CANDY ANYONE!!!

The Area Managers and I thought this story was funny and I wanted to share it with you! I have asked Stefanie Ashton if I could post this and laughing she said yes. So, lets all join in and laugh with Stefanie!!

Bellena sent out an email letting all the offices know to be on the look out for your package with your starbursts and info on the Relay for Life. Well, Stefanie called Bellena and told her she received her package but she didn't get any Starburst and Bellena proceeded to tell her she put some in there and Stefanie said she had no candy in hers! :)

We thought this was so funny and thought everyone would get a kick out of it. We are sure there are some others who might have thought the same thing about the candy, so if you did leave a comment so Stefanie will know she wasn't alone in this!!

I hope everyone has a great rest of the week!!!

Bridget

Update

I wasn't sure if everyone knew it or not but Michelle and baby, John Avery, came home last Sunday, February 17. They are both doing great!

Janna

WOW!!!!!

If you've read Luke's blog, you know I have a new nephew!!!! John Avery weighed 6 pounds and 3 ounces and is 17 inches long. The proud parents are resting well and should be home on Monday. Michelle is my hero! In the face of some pretty stressful circumstances, she acted calm and in control. Unable to get to the hospital, she took care of business herself. Congratulations to her and John on their new bundle of joy. Pictures will be following shortly..... Ya'll have a great Friday! Yvonne

Change Is In The Air

Springtime is right around the corner and with it come the thunderstorms that are so prevelant this time of year. For the days to get warmer, we have to take the good with the bad! It's the very same for business. Change is happening everywhere. The initial confusion that comes with the change always smoothes out and the new system should make life easier for those who use it. Just remember how most of us felt about the Western Union computers and now for the most part, we wouldn't want to be without them! So the next time you are asked to make a change, take a deep breath and remember that we're only trying to make your job easier or comply with some new regulation we are under and SMILE, pretty soon it will be old hat to you! Have a great Wednesday! Yvonne

Verify Checks

A couple of weeks ago a lady named Christy Cox came into the Hernando office to cash her payroll check. Christy was currently working at Mississippi Emergystat Ambulance Service, and to her knowledge still had a job. Tabitha followed company procedures and called to verify funds on this check. It was a great thing that she did, because the funds were not available! Christy had no clue that this company had closed their doors and not only was she unemployed, but her payroll check wasn't good. This is just one reason why it is so important to always verify ALL of the checks we cash. You never know when something like this might happen. This is a well known ambulance service and this lady had absolutely no clue what really was going on there. When you have time please go to the following website and read more about this story. http://www.wreg.com/Global/story.asp?s=7786008 Great job Tabitha!! Janna

Active Write Off's

As I was reading Kim’s post about the Fayette and Amory Check Depot Offices doing such a great job at collecting returned checks, I thought I would remind you that even though we aren’t in the competition for AWO's it is still very important to work them. We have a few offices that are still working on AWO's and did well last month. Vernon collected on 3 AWO's and the Aberdeen CTE and Amory CTE collected on 2. So, if you aren't working yours I recommend you do because by doing this you are bringing in more money for the company. Also, the longer you let them sit without any contact with the customer, the harder it is to find the vehicle. If anyone would like suggestions or help with your AWO's call your Area Manager and set up a time for them to come and work with you on a couple so you can see what to do and look for. Also, if you have any tricks that work for you, please share that with your Area Manager so she may pass it along to other offices. I hope everyone has a great day! Bridget

Kudos...

First of all we would like to brag on Christy & Denise at the Fayette office for collecting an amazing $2800 in return checks. WAY TO GO GIRLS!!! Some offices always complain saying that they were too busy. We would like to say kudos to Lynn, April, Johnna at the Amory office for collecting $1800 on return checks while they took in a total of $43,000 on checks and title. These two offices sure follow the old saying "if it is to be it is up to me". HAPPY COLLECTING! Yvonne & Kim

Can you do the Twist?

If you are like me, sometimes you "catch up" on the blog. Tonight, I did just that and Larry Winget's #7 principle was the best yet. I can't do all of the yoga moves just yet but I am learning to be more flexible. As Larry describes it, it's in the way you do your job and the way you are open to change. Sometimes what you see as a step back can be a good thing. It can open your eyes to new ways to do the same thing better. Find something that you do everyday and be open to a new way of doing things. It just might make you (and all of us) more money! Have a GREAT one! Yvonne

ANOTHER ONE...

We would like to say CONGRATULATIONS to Kayla Morgan she has been drinking the water that everybody else has. We now have a total of SEVEN! Just to inform you that Michelle Storey will be having a BABY BOY real SOON! We will keep you updated. YS, KW, BA, JT

It's FRIDAY!!

"Attitude is an important part of the foundation upon which we build a productive life. A good attitude produces good results, a fair attitude poor results, a poor attitude poor results. We each shape our own life, and the shape of it is determined largely by our attitude." - M. Russell Ballard I found this quote online last night and I believe what it states. Our attitudes play a big part in our lives, but it also plays a huge part with customer service in our offices. How we act toward our customers will make the decision whether or not they will do business with us. Have a wonderful FRIDAY!!! Janna

A Job Well Done ...

