We like to think of ourselves as marketing experts and over the past few years we’ve realized the best bang for our advertising buck is the MTD transit advertising. Look for them around town.

Send me a photo when you see one  (as long as you’re not the one behind the wheel) & I’ll send you a restaurant gift certificate.

Also, if you can come up with a catchy campaign for next year – one that I like and choose to use, I’ll make you an Axxess Member for life!

It's True: Use It and Save. (Thanks to Kate Schwab over at MTD for sending us this pic.)

This year I’ll miss the Fiesta activities for the 3rd year in a row – I’m disappointed and vowing to be there next year.

In 2008 I was on my honeymoon during Fiesta so I didn’t really give it a thought. In 2009 I was recovering from brain surgery and unable to partake in the fun. Yes, I had brain surgery last year and that’s an entirely different story! And this year I’m unfortunately out of town the entire week.

Each year our deadline to submit the art files to our printer falls during Fiesta. Years ago we used to shoot for Fiesta Friday but that actually caused too much stress and ruined everyone’s week. So in the past few years we work on a Fiesta Wednesday deadline which if all goes as planned allows us to hit our deadline constraints and then relax the rest of the week.

On Tuesday, as we finalized the layout for our 12th edition our computers crashed. How ironic right? But  my team kept their cool and the book went to press yesterday. Right after that, they sent me these photos. Looks like the stress melted away pretty quickly, maybe with the assistance of a little Fiesta liquid livation.

Team Axxess can finally rest after sending the 12th Edition to the printer

Viva La. (Also, for a guide guide to the activities this week check out noozhawk or tixity.)

Looks like the festivities carried into last night!

Axxess Rewards is kind of like this!

Despite a somewhat tough economy out there I’m excited to publish our 12th Edition this upcoming October and can guarantee you it’s again another amazing membership – filled with hundreds of merchants and some amazing offers.

The past two years have been particularly hard on small businesses, certainly nationwide and definitely in our community. State street and Calle Real both have numerous vacancies – many of which were home to previous Axxess merchants. (About 20 of our clients are no longer in business!) And while the growth of new business is not as solid as years past, there is still growth and that’s important to recognize. Actually “growth” might not be as accurate as saying there is still “new life” because there are new businesses still opening up. So despite closures and much talk of sluggish sales, you can look forward to over 50 new business participants in the 2011 Axxess Book. (For you foodies, a few new additions include: Piatti’s, Roy, Billies, Chino’s Rock & Tacos and many more)

Some of these are new businesses while others are established businesses that have been around for years. All of them recognize the need for a steady local clientele and that’s where you come in to this story. Local merchants need your patronage now more than ever and many of them are willing to earn it – by offering an exclusive incentive to you – the Axxess Cardholder.

So try some new places and find some new favorites – break out of your normal habits and turn that Axxess Card into Swiss cheese! For a list of most new merchants that already have current offers visit our new online merchant directory. And when you go to these places don’t forget to tell us about it, we’ll even give you some free stuff for doing so.  Every time you do, you’ll also be automatically entered to win Axxess Dinner & A Show – a $50 restaurant gift certificate and 2 tickets to a performing arts show!

The best time to step it up is when others are scaling back. When your competition reduces their advertising budget, that is the time for you to increase yours.

Two years ago, after our 9th Edition – we lost 74 of our 365 advertising merchants…a whopping 20%! And it hurt. It was cause for concern but we didn’t freak out. Instead I hired more salespeople, invested in more advertising (did you see our “recession proof” ads on the MTD buses?)

"Recession Proof" bus backs in 2009

and built an entirely new website. The result was the most kick ass program we had ever done – our 10th Edition. And, we had our highest grossing year and our most profitable.

This approach was far from conservative but it wasn’t crazy, it was well thought out and well executed. Our “competition” was losing advertisers and was therefore scaling back. While they we’re moving backwards we moved forwards.

