Round Rock Express Game 2010
Living Direct's annual baseball outing took place this week at the Dell Diamond in Round Rock and it could not have a been a more perfect evening for the event; the sun was shining, the sky was blue, the hamburgers were deliciously greasy and the beer was cold. Year after year the outing provides employees with a casual forum to get to know their co-workers from other departments within the company. Employees and their families congregated in the Texas Party Suite, enjoying the opportunity to meet one another's spouses, rugrats and friends. Once the sun set and temperatures subsided, it was out to the box seats to cheer on the Round Rock Express team to their 11-7 victory over the Sacramento River Cats. The game was much more exciting than anticipated, and although our accountant Kelly was almost nailed by a line drive, we all escaped unscathed and only slightly tipsy. Then again, I left before the chugging contests started (see evidence below).
All in all, it was an evening of camaraderie that many employees of other companies are not lucky enough to experience. Thanks to all for coming out and a special thanks to Rick for making the event possible.
Forward March…Sending Matthew Off With a Bang!
As Matthew's time here at Living Direct wraps up, we found it appropriate to celebrate all of his accomplishments and future aspirations with a little noise. Matthew has been a great resource here in the office for the past three months: writing press releases, conducted pricing analyses and building the company's nano sites such as AirPurifierPro.com and PortableIceMaker.com. However, he is taking his abilities to a local Austin High School where he will teach marching band throughout the fall season. Here's a little known fact about our friend Matthew: he was his high school's drum major! So THAT'S where he got his leadership skills.
As sad as we are to see him go, we had to send him off properly. A parking lot procession and trip to Mann's BBQ was in store. We equipped ourselves with "instruments'" and in true marching band fashion, constructed a (semi) straight line. At Matt's command we paraded around the parking lot paying homage to our departing conductor.
Matt, we wish you luck in all you do and appreciate the hard work you put in here at Living Direct. We salute you!
Got an Opinion about Our Products? Share & Win!
As part of our site makeover we have a completely new review system on our sites! To kick off the launch of our reviews, we are holding a giveaway. Leave a review on a product you have purchased or are familiar with and you'll be entered to win any of the above great prizes!
Here's what to do:
1. Find the product you wish to review and click the "Write a review" link.
2. Login or create an account if you don't already have one.
3. Rate the item and write your review, then submit!
All reviews submitted on or before August 26th will be automatically entered into the contest. Winners will be drawn at random on September 6, 2010. No purchase required. It's that easy!
Living Direct’s Outdoor Entertaining Giveaway Winner
And the winner of our 2010 Outdoor Entertaining Giveaway is....
Robert B. from California!
Robert was kind enough to arrange all of the prizes and send us a picture of him with them. He won a Minden Master propane gas grill, a Vifah Balthazar 5 piece patio dining set, a Margaritaville cordless frozen concoction maker and an 8' x 10' Surya Rain Green outdoor rug. The place settings, margarita glasses and center piece were already Robert's. He assures us all of the prizes will see good use this 4th of July weekend.
Stay tuned for our next giveaway coming in late July/early August...
Congratulations again, Robert!
Customer Appreciation Month at Living Direct & CompactAppliance.com
Chances are, if you placed an order on any Living Direct Network site in the month of May or early June, you received a handwritten note from one of our employees and maybe even a Living Direct tote bag.
Living Direct Tote Bag & Cards
We wanted a genuine way to show our customers that we appreciate them. We didn't want to be gimmicky or cheesy and send out generic printed notes typed up in a font that looks like handwriting. While some customers might think a note like that is nice, it doesn't show any sincerity or any real thought behind the action. Instead, we wanted our notes to be from real people in our company expressing their authentic sentiments.
Every employee at Living Direct, including the CEO and other executives, received 100 notecards on which to write their thanks to our customers. A few templates were provided to give an idea of what should be written, but many chose to write their own original messages. Some of the standouts included the phrase "paragon of a perfect customer" and a pen drawing of Van Gogh's "Starry Night." We hope that our obvious enthusiasm and creativity made at least one customer's day.
The feedback from this project was great. We received emails from customers that wanted to thank us for our thank you note, which was both funny and very nice to hear. Many customer service representatives also reported receiving phone calls from customers who were touched by the cards.
Unfortunately, not every order was able to be sent with a card or a tote bag, but we tried. If you didn't receive a card with your order, whether placed during Customer Appreciation Month or any other time, then please enjoy this note from Cynthia in Customer Service. We appreciate our customers year round and hope to continue proving this through our excellent service and products.
Thank You Card from Cynthia
Natural Disaster Preparedness Guides – LivingDirect.com
Today we launched a new section on LivingDirect.com: Natural Disaster Product Guide Pages.
