AuthenticityPR

Passaporto! Passaporto!

There’s your Italian lesson for the day.

And that’s what I’ll be hearing when I visit for the first time (hopefully soon).

The other day, Leticia and I needed to renew our passports.

That required getting new .

Should I be insulted that someone thinks I looked different 10 years ago?

Whatever.

We both went to local locations because they offer passport photo taking.

But they don’t really.

This is the classic example of why businesses should stick with what they do best.
If you offer add-on services and you stink at them, it hurts your .

Here are two stories…

The UPS Store – Cincinnati

I was out of town in Cincinnati. Since no longer offers passport photos, I poked around and saw the UPS Store offers this service.

I first called to make sure they can also provide a digital copy. They said yes.
Upon arriving at the UPS Store, I informed the employee why I was there.

He wasn’t quite sure what to do. He asked a fellow employee if they could take a passport photo.

A more knowledgeable employee took care of me.

Against the far wall was a white screen, accessible after moving a large display out of the way.

It took a little hunting, but they eventually found a chair for me.

After giving my best non-smile for two photos (no happy people allowed to travel abroad, I guess), my photos were processed.

Nobody at the counter was quite sure how to get me a digital copy, so another employee was summoned and she figured it out.

Poor Quality Photos

Without any additional lighting, the photo was a bit dark. The background is supposed to be white. Mine was a murky pinkish/gray.

The photo emailed to me was low resolution, I think about 54KB. The passport office required high-resolution.

Ugh. I had zero confidence the UPS Store could make things right.

I then realized UPS actually stands for Unimpressive Passport Service.

Instead of being out $26, I had to be resourceful.

I ended up taking a photo of my photo, changing the background to white in , and exporting a high-resolution copy.

It worked, and I later received word from the passport office my application (and photo) was accepted. And my new passport was delivered the other day.

Whew.

Consistent Shabby Photos

Leticia had a similar experience at a UPS Store in Johnson City, Tenn.

The camera they used was a little old digital camera. Any cell phone would’ve taken a better picture.

Plus, they scanned the printed photo to send her a digital version.
Huh?

She wasn’t satisfied! So she told them since it was a blurry photo and low resolution, it wouldn’t work for a passport photo. They didn’t charge her, but she still didn’t have a photo.

Instead of me trying to manipulate that poor quality photo from UPS, she ended up using the passport service at the post office, and didn’t even have to make an appointment. Not only did her photo turn out ready to submit, she also learned how to use her cellphone to take a passport photo—all for much less than what I paid.

Yes, in our experience, UPS Stores cannot deliver quality passport photos.

They should stick to what they do well—shipping.

The 3 Big Takeaways
✔️ Don’t offer add-on services if you can’t do them well.
✔️ If you offer additional services, make sure all employees know about them and can competently provide them.
✔️ Need a ? Read up on the guidelines online and just take it yourself with your cell phone.

What’s been your experience getting a passport photo taken?
Do share!

Stay authentic—and buon viaggio!

What should I write about this week?

I debated between , my interview with a Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel sports journalist, or Southwest Airlines banning humanoid and animal-like robots from flying.

The world just provides an incessant array of fascinating topics to choose from.

1 Syllable Comms

My guess is sounded most intriguing to you.

Feeling like you want to get in touch with your inner-Neanderthal? Play .

Tangent: Have you played the game Poetry for Neanderthals? You divide into teams, and one person on each team helps teammates guess the words on a list by giving one-syllable hints while the other team carefully listens.

If a clue has more than one syllable or contains part of the word being guessed, an opposing team member bashes the hint-giver with an inflatable club.

However, our seven-year-old granddaughter will playfully whack you with this club if you so much as breathe wrong.

I thot to write this note like man from cave, but you may not like to read or think it worth your time. OK, put club down now, please.

Back to the real message I have for you…

Neanderthal Co. Naming

If a Neanderthal were to establish a device repair company, what would be a good name?

You guessed it (despite me using multi-syllable words):

Here are 13 ways this naming strategy could be applied to other businesses, professionals, and even wild predators:

Restaurant:

Shark:

Bear:

Storyteller:

Plastic Surgeon:

Dentist:

Casino:

Paparazzi:

Doctor:

Law Firm:

Theater:

Politician:

Mafia:

Oh, I could go on for a long time having fun with this. Goodness, I keep getting sidetracked by silliness. NOW onto the real meat of this message…

Filing Battery Charges Against Apple?

Several of my devices have been having battery charging issues lately.

My wasn’t holding a charge for very long. I was about to depart for Cincinnati for 12 days, so I looked up repair options.

I had previously changed the battery in one of my older laptops, but when I looked up how to change the battery in this model, there was no way I was going to tackle it.

There were about 75 different steps. It looked like you had to essentially disassemble the majority of the laptop. To top it off, the battery is glued in (who thought that was a good idea?).

You have to carefully melt the glue to remove it.

This repair was definitely not worth my time.

