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Thursday, May 1, 2014

Breaking News from Warranty Rewards! - The Matrix Protection Plan now includes Accidental Damage Handling Coverage!


Breaking News from Warranty Rewards!

The Matrix Protection Plan now includes
Accidental Damage Handling Coverage!
 
Warranty Rewards President and Co-Founder, Yoni Ashurov just announced that starting May 1st 2014, all new customers of the Matrix Protection Plan now have the option to add on an ADH, or Accidental Damage Handling Coverage, for just $5 more per month that covers two devices. This ADH Coverage applies to cell phones, tablets and laptops that are in good working condition at the time of their registration and protects against spills, drops, cracks and other common accidents.

Ashurov stated on a company conference call that this plan is “Industry disrupting… of the warranty industry in America. There is no product out there in the market today that will give you Accidental Coverage on existing devices”. The company will soon be releasing the ADH Coverage add-on to their current Matrix Protection Plan customers and Warranty Rewards Agents.




About the Matrix Protection Plan:
Warranty Rewards is helping to revolutionize the extended service and repair industry! Traditional service plans purchased at big box electronic stores or online are of a limited time period and require the consumer to pay large upfront premiums for each consumer device protected. With Warranty Rewards and the Matrix Protection Plan, you are able to cover all of your eligible electronic devices for an unlimited time, new or refurbished, with one low fixed monthly fee of $24.95! As well as the addition of the Accidental Damage Handling Coverage for just $5.00 more per month that covers two mobile devices.

About Warranty Rewards:
Warranty Rewards was founded as the direct selling arm of Matrix Protection, one of America's premier providers of underwritten aftermarket service plans. Our revolutionary programs, created by seasoned industry professionals, provide consumers with comprehensive, month-to-month protection plans at affordable fixed monthly rates.

For more information about the Matrix Protect Plan please visit www.getmatrix.com/gbeard or call 813-421-1572.

Friday, April 18, 2014

The Gift of Laughter


It all started when I was maybe eleven or twelve. I hope I tell it right. J My folks and I were staying at a campground in the Shenandoah National Park. On this night we were at the fireside chat the park rangers were hosting. My parents raised me to believe in always having a since of humor. Always great and funny stories to share. Always having a good laugh it seemed like. And it was a running joke between us when we were traveling and go on hikes that I they’d leave bread crumbs for me to find my way back. In other words they were prepared to leave me in the woods. LOL!!!

(BTW… Does LOL stand for “Lots of Laughs” or “Laugh Out Loud”???

Anyway, at this fireside chat the park rangers were going over safety tips, sharing about the blind skunk in the camp grounds, etc. and it came to question time. SO this kid right here raised his hand and when called upon asked something to the effect of “is it alight for your parents to leave bread crumbs for you to find your way back while hiking?” The rangers and families there burst out in laughter! That was the first time I remember ever getting laughs from strangers. And it starts…

Now as a kid in school I never really stepped out to get laughs. I could have. I could have been the biggest class clown there; but as a kid I never really wanted any other kids laughing at me. Most kids don’t. Sure, I’d get laughs out of some of my close friends but in school society, being laughed at was like wearing a Scarlett NERD back then. Of course I’d liked for them to laugh with me but that’s a challenge in school. You remember what it was like don’t you?

Gaining laughter just seems so natural to me. Whether friends or total strangers. I loved to laugh and I naturally assume everyone else does too. To me its showmanship and a part of my DNA. It’s not like I have to show off or be the center of attention; but rather the fun I have putting a smile on someone’s face. Throughout life I’ve learned to get reactions out of people. Some good… others not so good… but that reaction is something that’s special. And the easiest reaction to get I believe is a laugh.

I remember growing up and watching Laurel and Hardy, Jerry Lewis, Abbott and Costello, Lucille Ball, Carroll Burnet, Tim Conway & Harvey Korman and the list goes on and on. They made me laugh. But also growing up was the ol’ pro wrestling managers. The likes of Sir Oliver Humperdink, Sonny King, Bobby Heenan, Lou Albano and so on. These mean were very serious at what they portrayed on TV but something would happened and they’d sometimes look like the clown; the comic relief “if ya wheeeeel”. Many times they were the straight man and comic at the same time. And they were a huge influence on me as I loved (and still do) pro wrestling. Plus the wrestlers themselves would end up being the clown in the match; whether good guy or bad. These men, and some ladies, were an influence on me as I got to live out my lifelong dream when I grew up (do we ever?) of working in the wrestling business.

