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Get a Healthy Glow

By Lisa Munniksma
Helen
June/July 2007

Talk with women who've faced a skin-cancer scare, and they'll probably say they wish they'd have spent more time in the shade. Serious summer tanning is a growing trend, yet doctors everywhere are pleading with their patients-especially teenagers and young women-to be more sensible.

The Dark Side of Sun

Achieving a golden glow is the aim of sun-seekers, but the unwanted effects are significant and often unconsidered.

On the minor side, ultraviolet radiation (UV rays) dries out the skin. In the long term, sun exposure causes wrinkles-those creases are a result of natural aging but are exaggerated by the breakdown of collagen fibers due in part to UV exposure.

On the more serious side, skin cancer is a very real threat from UV radiation.

"A tan is actually evidence of DNA damage to your skin," says Lori Swan, MD, FAAD, of Swan Dermatology in Lafayette.

This DNA damage causes changes in your cells and can cause cancer.

The Tanning Bed Myth

Especially before vacationing or summertime, women flock to tanning beds to get a "base tan" to look good and so they won't burn by the pool or during outside activities.

"The intensity of the UV rays in the tanning beds is stronger than from the sun. It is likely they cause more damage," explains Dr. Swan.

Even with the higher intensity, the "base tan" theory is generally false: "While you might get a light tan color, the tan you get from the tanning bed is probably only giving you an SPF 4."

This is because most tanning beds only emit UVA rays, while the sun's most harmful rays are the UVB rays.

"There is a very real increase in melanoma (skin cancer) among the people who frequent tanning beds," she explains.

To avoid getting a painful and dangerous sunburn, Dr. Swan suggests slowly increasing the time you spend outside each day while following the sun safety ideas below.

Summer Sun Safety

Often, Dr. Swan sees patients who claim to be mindful of their time in the sun, applying sunscreen every morning before spending the day outside. These are the people, she says, who are in the most danger, as they don't realize they are not protecting themselves well enough.

Getting some sunshine is inevitable for most of us, and you shouldn't necessarily hide indoors during daylight. There are precautions you can take to protect yourself from harmful sun exposure.

To start, "In Indiana, I recommend applying an SPF of 15 or 30 every morning from April to October to any exposed skin," says Dr. Swan. "Make it part of your morning routine."

This recommendation holds true even for those who work indoors and only get sunlight during their walk to and from their vehicles. For those who spend time outdoors, Dr. Swan suggests reapplying sunscreen every 90 minutes. Swimmers and people who are working up a sweat should reapply every hour.

Finding a sun-block product that you like in terms of ingredients, scent, consistency, and price is key.

"Sunscreen is only a portion of your sun protection habits," reminds Dr. Swan.

The advice you've heard your whole life-avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.; wear a hat, UV-blocking sunglasses, long sleeves, and pants when possible; and seek the shade when possible-is still important to a safe time outdoors. The golden glow you achieve may not be as deep as you'd hoped, but your skin and lifelong health will surely benefit.

Leaving on a Good Note
Completing an exit interview can be a source of closure for former employees

Today's Officer Online
May 2007
By Lisa Munniksma

When your job is no longer working out for you-whether you've been offered another opportunity or you simply cannot stand to go to work in the morning-many businesses will request an exit interview. This is a subject there isn't much information about, as it's not one that usually directly impacts your career. Exit interviews can be, however, a great point of stress for some employees.

Especially if there is something you feel you need to get off your chest, there's a fine line to walk between leaving on a good note and being put on the black list. Here, human resources and career services professionals share their takes on how to best handle the final farewell.

The Interview Itself

Most companies complete some sort of exit interview, whether it be a simple meeting with your supervisor to return your office keys and receive your last paycheck or an hour-long conference with the human resources director to determine your reasons for leaving.

The administrative details that are discussed at an exit interview tie up the loose ends for the company. If done well, there should be no question in your mind on such details as whether the company cell phone you've used for three years is yours to keep or when your vacation pay-out check will arrive.

Once the administrative-type tasks are done, the company will sometimes want to collect information about why an employee is leaving. The "interview" most likely takes place with you and at least one company representative in a private room where they'll ask you to write your comments so your spoken word cannot be misrepresented later on.

