Rank of "Uh, that's not my department" and "If it's not on the rack, we don't have it" as the most annoying phrases spoken by salespeople to customers, according to a recent study conducted by MOHR Access: 1, 2
Source: MOHR Access. Contact Michael Patrick at 201-444-4100 or michael@mohraccess.com.
Percentage of U.S. workers who personalize their offices, according to the Steelcase Workplace Index: 85
Percentage who say personalizing their workspace improves their overall attitude at work: 68
Percentage who say they like their creature comforts around them: 60
Source: Steelcase. Contact Peter Jeff at 616-698-4000 or cr@steelcase.com.
Percentage of U.S. office supply customers who say people in the office never refuse to make a new pot of coffee when they take the last cup, according to a survey by Quill Corp.: 30
Percentage who say this occasionally happens: 40
Percentage who say it happens all the time: 27
Source: Quill Corp. Contact Londa Della at 847-876-3143 or londa.della@quill.com.
Percentage of respondents questioned in an Associated Press-Ipsos poll who said people today are ruder than they were 20 or 30 years ago: 70
Percentage who faulted parents for failing to teach their children manners and etiquette: 93
Percentage of those polled who admitted to making an obscene gesture while driving: 13
Percentage who said they had used a swear word in public: 37
Source: Ipsos-Reid. Contact Darcy Ulmer at 604-893-1629 or darcy.ulmer@ipsos-na.com.
Percentage of fast-growth private companies that are presently involved in charitable giving activities, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers' "Trendsetter Barometer": 73
Percentage of CEOs who describe these activities as a priority of their business: 40
Percentage of CEOs who see significant benefits to be gained in high-level networking with other business leaders, and particularly in the attraction and retention of employees with compatible values: 69
Source: PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Contact Maggie O'Donovan-Bolton at 914-921-4181 or maggie.o.bolton@us.pwc.com.
Number of people employed at department stores in December 2004, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: 1.8 million
Number of employees hired between October 2004 and December 2004 for the Christmas rush: 195,500
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics. Contact press office at 202-691-5200 or blsdata_staff@bls.gov.
Percentage of small-business travelers who say a hotel's technology and Internet capabilities are among the considerations when booking, according to a survey by the American Small Business Travelers Alliance: 38
Percentage who say location and price are the two most important criteria when booking a hotel, among other choices: 83
Source: American Small Business Travelers Alliance. Contact Jim Vanorden at 469-648-0190 or jim.vanorden@asbta.com.
Percentage of U.S. adults purchasing a home within the last three years for their primary residence who say they spent above their suggested price range, according to a new Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive Personal Finance Poll: 19
Percentage who stayed within their price range: 67
Percentage of buyers who were below their price range: 12
Source: Harris Interactive Inc. Contact Kelly Gullo at 585-214-7172 or KGullo@HarrisInteractive.com.
Amount U.S. consumers intend to spend, on average, on gift cards during the holiday season this year, according to a survey by Stored Value Systems: $248
Rank of birthdays and winter holidays (which include Christmas, Kwanzaa and Hanukkah) as the top occasions for consumers to buy gift cards: 1, 2
Source: Stored Value Systems. Contact Deby Samuels at dsamuels@comdata.com.
Percentage of U.S. teens who say that among the things they would spend additional money on would be ring tones for their mobile, according to a survey by Yankee Group: 48
Percentage who would spend more on streamed music: 46
Percentage who would spend more on full track music downloads: 45
Source: Yankee Group. Contact Kate Griffin at 617-880-0225 or kgriffin@yankeegroup.com.
John MacIntyre has been writing Figuratively Speaking since 1989. You can contact him by e-mail at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.