Scott Sanfilippo » palm beach

“Lessons From A Valet.” Or, “Always Check the Expiration Date.”

Scott Sanfilippo — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 04:01:50 +0000

I’m sitting in a hotel room in Jacksonville, FL going through my email listening to the person in the room next to me cough like someone who smokes a six-pack of Lucky Strikes a day. At the same time, I realize that the TV in my room has been on Lifetime for the past hour.

Jacksonville?

Indeed! I’m here today and tomorrow meeting with the marketing folks at web.com, parent company of Solid Cactus, to discuss some of our ongoing eCommerce marketing projects. After a day packed full of brain-storming, a group of us headed to Maggiano’s for dinner.

I’ve been to my share of Italian joints, from the chains like Maggiano’s and Carabbas to family run holes-in-the-wall where the kitchen may be dirty but the food is pretty damn good. We opted for the “family style” dinner where the food kept coming and the calorie count kept rising.

When we arrived, I opted to valet park the car. Being in south Florida a lot, everywhere you go there is valet parking. If you go to the Pubix in Palm Beach, there’s someone to park you car. Need to pick up something at Macy’s? Valet. I’m convinced that valet parking is so common due to the number of elderly people who drive but just can’t park between the lines, so to avoid damage claims arising from fender benders in parking lots, shopping center owners hire valets.

I paid the five-bucks for the valet and got my ticket, which happened to have a coupon on the stub for 10% off service at any Jacksonville area Lexus dealer. Not gonna help me much as I drive a BMW. Makes and models aside, this is the first time I’ve seen ads on a valet stub and I’ve done some unique advertising over the years. Those from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area may remember ads for my FerretStore.com at the urinals and in the stalls in the rest rooms at the First Union, then Wachovia, now the Mohegan Sun Arena.

While intrigued enough with the valet stub to bring it back with me to add to my collection of marketing tid-bits, something caught my eye that made this marketing campaign fizzle. The coupon for 10% off service at any Jacksonville area Lexus dealer expired on December 31, 2009 and today is the 25th of January, 2010.

Like any good Italian chef would tell you, the mozzarella ain’t any good after the expiration date so don’t use it. The same thing goes for time sensitive valet tickets and marketing campaigns.

“A Good Lawyer Knows the Law. A Great Lawyer Knows the Judge.”

Scott Sanfilippo — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:31:59 +0000

South Florida is quickly turning into the Ponzi Scheme capital of the world. First there was Bernie Madoff, now there’s Scott Rothstein. Rothstein is accused of running a $1.2 billion scheme as well as creating a web of business interests and investments that the feds are currently clawing their way through. In addition to screwing hundreds of investors, he’s also an attorney. Well, he’s not one anymore.

Photo: Florida Sun Sentinel

Today, when I was reading the latest Rothstein news in the Sun Sentinel, I started going through all the photos they have of Rothstein’s seized assets and came across a very interesting photo. It’s a picture of a bunch of assorted junk that Rothstein had on his desk, the centerpiece being a button bearing the phrase, “A Good Lawyer Knows the Law. A Great Lawyer Knows the Judge.”

I said to myself, “How freaking coincidential is this?” The coincidence is that just yesterday, Luzerne County Judge Michael Toole was charged with honest services fraud for “secretly communicating[ed] with a plaintiff’s attorney to appoint a person that attorney had sought as a neutral arbitrator in an uninsured motorist case…Unbeknownst to the insurance company, Toole had a “long standing financial relationship” with the attorney, identified as “participant #1,” the complaint says. – TimesLeader.com”

This “great lawyer” did indeed “know the judge” and both worked to feather each other’s nests while throwing all honesty and integrity to the wind.

I’m beginning to wonder if there are any honest people in the business of lawyering and judging any more. I always respected members of the legal community as these were the people we looked to, to uphold justice and keep us on the straight and narrow. But now I have my doubts.

