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Tag: Difficult

  • Managing Difficult Customers: Strategies for Help Desk Professionals

    Managing Difficult Customers: Strategies for Help Desk Professionals


    Managing difficult customers is an inevitable aspect of working in customer service, especially for help desk professionals. Dealing with irate, frustrated, or demanding customers can be challenging, but with the right strategies in place, help desk professionals can effectively navigate these interactions and provide excellent customer service.

    One of the first steps in managing difficult customers is to remain calm and composed. It can be easy to become frustrated or defensive when dealing with a challenging customer, but maintaining a professional demeanor is crucial. Take a deep breath, listen to the customer’s concerns, and respond in a calm and empathetic manner. Remember, the customer is likely upset because they are experiencing a problem, and it is important to show understanding and empathy towards their situation.

    Active listening is another key strategy for managing difficult customers. Allow the customer to express their concerns and frustrations without interrupting. Repeat back what the customer has said to ensure that you have understood their issue correctly. This demonstrates that you are listening and that you value their input.

    When dealing with difficult customers, it is important to focus on finding a solution to their problem rather than getting caught up in the emotions of the situation. Take the time to fully understand the issue and work with the customer to find a resolution that meets their needs. This may involve escalating the issue to a supervisor or offering a refund or discount as a gesture of goodwill.

    Setting boundaries is also important when managing difficult customers. It is essential to establish and maintain a level of professionalism in all interactions, even when faced with challenging customers. If a customer becomes abusive or disrespectful, it is important to address the behavior in a firm but polite manner. Let the customer know that their behavior is not acceptable and that you will not tolerate it.

    In some cases, it may be necessary to involve a supervisor or manager in resolving a difficult customer situation. If you feel that you are unable to effectively handle the situation on your own, do not hesitate to escalate the issue to a higher level of authority. A supervisor or manager may have additional resources or authority to help resolve the customer’s issue.

    Overall, managing difficult customers requires patience, empathy, and effective communication skills. By remaining calm, listening actively, focusing on finding solutions, setting boundaries, and knowing when to escalate, help desk professionals can navigate challenging customer interactions and provide excellent customer service. Remember, every customer interaction is an opportunity to build trust and loyalty, even when faced with difficult customers.

  • The one song Robert Plant finds most difficult to sing


    Robert Plant - Singer - Musician - 2023

    (Credits: Far Out / YouTube Still)

    Trying to collect the greatest singers in the history of music and you’d be well within your rights to select the finest performers from the realms of soul, pop and folk before you began dredging the rock and roll waters. The genre certainly has a whole chunk of great performers, and Robert Plant is an easy pick to top the list of greatest rock vocalists.

    Everyone knows his wild banshee wail that can be found on tracks like ‘The Immigrant Song’ and ‘Rock and Roll’, but just as impressive is his ability to hold back in gentle ballads like ‘Going to California’ and ‘All My Love’, play up his funky James Brown imitation on ‘The Crunge’ and ‘The Wanton Song’, or key into his blues influences on ‘You Shook Me’ and ‘The Lemon Song’. His piercing shrieks were first class, but so too was his versatility and range.

    So, when it comes to answering the question, “What was the hardest song in your career for you to sing?” Plant has plenty of options to choose from. Does he go with a left-field choice, like the upper register funk of ‘Custard Pie’ or upper-range folk freak out of ‘Friends’? Maybe a more well-known but still incredibly intimidating track, like ‘Stairway to Heaven’ or ‘Whole Lotta Love’? Or perhaps a track that requires a specific voice to pull off, like the mad carnival barker on ‘Hot Dog’ or the old-school rock and roll of ‘Boogie with Stu’? You’ll be very disappointed.

    As it turns out, Plant didn’t even choose a Led Zeppelin song. Because, you know, those are easy to sing for a rock monster like Plant. Forget the high-noted wails that he used to determine himself a “golden God”, Plant seemingly sees them as accessible ditties. Instead, it was the cover of Dillard and Clark’s ‘Polly’ that he and Alison Krauss reinterpreted as ‘Polly Come Home’ for their 2007 duet album Raising Sand.

    “It’s just the most difficult piece of music to sing at the tempo that we sang it at,” he said to Ultimate Classic Rock. “It’s one of the toughest calls I’ve had, apart from my audition in the Yardbirds.” Plant eventually joined the New Yardbirds with John Bonham, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, becoming one of the most beloved bands of all time, but it seems this is one tune he gives even more gravitas to.

    From those comments, one might expect the song to be at a breakneck tempo, forcing Plant to fit in an absurd number of syllables in very little time. But actually, ‘Polly Come Home’ is a slow and laboured crawl, forcing Plant and Krauss not to jump the gun and bring every ounce of emotion to their performance to sell the song’s lyrics properly. It’s a balanced delivery that tests even the best singers. While belting out notes might seem like the more difficult choice for performers, actually maintaining a breath set of mid-level notes is perhaps even more difficult.

