Keep it Simple…

September 1, 2014Lifebicycle, cycling, fixedgear, fixie, lovelife, purist, simple pleasures, simplelife, singlespeedsamuraiboy

Like many fads that come and go, in the fast paced life we live, it’s necessary that we stay true to the simple pleasures.

I often find myself grappling to get on board or buy-in to the the trend of the moment, at times I commit myself wholeheartedly to later find it fizzle out. It’s natural that we try, in doing so, many of us find our respective calling’s.

Take away the lines; all the rules and regulations that often govern different disciplines in the competitive time we live in and what are you left with?

The pure form….

Like; the writer that prefers pen and paper, the DJ that chooses vinyl and the director that still shoots on classic Kodak film.

Thanks to Markus at www.simplesam.co.za, I’ve found a way to enjoy cycling in it’s purest form.

customer service – in 3 easy steps

May 24, 2012Reviewssamuraiboy

Officially, this is my first post of 2012…and am happy to be back!

I’ve had a few experiences with different companies locally, which made me ponder sharing some tips when dealing with SA’s “amazing” customer services.

1. DON’T ACCEPT THE RUN-A-ROUND!

e.g. Last year I changed banks, from Standard to FNB, as the service I was getting from Standard Bank, was short of mediocre even. When they told me to call another number, or asked me to come back into the branch, I would reinforce who the customer was, who was being inconvenienced and who needed to take some accountability. And…reiterate how it’s not your responsibility that there’s an issue, why else would you be calling them!

2. THERE’S ALWAYS SOMEONE THAT CAN DO IT…

e.g. AutoPage recently confirmed via e-mail & sms that my issue had been resolved, yet when I checked my online account, it was not. I called in and asked to speak to the manager – weirdly the customer consultant came back after 2 mins and was able to resolve the issue he previously couldn’t. There is always someone higher you could speak, to get the issue resolved.

3. THEN, IF ALL ELSE FAILS – THE “MAGIC” HELLOPETER WILL HELP!

e.g. I’m currently experiencing an issue with Discovery Health, I call in this morning and it seems that they don’t even know why my claim was not processed. This morning I logged into www.hellopeter.com and shared my bad experience, within the hour I’ve been called by the executive customer relations department who is now working on my issue. The cool thin with HelloPeter is that you can see who are companies and respond and who doesn’t…but those who do, care a lot about what customers are saying about them.

Things to remember…

*always record the date, time and name of person who you’re speaking to (this saved me quite a bit of money)

*record the reference number if possible

*request a follow-up e-mail with agreement made

13 dark movies…

March 10, 2012Reviewssamuraiboy

…my wife recently commented on the types of movies i choose, how dark they are and how you need to think when watching them! before i choose them, i actually go to http://www.imdb.com were all movies are rated by people that have seen it – if it’s below 6.0, it’s probably not worth getting…

After thinking about it for a bit, I just realized that the reason they’re considered to be ‘not-so-hollywood’ is because of the how they’re written. If you think about movies like Gladiator, Braveheart, Bad Boys, etc. – they all follow the same sought of storyline. There’s a lead actor, who has the BIG challenge he needs to face and there are times when they almost want to give up…but then good prevails and the hero saves the day.

Then there are those movies that just don’t follow any path…instead, they’re edgy, dark and some so complex that you need to watch the movie twice – most of all though, it’s not so much about the writer wanting a HERO, but a writer who’s focused on relaying a message.

…in no particular order, here is my list of dark, but very original movies – A MUST SEE (check http://www.imdb.com if you’re unsure)!!

who really committed the crime, will keep you guessing till the end!

imagine waking in a dream, then living it…

the concept is far-fetched, but imagine you could find a portal into someone else’s mind!

alter-ego or imaginary friend…or parallel universe?

a movie playing back to front, literally starting at the end and playing to the beginning – scene for scene and the lead character can’t remember things…