The questions you may be asked are usually along the lines of "Why are you leaving?" or "If there were one thing you could change about working here, what would it be?" You also might be asked to talk about the company's and your position's positives.

Collecting this information allows companies to gauge the areas in which they need to improve their employee relations. By going through this process, they also have one last chance to foster goodwill and reduce the likelihood that you will leave with a negative view of the company.

"The reality is, people leaving the company is not a positive thing. Somebody has voted with their feet, and they've voted for someone besides you," says Shaun Bradley, president and co-CEO of the military-focused placement firm Bradley-Morris, Inc.

It is in the company's best interest to make the exit interview as positive experience as possible.

If you've resigned from your job, this is your opportunity to honestly and objectively voice your reasons for leaving.

"Even if the person has submitted a resignation letter, they might have something to get off their chest," says human resources consultant Carole Kemmer, SPHR, of Kemmer Consulting Group, LLC.

Likewise, if you are being laid-off, you can make your concerns known about the company in an objective and non-threatening manner.

Off-the-cuff reaction

Throughout the exit interviews she's been a part of, Kemmer has seen a whole range of reactions from people: "Sometimes you'll have people come in and blow up and try to get the last jab in."

This, of course, is not what's recommended in order to maintain your dignity and good reputation.

"Get yourself in the mindset of 'How can we make this a productive interview?' Make a commitment to remain positive and focused on making the interview a win-win situation," suggests career and life coach Hallie Crawford, MA, CPCC, of Authentically Speaking.

Especially for the disgruntled employee or the one who feels he or she has been unfairly let go, remaining positive and being concerned with the company's own productivity are challenging, at best.

Planning ahead is the way to go, says Kemmer.

"I felt I was treated very poorly and I want to tell you this so it doesn't happen to someone else," is how she recommends brining up sensitive and negative subjects.

"Focus on 'How can this be made better?' Offer possible solutions to them for improvement. That will help set a positive tone," says Crawford.

The advantage you have in an exit interview over the one you completed when entering the job is that now you know the company's culture. You can have a pretty good idea about whether what you say will be taken personally by management or if your constructive criticism will be used for improvement.

If you feel like the company won't take your ideas in stride, Crawford says to ask yourself, "What's the benefit to me of providing the feedback?"

"If it is important to you, go for it. You have to be the judge. Go with your instinct a bit here. You can't beat people over the head with a complaint and make them change," she continues.

Bradley likes to give the same advice for exit interviews as he does for the initial interview process, and that's to put a positive spin on whatever you have to say. Being asked to provide blunt feedback in an exit interview is tricky. It's similar to being in an entrance interview and being asked to talk about a "bad boss" that you've had in the past.

"This is where the military officers struggle: How do I answer that question while maintaining my integrity and being honest? You can answer the question while being positive. There's a way to be honest and positive," he says.

If you feel like you're being led into a trap, you always have the right to say, "I'm not comfortable answering that question," reminds Bradley.

You also have the right to decline to participate in the exit interview all together, if you fear what you say will be used against you. The administrative tasks will still need to be taken care of, but there are no legal requirements for exit interviews.

Burning Bridges

Before you let your comments fly, consider, "If I had to come back and ask for a job, would what I say affect me?" says Bill Scott, director of marketing for Bradley-Morris.

Whatever your comments or complaints, the fastest way to turn off the recipients is to lay the blame on them.

"Pointing fingers at the employer/boss can make them defensive and turn out to be less productive. Introduce your points by making it about you and suggesting what would've been better," says Crawford.

Consider also that if you snitch on other employees, there will be consequences for them. Your direct comments, whether made in good faith or negativity, can lead to others being investigated or even fired. They can also affect the likelihood of your getting a positive letter of reference down the road from those people.

While confidentiality is in order, information leaks happen all of the time, both within and outside a company.

"The employer has the responsibility to not retaliate. There are laws about that. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is charged with making sure that when somebody makes valid complaints, they're not retaliated against," explains Kemmer.

Even still, the employer has the right to say he'd rather not hire someone again.