Many of you have already been to court this year with some of your return check customers and some of you are still waiting. We have a lady that had 4 customers scheduled to take to court last week. She was able to get 1 of the 4 customers to pay their return check out in full before their court date and another customer came and paid their check out after court was over. When that customer left from paying out his return check she immediately typed up a letter to send out to her 2 remaining customers stating they have 10 days to pay off their debt before we garnish their wages and mailed it out. Later in the week she had one more of the return check customers she had taken to court come into the office and pay off their check. As of Friday, January 18, she had 3 out of 4 return checks paid out!! Who is the employee ... Jessica Steele. Jessica is the office manager at the Iuka office. She works really hard on collections and is aggressive with growing her office. She is great with following through with tasks and staying on top of things. Jessica is extremely motivated and willing to help anyone out. We appreciate the hard work that everyone puts into their offices. Although every good move that employees make are not always pointed out, please know they do not go unnoticed. Great job Jessica! Keep up the good work! Janna

Snow, Sleet, Ice, Whatever...

This time of the year, it's a good idea to plan ahead. We don't always have ice storms or bad weather, but it's a good idea to be prepared. It's like life, it always works better with a plan. Your plan may not be a good one, but it's yours. Take a few moments each evening to plan your day for tomorrow. The morning is not as rushed and you might have a few moments to enjoy with your kids, spouse, significant other before you rush out the door. I also find that i'm in a much better mood starting my day with less confusion. Let me know how it works for you! Ya'll have a great day! Yvonne

Babies, Babies, Babies

This last year we have had babies everywhere. Some say it is in the water and some say it is in the air. We have a total of 6 ladies expecting. We have Michelle Storey, Brooke Ewing, Bellena Criddle, Stefanie Ashton, Amber Knight, and Demika Ross. Congratulations to Bellena, Stefanie, Amber, and Demika. Amber and Demika will be first time MOMMIES!

Due Dates:
Michelle = Feb. 15
Brooke = Apr. 21
Bellena = Jun. 27
Stefanie = Jul. 7
Amber = Aug. 23
Demika = Sept. 6

Congratulations to ALL!

Yvonne & Kim

Bad weather anyone??

My husband and I watch a show on television called "Twister Sisters". Two ladies go around and follow bad weather for the chance of seeing a tornado. They even have a business where you can pay and they will take you with them on the road chasing these storms. I bet a lot of you thought you were on an episode of this show yesterday. On that note you need to make sure you have a plan in place for bad weather. I know Vernon locks their doors and goes next door to the Dollar General because their building isn't very stable. I also spoke to the girls at Macon yesterday and they had a couple of plans in case the weather got bad as predicted. Just make sure you have something in mind and for no reason get in your car and try to go home. If the news tells you to take cover that is exactly what you need to do. I hope everyone has a safe and calm Friday!! Bridget

Changes in 2008

Each day we have to make changes and choices in our personal lives and at work. Some people, when confronted with a change they don’t understand or don’t want to make, will react to it as a problem. Accepting change means you understand 2 things: Why & What… I have a few tips that I think will help myself and everyone else as well. 1. Listen… Hear what is being presented to you completely before you ask any questions. 2. Stay Positive… Even if you think their idea will not work, keep a positive attitude about it. 3. Try it… Don’t just shut it out and refuse to try it because you think it will not work. I guarantee that someone has put a lot of work into their idea and we need to respect them. Just like the seasons change, our lives change. We have to be open to the changes that are coming and be willing to learn the lessons that may come with them. Janna

Good Housekeeping

Be sure to read the Housekeeping email that was sent to you. Some of you have been here a while and you may think that you already know this information, but I encourage you to go over it again. There may be something that changed or something you have forgotten that could be important in an audit. Hope you are having a great New Year! Yvonne

Baby Cooper

Please continue to pray for Michele and Cooper. Cooper has been hospitalized for RSV and pneumonia. I have not heard anything since Sunday. As soon as I hear form Michele I will update this blog. I just got a text from Michele this is what is says. Doc just left he said it will take about 4-6 weeks to get completely over this but he thinks we are alright enough to go home today. He will have a machine at home to monitor his breathing and oxygen. We will also have a nebulizer so I can give him treatments. He will be on 3 different meds. Please just remember to pray for them! Kim

Christmas Family

Thanks to everyone they gave money for the Christmas family. I was able to purchase the boys each a watch and a Playstation 2 console that came with 2 remotes and a game for them to share. My sister-n-law also purchased a playstation game, baseball, basketball, and a soccer ball that they were asking for. They took the things to the house and she said the kids went CRAZY! I just thought I would share this with you. Kim

WE WISH....

you a Merry Christmas! As we head into the holidays we want to take the time to wish you and your families a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS! We appreciate each and everyone of you and the job you do for us. We will see some of you Wednesday! We hope Santa is good to you! Yvonne, Kim, Bridget, and Janna

Quarterly Prize!

The end of this quarter is really close. It is really exciting and kind of scary at the same time that a whole year has passed. However, we have to get ready to sign 2008 to everything because it is only 13 days away. Remember, now is the time to be writing down your New Year's resolutions! You begin them on January 1, 2008!

Yesterday, we had a our Area Manager's meeting and decided to annouce the Grand Prize for this quarter. If your office meets the goal set for you, then your name will go into a drawing for a $300 gift card to Wal-Mart! We truly appreciate your hard work. Good luck on meeting your goal!


Merry Christmas,

Janna