Summer of 1984 I started working with the Great Malenko at his wrestling events here in Tampa as the “do boy” and learned how to referee as being the ref during training/sparing sessions at his school. My big plan was to become the most hated manager ever in pro wrestling. Didn’t happen that way but that was the plan. When some shows were coming up later that summer I was told to get a striped ref shirt as I’d be able to work some of them as the ring official. So on my first night, in a tent in Wimama, FL hosted by the local country volunteer fire department, I got my start. I wanted to be just a little different than all the other referees out there without taking away from the boys in the match, while getting a laugh at the same time. So it became my little trade mark to wear my glasses into the ring and before starting the match taking them off and handing them to the ring announcers. Oh… not only did I get some laughs but also got yelled at by many fans saying “put them back on! You’re blind!” That also got a lot of laughs from the boys in the back and I knew that even though I was a green horn, I was in with them.  From that point I’d do little things to illicit a laugh or two. Again, getting a reaction. Through time it becomes an art form.

But in the long run I wanted to become a manager. But I didn’t want to be just the guy in a suit standing in the corner. I wanted to have a look that got an instant reaction while complimenting the wrestlers I’d be working with. One day at an outdoor rock concert at a local Tampa park, there was a hair band playing named Giuffria. And the guy on the keyboard, Gregg Giuffria, was all decked out in his hair band wardrobe… and white high heel granny boots


Here’s the band. (Unfortunately I can’t find any pics of him in boots)

That was it! I knew what I wanted to do and look like. Something no one had seen before in wrestling. And the first time I was booked to be my alter ego, Fabulous Fritzi, as I was pulling up the high heel boots I’d borrowed from me friend Chris Champion’s girlfriend (at the time) Anastasia, over my tight spandex pants, the promoter was telling me “it ain’t gonna work”. I told him to trust me, took about five steps out the door in front of all of about 35 rednecks and I got two reactions. Laughter as well as instant hatred. They called me names that I truly cannot repeat here. They booed. They cat called. They loved to hate me. And it brought instant heat and hatred towards anyone that I went out with.




What a handsome devil!
I never made it to the big time. Never became the most hated manager in the history of wrestling, but I made people laugh. I would do the little things I saw the guys before my time do that got laugh from the crowd. Whether it was getting bumped around, having my hand stomped on by the ref while reaching in the ring or being chased around the ring at an outdoor fundraiser by an old lady swatting at me with her purse while the local radio DJ Mason Dixon screams on the mic “Get’em! Get’em!” Or even singling out the pregnant lady by asking “How many men did you go through to get that thing?” while pointing at her belly. Yes I know that was a rude thing to say but that was my job as a bad guy. Getting a laugh and reaction was such a great joy though. On a side note, I said that once to one of my wrestler’s sisters, which I didn’t realize who she was, and she was ready to kick my @$$! My wrestler had to calm her down during the match.

I’ve even been a crazy ol’ coot redneck from Withlacoochee, FL called Uncle Grady with a couple of crazy nephews wrestling for me. Unfortunately they really didn’t like the gimmick though the crowds dug it. I recently saw one of them and expressed “we could have been the Wyatts in WWE” to which he answered “ I know. Everyone tells me that”.

So now-a-days, I have little things I say or do to get a laugh. One I’ve been saying for almost 30 years now when someone helping me either on the phone or in person asks me “will there be anything else” I always say “I’ll take a million dollars and a trip to Tahiti!” Or at a sit down restaurant I order a diet coke or tea with my meal, clean my plate and then ask the waitress or waiter if the refills are free. When they answer yes assuming I mean the drink, I hold up my empty plate. Get’s a great laugh out of them and many say “I’ve got to try that the next time I go out to eat”.

Recently I was at a Walgreen’s getting some items for my Mom. Somehow I ended up having the lady in cosmetics, Sherry, and an assistant manager, Rhonda, helping me find a couple of items that they would end up having to order. I had both of them laughing and joking back with me. Rhonda said something about it being weird that they didn’t have an empty spot for the items and I asked her “what’d you call me?” Later Sherri was ringing me out and we were confused about the sales ad discount not appearing on the register. I joked about being a pain to which she said “No you’re not”. She had to call Rhonda over to check if the item I was purchasing was really on sale. She ordered me to follow her and when we got to the item on the shelf I’d grabbed to wrong one. She then proclaimed, jokingly of course, that I was being a pain. When we both got back to Sherri I let her know that Rhonda practically called her a liar cuz she said I was a pain when Sherri had said I wasn’t. They both laughed out loud (LOL?). The next time I went in to that Walgreen’s they both had smiles on their faces when they saw me. That’s what counts.

So the moral of this blog is… Make people laugh. Do something small that causes a reaction from someone. Say something totally stupid and irrelevant to what’s going on around and see what happens. I share many things funny on Facebook hoping that it puts a smile on someone’s face. I go out of my way to make a total stranger laugh. Someone the other day said I seemed like I was really in a good mood and I answered “why yes… I just made someone laugh”. So make sure on a daily basis you “give the gift of laughter”… even if you may be the butt of your own joke. It won’t hurt you and may actually make someone else’s day a whole lot better.


Monday, March 31, 2014

Consumer peace of mind - Part 2

First, if you have not read my “Consumer peace of mind - Part 1” blog from the other day please click HERE.