    “The song itself is just, it’s so poignant. And it’s so slow,” Plant explained. “So the very opening line of the song, in my chest, my lungs, my vocal cords, in my sense of timing… It was, ‘How am I gonna get these words right to the end of that bar without collapsing?’ It was just such a beautiful lilt.”

    For someone as legendary in the vocal department as Plant, it’s humbling to hear that the most challenging parts of singing involve emotion and intention rather than paint-peeling high notes. Plant sells every bit of love and tenderness that ‘Polly Come Home’ requires, resulting in a beautifully still portrait. Still, c’mon, are you sure it’s not that scream in ‘The Immigrant Song’?

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    Robert Plant, legendary frontman of Led Zeppelin, is known for his powerful and dynamic vocal range. However, there is one song that he has admitted is particularly challenging for him to sing: “Stairway to Heaven.”

    In an interview, Plant revealed that the iconic ballad is the most difficult song for him to perform live because of its emotional intensity and vocal demands. The high notes and intricate melodies of the song require a great deal of control and stamina, making it a constant challenge for Plant even after all these years.

    Despite the difficulty, Plant continues to captivate audiences with his passionate and soulful rendition of “Stairway to Heaven,” proving that even the greatest singers face challenges when it comes to performing their most beloved songs.

    Tags:

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    2. Robert Plant singing challenges
    3. Hardest song for Robert Plant to perform
    4. Robert Plant vocal struggles
    5. Robert Plant song difficulties
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    7. Most challenging song for Robert Plant to sing
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    10. Robert Plant challenging songs.

    #song #Robert #Plant #finds #difficult #sing

  • Yankees’ Steinbrenner admits it is difficult to compete with Dodgers financially


    Yet, the Los Angeles Dodgers have outspent the Yankees and every other Major League team on their way to a $290 million payroll — the highest in baseball.

    “It’s difficult for most of us owners to be able to do the kind of things that they’re doing,” Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said to YES Network’s Meredith Marakovits in an interview that aired Tuesday night.

    The Yankees payroll doesn’t fall too far behind the Dodgers, sitting at $273 million. However once you factor in the competitive balance tax each team is currently projected to pay in 2025, the discrepancy grows.

    The Dodgers have been over the MLB’s competitive balance tax threshold for four consecutive seasons, meaning they are required to pay a 50 per cent tax on all overages. Los Angeles is also nearly $50 million over the base threshold, adding an additional 42.5 per cent surcharge. As a result, the team is projected to pay a staggering total of nearly $370 million in payroll plus tax.

    While the Yankees are also subject to the 50 per cent tax, their total salary only results in a 12 per cent surcharge, bringing their projected post-tax total to $291 million.

    The same Forbes list ranked the Dodgers as the second most valuable MLB franchise — the two teams ranked fourth and 24th among all sports franchises, respectively. Forbes also valued the Yankees at $7.55 billion, and the Dodgers at $5.45 billion, last March.

    “I wouldn’t say surprised, but I mean I really didn’t know what to expect, I didn’t know what was going to happen,” said Steinbrenner of the Soto talks. “I mean, Juan’s got a big family, they were all very involved, so there were a lot of different voices in his ear talking to him and giving him advice. I really just didn’t know. So I wouldn’t say I wasn’t surprised, I was certainly disappointed.”

    The Yankees may have lost an American League MVP finalist who finished sixth in the majors in wins above replacement at 7.9, but they still have the 2024 AL MVP in Aaron Judge, and made significant additions around him.

    “We’re excited about them,” said Steinbrenner. “A lot of hard work in December into January. Some people may disagree with me, but some people will agree with me — I think we have a better team than we did a year ago today.”

    Replacing Soto’s prolific offensive production, including the best on-base percentage in baseball over the past five years, will be no easy feat. But the Yankees have added two former National League MVPs in Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt, who offer strong, albeit less consistent offensive profiles than Soto.

    “Bellinger and Goldschmidt, I think they’ll make up for a good deal of Juan’s offence” Steinbrenner said.

    The Yankees’ largest off-season expenditure is the eight-year, $218-million deal given to left-handed starter Max Fried. He will join a rotation that includes former Cy-Young winner Gerrit Cole and 2024 AL Rookie of the Year winner Luis Gil.

    “The work ethic is impeccable from what I’ve heard. And (Fried’s) a great teammate,” said Steinbrenner. “I mean he’s everything we want in our clubhouse, over and above what he brings when he’s on that mound.”

    New York also added elite closer Devin Williams via a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers. But as the dust settles, their $236 million total committed to players this off-season still pales in comparison to the $380 million in total money committed to free agents by the Dodgers.

    “Now, we’ll see if it pays off,” Steinbrenner said of the high spending done by the Dodgers. “They still have to have a season relatively injury-free for it to work out for them, and it’s a long season, as you know, and once you get to the post-season, anything can happen. We’ve seen that time and time again. We’ll see who’s there at the end.”