Granted there are plenty of honest, ethical and respectible members of the bench and bar and I have to believe that scum like Conahan, Civarella, Toole and Rothstein are those few bad apples in the bottom of the barrel. But I have to think about the young people who are taught to respect the legal system and abide by it suddenly seeing the very people they’re told to respect get led away in handcuffs.

What kind of message is that sending?

“Black Friday, Green Parrots” Or, “Is That Your Bird Maam?”

Scott Sanfilippo — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:14:21 +0000

If you have an interest in wild birds, or just want to keep your feathered friends happy, visit my wild bird store! Come on, do it!

Just a little while ago, I’m sitting here at my Boca Raton, Florida “office” working on a bunch of different things while at the same time enjoying the warm sun, the ocean breeze and a frozen lemonade, when all of a sudden a flurry of green caught my eye.

I grabbed my trusty Canon PowerShot and headed over and started snapping away. What I captured was several green parrots. You might be wondering, “are parrots native to Florida?” Well, the answer is “no.” According to one report:

In the 1960′s pet parrots became quite popular and there was a huge business importing parrots that were caught in the wild elsewhere. It is thought that the wild parakeets in Florida originated from these birds that somehow got loose before being sold off. Since these birds were not domesticated and already had to fend for themselves in the wild, it was easy for them to adapt to life in Florida and multiply to the flocks present today. (http://www.epet-center.com/wildparakeetsinflorida.html)

Up the road in Palm Beach, parrots have been on the island since the 1940′s when they were imported. The famous Breakers Palm Beach hotel is home to several endangered wild green-cheeked Amazon parrots. Occasionally, some scally-wags will attempt to steal the parrots and sell them at a pet store, but as this article from The Palm Beach Post says, parrot theives face a stiff fine if caught:

Trapping birds on the island can result in a $250 fine for the first offense and $500 for subsequent offenses. Whoever trapped the birds could also face arrest on trespassing charges for going onto Breakers property without permission.

While I enjoyed the beauty of these afternoon visitors, I hope you do as well in the photos that I’m sharing with you below.

“My New Florida Car.” Or, “Don’t Smash This One Up.”

Scott Sanfilippo — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:14:10 +0000

Those who follow my blog regularly will know that I was driving a 2010 Ford Mustang around south Florida. That was until one fateful afternoon when I was rear-ended on I-95.

Following the accident, I made the insane decision to drive my 2007 BMW 335i convertible from Pennsylvania to Florida. Those of you who said, “the ride isn’t too bad” will not be getting a Christmas card from me this year. Or next.

Well, as much as I loved that car, it was time to say “goodbye.” A convertible is great in Florida, but battling the psycho drivers on I-95 in a car I could easily be tossed out of wasn’t my idea of safety. So I decided it was time to get something a little more practical.

I had my mind sent on another BMW 3-series, but a 4-door. I visited Braman BMW in West Palm Beach and quickly ruled out another 3, pondered the idea of an X3 and decided on a 528i. I got a pretty unique color, Barbera Red with brown Dakota leather that looks great!

[View with PicLens]

We all need a Sugar Daddy. Or do we?

Scott Sanfilippo — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:23:38 +0000

Photo by Mattel

One of my favorite newspaper columns besides the New York Post‘s Page Six is the Palm Beach Post‘s Page 2 Live by Jose Lambiet. Jose covers the shenanigans of the removed-from-reality Palm Beachers and their counterparts in Hollywood. Today Lambiet, who I’d like to sit down with over a martini at Taboo, introduces us to the latest doll to come out of Mattel, Palm Beach Sugar Daddy Ken.

As he describes him, Ken “comes complete with a George Hamilton tan, apple-green jacket, white pants and shoes, swim trunks, tea-cup white pooch with a pink leash and, it’s understood, an attractive bank account.”

