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Review of The 2009 Chevrolet Traverse

answer360 — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 14:57:59 +0000

I must admit when GM contacted me do review the new Chevy Traverse, I was not expecting much. After all, I own a Suburban and usually drive a BMW for pleasure rides. After reading that the Traverse was designed and targeted towards the soccer mom demographics – my expectations were that the Traverse would be nothing more than a glorified mini-van. I don’t know about you – but I’ve never given much thought to people who design my favorite car; but I do know that I do not identify with the moms-in-a-cape crowd at all! I’ve seen the commercial with Mary J Blidge, and I’ve heard how much she complains about men in her music!

After a lunch meeting with the nice GM reps who explained the virtues of this new vehicle, they left me with the parting words “It’s a cross between a minivan and a SUV.”

Turns out all of my concerns were premature and they quickly evaporated up and away through the dual sunroofs of the Traverse! That’s right – the Traverse delivered to me was equipped with two sunroofs so that everyone in the vehicle can enjoy the sunshine! (Note to self – set up a conference call with Sanders/Wingo and the Roy Ayers!)

The first thing I noticed was the stance of the vehicle. It looked like a big Chevy Malibu. The 2008 Malibu turned my head the first time I saw it in an advertisement at DFW Airport. I thought it was a Maserati or a Alfa Romero. Something foreign and fly – but definitely not a Chevy bound for an Enterprise Rental parking lot.

The next thing that caught my eye – the bling! The Traverse was sitting on dubs ya’ll! The vehicle before me was not even close to that “I-am-middle-aged-and-I-have-lost-my-cool” vehicle I vowed to never drive. The Traverse had me giggling like school-girls during their first sleep over. A team of soccer moms designed THIS?

I of course expected leather seats, a navigation system and satellite radio to be included as standard options. What I did not expect, however, was a compartment near the gearshift that was about a foot deep. It was big enough to hold a huge purse, 20 DVDs or any large number of items needed for long family road trips. I was tempted to put some ice in it and use it like a cooler! I knick-named this compartment “the purse.” It was clear sign to me the Traverse was designed by people who carried lots of stuff around. Appealing to the nerd in me, the built-in 110 volt plug really had me geeked up. A real plug for my laptop? I mean, I keep a converter with me at all times, but a built in plug? Pure genius!

Later that evening, the family started loading up for our annual Thanksgiving road trip. Click. And with just the push of a button – swooooooosh – the back door automatically opens allowing me to gain big time cool points with the family by not having to juggle anything I was carrying, while trying to simultaneously navigate a lock and key system. Getting the family into the Traverse was equally smooth, even for the back row. The middle captain chairs slide back and forth. It takes some serious skill and flexibility to get in the back of my Suburban. In fact, my son likes to pretend he’s jumping the pile in a football game when getting into the back.

I have driven cars with the parking sensor that lets you know if you are getting too close to the car behind you. But, I still was not ready for the reverse sensor with a full motion camera. Looking forward and going backwards does ake some getting used to, but it’s a great feature. Five minutes after we were on our way, the kids pop in a DVD, standard family trip modus operandi. The part we didn’t expect – we did not have to listen to the movie up front because the Traverse came with wireless headsets that actually worked!

Okay, it’s at this point I am starting to think a team of women should design every new vehicle! In fact, I would venture that had soccer moms been in charge in Detroit all along – we wouldn’t be in the auto boondoggle we are currently facing. But I digress.

Although I knew where we were going, I was still anxious to try out the OnStar Navigation feature. One of the issues I have with most GPS navigation systems is that you have to possess the dexterity of a DJ to enter a destination and keep you vehicle on the road. I’ve had more than one close call while entering an address in, and I am normally too pressed for time to pull over. With the OnStar Navigation feature, click, and with just the push of another button, I’m holding a conversation with a live OnStar operator. I told her, “There’s got to be a McDonald’s around here somewhere!” In less time than that it takes to upsize your order , turn-by-turn directions to the nearest Mickey Dee’s was pushed to my on-board system. This feature is a Godsend for people who are directionally-challenged, like my wife, for instance. Since we moved to Dallas, I have had to serve as her personal navigation system. (Not that I’m complaining…mmmmmuah…love you honey!) With the Traverse’s OnStar Navigation System and the push of a button, she can easily make her way to the nearest grocery store or mall. She said with a navigation system that easy to use, she would be willing to “get out and explore the city a lot more.”

There were only a couple of dings I would give the Traverse. First, I wish it came with a bigger gas tank. At 22 gallons I have to stop too often for gas. I would have liked a 30 gallon tank. And second, I was disappointed with the craftsmanship (or lack there-of) of the handles used to slide the middle seats. They were a bit flimsy and would not last a good six months with my kids.