    New York Yankees’ owner Hal Steinbrenner recently acknowledged that it is a challenge for his team to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers financially. Despite being one of the most successful and valuable sports franchises in the world, the Yankees are facing stiff competition from the Dodgers, who have one of the highest payrolls in Major League Baseball.

    Steinbrenner, who took over as the Yankees’ principal owner following his father George Steinbrenner’s passing in 2010, emphasized the importance of being smart and strategic with the team’s resources in order to remain competitive. He also expressed his admiration for the Dodgers’ financial strength and their ability to consistently field a competitive roster.

    While the Yankees have historically been known for their willingness to spend big on star players, Steinbrenner’s comments suggest a more cautious approach in light of the financial realities of modern baseball. With the Dodgers setting the bar high in terms of spending and success, the Yankees will need to find innovative ways to stay competitive and continue their winning tradition.

    Tags:

    1. Yankees Steinbrenner
    2. Dodgers
    3. Financial competition
    4. MLB
    5. Baseball
    6. Sports finance
    7. George Steinbrenner
    8. New York Yankees
    9. Los Angeles Dodgers
    10. Professional sports finance

    #Yankees #Steinbrenner #admits #difficult #compete #Dodgers #financially

  • Yankees’ Hal Steinbrenner says Dodgers’ spending is ‘difficult’ for rest of MLB to match


    Maybe the Evil Empire really has relocated to the West Coast.

    While the Los Angeles Dodgers continue to outspend every other team in Major League Baseball by a wide margin, New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner didn’t make it sound like his club would be matching them anytime soon.

    “It’s difficult for most of us owners to be able to do the kind of things that they’re doing,” Steinbrenner told the YES Network’s Meredith Marakovits on “Yankees Hot Stove,” which aired Tuesday night.

    The Yankees were valued at $7.55 billion by Forbes last March. They were the fourth-most valuable sports franchise in the world in a list published by Forbes last month. The Dodgers were the second-most valuable MLB franchise and the 24th-most valuable sports franchise with a valuation of $5.45 billion.

    After beating the Yankees in the World Series last October, the Dodgers have MLB’s biggest projected luxury tax payroll at $376.4 million, according to Cot’s Contracts. The Philadelphia Phillies sit second at $307.8 million and the Yankees third at $302.9 million.

    The Dodgers have committed nearly a half-billion in guaranteed dollars to players this offseason, second only to the New York Mets, who signed Juan Soto to a historic 15-year, $765 million deal.

    “Now, we’ll see if it pays off,” Steinbrenner said. “They still have to have a season relatively injury-free for it to work out for them, and it’s a long season, as you know, and once you get to the postseason, anything can happen. We’ve seen that time and time again. We’ll see who’s there at the end.”

    This winter, the Dodgers made the following big-money signings: Lefty starting pitcher Blake Snell, five years, $182 million; lefty reliever Tanner Scott, four years, $72 million; outfielder Teoscar Hernández, three years, $66 million; righty reliever Blake Treinen, two years, $22 million; outfielder Michael Conforto, one year, $17 million; and infielder Hyeseong Kim, three years, $12.5 million. They also landed Japanese free-agent starting pitcher Roki Sasaki, the most coveted international prospect of the winter.

    The Yankees, however, haven’t been idle. After losing Soto, they signed starting pitcher Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million deal and gave first baseman Paul Goldschmidt a one-year, $15 million contract. They also made a pair of headline-stealing trades, acquiring outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs and Devin Williams, perhaps the best closer in the game, from the Milwaukee Brewers.

    Steinbrenner added that he personally will have a chip on his shoulder heading into the 2025 season after the Yankees’ World Series loss.

    “We’re way better than we showed in that last series,” he said. “We’re going to be better defensively this time around, if we make it. I believe, if we make it, we’ll get the job done. But we’ve got to play our best game when you’re playing a team like the Dodgers. It’s like playing the Kansas City Chiefs. You can’t make mistakes. You can’t give them outs. You can’t give them runs. You’ve got to play your best game. We didn’t do that. I think that makes us even more hungry to get there again this year.”

    (Photo: Nick Cammett / Getty Images)





    As the MLB offseason heats up, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner has weighed in on the Dodgers’ spending spree, calling it “difficult” for the rest of the league to match. With the Dodgers making big moves to bolster their roster, including signing star pitcher Max Scherzer and infielder Corey Seager to massive contracts, Steinbrenner acknowledges the challenges for other teams to keep up.

    In a recent interview, Steinbrenner expressed admiration for the Dodgers’ aggressive approach to building a championship-caliber team, but also acknowledged the financial realities that make it tough for other teams to compete at the same level. The Dodgers have consistently been one of the highest-spending teams in baseball, and their recent splurge in free agency has only widened the gap between them and the rest of the league.