When it comes to Sugar Daddies, no geographical location has more of them than Palm Beach. Unfortunately, they’re all over the age of 70 and their Sugar is usually about 40 years their junior. I find them quite amusing, like the old buck who can barely make his way to the men’s room at Bice having dinner with a honey who belongs over at E. R. Bradley‘s with people her own age. But hey, who can blame Sugar! I’m sure she is getting everything she wants like that new Gucci bag, the diamond earrings, the new Bentley…

I could never be a Sugar Daddy. But I know a few of them. They’re the ones who feel they need to buy themselves happiness, if only to be taken for a ride later on. A friendship or a relationship is never bought, it’s something both parties work at together with mutually respected boundaries and contributions. Those who feel the need to buy their happiness can’t really be happy, but those being bought certainly can and most take full advantage of the situation.

I see myself more the gigolo, or keeping with the Palm Beach theme, “the walker.” These are guys who get paid to be companions for the elderly women of the island. They’re their dance partners at balls during the season, dinner companions at the Palm Beach Grill, dog walkers along Worth Ave. Some of them make good money and the job doesn’t usually come with bedroom responsibilities, unlike that of the Sugar.

Palm Beach Sugar Daddy Ken looks like he’s more in tune to be hanging out at Rooster’s than The Breakers, but then again, this is Palm Beach where anything goes. And often it does.

Visit BlairCandy.com for Your Sugar Daddy fix!

Now, if you came here looking for some real Sugar Daddy’s, my friends over at Blair Candy have them for you! They’ve got the small one, for the Daddy who’s a little low on the cash, and the big one for the Daddy with the bucks!

A Very Moving Weekend

Scott Sanfilippo — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:47:21 +0000

What a wild weekend.

I closed on my new townhouse in Delray Beach, FL on Tuesday and managed to move everything from my old condo in Palm Beach in just one day. Granted I felt like a gypsy driving a convertible overflowing with suitcases full of my belongings, but if it weren’t for a car without a roof my move would have been more complicated.

I had to buy new televisions so I went to Best Buy and made my selection based on the size of the box that would fit in my car. Not a bad way to make a purchase. I walked out with two Samsung, 40″ LED televisions that have amazing picture quality, are super-slim and incredibly light. They fit in the car perfectly, except they had to go in on an angle, which is another reason I went with the LED over a LCD or plasma which have to remain level and upright.

When I got them home, I had to screw the stands mounting plate to the back of the television. Not a major thing. Except I didn’t have a screwdriver. I thought I pulled this thing off without a hitch, and bingo, sidelined by a Phillips head screwdriver. Off to Home Depot and a few minutes later, mission accomplished.

I sat back Saturday night with a sense of accomplishment as I ate a not-so-good Italian sub from Publix thinking that normally I would be at Taboo on Worth Ave in Palm Beach enjoying prime rib. Albeit, I was too damn tired to even eat the sub yet alone get dressed and go out for dinner.

I crashed and woke up Sunday morning to a simply gorgeous day. Before I headed to the Boca Beach Club, I shot some video of my new place to satisfy the curious who kept asking me what it’s like. I think it’s awesome! My next mission is to explore the neighborhood, find the good places to eat and learn the first name of every bartender in a 10 block radius.

I’ve got a lot of work yet to do.

When did customer service become a four-letter word?

Scott Sanfilippo — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:56:53 +0000

Anyone who has done business with or worked with me knows that I take customer service very seriously. In business I don’t create policies that aren’t customer friendly and I don’t tolerate team members who don’t embrace my “above and beyond” philosophy for making a customer happy.

I created the “above and beyond” concept of customer service when I started my first business in 1994:

Give your customer’s the service they not only expect, but deserve.
Exceed your customer’s expectations in every interaction.
Treat every customer with the same courtesy you would expect in return.

Thirty-eight days ago I embarked on a journey that right up until the very last minute, proved to me that customer service may be dead. Some businesses and their employees just don’t get the fact that if it weren’t for customers, they wouldn’t have a paycheck.

My journey begins with my desire to move from Palm Beach further south to Delray Beach, FL. I enlisted an awesome Realtor, Scott Stiepleman, from Keyes Realty, who came highly recommended from a close personal friend of mine (thanks for the referral Pam!).

When Scott found me the perfect place to call home it was time to arrange financing. Using his recommendation, I called AmTrust Home Mortgage, who is a big lender in southern Florida and has several offices in the area. Scott worked with them in the past and never had any issues with them. Until now.