Looking up options in Cincinnati, I settled upon . It’s a franchise with 700+ locations. So, I called. They said it would cost $300 and would take a week.

But then they said, “We may or may not repair it in shop.”

Huh?

How can you not know that?

Are you going to give it to a high school student to learn on?

I had no idea, but that statement didn’t make me feel comfortable.

So, I decided to call The Apple xChange in Tempe, Arizona. We lived only about 10 minutes away when we lived in Arizona. I’ve purchased all my Apple computers from them for many years now.

Their price was only $225 to replace the battery. Plus, they do the work in-store, and in one day. Much better deal, despite the shipping cost.



My also needed a new battery. Its capacity was at 82%. They say anything below 85% is an issue.

I decided to have replace it. Once I confirmed they had my battery in stock, I took it there and within an hour they had it replaced. It was fast and cost $112.

Let me share three observations about my ( ) at uBreakiFix:

• Pushy about selling their warranty plan. Upon check-in and then again upon checking out, they pushed their warranty plan on me. I was handed a flyer with all the details. For $29 a month, you can have all of your devices covered. I wasn’t interested.

• They forgot to apply my $10 off coupon. I told the fellow who checked me in I had a $10 off coupon. He said they’d apply it when I pay after the repair is completed. He then left for the day, and another employee checked me out. He didn’t apply the discount. I had to ask again. Slightly annoying and certainly inefficient .

• Gave great battery care tips — but only after I asked. Right before I left, I thought I’d ask what tips he had for prolonging an iPhone battery’s life. He gave three fantastic tips. But think how much more I would have been impressed had he proactively told me these tips or handed me a card with them listed. That's the difference between reactive and proactive .

One other minor observation. The company name is written as uBreakiFix on their website, in press releases, etc. But as you can see by the photo accompanying this post, all the letters are lowercase.

So, if I was in your or department, I’d be a little confused as to the proper style for the company’s name.

But… It’s a Great Name

OK, so I’ve been lampooning the name uBreakiFix just a bit.

Overall, it’s actually a great name because it succinctly communicates what the company does.

That’s why I’m always advising NOT to use your personal name as a company name (unless you’re the super rare exception like Michael Smart PR). It’s putting ego ahead of quickly communicating to potential customers what you can do for them.

The one drawback to the name uBreakiFix is it’s a bit presumptuous.

What if you’re not the reason your device broke?

What if it broke on its own?

Then is your company better titled, “itBreakiFix”?

3 Ways to Prolong Your Cell Phone’s Battery Life

These are courtesy of :

• Don’t use your phone while it’s charging.

• Let your phone totally discharge and shut itself off once monthly.

• Unplug your phone from the charger after it reaches 100%.

The 3 Big Takeaways

✔️ If you’re a repair shop and you tell a customer you may or may not do a particular repair in-shop, at least explain why.

✔️ If your company name sounds like a Neanderthal speaking, will that image clash with your perceived value?

✔️ Proactively think of ways to go above and beyond to create great .

Have you ever interacted with ? How was your ?

Do share!

Stay authentic real and know that is hard when all words have just a one-word beat!

Recently we took a dive deep into the world of ( ).

Seldom does a day pass when you don’t have some type of CX.

It may even be a micro-CX.

But it’s still a CX.

Better CX = More Profits

Every CX has a direct impact upon a business’s , internally and externally. Ultimately, it affects the bottom line.

(See all the research cited in this week’s blog post.)

Good CX: Waiter Was LITERALLY a Side of Avocado

Start with Michael, our waiter at Costa Chica Grill in Johnson City. He answered every menu question patiently.

Pleasant guy. Normal dinner — until halfway through the meal, he materialized out of nowhere in a giant avocado costume.

In a deadpan manner he asked, "Would you like a side of avocado?"

We absolutely lost it.

Michael wasn't done. Before we finished, he offered a one-inch-square takeout box. Then I opened the bill holder and found a rubber chicken pen. The kind that squeaks.

I've dined at hundreds of restaurants. Never experienced anything like it. And yes — I increased the tip.

That's memorable and .

Good CX: The Pampered Recycle Bin

Then there's Sterling, supervisor of our recycling crew.

About a year ago, one of our bins vanished. I asked Sterling about it on a subsequent visit. He was baffled — they never take bins.

“Did you happen to recycle my recycling bin last week,” I half-jokingly asked.

No, of course not. But what happened next was remarkable .

In the weeks that followed and ever since, he or a crew member started doing something I didn’t expect: taking an extra 14 seconds and walking our empty bin across the street and setting it neatly beside our driveway.

Fourteen seconds.

Sometimes CX is Just a LITTLE Something Extra

Both stories carry the same lesson: great doesn’t require a big budget, a strategy deck or a committee meeting.

It requires initiative — and the courage to do something a little unexpected, a little extra, just because it's the memorable or right thing to do.

What's one small move your team could make this week that no one would expect?

Read the unedited version of this message here.

What stories impressed you? Do share!

Stay authentic — and committed to delivering the kind of and success stories PR pros feature in their newsletters.