Author: Lora Knows...

I'm Lora, and the posts you will find here are inspired by the people I love and my daily life. I hope you enjoy browsing through my recipes, and reading about my life as a real estate agent, DIY wannabe, and wife of a retired Marine.
Family, Holidays

That Holiday Spirit

Lora Knows...

This year it will be a Christmas for two, Dean & I. Before Thanksgiving we decided we wouldn’t put up the big holiday tree. It is a lot of work, and we weren’t feeling the Christmas spirit. Then one evening, shortly after Thanksgiving, we were talking and I mentioned I miss having a tree and feel like it would make my heart so happy. He agreed with a nod, and we moved on to other topics.

The next morning I got up and went to work, and when I got home that evening our front door area was decorated. There was a new wreath, new holiday mat, lots of lights, garland, and glittery things. I was wowed! I unlocked the door, amazed at all the holiday fun, and was greeted by the sweetest 5′ tree. Next to it were the holiday bins filled with my favorite ornaments, and more glittery things. He had also gotten a smaller star and tree skirt for our little tree.

I was so surprised and touched that this man spent his day doing all of this just to see me smile and to make my heart happy. We spent the evening decorating the tree, listening to Christmas music, and enjoying the spirit of the season.

Each night our little tree, patio and entry are lit up, and so too is my heart. Dean really has given me what I needed this holiday season. We will miss family & friends, but our Christmas for two is beyond wonderful in so many ways.

Real Estate

Is The Customer Always Right?

Lora Knows...

Most have heard the phrase, “the customer is always right”. Perhaps in 1909 when Harry Selfridge coined it he knew it was good marketing based on a fib. He made it his staff’s mantra, and it worked. His success at Selfridges shows he knew a thing or two about keeping customers loyal to his brand.

Fast forward a hundred plus years and the phrase is still tossed out again and again, but do people believe it? I don’t. The customer is not always right, but they sure as heck don’t want to be told they are wrong. How can a client be told they aren’t right, and change their mindset without being insulted?

If a client is talking about something and I know it isn’t correct, I let them finish. The last thing they need is for me to interrupt by saying, “No, that is wrong”, or “That isn’t going to happen”, or worse yet, “That’s crazy”! (trust me, I’ve wanted to say that a time or two).

Remember everyone wants to be heard, and by listening I am keeping the flow of communication open and positive. When they are done speaking I express that what they said is interesting, or something I hadn’t thought of in that way. I take that few seconds so they feel validated and not ignored, then I say, “How about this”? I can start explaining the ins and outs and get us on the same page.

Listening to the client is vital to getting the job done right. Learning their wants, needs, and managing expectations is part of every deal. Plus, in listening to them I have learned a lot of things, and being able to see a situation from their viewpoint has taught me many things.

So, the customer isn’t always right, but they aren’t always wrong. It is a give and take relationship that will benefit all parties if we just communicate effectively, be respectful to each other’s ideas, and know there is more than one way to solve a problem.

Amazon Finds

Amazon Find: Bag Cinchers

Lora Knows...

Technology has created so many wonderful things, but the tie on a loaf of bread has been the same for as long as I can remember. When the fresh loaf is being opened the tie isn’t hard to manipulate, but use after use it becomes more difficult. Let alone when someone, not naming any names – Dean, turns it the wrong direction and I end up twisting it this way and that just to get it to open. Let’s be honest here, who has removed the tie, set it on the counter for a moment, and it disappears? Perhaps it slid under the toaster, or fell to the floor, is it possible there is a bread tie fairy playing games at 7 AM. ?

During quarantine I began organizing our home, I’ll tell more about that later. I was on Amazon searching for ways to organize bread, pita, tortillas, and other carb filled delights, and I came across these: OXO Good Grips Bag Cinch. They come in a pack of three, in cute bright colors. For the price of $5.99 I had to try them.

They are so great! I now have 2 sets, total of 6, of these easy to use bag cinchers and not a lost bread tie in the house. They are also useful for small packs of crackers, bags of rice, and even the bag of cotton balls in the bathroom closet.

Lora’s Amazon Find Grade: 5 / 5