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Deals That Are Nifty by Sister Thrifty: October 2010

Deals That Are Nifty by Sister Thrifty

Great Steals and Deals around town and online to save you the big bucks and help you keep more of your hard-earned money!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Donny and Marie move to Broadway?


Get your tickets now because word has it that Donnie and Marie won't be in Vegas for much longer. Mary Hart announced on Entertainment Tonight this week that they have broken their Vegas contract and accepted another one on Broadway. Interestingly enough, Mary Hart was actually in the audience last Thursday night when I saw the Donnie & Marie show at the Flamingo Hotel. She and the Osmonds just don't age.


I was too much of a non-conformist to jump on the Donny Osmond Fan Club wagon as a little girl (I preferred Bobby Sherman), but I have to admit that the talented brother and sister act in Vegas was a real kick in the pants. I appreciated the fact that Donny and Marie poked fun at themselves and had a sense of humor about their age. Marie called her brother "Grandpa" and Donny would periodically stop in the middle of a dance routine to pant and rest, eliciting laughter and applause from their loyal, greying fans. Make no mistake, they're both in great shape and looked terrific.

They even had a Dance-Off ala "Dancing With The Stars" and invited fans to see Donny's famous mirrored ball trophy in the lobby of the Flamingo. (By the way, I think it is WAY easier for men to win that show than women...but that's a whole nuther blog post...)

And boy, are they talented. They showed their versatility and range by singing opera, rock and roll, country, Broadway show tunes, and pop with a variety of dance numbers to match. I expected the pair to take turns with song sets back and forth, but instead, Marie's fans got a big dose of her solos for the first part of the show and then Donny was showcased in the second half, encouraging women in the audience to scream with delight. Lucky audience members who were seated close to the stage got to shake hands with the former heart-throb as he climbed across tables and interacted with fans. One lady in the front row waved her teenage collection of albums until Donny finally danced over with his autographing skills.

"I've been working Vegas pretty much since I was an embryo," joked Donny during the show. It was at Caesars Palace during an Osmond show in 1973 that Donny and Marie sang together on stage for the first time. Throughout the 1970's, the Osmonds played at almost every hotel in Las Vegas. An impressive number of scenes from former performances and events throughout their very long career were displayed on large screens during the show, illustrating why they have so many adoring fans. While they're proud of the fact that they have the largest picture ad on the side of a hotel in Sin City, they may be ready to move on.

So what's the scoop on their new Broadway gig? The showbiz legends have been slapped with a shocking lawsuit that claims they fired their Las Vegas producer and stiffed their management agency in a bid to fatten their own bank accounts. Sources close to the stars insist Marie, 51, wasn’t in on the scheme and is a victim of her 52-year-old brother’s greed. That's truly disappointing. They have enough talent and time to please both Vegas and New York City audiences without having to break any contracts.

To see my YouTube video of their opening act go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFrFQUPUypw   I started recording until a security guard approached me and asked me not to video. OOPS! I didn't know I wasn't supposed to....must have missed that announcement.

To learn more about their show and get tickets, go to: http://www.flamingolasvegas.com/EventsDetail.do?detailName=donny-marie-detail&locationCode=FLV

Time: 7:30 PM

Price: $260; $125; $109; $95 (plus taxes and fees)

Venue: The Flamingo Showroom

Reservations: 702-733-3333

Online Reservations: Purchase Tickets Now!

Group Sales: Groups of 15 or more,

call 1-866-462-5982 or click here to email.



VIP: $260 plus taxes and fees

Includes front-of-stage seating an after-show photo with the stars

Golden Circle: $125 plus taxes and fees

Main Floor: $109 plus taxes and fees

Balcony: $95 plus taxes and fees

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Friday, October 08, 2010

Customer NO service


                                                     Trina EMERGES with a new do
                                                                   By Trina Boice
                                                               www.boicebox.com

Has that lady on your car’s navigator ever completely lost her mind?  Mine did last night as I was trying to find the Emerge Salon and Day Spa for my first hair appointment.  When I realized I was definitely heading in the wrong direction, I finally called the salon and asked for directions.  Turns out that one of the co-owners answered the phone and stayed with me on the line the whole time.  As I got closer, he walked outside and personally flagged me down, directing me into the parking lot.  I was impressed.

Let me contrast that warm welcome with one I had yesterday with an eye doctor’s office whose unrevealed name shall protect them from their disgraceful service.  I arrived 10 minutes late and was told I would have to reschedule because my tardiness was unacceptable to them.   Their receptionist made me feel like some kind of delinquent in elementary school caught by the hall Nazi, rather than a valued customer. I would have been a new client for them, but I will most definitely NOT be returning.  They obviously don’t care about acquiring new customers.   (I promise that arriving late 2 days in a row for 2 appointments really isn’t like me!)

Emerge Salon and Day Spa, however, is doing all of the right things to earn a great reputation in Las Vegas.    They’ll be celebrating their 1 year anniversary in November, a hard-earned feat in this tricky economy, with a fan base that’s growing quickly They are not only happy to get new customers, but actually willing to do the work to earn repeat business.   This salon knows the difference between a satisfied customer and a loyal one.  I mean really...would you want your spouse to be satisfied or loyal?  
 
If you don’t live in Las Vegas, what does all of this mean to you?  Vote for your local businesses with your dollars.   Tell others about them.  And when you’re not happy with a store or company, tell them why.  After I calmed down, I called that eye doctor’s office the next day and politely explained to them why I will NOT be rescheduling my appointment with them.

The squeaky wheel does get the grease first, but mind your manners while you’re squeaking and you’ll fare much better.  The hilarious and helpful Benjamin Dover suggests “Don’t just whine, define!”  Decide what it is you want from the company (money, apology, replacement, etc) as well as what course of action you’re willing to pursue (a few phone calls or a full-scale lawsuit).

Michael Finney is ABC’s Emmy Award-winning consumer reporter who helps the average Joe fight for his rights.  His seven steps to winning every consumer argument are:
      1.  Respect yourself enough to go after what is right
  1. Know what you want before complaining (be realistic!) 
  2. Be flexible and ready to negotiate
  3. Give everyone a chance to do the right thing
  4. Don’t respond in anger
  5. Take the high road by talking about what is moral, not just what is legal.
  6. Be ready to do battle.  Fighting for your consumer rights can be time-consuming and emotionally draining.

When you’re not satisfied, don’t be a crazy person!  If you come across as reasonable and in control then you have a better chance of being treated fairly than if you’re screaming and irrational. 

Once you’re completely fed up with a company and ready to write a letter of complaint, be sure to address it to a specific person; otherwise, your letter will end up buried or trashed.  Be concise.  If you write a gigantic letter about your life’s history you’re just going to annoy and confuse the reader, often to the point that they’ll just toss your letter into their corporate black hole and hope someone else wants to deal with it.

Create a paper trail and document dates of phone calls, emails, faxes, and especially names.  Sending certified mail lets a company know you’re serious and possibly creating a paper trail for a lawsuit so you should get some reaction out of them.

And now a few fun freebies to bring a smile to your face:


Free Appetizer at TGIFriday’s

 
    Free Royal Canin Discovery Box at Petco


Free Cancer Research mailing address labels


Free Hearos ear plugs


Free Baskin Robbins hard candy


Free solar oven cooking DVD

Have a great week!
CENTSerely,
Sister Thrifty    (a/k/a Trina Boice)

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