    While Steinbrenner is known for his willingness to spend on top talent, even he recognizes the limits of what teams can afford in today’s competitive landscape. As the Yankees look to make their own moves this offseason, Steinbrenner’s comments serve as a reminder of the challenges facing teams trying to keep pace with the big spenders like the Dodgers.

    It remains to be seen how the rest of the league will respond to the Dodgers’ spending spree, but one thing is clear: the financial arms race in baseball shows no signs of slowing down. As teams jockey for position in the quest for a World Series title, the gap between the haves and have-nots continues to grow, making it increasingly difficult for smaller-market teams to compete with the big spenders.

    Tags:

    • Yankees
    • Hal Steinbrenner
    • Dodgers
    • MLB
    • Spending
    • Baseball
    • Major League Baseball
    • Sports
    • Financial
    • Competition
    • Team Budgets
    • Player Salaries
    • League Dynamics
    • Revenue Streams
    • Financial Challenges

    #Yankees #Hal #Steinbrenner #Dodgers #spending #difficult #rest #MLB #match

  • Yankees’ Hal Steinbrenner – Spending like Dodgers ‘difficult for most’ owners


    Jan 29, 2025, 09:16 AM ET

    New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner weighed in on the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ offseason spending spree, saying it will be even more “difficult” to keep up with the reigning World Series champions.

    The Dodgers have spent more than $450 million guaranteed this offseason, pushing their 2025 luxury tax payroll to approximately $390 million.

    With the penalties for exceeding the $241 million threshold, the Dodgers’ total payroll for this year likely will be in excess of $500 million.

    “It’s difficult for most of us owners to be able to do the kind of things that they’re doing,” Steinbrenner said during an interview with the YES Network that aired Tuesday. “We’ll see if it pays off.”

    Despite losing superstar Juan Soto as a free agent to the crosstown rival Mets, the Yankees also have had an active offseason, headlined by Max Fried‘s eight-year, $218 million deal.

    The Yankees currently have Major League Baseball’s third-highest luxury tax payroll at just under $303 million. The Phillies are second at just under $308 million, more than $80 million behind the Dodgers.

    The Yankees were listed in March 2024 by Forbes as MLB’s most valuable franchise, worth an estimated $7.55 billion, while the Dodgers were the second-most valuable at approximately $5.45 billion.

    Los Angeles’ latest free agent addition, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan, is reliever Kirby Yates, who agreed to a one-year deal worth $13 million.

    The Dodgers also have signed free agents Blake Snell, Tanner Scott, Roki Sasaki, Michael Conforto and Hyeseong Kim; they re-signed Teoscar Hernandez and Blake Treinen; and they reached a multiyear extension with Tommy Edman.

    Steinbrenner, whose Yankees lost to the Dodgers in last season’s World Series, added Tuesday that Los Angeles’ busy offseason does not guarantee another championship.

    “They still have to have a season that’s relatively injury-free for it to work out for them,” Steinbrenner said. “It’s a long season as you know, and once you get to the postseason, anything can happen. We’ve seen that time and time again. We’ll see who’s there at the end.”



    As the MLB offseason heats up and big contracts are being handed out left and right, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner is feeling the pressure to keep up with the big spenders like the Los Angeles Dodgers.

    In a recent interview, Steinbrenner acknowledged that matching the Dodgers’ spending habits is “difficult for most owners,” but emphasized that he is committed to putting a winning team on the field for the fans in New York.

    The Dodgers have not been shy about opening up their wallets in recent years, signing big-name free agents and making blockbuster trades to bolster their roster. Meanwhile, the Yankees have been more conservative in their spending, opting to develop young talent and make strategic moves to improve their team.

    Steinbrenner’s comments shed light on the financial constraints that many MLB owners face, as they try to balance the desire to win with the need to stay within budget. While it may be challenging to keep pace with the Dodgers in terms of spending, Steinbrenner is confident that the Yankees can still compete at a high level and bring home another World Series title.

    As the hot stove continues to burn, all eyes will be on the Yankees and their offseason moves as they look to build a championship-caliber team for the upcoming season. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.

    Tags:

    1. Yankees Hal Steinbrenner
    2. New York Yankees owner
    3. Hal Steinbrenner news
    4. Yankees spending
    5. Dodgers spending comparison
    6. MLB owners
    7. Baseball finances
    8. Major League Baseball news
    9. Hal Steinbrenner interview
    10. Yankees financial strategy

    #Yankees #Hal #Steinbrenner #Spending #Dodgers #difficult #owners

  • Pirates Of The Caribbean 6 Has A Far More Difficult Task Than Replacing Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow If He Doesn’t Return


    Pirates of the Caribbean has consistently been one of the most lucrative and successful properties in Hollywood for several decades now, with Johnny Depp’s iconic performance leading the many sequels to success. However, with Depp’s involvement in the franchise growing uncertain, it’s unclear exactly how the series is going to continue into the future. Pirates of the Caribbean 6 has been confirmed, but it’s hard to see this sequel/reboot being as much of a hit without Depp.