These pages are an area/idea that we are passionate about growing. We understand the dangers and unpredictability that come with natural disasters and we hope that these guides are a good start for helping families prepare for emergencies.
Being located in Texas and having employees from all over the United States (and some even from other countries), we have experienced many, if not all, of the natural disasters touched upon in our guides, and we know what is necessary to make it through those tough times. That is why we offer power generators, heaters, flashlights, compact cooking equipment and other survival gear on our site.
LivingDirect.com will continue to grow its product line and update these natural disaster guides in order to provide the best products and appliances for surviving any type of disaster. Please look through these guides and let us know what other appliances you would like to see on our site or have used yourself in these situations. We welcome all recommendations and will do our best to follow them through.
Being prepared is the key to protecting your home and loved ones from any unexpected natural disasters, and LivingDirect.com is committed to helping you do just that.
Ants Invade CompactAppliance.com
AUSTIN, TX – Ants have marched into the offices of Top 500 Internet Retailer, CompactAppliance.com. The pests were first spotted in the marketing department Monday morning around 9:00 am when Titus Lam, an online marketing specialist for CompactAppliance.com and LivingDirect.com et al, reported a couple ants wandering about his desk.
Initially, coworkers scoffed at Lam's cries for help, assuming the problem was related to the hazelnut-laden coffee spill from late May. But soon, the volume of ants intensified and started to cross cubicle walls into coworker territory. Aaron Finley was the next colleague to be affected by the ant invasion.
The amount of ants migrating into adjacent cubes "has climbed steadily," Finley said late Monday."It makes me strongly reconsider serving the company birthday cookies in our department."
In response to the growing ant problem, Raid Ant Spray was located in the office and used as a spot treatment. However, this solution soon proved unviable as the Raid produced an overwhelmingly strong chemical smell even though the can was clearly marked Unscented. Nearby employees were nauseated and the ants kept coming which caused further despair.
The ant population intensified until Monday evening, when coworker Ashley Boening suggested utilizing ant baits as an alternative to the nauseating ant spray. Boening offered to bring some leftover bait from his home in nearby Pflugerville, TX. On Tuesday morning, Boening delivered a pack of Terro brand liquid ant baits to his coworkers, as promised.
Two ant baits were erected quickly by Lam and Finley but ant interest was minimal early on. "The ants just weren't interested in our liquid ant killer," Finley said. "So we decided to put on our thinking caps and find a way to make poisonous baits more appealing through marketing."
In a stroke of entrepreneurial genius, Finley recalled a SNL skit for roach bait:
Rebranding "Liquid Ant Killer" as "Friendly Ant Hotels"
Finley decided to improve the image of the ant bait on his desk by re-branding it as a friendly hotel with Free Continental Breakfast. An ant-sized billbard was erected out in front to alert foot traffic of the change in policy. The response was fast and overwhelming.
Within minutes, a stream of ants poured into Finley's ant hotel. The ant community was abuzz about the new, more hospitable lodging.
A Fierce Ant Hotel Competition Emerges
But Finley's ant-killing strategy also caught the attention of coworker, Titus Lam. For on the other side of the cubicle wall, Lam quickly set about re-branding his bait into an ant hotel as well.
Lam started by adding a billboard that appealed to the ants' desire to support local businesses. The call to action on his tiny billboard read simply: 'Go Local!' The marketing changes by Lam were equally successful, garnering a slew of new customers and at least one confirmed drone sighting (a fancy ant with wings). Although Lam firm disputed this, claiming the drone was in fact a queen.
The New Red Carpet Treatment at "Le Terro"
Not to be outdone, Finley then added an ant-sized red carpet and changed the name of his establishment from "Terro Ant Killer" to "Le Terro" to position the hotel in the mind of the ant consumer as a more upscale, French resort.
Lam again counter-maneuvered by adding a second billboard that touted 'Free HBO' as part of the accommodations. Lam's bookings continued to soar and another winged ant was spotted shortly thereafter.
Aaron Finley looked out over the cubicle wall in disbelief and disgust. The veteran hotel business owner had been in the ant hospitality business for nearly 20 minutes.
"I'm an optimistic guy, so hopefully we'll kill our ants equally," he said. "But if it continues to go on and my customers keep leaving, eventually the balance is going to tip. Then what happens? Is it all over for Le Terro?"
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- Free Continental Breakfast Billboard
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- Red Carpet Treatment at “Le Terro”
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- Anti-ant graffiti
One Sandwich to Rule Them All
Yesterday was our first annual Double Down Thursday. Our opportunity to have our own private episode of (Wo)Man vs. Food and/or a coronary bypass.
For those unfamiliar with the Double Down, it is a true American celebration of gluttony consisting of two pieces of fried chicken surrounding tasty strips of bacon and the finest processed cheese. If you really want to show your national pride, be sure to wash it down with a Diet Coke!
