Hare Truck Center May June 2019

Hare Truck Center May June 2019

MAY/JUNE 2019

TRUCK Tribune

MAY IS THE BEST MONTH

May is my favorite month. It’s the middle of spring, and there are so many great things going on. You have Mother’s Day, the Indianapolis 500, my birthday, and Memorial Day. For me, though, it’s the time with family on Mother’s Day and my birthday that really makes the month for me. Speaking of Mother’s Day, I want to take a moment to wish all the mothers out there a happy Mother’s Day. I hope it’s a great day for you and your family. It’s a chance for the rest of us to spend some time with the special ladies in our lives who have made it all possible — our grandmothers, mothers, aunts, sisters, daughters, and so on. Mother’s Day is also a day to remember those who are no longer with us. We have some friends who take part of the day to go out and put flowers on the gravesite of mothers and grandmothers who have passed on. It’s a touching tribute. May is also my birth month. While I bring it up, I try not to make a big deal of it. I find as I get older, I try to celebrate it a little less and look at it as just another day. Of course, I do enjoy getting time to spend with my family and celebrate my mom putting up with me all these years. Of course, my favorite month wraps up with Memorial Day weekend and the Indianapolis 500. Our family is really looking forward to the race. IndyCar took a bit of a hit a few years ago when it split into two leagues, but I’ve noticed it’s really picked back up again.

That said, it’s nothing short of remarkable that they pack 250,000 people into a single sporting event. It’s mind-boggling to be there and see so many fans in one place. That’s one of the things I really love about it — there’s just so much energy in the crowds and on the track. Going into June, one of the big days is Father’s Day. It’s another chance to celebrate and spend time with family (and again, a shoutout to all the fathers out there!). For our family, and for some of you reading this, Father’s Day revolves around the golf course. My dad has the annual golf trip he’s been going on for 25 years now. I’ve gone on this trip with him 14 times. This year, things are a little different: My brother will be going with us this time, and it marks his first time tagging along.

will be loaded up in the truck, and we won’t say a thing until Dad gets in. I have no doubt our dad is going to be very surprised. It should be a fun trip. My own boys, Conner and Spencer, are wrapping up the school year. At the same time, baseball is in full swing — pun intended. But before we all know it, it’s going to be right back to football season. These two have a busy summer in front of them. -Todd Thurston Sales Manager And I’m excited to get the summer started. With the wet, cold spring behind us, I’m really looking forward to sunshine and warm weather, as I know a lot of people are. And with that, I hope you’re have a great spring, and we’ll see you at the Truck Center.

We have it all planned out. We’re going to surprise Dad when we pick him up. My brother

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The Good Kind of Gossip HOW TO CULTIVATE VALUABLE CUSTOMER REVIEWS

2. Offer Incentives Give your clients a reason to write reviews. Consider offering incentives like a discount or coupon code, coffee gift card, or an entry to win a contest for an even bigger prize. 3. Ask the Right Questions Think of the review process as a conversation rather than a request to be met, and use open-ended questions to start. Before you even request a review, you can ask customers questions like “How was your recent experience with us?”or “How are you liking your product?”That way, you can gauge their satisfaction before they leave any feedback.

When you’re thinking about buying a new product or service, what’s the first step you take? If you turn to the world wide web in search of reviews, then you’re in good company. According to a survey conducted by BrightLocal, 85 percent of consumers regard the customer review to be the single most credible and trustworthy source of advertising. That same survey found that 68 percent of customers surveyed were willing to provide feedback for a company. So, how do you get your customers to write the glowing reviews that help close deals? 1. Diversify Your Platforms Don’t rely on customers to go to your website to leave reviews. There are numerous websites you can utilize that make leaving feedback more convenient for your clients.

4. Respond, Respond, Respond The last thing you want to see is a scathing one-star review. But no matter how hard you work, they are still bound to happen. When you receive one, take the time to respond thoughtfully — without being defensive — and try to come up with a possible solution to the complaint. And be sure to respond to your positive reviews as well. When you show that you engage with all of your customers, prospective ones will be more likely to give you a shot.

What’s more is that these other platforms are highly trafficked. BrightLocal found that Facebook and Yelp were consumers’most trusted source of user reviews in the U.S., but you can also use Google My Business or the Better Business Bureau. Most importantly, be sure you are active on all the platforms you use.

Set the diets aside and poke another notch or two in your belt because May isn’t pulling any punches when it comes to sweet and savory holiday regrets. From National Hoagie Day and National Pizza Party Day to the holidays that really spell it out for you like International No Diet Day and National Eat What You Want Day, we’re all looking forward to an excuse to let our stomachs hang low this month. For those of you who plan on partaking, let’s take a look at the best junk food-related holidays this month and how to celebrate them!

by pairing off into teams for a bake-off; you can even pit the kids against the adults — with a little supervision of course. If you’re feeling a little lazy, throw an apple pie potluck and watch your store-bought delight steal the show as your audience praises your craftsmanship and attention to detail — just how Sara Lee taught you.

National Hamburger Day Tuesday, May 28

As if one day wasn’t enough, it turns out that the entire month of May is recognized as National Hamburger Month! Meat lovers rejoice as patties of heavenly beef are passed around the table for all to enjoy. There’s no shortage of ways to celebrate this patriotic pastime. From grilling out with the neighbors to making sliders for your new love interest, there’s a little something for everyone, especially considering the advances we’ve made in burger technology in recent years. If meat isn’t your thing, throw a veggie or tofu burger on the grill and season it to mouth- watering perfection. We won’t tell the beef purists if you don’t.

