Categories
Writing and Publishing

Why Work Is Cyclical

In theory, my workload should proceed as a steady flow of predictable effort year round. In reality, it doesn’t happen that way. It takes five weeks from start to finish to produce one issue of one magazine, and Connections Magazine is published six times a year. Medical Call Center News and Answer Stat releases every other […]

Categories
Writing and Publishing

So, You Found My Website, Which One?

Many people were amazed and impressed that my web address matches my name: PeterDeHaan.com. It is my main author website. I’ve had it for almost twenty years. When I registered it in 2000, it was not hard to procure a domain name matching one’s given name. (At the time, DeHaan.com was also available, and I […]

Categories
Writing and Publishing

That’s a Lot of Blogging

I’ve been officially blogging now for 10 years. During that time, I have made over 500 posts in this blog. Although I enjoy blogging, finding the ideal time to write has not been easy. Initially, I wrote in the evening, after my workday was done. This kept blogging from encroaching on vocation, but was also […]

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Writing and Publishing

Going Forward

Regular readers of this blog (thank you, one and all) have noticed a decided decrease in posting frequency over the past six months. While Musings will remain alive and active, infrequency will become the new norm. When I started Musings over three years ago, it was to provide a creative outlet, connect with others via […]

Categories
Healthcare Call Centers

Call Centers Can Aid in Healthcare Reform

I’ve spent most of my adult life in call center related vocations. I’ve worked in call centers and for a call center vendor, did consulting for call centers, audited call centers, wrote about call centers, and publish magazines, newsletters, and websites about call centers. Call centers are a vital part of the global economy, moving […]

Categories
Writing and Publishing

Magazine Goes Green – Sort of

A weekly (or almost weekly) magazine that I receive, recently announced that it was going to have four “green” issues this year, with the goal of being “carbon neutral” in 10 years. I was curious how they would handle this “green” issue.  o their credit, they emailed me when it was ready and I went […]

Categories
Call Center

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. Given the uncertainty of these times, it is easy to be pessimistic. Therefore, it is good that Thanksgiving Day comes around to provide us with the opportunity to reflect on all the numerous good things we have to be thankful for—things that many people in other places […]

Categories
Writing and Publishing

Internet Sales Rise and Fall With Catalog Mailings

The DMA (Direct marketing Association) recently released their annual report on the catalog industry. The report indicated that in 2007, 36% of sales [for the catalog industry] were conducted online. What is shocking is that this statistic is a decrease from 2006, when it stood at 40%. In fact 2007’s percentage was lower than both […]

Categories
Call Center

My Visit to St. Louis

We (my bride and I) have safely returned from St. Louis. The ATSI convention was great. I snapped hundreds of pics—hopefully a few will be good enough to print. I also recorded 7 interviews for future podcasts, which will be posted online at podcast.connectionsmagazine.com starting this week.  The drive there and back was uneventful (except for one short […]

Categories
Writing and Publishing

That “New Shower Curtain” Smell May Indicate Presence of Toxins

Each day I receive a plethora of press releases. While some are exactly the information I seek to share with readers of Connections Magazine and AnswerStat magazine, others are more broadly targeted, and too many are complete mismatches. Consider the numerous email missives I’ve received to save the manatees or promote Michigan Special Olympics. Although […]