Future possible Thursday’s may involve the Elvis Double Down, the Krispy Kreme Burger , the Happy Meal Pizza and, of course, Meat Cake.
Our Oath:
He which hath no stomach to this sandwich,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made,
And crowns for a salad put into his purse;
We would not dine in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to dine with us.
This day is called the feast of Double Down.
He that outlives this day, and goes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Col. Sanders.
Let the feast begin!
The Result:
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- Stacking
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- 16 Double Downs
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- The Rush
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- The Beast
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- Lana’s First Bite
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- Digging In
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- Pure Bliss
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- With Taters & Gravy
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- Big Bite
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- Thumbs Up
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- Here We Go
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- Dipping
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- Carnage
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- The Aftermath
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- Doubled Over
New Collection of Eco-Friendly Products for Earth Day!
Make your space a little greener with Energy Star rated appliances
Thursday, April 22, will mark the 40th anniversary of Earth Day – an unprecedented opportunity for all of us to help build a healthy, prosperous, clean energy economy now and for the future. Earth Day can be a turning point to advance climate policy, energy efficiency, renewable energy and water saving practices around the globe. This is your opportunity to join us and other earth friendly retailers in creating a global green economy.
View our complete line of energy efficient and water saving compact appliances, and join the more than one billion people in 190 countries that are taking action for Earth Day.
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Take $10 off $150+, $20 off $350+, $30 off $500+ or $60 off $750 or more.
Enter code TAXEXSTNSN at checkout. *Coupons cannot be combined, only one code allowed per order. |
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Today’s Agenda: Company Bowling & T-Shirt Design Contest Voting
View All Submissions & Stay Tuned for the Winners!
Today is an exciting day in the office! Our off-site quarterly meeting is being held this afternoon at the bowling alley, and soon the voting will conclude for our first Company T-Shirt Design Contest.
The rules are simple & the prizes mighty:
Contest Rules
- Every employee is eligible to enter – no maximum on the number of designs per person
- Design to be printed on only 1 side of the shirt (front or back)
- Design must be printed on one of the following colored shirts: Green, White, Grey or Black
- All design submissions must be provided in a digital image format (jpeg, gif, tiff, photoshop, illustrator, pdf, etc.)
Prizes
- 1st Prize: $250 Prepaid Visa Gift Card
- 2nd Prize: A pack of Hanes Beefy T’s and two (2) Ken’s breakfast tacos
There were plenty of laughs and amazement yesterday morning as the t-shirt design entries were unveiled for voting. Many inside jokes and some shirts that left some folks scratching their heads.
The office had until close of business (COB as we often abbreviate it) to cast their vote.
Surprisingly, there was a 4-way tie for first place at the end of voting. A run-off vote is currently in progress so the suspense is high. Stay tuned for the winners to be announced and for a recap of the company meeting.
In the meantime, what's your favorite shirt?
About CompactAppliance.com
CompactAppliance.com is a division of Living Direct, Inc., a family owned and operated business established 1999 in Austin, Texas. Compact Appliance was created to provide solutions for people in search of space-saving appliances and specialty home goods. Over the past 10 years, the company has grown to become one of the top 500 internet retailers in the U.S. by providing superior customer service, quality products and a simple shopping experience.
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Compact Appliance on Twitter
- Happy Labor Day Weekend! Save an extra $10 off any Full-Size Kegerator on Kegerator.com with coupon code 10KEGSEP! http://bit.ly/95U7cV
- Do you have a blog where you write reviews? We're looking for people to review kegerators, ice makers & wine coolers! DM for more details.
- EdgeStar 5 Liter Mini Keg Beer Dispenser | Gear Patrol http://bit.ly/c6cO2Y
- Gear up for Football Season: Kegerators, college-logo beer coolers, even a grill shaped like a football & more! http://j.mp/ftbllssn
- I'd say so! @angieahrens Does filling a keg for our #kegerator, purchased from you count? :) @OfficialCA Got any big plans for the weekend?
Living Direct on Twitter
- Mmm. We have birthday cookies in the office today from @tiffstreats. The smell is making it hard to eat just one! ^CW
- Football season is finally starting! Who did you cheer for last night? We were conflicted here as Cowboys & Longhorns fans.
- Lucky Customer Wins Backyard Makeover from Internet Retailer, LivingDirect.com http://shar.es/0nN0I
- Our Pres/COO, Jason Roussos, will be speaking on a panel at eTail East on assessing keys to growth. Don't miss it! http://bit.ly/9NHWoc
- New Blog Post: The WINNER of our 2010 Outdoor Entertaining Giveaway is... http://bit.ly/dpsCct ^CW