Before I get into the details, I want to be perfectly clear that southern Florida has seen a tremendous amount of foreclosures, short sales and real estate crises’ due to the overbuilt market. Banks have the right to be picky with who they lend to down here but that does not give them the freedom to treat customers like, well, you know what.

When I called the mortgage broker, who I will call “Betty,” she was more than happy to get my business and promised that we can make this deal happen quickly, painlessly and within the 30 days as stipulated in the sales contract. Her responsiveness in the beginning was great. Phone calls and emails were answered quickly and voice mails were returned promptly. But once the commitment was there and it was too late for me to start looking for another lender, Betty became the prime example of customer service gone bad.

Along with the standard application, I had to provide volumes of information detailing my finances and business interests for the underwriting department. The requested information was always sent within hours.

Betty, however, seemed to have a problem keeping all the information I would send her. On at least three separate occasions, Betty requested information that she already had received, sometimes requesting the same information multiple times! Several times I replied to her request with, “you already have that” and would receive a, “you’re right, sorry.”

In the middle of the process, Betty went on vacation. Talk about throwing a monkey-wrench into things. While she was away, her replacement took over and started asking for things that Betty already received once or twice.

Knowing that we had 30 days to close the deal, I was becoming increasingly frustrated with Betty. Emails went back and forth between her, Scott, my attorney Todd Surber from Independence Title and the seller’s agent. We all were getting frustrated and just wanted to get to closing and put this behind us, but the nightmare continued.

I reached my limit when seven days before closing, I get an email from the person handling the closing at AmTrust asking for my email address. Yes, I received an email asking for my email address!

Closing was scheduled for Friday, October 16th and it was supposed to be done via FedEx since I would not be able to be there in person. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, all of us were asking Betty, “are we closing on Friday?” With no answer coming from Betty, my attorney had no choice but to file for an extension, with the closing date moved to Tuesday, October 20th. This did not make me, the seller and the seller’s agent happy, but what choice did we have, we were at the mercy of AmTrust.

11am Tuesday arrives. All interested parties are gathered to make the deal happen. Papers are signed but AmTrust did not wire the money needed to close. Frantically, everyone starts calling Betty to find out what happened. Guess what? Betty is nowhere to be found. Her office line rings to voice mail (which she finds time to update on a daily basis with the “today is Tuesday, October 20th and I’m in the office all day” greeting, but she can’t find time to return a phone call). Her cell phone rings but goes to voice mail as well.

After trying for an hour to reach someone at AmTrust, we were able to contact the person who emailed me for my email address. She then initiated the wire transfer and funds were disbursed ending the worst customer experience I ever encountered.

Betty violated every principal of my “above and beyond” philosophy for customer service:

She did not give her customer the service he not only expected, but deserved.
She did not exceed her customer’s expectations in every interaction.
She did not treat her customer with the same courtesy she would expect in return.

But most importantly, Betty made her company look bad and turned off a brand-new customer. For all I know, AmTrust could be the best bank to deal with. But for me, Betty was AmTrust and my experience with her makes me believe that they are not the best bank to deal with.

The team that I had working for me, Scott and Todd, went above and beyond and I would recommend them to someone looking to buy or sell a home. Betty could have turned this experience into an opportunity to gain future business not only from me but also from Scott and Todd, but I don’t think that will be happening anytime soon.

In today’s economy, businesses are all fighting for the sale. Times are tough and we all need to work harder to gain our customer’s trust and ultimately their business. If you’re company has a “Betty,” you may not know it until it’s too late and she costs you business. It may be time for you to give your business a customer service checkup. How?

Sit in your customer service department for a day and listen to what goes on and how your people interact with customers.
If you have the capability to monitor customer service calls, do it!
Review your customer service policies and see if they are “customer friendly” or brick walls.
Talk to your customers! Pick some at random and call them to learn about their experience with your company.

All of us work hard day in and day out to make a sale and earn a buck. Don’t let a “Betty” come between you and your company’s success.