For the Click and Clack fans out there – I could talk about the engine, the pick up speed, the visibility and the gas mileage, but that is not what impressed me the most. What impressed me about the Traverse is that it gives you all of the functionality and utility of a much larger vehicle, while still allowing you to hold on your to coolness, (real or imagined) by not having to drive a minivan, or resorting to a gas-guzzling Suburban.

With a daughter in high school and one in college, my kids have always enjoyed me picking them up from school because I am normally pushing a nice whip. Driving a Traverse off the lot, there are practically no upgrade modifications needed. It comes standard with a Bose speaker system, XM Radio, 20-inch rims, folding side view mirrors, reverse camera and an automatic trunk fob. With the Traverse, you can drive it to a gig, to the club – or even a PTA meeting – and you never have to lose your swag. Check out the video from our trip

Who is in charge?

answer360 — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 04:10:28 +0000

Coach and Son

I know this is a website that talks about business issues from a telecom perspective. However, I just want to speak about a new passion I have discovered: Coaching Pee Wee Football! It is after all football season. We are in Texas. So I guess we can discuss football anywhere! My son is playing for a team that I have become one of the coaches of. We practice three to four times a week, which I thought was a bit much. We had our first game this past Saturday and boy we could use about three more days of practice! There is a reason the pros do this everyday. Getting 22 ten year olds and five thirty something’s on the same page is not easy. I guess it is like managing a small business. See – I know I could get some business value out of this post.

My son woke me up 4 hours before the game out of excitement. As we arrived at the field the smell of Frito pies and BBQ took over. The fresh cut grass brought back memories of my first tackle game almost 30 years earlier. Suburban parents grabbed the seats with the shade while other erected massive tents complete with lawn chairs and tables. I almost forgot everyone was gathering to watch 10 year olds play football.

Once the first whistle blew, all the peace and reminiscing stopped. Mass confusion ensued. After each of the first seven plays, the result was the same; Penalty Flags. The infractions were either too many players on the field or illegal procedure. At times kids were substituting themselves. When they would look to us for guidance, there was no less than seven “coaches” hollering, I mean, yelling and barking instructions. It seemed most parents had an agenda for their child as they would pull little Johnny to the side and give them advice.

The head coach asked me to help out with the offense. In hindsight, it was not because of my ability or football prowess. It was because I show up to every practice and stay until the end. I’ve seen this type of phenomenon in the workplace also. It is from the person who may not be the brightest but comes early and leaves late. Before you know it, that person has the responsibilities that someone else either wanted or was qualified for. For my dedication, the head coach anointed me “Offensive Coordinator”. I did not think there was such a title at this level. We also have a line coach, defensive coordinator, secondary coach and linebacker coach. Most of the non-coordinator coaches rarely show up for practice.

One of many flags

The question became “Who is in Charge?” The head coach is a very passionate person who knows how to motivate people. While he patted me on my back for the successful plays, he gave me evil looks and words on botched ones. No wonder the coordinators prefer to sit up in the booth in the college and pro ranks.

The game was very tight. Our team was up by one touchdown with less than a minute remaining. We had the ball and needed one first down to taste sweet victory. After a decent 5-yard gain on first down, we had three straight penalties that backed us up 25 yards. So now with 26 seconds to go, we are looking at 4th and 20 on the opponent’s 40-yard line. The parents were shouting, “Punt the Ball”. The kids and coaches said, “Let’s go for it”. Conventional thinking says punt the ball. But as the new Offensive Coordinator, I had one last trick up my sleeve.
I called the play, sent it in to the Quarterback. He looked over at me with a look of surprise and disgust. I looked at the head coach and told him, this is a risky call. The center snaps the ball and the QB fakes right to the strong side of the field. (Most plays at this level go to the wide or strong side of the field). At the last moment before being tackled, he cut left and in what seemed three minutes, jetted untouched for 60 yards putting the game out of reach.

Game Winning Touchdown

All of a sudden, I was a genius. Everyone looked me in the eye and said things like “good call coach”, “great strategy” and “you da man”. As a basked in my newfound glory, (12 minutes earlier I was crazy for calling a pass play) I did not have the heart to tell everyone that was not the play I called! The play I sent in was a double reverse to the right. It’s really called 47 Sweep, Wedge Right Reverse. The only issue was the second string 4 back hadn’t practiced the play and missed the first hand off. The QB seen that and rather than panic, turned the other way and ran for his life. His instinct made me look good. It made the whole organization look good to the outside world. Winning does that for you. The truth is our internal organization is a work in progress. We have 6 more weeks of this and I find myself looking forward to the off-season already.

Real Heros of The Game

Hero Coach

Now it is clear to me why non-athletic people love football. It is just like the business world. You have winners and loser. You make mistakes and still have the opportunity to win. Had we lost, I would have probably taken the blame for the two turnovers, twelve penalties, the mass confusion and all of the hollering. Business is like football….as long as you show up, you can play!

