To succeed in business, it’s how you play the game. Playing Monopoly is one way you can prepare yourself. If you can survive having your closest friends, relatives and lovers transform into cut-throat psychopaths whose only reason for living becomes taking you down, you can probably handle whatever your competitors or the government can do [...]

Pens are one of the few products that also suffer from writer’s block. They often stop writing, without warning, even though there’s still ink in them. Rather than just write that off and accept it, I wrote Pilot — makers of quality writing instruments since 1918 — to find out why… Dear Pilot Pen, Ink: [...]

There have been many articles in the news and reports on TV about unwelcome guests crawling into hotel beds. I wrote Marriott International to see how they were handling this issue… Dear Marriott Guest Relations: When it comes to hotels my wife and I always choose Marriott. We understand that when guests stay in hotels [...]

It’s no surprise when customer service at a company receives a complaint. I turned the tables on Subway Restaurants to see how they would handle these kinds of comments… Dear Subway Complaint Department, Just a quick note to let you know I stopped by Subway for a Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki sandwich. The food was [...]

There’s no question that chips and dip belong with each other. In an attempt to bring them even closer together, I proposed this idea to the makers of Kettle Potato Chips… Dear Ma & Pa Kettle: It is mind-boggling how many tantalizing chip flavors you’ve created — Jalapeno, Sweet Onion, Death Valley Chipotle, Backyard Barbeque, [...]

After having one too many an umbrella invert during a storm, I definitely was not singin’ in the rain. It was more like screamin’, which is why I poured out my feelings to totes>>Isotoner… Dear Umbrella Spokes Person, I don’t understand umbrellas. They keep blowing inside-out. They’re built for rain, not wind. But wind and [...]

Posting a recent inquiry to the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce, requesting help locating a small town in Idaho called Bumfuck, reminded me of this letter from 1997 to the Waterloo Convention & Visitors Bureau in Iowa… Dear War Department: Please send whatever tourist information you have on the Battle of Waterloo. Also, if you [...]

Getting water clogged in your ear is annoying! That’s why I wrote McKeon Products who manufacture Mack’s Earplugs and ear drying aids… Dear Ear Uncloggers: Sometimes my ears get clogged after a shower. All I know is the water found a way in, but no matter how hard I try to shake it out nothing [...]

If you’re a crayon connoisseur, you know Crayola. While they offer a cool collection of colors, I submitted a few of my own for their consideration… Dear Crayon Color Coordinator: Since Crayola Crayons always have the best selection of colors, I was wondering if you ever plan to offer a box of more obscure colors. [...]

There was a toy in Target that didn’t come with instructions, so I asked them for some guidance… Dear Target Toy Team: In your toy section, I came across a product called “Party Paratroopers,” — plastic Army men with parachute packs. Since this toy is marketed under the Target brand, I hope you will hit [...]