    The plans for Pirates of the Caribbean were first announced in 2018, with Deadpool’s co-writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick attached to the project. When they dropped out, the film struggled to find its footing and was delayed even further when Johnny Depp found himself at the center of a very public trial in 2022. It’s now being suggested that Pirates of the Caribbean 6 will be more…



    The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has been a beloved series for fans of swashbuckling adventures and supernatural curses. However, with the recent controversy surrounding Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow, there has been speculation about whether or not he will be returning for the sixth installment.

    If Depp does not return as Jack Sparrow, the filmmakers will have a far more difficult task on their hands than simply finding a replacement actor. Depp’s charismatic and eccentric performance as the pirate captain has become synonymous with the franchise, and it will be a tough act to follow.

    Not only will the filmmakers have to find an actor who can capture the same level of charm and charisma that Depp brought to the role, but they will also have to navigate the delicate balance of honoring the legacy of the character while also bringing something new to the table.

    Additionally, the absence of Jack Sparrow could potentially alienate longtime fans of the series who have grown attached to the character over the past five films. It will be a challenge for the filmmakers to create a compelling narrative that can stand on its own while also satisfying the expectations of fans who have come to love the swashbuckling adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow.

    Ultimately, the success of Pirates of the Caribbean 6 will depend on the filmmakers’ ability to navigate these challenges and deliver a film that can capture the spirit of the original while also paving the way for a new chapter in the franchise. Only time will tell if they are up to the task.

    Tags:

    Pirates of the Caribbean 6, Johnny Depp, Jack Sparrow, movie sequel, film franchise, Hollywood news, casting rumors, returning characters, plot speculation, Pirates of the Caribbean reboot, Disney movies.

    #Pirates #Caribbean #Difficult #Task #Replacing #Johnny #Depps #Jack #Sparrow #Doesnt #Return

  • ‘A difficult question.’ With added service fees, how will people handle tipping?


    (WXYZ) — After a story we did earlier this week about local restaurants adding service fees to customer’s bills, our Facebook page was flooded with hundreds of comments.

    The restaurant says it’s in preparation for the tipped wage hike in February, and more restaurants could follow suit.

    Watch below: Restaurants begin implementing service charges preparing for tipped wage hike

    Restaurants begin implementing service charges preparing for tipped wage hike

    After the comments, I went out to hear more from people about the potential change. We wanted to know how they are feeling about it, so we went to Main Donut Shop in Royal Oak.

    We asked how the added charge on a restaurant bill would sit with people.

    “I worked in service my whole life so I understand where they’re coming from,” George Ivey said.

    Poster image - 2025-01-24T054819.587.jpg

    WXYZ

    “I don’t know about a service fee. I don’t know why we can’t just tip them,” Kerrie Utley added.

    Poster image - 2025-01-24T054833.258.jpg

    WXYZ

    “I don’t think the added cost onto the people is fair, I don’t,” Dan Holmes, a Ferndale resident who is also a former fine-dining manager, said.

    Poster image - 2025-01-24T054840.872.jpg

    WXYZ

    “That is a difficult question, but I think if the communication about that extra charge is part of the process, then I probably won’t have a problem with that,” Russell Boyle said. He’s a former server. “But if it’s something they’re just going to slap on and they’re not and they’re not going to mention it, which I know some people do, it’s going to be a little bit more challenging, maybe not for me but for a lot of other people who get really upset about hidden fees.”

    Poster image - 2025-01-24T054847.956.jpg

    WXYZ

    “I think it would have to be some pretty good service for me to essentially double tip,” Gary Cavender said.

    The logic behind it at one restaurant in Farmington is to help them afford the increase in worker pay. Adding a service charge instead of letting staff go or increasing menu prices.

    “So they’re just flipping it back. Are you supposed to tip on top of that too,” Holmes said.

    “If that’s what we gotta do to keep our wait staff fully staffed, that’s what we gotta do,” Utley added.

    But for some, if it comes down to paying a service fee, adding a tip isn’t off the table.

    “I wouldn’t go someplace and spend my money if it wasn’t good anyway. If somebody’s doing a really good job, I would pay both,” Cavender said.

    “If it was on the bill or it wasn’t on the bill I would still continue to tip my servers will I still tip them 20% because they’re making more an hour I don’t know,” Boyle said.

    While they don’t have to worry about that at their beloved donut shop, the minimum wage for tipped workers is expected to increase starting Feb. 21.

    Where Your Voice Matters

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    Have a tip, story idea or comment on our coverage? Send us a message. Please be sure to let us know if you’d be willing to talk on camera about the topic.