Well now. I asked in part 1 “what if there was an alternative?” to overpriced extended warranties for your household consumer electronics. They only last for a limited time period. It’s a gamble for sure forking over all that money in one lump sum for let’s say a 2 year (really 1 year after the manufacturer warranty expires) plan. And it only covers one item. You must pay for a whole new plan for another device. That’s not a lot of “consumer peace of mind” is it? When I shared part 1 on Facebook, a friend commented “I am hoping it’s a $100 10 yr plan to cover every electronic purchase I make.” Close, but “more better”!



So here are four questions for you:
  1. How would you feel about having ALL of your household consumer electronics that you will be purchasing in the future; covered by just one simple plan?
  2. How would you feel about having your ALL of your household consumer electronics that you’ve purchased within the last four years also covered by the same plan?
  3. How would you feel about having ALL of your household consumer electronics covered with an unlimited time limit?
  4. How would you feel about only paying one low monthly fee for this extended warranty on ALL of your household consumer electronics?
Who wouldn’t want a deal like that?

I had a friend of mine call me a couple of weeks ago and started telling about a plan that does everything those four questions ask; and much more.

Let me introduce you to the Matrix Electronics Protection Plan by My Warranty Rewards.



The Matrix Electronics Protection Plan is the most comprehensive electronics service plan in the industry. The plan covers ALL of your eligible electronics, such as TVs, computers, phones, tablets, blenders, gaming consoles and thousands of other items for just one low fixed monthly fee, with no long-term contract!

TOP FEATURES


  • Thousands of eligible products can be covered under one plan.
  • Our plan covers all new and factory-refurbished electronics.
  • Any new electronics may be added to the plan at NO ADDITIONAL COST.
  • Sign-up, registration and tracking are all done easily online.
  • NO LIMIT to the number of products covered
  • Month to month coverage with no long term contract
  • Electronics purchased up to 4 years prior to your sign-up date are eligible
  • Over 10,000 nationwide service centers
  • Registering all your products takes less than 20 minutes
  • All for just $29.97 per month ...the activation fee is WAIVED! 
Did you see that? Only $29.97 per month (plus tax)!!!


The Matrix Electronics Protection Plan

Take a couple of minutes to watch this video.





Now as you’ve probably guessed I’m a My Warranty Rewards Independent Agent. I’m a huge believer in sharing things that are great for people and make sense. This to me makes a whole lot of sense. For me, as well as many others around the country, this is total “consumer peace of mind” for our home electronics. Why would someone not want revolutionary protection, superior coverage and hassle - free customer service?

So here I am sharing with you something great that someone shared with me like a great movie or restaurant.



Click HERE for a comparison chart of devices you could purchase at your local big box electronics store. The Matrix Protection Plan is a huge savings. Especially when you average the cost per month of each device that you register on the plan. For 40 devices it’s only .75 cents per month for each device.


So if you would like more info on Matrix Electronics Protection Plan please feel free to contact me. And make sure to ask how you can save an additional $5.00 per month off of the monthly fee.
 

Consumer peace of mind is inexpensive and is also very easy. And you won’t even break a sweat!

Until next time

Gene Beard
gene@genebeard.com

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Consumer peace of mind - Part 1


You’re waiting in line at one of those big box electronic stores. You’ve picked out your 55” so-n-so wide screen / flat screen TV. It’s costing you a pretty penny ($799.95 to be exact; plus tax of course).  You hear the sales associate say next, you step up and she scans the TV and then she asks you “would you like to purchase the 2 year extended warranty for your new TV?”

What to do? What to do??? The sweat starts to roll down your forehead as you feel the eyes of everyone else waiting for service just piercing through you. The pressure is on.

“How much” you ask? $99.95 for the two year plan.


Wait…what???


Two year plan? But the TV is already covered for one year under the manufacturer warranty? So you want me to gamble a hundred dollars on the TV failing during its second year? But think about it. It could happen. Haven’t you heard all those stories of stuff failing just after the manufacturer warranty runs out? “Come on already” all the other customers are saying under their breath. Hurry,  the pressure is still on!!! What if? WHAT IF???



So, just for your peace of mind you answer yes and pay that extra $99.95. And wouldn’t you know it?  Three and a half years later is when the TV actually fails.



So what were you really insuring? Only your peace of mind. Now, do this all over again for your other purchases like…

  • Blu-Ray player ($19.99 for the 2 year ext. warr.)
  • Play Station 4 ($89.99 for the 2 year ext. warr.)
  • Touch-Screen Laptop ($239.99 for the 2 year ext. warr.)
  • Smart phone ($$239.76 for the 2 year ext. warr. – actually $9.99 per month x's 24)
  • Single-Serve Coffee Brewer ($19.99 for the 2 year ext. warr.)



The total price for all these plans just escalates. And your peace of mind only last for 2 whole years.



But what if there was an alternative? Yes your peace of mind is important and worth every penny… but what if you could just save some money and have, as a friend of mine likes to say, “more better” peace of mind?



Well there is… and I’ll have the answer for you.



To be continued…

Click HERE for part 2