Whatever it is you do for a living, consider that point and recognize that now is the time to stand out! It’s not easy but it’s doable. (& for more on this, read the book The Purple Cow)

This year Axxess is launching an iPhone application. It wasn’t cheap for us to build but we’re committed to adding value to our merchants and to our members and this was another way for us to do that.

We created the Rewards Program, which has really started to take off. Locally there’s nothing like it and again, it’s us stepping it up to deliver more value to you.

These investments have only benefited our company and further separated us from the “competition”, therefore passing the litmus test question of “Hey, where’s the Beef?”

PS – iPhone app coming October, stay tuned.

Last week a friend of mine who lives in San Jose casually mentioned to me that he reads my blog and has done so not just once but each week. I was totally surprised and somewhat flattered too. This guy is pretty busy executive yet he finds a few minutes to actually read what I have to say? Unbelievable!

Since I never reveal my sources let’s call this guy “Tim”.

"Tim" can't stop talking about the Axxess Guy Blog

Tim reminded me of how public blogs are and that you never know who could be reading it. He went on to express his opinion that my blog always seems so negative. Really? But I’m probably the most enthusiastic high energy optimist I know! I went to the blog and tried to re-read previous posts with an objective eye but unfortunately I found that Tim was right. Sorry guys.

I try to talk about things that are relevant and interesting and in doing so I attempt to be funny and real.  It’’s a balancing act in which my sarcasm often comes across more negatively than I intend, and just like the mass media – the good stuff often isn’t that interesting.

So “Tim” and the rest of you – I’ll put myself back in check. Hopefully, you agree that my photos are funny? Anyway, Thanks to Tim for pointing this out and setting me straight.

Today's drug of choice by most

Sometimes I feel pretty out of it when it comes to technology. I don’t have an iPhone (yet) and I barely use any of the features on my blackberry. I have accounts on facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter but I rarely login to them and when I do, I have no idea what I’m looking at or how to use the sites. I don’t even know why I have a twitter account because I don’t think I’ve ever used it. Maybe Jessica in my office is using it to send out Axxess announcements? Yes, now I recall that must be it.

Somehow these crazy sites know people who know people who somehow may know me. No doubt it’s cool, but do I really want to be “friends” with someone who I’m really not friends with? It’s kind of ridiculous. Yes – I do like to revisit old memories and see what people I’ve lost touch with are up to, but if it were important to keep in touch with them then I why didn’t I?

One hurdle for me is time. I simply don’t have a half hour a day to play around on facebook and I wonder why people I know, some of whom I respect post things like “doing laundry, then off to Trader Joe’s!” or “Happy Monday” – honestly, who gives a sh@!? Really? Don’t you have something better to do?!  And the concept of the facebook “wall” is still very confusing to me.

The more important issue to me is that much of today’s technology, although cool , entertaining and convenient has replaced real human interaction. For example, I have a client who I cannot seem to reach on the phone to make an appointment, yet she’ll text me all the time. Another client sends me messages through facebook only, and since I check my facebook about once a month I often am a little late responding to her. She sent me a message in February saying let’s meet next week to talk about the Axxess ad. I finally saw the message in April and when I responded (by calling her) she was perplexed at why I hadn’t responded sooner. I guess I didn’t realize that for many people the facebook message feature is as real and utilized as email and phone.

Email I obviously can’t live without but it should not be a substitution for real interaction. If someone is upset with me, my staff or something my company has done and emails me I don’t email them back. I pick up the phone and talk to them. And if it’s a client, I get in the car and drive over to them. Nothing can or ever will replace direct human contact.

Furthermore, most of us are not able to type 300 words per minute. So a basic email between colleagues might take me 15 minutes to type while a phone call to discuss the topic would only need 4 minutes. I think people have forgotten this and become too accustomed to the new technologies. I can be more articulate in an email but tone is hard to read and I certainly can’t be as charismatic – that I can only accomplish in person!