    As if tipping wasn’t already a source of confusion and uncertainty for many, the addition of service fees at restaurants and other businesses has only made things more complicated. With service fees already tacked on to the bill, many people are left wondering: should they still tip on top of that?

    It’s a difficult question with no easy answer. On one hand, tipping has long been seen as a way to reward good service and show appreciation to the staff. But with service fees now being charged, some argue that tipping on top of that is redundant and unnecessary.

    So how will people handle tipping in this new landscape? Some may choose to still tip as they normally would, regardless of the service fee. Others may opt to adjust their tipping practices based on the level of service they received, regardless of the added fee.

    Ultimately, the decision to tip or not to tip is a personal one, and there is no right or wrong answer. What’s important is that customers feel comfortable and confident in their choices, and that service staff are still treated with the respect and appreciation they deserve.

    Tags:

    1. Service fees and tipping: How to navigate the challenge
    2. Navigating tipping etiquette with added service fees
    3. Service fees and tipping: Tips for handling the dilemma
    4. The impact of service fees on tipping behavior
    5. Tipping dilemma: How service fees are changing the game

    #difficult #question #added #service #fees #people #handle #tipping

  • Anxiety Cubes Therapy Game identifies people, places and situations that trigger anxiety. For kids, teens, adults. Learn coping skills for difficult emotions. Individual or group sessions.


    Price: $19.99
    (as of Jan 24,2025 04:18:18 UTC – Details)



    A therapy game for kids, teens, and adults that identifies people, places, and situations that trigger anxiety.
    Created and developed by a Licensed Professional Counselor
    Identifies people, places and situations that trigger anxiety
    Can be used with kids, teens and adults
    For Counselors, Social Workers, Teachers, Mental Health Providers and Parents
    Useful in individual, groups, family and classroom settings


    Anxiety Cubes Therapy Game: Identifying Triggers and Learning Coping Skills

    Do you struggle with anxiety and find it difficult to manage your emotions in certain situations? The Anxiety Cubes Therapy Game is here to help! This innovative therapy game is designed for kids, teens, and adults who want to learn how to identify their triggers and develop coping skills for difficult emotions.

    In this game, players will roll the dice and land on different scenarios that commonly trigger anxiety. These scenarios could include public speaking, meeting new people, or going to crowded places. By identifying these triggers, players can begin to understand the root of their anxiety and work on developing strategies to cope with these emotions.

    Whether played in individual or group sessions, the Anxiety Cubes Therapy Game offers a safe and supportive environment for players to explore their feelings and learn valuable coping skills. By engaging with this game, players can gain a better understanding of their anxiety and ultimately feel more empowered to manage their emotions in challenging situations.

    If you or someone you know struggles with anxiety, consider trying out the Anxiety Cubes Therapy Game. It’s a fun and interactive way to work through difficult emotions and build resilience for the future.
    #Anxiety #Cubes #Therapy #Game #identifies #people #places #situations #trigger #anxiety #kids #teens #adults #Learn #coping #skills #difficult #emotions #Individual #group #sessions,worst therapist game

  • When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Chodron, Pema



    When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Chodron, Pema

    Price : 5.16

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    In her book “When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times,” Pema Chodron offers profound wisdom and compassionate guidance for navigating life’s inevitable challenges and uncertainties. Drawing on her own experiences as a Buddhist nun and meditation teacher, Chodron shares practical teachings and practices for finding peace and resilience in the midst of adversity.

    In this book, Chodron reminds us that difficult times are opportunities for growth and transformation, and that embracing our pain and fear can lead to profound healing and spiritual awakening. She encourages readers to cultivate mindfulness, compassion, and acceptance as they navigate life’s ups and downs, and offers practical tools for working with difficult emotions and situations.

    “When Things Fall Apart” is a powerful and uplifting book that offers a fresh perspective on how to find peace and clarity in times of struggle. Chodron’s gentle and compassionate guidance is a source of inspiration and comfort for anyone going through a challenging period in their life. Whether you are facing loss, change, or uncertainty, this book offers valuable insights and practices to help you navigate difficult times with grace and resilience.
    #Fall #Heart #Advice #Difficult #Times #Chodron #Pema,lightweight

  • Cavaliers’ Darius Garland has an excellent — and difficult — NBA All-Star case


    By his own estimate, Darius Garland is 20 pounds heavier than he was at this time a year ago.

    “From when I got hit in the face, yeah,” Garland said.

    At this time last season, Garland accompanied his Cleveland Cavaliers to Paris with his jaw wired shut, having broken it in a collision with the Boston Celtics’ Kristaps Porziņģis on Dec. 14, 2023. Being unable to eat solid foods for weeks, Garland said, he shed weight until he was 175 pounds. When he returned to action at the end of last January, among the several lasting impacts the injury had on his game was his physical appearance. He had trouble putting on the weight.