"Layoffs can happen at any time. What if you go to the next job and get laid off immediately? If you've gone out on a good note, maybe you'd be a candidate for another position at your old company," points out Scott.

Or perhaps you'd be a candidate at the company of your boss' best friend-you really don't know who will turn up next along your career path.

Communication Upfront

The comments collected during exit interviews are viewed by some companies as less valid than those that are gathered during a person's employment. An exit interview can turn into a free-for-all if the employee wasn't comfortable discussing issues with a supervisor or human resources personnel beforehand.

Bradley says, "As a general rule, I don't think there's anything that should be discussed in an exit interview that a person didn't discuss while he was employed."

Open communication during your employment may have cleaned up whatever issues you had with the company and prevented the need for an exit interview at all.

When your career brings you the opportunity to exit on a good note, take it. Honesty is, of course, the best policy when coupled with a positive spin.

SIDEBAR: What not to say

"It's not a confessional," says Shaun Bradley, president and co-CEO of the military-focused placement firm Bradley-Morris, Inc.

Even though your exit interview may be taking place on your last day, your employer can still investigate and take action on any of your comments.

"By the way, I've been stealing office supplies for the last three years," is something a person might like to reveal out of spite.

But human resources consultant Carole Kemmer, SPHR, of Kemmer Consulting Group, says, "You can probably expect something is going to happen with that."

Especially in the case of an employee eligible to collect unemployment, admission of theft or other wrong doing can be a part of an employer's claim as to why unemployment benefits should be denied.

Cowboy At Last
John Rotz has experienced a hat trick of disciplines, including as a Hall of Fame jockey

By Lisa Munniksma
Cutting Horse Chatter
November 2006

Getting to ride one really talented, top-of-the-line horse into victory at a major competition is every rider's dream. This non-pro rider has gotten to win on several really talented horses at several major competitions in several different disciplines. Now in his early 70's, John Rotz looks back at all he's done and enjoys the quiet life.

A Jockey's Start

Like a lot of boys, John's dream was to go out west and be a cowboy. Throughout high school, he competed at western horse shows around his hometown of Warrensburg, Illinois.

He explains, "Some of these western shows, when the show was over, they had a couple of people that maybe wanted to have a match race with their horses."

When the opportunity came to fill in as a jockey in these unofficial races, John couldn't turn it down. It was his sophomore year in high school that this 5'4" cowboy first became a jockey.

"The next two summers, I looked for horse shows that had scheduled races and also went to some fair meetings where they had Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred racing," John says.

He felt he had a knack for riding the fast ponies, so after graduation, his father took him to Fairmount Park Racetrack in Collinsville, Illinois, where John was sure his career as a jockey awaited.

"I didn't know at that time that I did not know all there was to know," he says wryly.

John paid his dues for a year as a hot walker, groom, and exercise rider and got his first ride as a jockey in 1953. For 21 years, he rode all calibers of horses and earned the nickname "Gentleman John" for his politeness and his ability to deal with the "difficult" horses on the track.

"Some of the horses that other riders had problems with, I was able to get along with pretty well, which is OK in some respects, but a lot of times they would only try to get my services if they had a problem horse, so that wasn't a whole lot of fun," John says. Problem horses weren't what got John Rotz inducted into the National Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame in 1983, though. His career statistics report a 14.3-percent winning record. Of more than 20,000 starts, John rode nearly 3,000 winners to $23 million in purses.

In 1962, he captured the Preakness victory with Greek Money, and in 1970, he was the first to cross the finish line of the Belmont Stakes, this time aboard High Echelon. These were career highlights, he says, but his favorite horse was Dr. Fager, a record-setting horse that few who saw him race would forget.

"He's one of the all-time greats," John says.

John was the leading stakes winner in 1969 and 1970. John himself will brush off these accomplishments as just another day at the office, but the industry would not let them go unrecognized. In addition to his place in the Hall of Fame, John was recognized with the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 1973. This honor is given annually to a jockey who shows high standards of personal and professional conduct.

A knee injury ended John's jockey career that same year. He remained active in the Thoroughbred industry, though, as a racing steward in Louisiana, Ohio, Delaware, and New York.

