his blog, Six Weeks.
Here, he talks through the time he has spent sitting, viewing, queuing and waiting in restaurants or shops, put into context by contrasting with watching TV or sleeping, over a six-week period.
Hat tip: Contagious.
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