    The 195-pound Garland of 2024-25 isn’t experiencing much trouble of any kind. He’s producing at an All-Star caliber, and when the people who likely hold Garland’s All-Star fate in their hands — the league’s 30 coaches who select the reserves — see him, one of the first things they notice is his size.

    “He looks stronger; he looks stronger physically,” Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “That’s part of the maturing of a young veteran team. As these guys progress, as the team progresses, they learn about all of the things that are important to help with endurance. Clearly he’s become stronger, and it’s helped — it’s helped him at both ends of the floor. Watching him, he’s flying around out there.”

    Garland, who turns 25 Sunday, has broader shoulders, a thicker chest and bigger legs than he’s shown in his first five seasons in the NBA, including his previous All-Star campaign of 2022. Casual observers say Garland has returned to his All-Star form, averaging 21.1 points and 6.8 assists for the team with the best record in the NBA. He’s scored more points per game and averaged more assists than he is currently, but it’s his shooting this season that sets him apart.

    Through 41 games, Garland is shooting 49.8 percent from the field, and unfortunately for him, they don’t round up when it comes to membership in the 50-40-90 club — reserved for players shooting at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 90 percent from the foul line.

    If Garland can hold on to his pace as a 3-point and foul shooter (he’s shooting 42.7 percent from deep and 90.1 percent from the charity stripe), and make a fraction of one shot more per game, he’d become the 10th player — and second Cavalier — in NBA history to join the 50-40-90 club (nine players have done it a combined 14 times, including Mark Price in the 1988-89 season).

    Garland also is shooting 65 percent from the field in clutch situations (when the score of a game is within 5 points inside of five minutes left) and perhaps doesn’t get as much credit for it because the Cavs are usually way up on their opponents. At 36-6, Cleveland has only played in 17 games close enough for “clutch” stats to be monitored this season.

    His production, presence and skill on a team as good as Cleveland has his teammates talking up his All-Star status. Garland, it shouldn’t surprise you, wants to be, and thinks he should be, an All-Star, saying recently: “I’m trying to be humble as possible … but … yeah, I should be an All-Star.”

    His case is likely up to the coaches. According to the most recent fan voting results released by the NBA, Garland was the eighth-highest vote-getter among Eastern Conference guards with 397,897 votes, more than 1 million votes behind his Cavs teammate Donovan Mitchell, who is second among East guards (three frontcourt players and two guards from each conference make it as “starters,” though this year’s All-Star format of a small tournament with three teams of NBA All-Stars means there will be five players on the court at the beginning of the tournament who were not voted in as “starters.”)

    Starters are determined by a combination of votes by fans (50 percent), a media panel (25 percent) and the league’s players (25 percent), and they will be announced Thursday evening on TNT. It would be nothing short of stunning for Garland to make up ground and supplant either Mitchell, the Charlotte Hornets’ LaMelo Ball (who is about 500,000 ahead of Mitchell) or the five guards between Mitchell and Garland on fans’ ballots, all of whom could make an excellent case to be included in the annual February classic as a starter.

    Reserves will be announced Jan. 30. For the coaches to take Garland over a talented group that also includes the Milwaukee Bucks’ Damian Lillard, the Philadelphia 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey, the Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young, the New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson and the Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham, they will have to decide the impact the Cavs point guard makes in their star-studded lineup is worth more than the points his competition is scoring and the assists they’re dishing out.

    Of all the front-runners to make it out of the East (throw Tyler Herro from the Miami Heat in there, too), only Garland and Mitchell share the backcourt with a teammate under serious All-Star consideration. Mitchell, who is averaging 23.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists on 40 percent shooting from 3-point range, has comparable numbers to Garland but a much higher profile. Mitchell is a five-time All-Star with his own signature shoe with Adidas. Those kinds of things matter to a pool of fan voters who are not watching the Cavs play every night.


    Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland celebrate during the second half of a game against the Bucks in November. (Ken Blaze / Imagn Images)

    Garland is very good, yes, but his numbers are, from 30,000 feet, comparable to Mitchell’s on a team that also has Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen; Mobley’s averaging a career high 18.6 points, and Allen is giving the Cavs a double-double each night. Cleveland is on pace to win exactly 70 games. Only two other teams have done it in NBA history. Four starters are having notable seasons, and role players also are enjoying career campaigns (like Garland’s backup, Ty Jerome, who is the closest to Garland when it comes to 50-40-90 capabilities).

    “I think it’d be a shame if all four of us weren’t there just because of the impact we’ve all had this season,” Mitchell said recently. “This isn’t just about one person. It’s a group thing.”

    It would be far more of a shocker if Garland, his teammates and Cleveland’s coaches were saying something different, making a case that a Cavalier shouldn’t be an All-Star. After a recent home win, the longest-tenured veteran in Cleveland’s dressing room, Tristan Thompson, was shouting out all the top-tier guards Garland had bested in head-to-head matchups.