In 1975, while working as a steward at Thistledown Racetrack in Cleveland, Ohio, he met his wife, Mary. Her twin sister was a trainer at the track.

During the last few years of his stewarding, the couple lived in New York where John was a steward for the Jockey Club.

"That was probably the nicest position a steward can have. I just didn't enjoy it like I did the riding. I was always comparing that to the riding. After 10 years [as a steward] all together, I decided I would go ahead and come back home," he explains.

"Retired" Life

When John and Mary returned to Illinois in 1983, John again pursued the cowboy dream that he'd put on hold for 30 years.

"I could ride OK, but I had quite a bit to learn about the reining and the cutting. I went to a lot of trainers and tried to pick up some knowledge that way. I was with some good trainers and was able to then go out and compete on a pretty good level," John says.

What John considers "a pretty good level" is pretty good, indeed. In 1987, he took home the National Reining Horse Association Novice Horse Non Pro World Champion title with the Quarter Horse mare Doc Star Time.

With accolades in a second riding discipline under his belt, John moved on to cutting. As someone who's in this for fun, he's taken home his share of wins from both NCHA-sanctioned and locally run competitions. NCHA records report John has won nearly $63,000 at NCHA competitions, capping off his hat trick.

"I've slowed down now, but my life when I came back here was just going to horse shows," he says.

John and Mary live on their 280-acre farm in Warrensburg. The couple cash-rents the acreage to a crop farmer, John keeps one or two horses, and Mary runs her Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation program.

Mary "rehabilitates injured and orphaned wildlife. It keeps her home a lot when I'd like to have her going with me. That's the only problem. She enjoys her work and I enjoy it, too. We both enjoy our situation," John says.

John keeps just one horse at home now and rides in weekend cuttings in the spring, summer, and fall. He's had his current horse, Holitivio, an 11-year-old Quarter Horse gelding, for three years.

"I have a lot of fun showing him. He's not perfect every time, of course, but I don't think any of them are. He's about as consistent as any I've ever had. I'm really enjoying him. He's got a little age on him, but in his cutting, that doesn't seem to bother him too much.

"That's one of the advantages that I like about the weekend cutting, is that you can stay with the same horse for a while. You don't have to keep looking for a new horse. I plan on going ahead and riding him for a few more years," John says.

While John rides and conditions his horse at home, he also travels to trainers Don Ellis in Heyworth, Illinois, and Jim Mitchell in Danville, Indiana, for occasional tune-ups.

Don, who is a few years older than John, says they've known each other since they showed reining horses together as teenagers.

"I've helped him with his non-pro cutting horses. He's very competitive just like he is with everything," Don says.

Don and John both agree that John's background as a jockey helps his ability to make the split decisions that cutters need to make.

Jim helped match up John with Holitivio, and John stays with the Mitchells for a few days when he visits to work horses. He says John is "an excellent rider. He's a super guy. We really enjoy him. He does a nice job of showing. When he wins, he's not cocky or anything. He's a gentleman whether he wins or loses."

"In a way, I'd like to be doing it again because they're getting paid now," he says with a chuckle.

"The purse money's went up so much with TV and sponsorships. When I was riding and doing well, I was probably putting more money in the bank than the fellows who rode 20 years before me, so I have to put everything into perspective. But I would like to be riding now. They have million dollar races out there now," he continues.

During the peak of his career, Sports Illustrated highlighted John in an eight-page article titled "A Touch of Gold in the Saddle" in its March 23, 1964, issue. Just this spring, television host and producer Mark McDonald visited the Rotz farm for a profile of John's life with horses for an "Illinois Stories" PBS segment.

His recreational cutting pursuits are still earning John quiet recognition, but they probably won't net him a million dollars. He'd probably say the time he has to enjoy his horse, his wife, and his time at home is a fair trade.

Many Happy Returns
How you handle merchandise returns speaks volumes about your customer service

By Lisa Munniksma
Equestrian Retailer
November/December 2007

When a customer entered Tony's Tack Store in Essex Junction, Vermont, earlier this year, owner Dina Marcotte hadn't expected to see what she set on the counter. It was a helmet, unused and in its original box, that had been purchased at this store. The customer had her receipt in hand-from five years ago. Marcotte didn't even own the store five years ago. At that moment, she was thankful she had a return policy in place.