Check out the VIDEO

America The Beautiful

answer360 — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 05:30:01 +0000

My daughter and I went to see the documentary “America The Beautiful” on Monday night. It was about the obsession in the United States with physical beauty. It was a real wake up call for me. The gist of the movie was about the lengths people will go to just to look like a model. Even though the models were borderline anorexic. It also spoke about the first impression a person makes by being considered attractive. People who are considered attractive get better jobs, contracts and overall consideration. One of the things I have always liked about our RemotePBX service is that it makes a wonderful first impression about your business.

The filmmaker and co-stars

Long before someone gets to determine if you are attractive or not, your phone has been answered professionally. Your custom on hold messages as the system finds you on your cell phone. You never get a second chance to make a first impression so make sure you handle your business calls accordingly

Client of The Week – The Delta Associates

answer360 — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 06:36:34 +0000

One of the joys of having a virtual business is working in any environment that you create. The Delta Associates have been clients for 9 years but we had never met in person. About two months ago we had a conversation about their current setup with Answer360. Carol wanted to make sure they were taking advantage of our technology. The Delta Associates have been in business almost 30 years providing an array of services including business consulting, executive coaching, team building and employee assessment.

Even though I have been in the Virtual Office business for almost 12 years, I was not prepared for what I saw when I arrived at their home office in South Austin. My interactions with Jack and Carol over the years have been very professional. When I look at their website, they are dressed in business attire. Everything I seen or heard about The Delta Associates said “buttoned up professionals”. So much so that I even got dressed up for our meeting.

Upon arrival I was greeting by a big beautiful black dog. Carol let me in to their very neat and well maintained home that looked like it was built in the 1950’s. She apologized for Jack being a little late. I assumed he has a morning meeting. That was not the case. Jack had came back from his morning jog! We had a great conversation about VOIP and how it could benefit not only their business, but some of their clients.

The Delta Associates added two VOIP lines to their RemotePBX. This enable them to cut off two land lines from AT&T. The net savings was $60 per month. The new flexibility was immeasurable. Using the Remote PBX with the VOIP phones allowed them to take calls anywhere in the world as if they were still in Austin as long as an high speed Internet connection is available.

The meeting with The Delta Associates has inspired me to reach out to more clients. Each client has a unique story. I think that is what helps make Answer360 stand out among our competitors. We attempt to learn as much as possible about our clients and custom tailor a solution that is unique to the their current issues. The meeting made me say “What took me so long to connect with such interesting people running an even more interesting business”

Virtual Benefits

answer360 — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 02:42:56 +0000

Yesterday I received a call from a client via my RemotePBX. He asked a couple of questions that I answered successfully. At the end of the call, I said “When I get back to the office, I will send you some more information”. He surprisingly said “You are not at the office!” BUSTED – Virtual Office Rule No. 7 – Never say when I get to a computer or the office. Although the rules have changed regarding home bound workers, clients do not necessarily want to know you are at Jason’s Deli and not stuck in the office!

The benefits of working virtually are great. I had lost my appreciation because I have done it for so long. I closed my last real office in 2002. The only reason I had a office was because that was what everyone else was doing. The freedom of working from anywhere you have a Internet connection is great. I will be adding more stories I have heard from other Virtual workers

First Impressions…

answer360 — Tue, 13 May 2008 16:53:12 +0000

Being from Austin I have grown used to not wearing suits and ties to business meetings. It is the capital of “Business Casual”. Today, however I was fitted for a suit. I have a special party to attend this weekend. The gentleman that helped me kept talking about making a good first impression. He went on to explain how when a person makes seven important decisions about you.

However, I believe the First Impression take place before a person ever sees you! The First Impression is when a caller or prospect calls your office. Does your 4 year kid answer the phone? Are you using a cell phone? Do you have an tape based answer machine?

Well if you had a Virtual PBX, your callers will not know that you are in your pajamas. The callers will assume you have a large office because you have a name directory, departments and a professional recorded greeting. Now that is a First Impression! Once you meet the person later on it will not matter what you have on! The callers expectations have been set so high, that you can probably raise rates.

The Bi-lingual UPS Store

answer360 — Thu, 08 May 2008 03:59:03 +0000

Over on Ohlen Road, there is one of 19 or so UPS Stores in Austin Texas. What makes this location unique is they provide services in English and Spanish. Jake and Esme are the owners of this location. Esme is very very bi-lingual. Since Esme speaks spanish, Hispanic customers from all over town come by to use services they could get close to home. The UPS Store is a great resource for small business people. The biggest benefit that comes to mind is that you get a street mailing address from there. Unlike a PO Box, they can receive packages on your behalf. You can also buy stamps, cards, paper goods, pens, pencils and envelopes. The UPS Store also offers self service copies, color copies, passport pictures, and notary service. Austin’s Hispanic population is listed at 34% and growing. Provide services for this segment of the market is beneficial. You can visit them online at The UPS Store website