    To paraphrase, Thompson said (basically): “You had Jamal Murray — (beat him). Golden State? (beat Steph Curry). They had [LaMelo] Ball, (beat him).

    “Listen, I’ll fight for (Garland),” Thompson said. “I’ll be the bad guy. I’ll be Charles Oakley. I think Darius Garland should be (an All-Star), and everyone you guys put in front of him, he’s rang the bell and did what he had to do.”

    In a blowout win over the Warriors on Dec. 30 in San Francisco, Garland easily bested Curry in a head-to-head matchup. Garland finished with 25 points and eight assists to Curry’s 11 points on 4-of-14 shooting. Earlier on Cleveland’s road trip, Murray had slightly more points and assists than Garland, but the Nuggets were beaten handily on a night when both guards played well. And on Jan. 5 in Cleveland, Garland outscored Ball by a point (25 to 24) in a 10-point win for the Cavs, though afterward the Cavs were making light of the Hornets sending a double-team at Garland so he couldn’t go one-on-one with Ball.

    Earlier this season, Garland also scored 34 on the Knicks with Brunson on the court and 39 against the Bucks and Lillard. His high mark of 40 points came Jan. 9 against the Toronto Raptors.

    “Great player, great control when he has the ball in his hands,” said Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault, who will coach one of the All-Star teams this year. “I think it’s impressive how he and Mitchell have not only coexisted but been able to thrive. I think that’s something Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander, a likely All-Star starter and potential NBA MVP) and Jalen (Williams) have done a great job of here, but I don’t think you can take that for granted. More isn’t always better, but they’ve done a great job of that.”

    Last season ended with serious questions — outside the organization, anyway — of whether Garland and Mitchell could coexist. Few were talking about Garland’s struggles to regain his form after jaw surgery, and most were looking at Garland’s dip in overall production, especially in the playoffs, when he averaged just 15.7 points and shot 43 percent from the field.

    What happened last season shouldn’t have any bearing on a player’s All-Star status the following years, but in a close race where stats aren’t necessarily a separator, and there’s another guard of similar build (Garland and Mitchell are close in height, but Mitchell is much stronger) on the same team who already has a higher profile, past perceptions can have an impact.

    Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson, in his first season as Cavs coach, has fostered an environment where Garland’s playing better, Mitchell is thrilled to play in an offense where he isn’t relied on as heavily, and the team gets consistent scoring from at least four players most of the time.

    It’s a formula that may, for now, make Garland’s path back to the All-Star Game tougher because it’s harder for him to stand out. But if the Cavs turn this regular-season success into a deep playoff run, with Garland as a catalyst, voters in the future will remember his name and believe in what he is capable of, which he’s shown night in and night out to those who watch him play.

    “I was thinking about him today on my walk; it was like he reminds me of Steph,” Atkinson said last week, comparing Garland to Curry. “He (Garland) can break — you know Steph can break anybody down. When you have elite shooting and you have the dribble-move game or whatever, the creation part — that’s unique. And you can shoot the off-the-dribble 3. There’s very, very few guys in this league, there’s two, three of them in the league. I just think he’s unique.

    “I keep talking about his growth, much like Steph was, (Garland) just keep getting stronger,” Atkinson continued. “It’s really his physical development and being able to sustain the punishment of the playoffs, a seven-game playoff series. Teams picking on him defensively. Even defensively, he’s been great this year. We switch with him now, we don’t play the coverage game or show game with him.”

    (Top photo: Nick Cammett / Getty Images)



    Darius Garland, the young point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers, has been making a strong case for himself as a potential NBA All-Star this season. Despite facing tough competition in the Eastern Conference, Garland has been putting up impressive numbers and leading his team to some surprising wins.

    One of the main reasons why Garland deserves to be considered for an All-Star spot is his stellar playmaking abilities. He is averaging career-highs in points, assists, and rebounds this season, showcasing his versatility and impact on both ends of the court. Garland has been the primary playmaker for the Cavaliers, setting up his teammates for easy buckets and creating scoring opportunities for himself as well.

    Furthermore, Garland has shown remarkable improvement in his shooting efficiency, particularly from beyond the arc. He is shooting a career-high percentage from three-point range and has become a reliable threat from deep, stretching the floor for his team and keeping defenses honest.

    However, Garland’s All-Star case is not without its challenges. The Eastern Conference is stacked with talented guards, making it difficult for him to stand out among the competition. Players like Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons, and Trae Young are all vying for spots on the All-Star team, and Garland will have to continue playing at a high level to earn his place among the elite.

    Overall, Darius Garland has proven himself to be a rising star in the NBA, and his strong performance this season should not go unnoticed. If he can maintain his impressive play and help lead the Cavaliers to more victories, there is a strong argument to be made for Garland to be selected as an All-Star this year. Fans and analysts alike will be closely watching to see if Garland can make his case and secure a spot in the prestigious All-Star game.

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