Not every merchandise return will be a story worth telling. Most are pretty run-of-the-mill. Merchandise returns are something that retailers need to handle on an individual basis. Every store will have something that works for them, and within those guidelines, there should be room to bend and stretch the norm, depending on the situation. One thing that rings true for every operation is that your return policy needs to benefit your customer above all else.

"[Returns] don't have as big an effect on profitability as some small retailers think," says Mike Tesler, owner of the retail consulting firm Retail Concepts in Norwell, Massachusetts. "Most small retailers are not being abused in that regard."

Still, industry professionals agree a smooth handling of merchandise returns and ensuring your store is not being taken advantage of are important aspects of business operations. Here, retail consultants and tack store owners explain their outlook on return policies and turning merchandise returns into positive customer-service experiences.

Developing Policies

"Policy" is a negative word. It means rules, regulations, or restrictions are in place, and those are generally unfriendly. In developing a return policy for your store, try making yours the opposite of all of those things.

"It should be nurturing the customer to come back. It's one small aspect of marketing," says Angie Lafontaine of Lafontaine Retail Consulting in British Columbia.

"Our policy is that the customer has 30 days to evaluate the product and determine whether they want to keep it," explains Mike Bergen, co-owner of Down Under Saddle Supply in Denver, Colorado.

If the product is unused when returned, the customer receives a full refund. If it's lightly used, they get a partial refund-usually 85%-and the store resells it as a used item.

These are Bergen's retail return guidelines, but they aren't written in stone. Maybe someone returns to the store in 35 days-he'll probably let it slide. Really extending a time period, though, can infringe on inventory. In this case, he might offer store credit or give a refund minus a restocking fee.

"They know what the return policy is, but they want to give it a shot anyway…We want the customer to be happy, and we want the customer coming back," he says.

At Hawkeye Tack and Western Wear in Des Moines, Iowa, co-owner Sherry Hansen has a tiered system for returns: Regularly priced items returned in 30 days with a receipt and tags attached get a full refund; those returned after 30 days get full store credit. Regular sale items receive an exchange or a credit. Purchases of half-off sale items are final. Supplements are final sales only. This is explained to the customer at the register, posted in the store, and printed on the receipt.

Her policy, too, is flexible. She's had women return unworn jeans two years later because they've not lost the weight they thought they would: "Unless we're majorly overstocked on that size, we'll let them swap them."

Lafontaine says this is the right way to view returns. Unlike big box retailers, niche retailers like tack stores are able to deal with customers one-on-one. She calls it "your ace up your sleeve."

It's unfair to punish your good customers with a harsh return policy when there is a handful of bad customers who are trying to take advantage of you. Those bad customers can be dealt with individually, as well.

Of her return policy, Marcotte says, "The policy is there to keep people from taking advantage of it…For the most part, people aren't abusing it."

Tesler estimates only three to four percent of customers are taking advantage of a small store's system. He suggests making the most flexible return policy you can: "I would say, whenever you're not satisfied, just come back, and we will do whatever is necessary to resolve the issue. I don't even put a time frame on it.

"You might thing that's radical. It's not to the customer."

Whatever your policy, don't surprise your customer.

"If you have no cash returns but you will gladly exchange the products, that should be posted in a neat, concise way at the point of sale area, or it should be printed on the bill," says Lafontaine.

Online Policies

Online purchases make some customers nervous. How can they know your products are high quality unless they can see them and feel them in person?

"I think if we were not willing to take returns, we would actually sell less because people would be afraid to buy it," says Marcotte.

Here, however, it's more difficult to be as open in your return policy approach as you might be in-store.

"Now you're out of the local. You don't know who you're dealing with. There's a different set of risks out there and also a different set of competitors," says Tesler.

Again, don't surprise your customer with these policies. Clearly state them on your website, including assigning responsibility for return shipping.

Post-Return Returns

"If people return, they re-buy. I don't necessarily have a ton of just straight returns," says Stone Ridge Equestrian tack store owner Helen Hayssen of Long Lake, Minnesota.

