Carla’s Blog
Summer in the City
Apr 28th
It’s here. No warning, no heads up. The heat has arrived in New York City. It’s really remarkable — it’s as if everyone has forgotten that, just a few days ago, they were donning turtlenecks and winter coats. Now, it’s bikinis in Central Park and no signs of spring — just summer.
One reason I like living in the Northeast is the fact we have four solid seasons, and usually the transition into each season is often the most enjoyable part. However, this year spring has sprung right over us. Summer is not my favorite season in NYC, mostly due to the humidity, but I have to admit it is nice to see the sun and people enjoying the outdoors.
In my travels, I’ve seen many different types of climates. In Southeast Asia, for example, the climate ranges from hot to hotter. Even locals I know in Singapore and Malaysia claim to never get used to the heat. On the extreme opposite, friends in Stockholm always seem shocked when the first snowfall hits. In fact, one year when I was visiting, the subways had technical issues due to the cold during the first snow. It was as if it was the first time they’ve seen cold in the region. Maybe they forgot about their history of long winters!
Bottom line, of the four different seasons, I’ve learned I’m a winter girl through and through. I try to avoid the heat. However, I wouldn’t mind spending some time in the sun if, say, I was in the Maldives or perhaps Bali for a few days. Where would you enjoy finding time in the sun?
-Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher
Home Sweet Starbucks?
Jun 20th
Since beginning to work from home, I have found it somewhat isolating. My job requires me to be on the phone all day, chit-chatting with new people – which is fun – but I find that in between calls, I miss being able to walk over to a coworker and convince them to take a coffee break.
My solution? I go to Starbucks. It’s my island of salvation where I realize that not everyone exists on the phone. The odd thing is, now that I’ve begun to frequent three different Starbucks, I’m beginning to notice the regular routines of the employees and the customers. It’s almost as if I’m witnessing someone else’s 9 to 5 and the proximity to it makes me feel better – I know, it’s strange!
I now know that the manager of one of my favorite spots just recently adopted a little girl named Jane. His partner comes in a half hour before the end of every shift for Jane to help out, even though she has a difficult time lifting a water bottle (Jane is 1). I also know that another Starbucks employee is cheating on her boyfriend with a Barnes & Noble employee and has had to do some fast thinking to prevent them from meeting each other.
On top of the employees, the customers are always fantastic to watch. There’s the woman with the mismatched sneakers that refuses to sit anywhere but at this one table in the corner. She likes to come in every Wednesday and Friday to read the same copy of Jane Eyre. I also have been a witness to several painful blind dates, which just makes me appreciate my boyfriend all the more, and also wonder, who is setting up these people?
I suppose what I’m trying to say is – if there’s anyone else out there, like me, who is finding it a bit difficult to adjust to the isolation of working at home; go to the nearest Starbucks and remember why the office can sometimes suck.
-Carla Guzzetti, account executive
Customer Service on U.S. Airlines
Jun 13th
As I mentioned in last week’s blog, I had two dear friends visiting me last week from the U.K. I will refrain from mentioning which carrier they took as this is not a positive story; however, I will let you know it was a U.S. airline.
At any rate, on their way home from LA to London, they were to have a layover in San Francisco. I dropped them off for their 5 p.m. flight; at 9 p.m. they still had not left Los Angeles. Once they were placed on a new flight for San Francisco, their flight was then delayed again by 24 hours! We have all been there with ridiculously long delays, but the difference was, airlines in the United States used to care that their misstep delayed your plans.
Now, we all know that U.S. carriers are battling with flight delays because of the economy and the cost of fuel and I certainly do not blame them. However, just because carriers have a justified explanation for all their troubles does not mean it is okay to not apologize for the delay and, in some situations, be downright rude to people! They are the ones that are throwing a kink in OUR lives!
Three days later, my friends finally made it to London and in the 72 hours they spent on a plane or in an airport, not once did they hear “I’m sorry for this inconvenience.” They did not receive flight vouchers or food vouchers. They were put up in a 2-star hotel outside of the airport for 9 hours. Then, the carrier’s provided car service arrived an hour and 15 minutes late to pick them up.
I ask you this – I know that airline carriers are battling with canceled flights, but is it okay for them to take our business for granted? I don’t think so. And I can tell you it will be a loooong time before I use this particular airline again!
-Carla Guzzetti, account executive
Choices
Jun 5th
I have some good friends visiting me from the UK this week and we struck up a conversation over dinner regarding America and choices. The whole topic began when my friend, Andrew, was asked six (I counted) different questions regarding how he would like his hamburger. (Technically speaking, if you tally all the options it was nine).
How would you like it cooked? Rare, medium or well done?
What type of bun? Brioche, wheat or white?
Would you like avocado?
What kind of cheese? Jack, swiss or cheddar?
Would you like bacon?
Would you like coleslaw, potato salad or french fries?
Watching him go through this was like seeing C3PO overload and have a small panic attack in the shape of a spasm. After the waitress left, I asked if he was okay. He replied, in a painfully disdainful British accent, “I’ve never been more stressed out in my life! When you order a burger in the UK, you get a burger with whatever they want to put on it and you deal with it.”
We then went on to how stressful it actually is to have all these choices all the time. As an American, I’m completely used to the stress, and in fact, become downright indignant when I don’t have things exactly the way I want it. However, I did try to picture a life where you wouldn’t have to make snap decisions about all the small things. I mean, if you think about it, isn’t it a lot to ask of people? To know in 30 seconds what they want to drink and how exactly they want it? I can’t even decide on a career, let alone how I want my bagel. Now, suddenly, Starbucks seems more stressful than my SAT test.
Are Americans totally overwhelmed and stressed, not because we work too much, but because we are such control freaks we have to decide on everything right down to which chemically based sweetener we prefer?
At some point in time, will all the choices make us completely indecisive? I don’t have the answer just yet, but I will go to Starbucks and let you know if I have an existential meltdown.
-Carla Guzzetti, account executive
