From: FranklinCovey [mailto:orders@franklincovey.com]
Sent: Sunday, February 14, 2010 11:09 AM
To: randy@tharpster.org

Subject: Your FranklinCovey Order has been confirmed

Dear FranklinCovey Customer: Randy Tharp

Thank you for shopping with us.

Your web order confirmation # is 8675309

Item : Classic Vinyl Open Binder – Black.
Quantity: 1

For help, please visit http://www.franklinplanner.com/chat
(Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., MST) to chat live
with a customer service representative, or call (800) 819-1812
(Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., MST).

Thank you again for shopping at FranklinCovey.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

From: Randy Tharp[mailto:randy@tharpster.org]
Sent: Monday, February 15, 2010 8:05 PM
To: orders@franklincovey.com

Subject: Your FranklinCovey Order has been confirmed

Dear Franklin Covey.

Can I call you Frank?

First of all, I would like to thank you for your prompt and automated response in confirming my order for one Classic Vinyl Open Binder – Black.  I can only hope that it provides the same level of quality performance as a time management tool which my previous binder (Vinyl Open – Reddish Brown) has done for the last two and half years.  In all frankness Frank, it’s actually the previous binder for which I’m writing to you about today.

Before going into too much detail, I should probably provide a little background about my day planner.  I first attended one of your day long seminars on time management at the airport Hilton here in San Antonio in the summer of 2007.  The service in the hotel restaurant was pretty lousy that day.  They lumped all of those attending the seminar at one table with assigned seating and then hit us for a mandatory big party gratuity, while at the same time providing less than tasty vittles and poor service to boot.

Outside of that gastronomically painful hour for lunch, I’ve got to let you know that the seminar was filled with useful tidbits on goal setting and properly filling out a good day planner.  Just between you and me Frank, I should let you know that the only goal I set for myself that day was to keep up the writing.  Who would’ve ever thunk that the goal which your agents pushed me to set would result in me discussing your product out here on the worldwide web?

Moving on Frank, I will let you know that I’ve continued to use that planner on a daily basis since that day from oh so long ago.  Granted, “daily” only counts for work days, but still.  Every day, I wander into my cubicle which is adorned with seasonal decoupage, and fire up the calendar on my Lotus Notes in order to see what I’m going to be doing that day.  You know Frank, I find it ironic that a lot of my job outside of TharpSter.Org is based on the systematic automation of things, yet still I feel compelled to literally write down my schedule and list of things to do.  It would seem only fitting that I should give up on writing that stuff down and just rely on the time management software built into my Lotus Notes.  Something like that could almost put the day planner arm of Franklin Covey out of business, couldn’t it Frank?

Calm down, Frank.  I’m just messin’ with you.

After writing down my schedule and my list of tasks to avoid for the day, I then read the daily quote which is provided on the notes side of the page.  The quotes are usually thought provoking, however I think you need to explore a wider market with that feature of your product.  Have you considered quoting someone like the late George Carlin?  Let me tell you Frank.  If I got to work one day and read “Don’t sweat the petty things and don’t pet the sweaty things”, my day would be set.  Just sayin’.

At this point Frank, I’m sure that you’ve come to the conclusion that you’re reading the ramblings of some idiot with access to a little bit more web space than he should be allowed to have.  For the most part, you’re right.  I do however, have a concern about your product which I feel should be given the utmost attention at your earliest convenience.

That concern resides in the fact that there are not sufficient warnings on your products about their physical integrity, and how much stress they can withstand.  At the same time, your product is missing sufficient notice about the proper storage when not in use.  Perhaps the following warning could be attached to your product in the foreseeable future:

Warning: This product should be stored out of reach of children and / or animals.

Or

Warning: This product has not been tested as resistant to extraordinary or abnormal pressure.

Or

Warning: If you leave this product on the cedar chest by the front door where the pit bull with the mentality of a puppy can see it, you will most likely find yourself on FranklinCovey.com within 24 hours of doing so, as the tenacious pup will apply all 235 lbs. PSI of bite strength to your all-too-important day planner in order to change it’s ability to manage your time appropriately for many days to come.

You see Frank?  It wouldn’t be too hard to include a little warning sticker just on the inside pocket now, would it?

Once again Frank, I would like to thank you for your prompt response in fulfilling my order for a new binder.  I look forward to its eminent delivery.  I can only hope it arrives before I get used to managing my time electronically.

Respectfully,

Randy Tharp

TharpSter.Org