When a customer brings back an item, view this as your opportunity to make another sale or to at least make the situation better.

"Find out if you do have something that will meet their needs," says Lafontaine. "You want the customer to leave the store smiling. Don't forget to thank the customer for returning the product."

How you handle returns can strengthen the "lifetime value of the customer," says Tesler. Make merchandise-return experiences positive, and you can keep them coming back.

"By showing her we're going to make whatever's wrong, right, we create a win," he continues.

Also use this time as a learning experience for your sales staff. Was there something they could've done before the sale to have prevented this return in the first place?

Preventing Returns

"Returns should be looked at with a proactive approach," says Lafontaine.

Why do customers return products? Because they are somehow dissatisfied with them. The breeches are too small for his daughter. The saddle pinches Red's withers. The buckle on the bridle broke after just a month. These are common scenarios and most can be prevented.

"We try to make sure the purchase is good to begin with," says Hayssen.

Saddles are commonly returned at many stores. As Bergen points out, this item needs to fit both the horse and the rider, so there are two big variables to deal with. Before Bergen will sell a saddle, he requires some information: a wither tracing, the rider's height and weight, the breed of the horse, and the type of riding most commonly done.

"We do so much work up front trying to get it right" so there are fewer returns, he explains.

For stores that stock products that run the gamut from fox hunting to rodeo, doing the leg work is a challenge.

"They have a wide variety of products they have to know about," says Lafontaine.

But when your sales associates are viewed as the experts, providing them with that knowledge is invaluable. Tesler suggests letting the store be part of the customer-communication process. You can let visual displays around the store explain the details for you.

"Smart ones let the store do the informing and the sharing. That's going to get customers to the correct product," he says, similar to the way stores like REI and Crate and Barrel do it.

By providing visual information, you also eliminate the embarrassment some customers may feel about asking questions. There tends to be a level of assumed knowledge when shopping in tack stores, and many are reluctant to ask about a product's features, use, or fit.

Including product information on your website is invaluable to the education process. Virtual window shopping is a large part of the way people shop today.

The quality of the product you stock will also dictate your returns. If the stitching in your boots frays easily, you can expect to see those back in store again soon.

"I believe a retailer should stand behind their product," says Lafontaine. "Sometimes repairing the product for the customer will satisfy them."

And quickly getting out of the poor-quality brand will prevent future product returns of a similar kind.

Tracking Returns

There are a host of return-tracking systems available for retailers. For stores with multiple locations or a large volume, investing in a dedicated system is a good idea. For smaller and single-location stores, your current POS system can likely do the trick.

Lafontaine has worked with independent retailers who simply use a small "black book" to record the customer's information and returns made.

Tracking your customers' returns can provide you with valuable information.

"It can give you an early warning of a problem you might be having with a product," says Bergen.

A brand manufacturer could be having a bad year, and this will show up in your tracking.

You can also see patterns in an individual customer's return habits. Those who are taking advantage of your return policy are quickly identified. This is more difficult in stores with large volume or multiple locations, which is why setting up tracking software is a good idea.

Large or small, every retailer can capitalize on the customer-service opportunity provided by merchandise returns. Whether the return is made in five years or five days, how you handle it will help to direct your relationship with that customer for life.

WRITER BIO: Lisa Munniksma is a freelance writer and marketing consultant in Indiana. She makes her home online at www.lisa-writes.com.

SIDEBAR: Policy Display

Does your state have a code that governs how and where you should display your return policy? If you don't know the answer, check it out with your state Department of Consumer Affairs.

SIDEBAR: Systems Worth Seeing

Today's dedicated return-tracking systems are designed to be easy to use, integrate with existing POS systems, and link multiple locations. Three to check out are:

The Return Exchange
www.thereturnexchange.com
Verify-1 Fraud Detection System, Receipt Verification, and Return Rewards prevent return fraud and abuse and even reward your best customers.

Oracle
www.oracle.com
Retail Returns Management reduces return fraud and assists POS representatives in handling the return.

Newgistics
www.newgistics.com
Intelligent Returns Management, SmartExchange, SmartLabel Returns Marketing, and Returns Center programs streamline and improve the customer experience in returns of online or mail-order purchases.