Lastly, I think email or these other forms are often a cop-out. For example, a man meets a woman at a bar and they exchange info. The next day instead of calling her he texts her. The texting goes on for a week or two before they actually talk and that point he asks her out. What a panzy. Get her number and call her!

Regardless, the technology is now so advanced and changing so quickly that as a member of this society and particularly if you’re in business – you must keep up & learn these new ways of communicating or you may as well get lost. I just hope that as we do, we stay “unaddicted” and we try to use the technologies consciously – d0ing our best not to lose the one thing we as people thrive on – direct human interaction.

Here’s another quick & current story: Over the past few weeks we’ve had numerous calls and complaints about a restaurant implementing a “two drink minimum” in order for our cardholders to receive the advertised “two for one entree” offer – I’ll call them “Restaurant X”.

When customers object to this spontaneous and unfair change, Restaurant X has been informing them that Axxess made a mistake when designing the advertisement and somehow left out this detail.

I doubt anyone would call this "false advertising"

These customers feel duped and will probably never go back. Would you? We all know bad word of mouth spreads faster than good, as an unhappy customer will probably share their negative experience with at least 6 other people.

What is Restaurant X thinking? This little rule they’ve implemented will give them about $3.50 in additional revenue per check but it will lose them hundreds of immeasurable future dollars. To me, this is a perfect example of the famous quote: “Penny wise pound foolish”.

Like Cafe Y that I talked about recently, Restaurant X has been happily a part of Axxess for several years. We bring them new customers every day and have helped grow their business – so why the sudden change? Restaurant X is being elusive when we call to discuss the situation so we’re at a loss.

The worst part is that Restaurant X is publicly blaming Axxess for a misprint. But I assure you that’s not the case since all our advertisers approve their final ad in writing before it goes to print. We cover our butts to avoid situations like this! So the fault does not lie with Axxess and it’s unfair for Restaurant X to tell people such.

Anyway, I’m still hopeful that we’ll connect with Restaurant X and turn this situation around. It’s not the first time this has happened with a restaurant and probably won’t be the last. In this business this stuff just happens and the good news is that I now have to go there for happy hour to try to talk with the owner. So maybe I’ll see you there!

And the next story I share will be a positive one, I promise. But by all means if you have a comment, send it my way!

Sherill's Sign caught my eye!

I’m currently dealing with a long time restaurant client who moved, changed their name and for some reason will no longer honor their Axxess discount – let’s call them “Cafe Y”.

I just don’t get it. For years we’ve brought them customers and for years I’ve had a good relationship with them – or at least I thought I did. My wife and I go to dinner there frequently, high five the manager, tip well and I often go out of my way to promote them.

Suddenly, the owner will not take our calls and they’re upsetting cardholders everyday who go there and are then denied the discount when their check arrives.

So all of a sudden why the change? I can’t imagine it’s anything me or my team has done so it must be something purely on their end. As Cardholders and Axxess supporters, something like this may have happened to you in the past so I’ll give you my two cents:

-Cafe Y’s business is down, costs are up and each time he gives an Axxess discount he now sees it as losing money

-Cafe Y has moved and is trying new things, they might be the “hot spot” of the month so they decide they no longer want to offer a discount

-Cafe Y has partners who don’t work the restaurant floor and are less in touch with the business than the managing partner or general manager. As majority shareholders they really call the shots. And often, for some reason will not make time to discuss the situation with me.

I try my hardest not to take situations like this personally but some times are more trying than others. The fact is this: business IS personal. The key is simply focusing on the positive, dealing with these situations as best I can and understanding that their actions likely have little to do with me. As frustrating as it sometimes may be, I try to move on quickly to better things.

The list continues & stuff like this happens all the time. By sharing these stories I hope to give a little insight into our world and how hard we work to make Axxess outstanding for all.

After several days on the road we came to a park that actually had wifi.

As I check email I’m glad to only find emails that read “stop checking your email!”

Too bad this isn't the regular Axxess office