National Apple Pie Day Monday, May 13

Gather your friends and family around the table and dust off Grandma’s old recipes, because it’s time to treat yourself to the most American thing since, well, itself. National Apple Pie Day is a great opportunity to spend quality time with your loved ones while baking the most traditional American dessert. Make the process a game

Eat up, everybody. Happy holidays.

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Remembering Jeff Gigure Very recently, we lost one of our own here at the Hare Truck Center. Jeff Gigure was a Truck Center staple and someone you could really count on. He had been with the Truck Center since day one and made an impact on every one of us, even some of our customers. In remembrance of Jeff, our teamwanted to share a few words on this great individual. “Jeff always let me borrow tools to help me fix things around the shop!” –Jerry Horn “Jeff G. was always the one to find or have funny videos on his phone. If you were having a bad day, he’d pull up a video just to make you laugh.”–Jeff Todd

“A time when Jeff made me laugh was when he was eating fudge at 7:30 in the morning. I gave him a look that said,‘What are you doing?’He looks at me and says,‘What? I’mworking my way up to breakfast!’This memory has stuck with me and will always make me laugh.” –Johnathon Pence

“Last fall, Jeff and I went to Pennsylvania for a week at the Isuzu Training Center. One evening after dinner, we went to the casino to kill some time. Jeff complained that he never wins anything, but this night was different. He was shocked to win 150 bucks playing slot machines! So he kept playing, put half back

in the slots, and took the rest home. Needless to say, he had the biggest grin on his face coming out with a win.” –Mike Paschel “My favorite memories of Jeff are just all the times we had joking around with one another at work or sending messages back and forth. I could always count on that guy for a good laugh. He is missed!”–JimHankins

“Jeff was the first person we hired when we opened the Truck Center. We went through a lot of ups, downs, and challenges with opening a new business. He was a part of our family and had many fun times together. He enjoyed all kinds of sports and activities like boating, camping, and Harley rides. Jeff will be missed.”–John Pence

“I called Jeff‘Bam-Bam.’Would always threaten to put him in the back of the shop, and he would ALWAYS use the biggest hammer for all his jobs. Just a few of the good memories made with Bam-Bam.”–Scott McBroom

Thank you for all the memories, Jeff.

No matter where you stand on the great ketchup versus mustard debate, you’ll love these spicy, tangy, easy-to-make buffalo dogs. They’re the perfect way to kick off the summer grilling season and a great part of any Memorial Day cookout.

Ingredients:

For Celery Slaw:

• • • •

1 package of your favorite hot dogs

1 package hot dog buns

• • • • •

4 celery stalks, very thinly sliced

1 bottle Frank’s RedHot sauce 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Garden Blooming

Mother Memorial Nightingale Spring Cinco

1 teaspoon olive oil

Mayo Emerald Remember

Celery salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

May Day Gemini

Directions:

1.

For slaw, toss all ingredients together and season with celery salt and pepper.

4.

Top with blue cheese, add another splash of hot sauce if you’re feeling extra spicy, and serve.

2. 3.

Grill hot dogs and toast buns.

Assemble hot dogs, douse with hot sauce, and top with celery slaw.

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Hare Truck Center 3477 Conner Street Noblesville, IN 46060

Why May is the Best Month

The Value of User Reviews and How to Cultivate Them How to Celebrate Indulgent May Holidays

Remembering Jeff Gigure Blue Cheese Buffalo Dogs and Celery Slaw

The Golden Era of Athletes on Social Media

Out of the Dark and Onto the Web THE GOLDEN ERA OF ATHLETES ON SOCIAL MEDIA

It’s not an overstatement to say that social media has revolutionized the way we live our lives today. But with that massively powerful platform comes a massive responsibility, especially if you’re already in the spotlight. Athletes have taken the opportunity social media affords them to build their personal brands and engage in community outreach with the fans who look to them as role models, but there’s a downside to cataloging years of unfiltered thoughts on the internet. For better or worse, social media is here to stay, and we have full access to all the drama that unfolds for our entertainment. Despite the web’s potential for good, some pros can’t seem to get the message that every post falls under the scrutiny of the public. PR firms representing players have now made it a top priority to keep their clients’ images in line by scrubbing old posts that could be offensive and land them in hot water. Still, though, it seems like there’s a new controversy every week.

Heisman Trophy winner was notorious for posting embarrassing images of himself partying when he should have been practicing, and he often blasted his private issues in public, seemingly with no filter. He’s out of a job now, most recently having been banned from the Canadian Football League. For every bad apple, though, there is a bushel of athletes who use their platforms for the greater good. Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, five-time Pro Bowler and NFL star, has used his social media “juice”to spread the word about his charity, raising over $4.6 million for youth athletic programs and organizations. Philanthropy aside, part of the beauty of celebrity social media is that the people who seem so much larger than life become accessible because of it. In decades past, you might have written a letter that, if you were fortunate, got a response from some unpaid intern. Today, fans can reach out directly to their favorite athletes. It is a personal connection unparalleled in history. What a time to be alive.

One of the best examples comes courtesy of former football star “Johnny Football”Manziel. The former

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