The Scribble with Jeremy Bradley

It's a common complaint: customer service ain't what it used to be. Jeremy Bradley goes on another rant about how the "customer experience" is anything but positive nowadays. There's the ongoing debate over tipping and why customers are expected to "reward" staff for doing their job -- such as walking back and forth with food and drinks. He also talks about how front-line staff do little to make customers feel welcome. JB recounts one experience at a store: "She handed me my bag with two fingers, holding it out like it was a dirty diaper." It was the oddest employee interaction he'd had in a store. Later, JB talks (and laughs himself to tears) about his recent food craving.

We hear there are so many open jobs but qualified people applying for those roles can't even get an interview. Jeremy Bradley reviews his listeners' job resumes to see what they're doing wrong to not hear back from places looking to hire. One listener has taken creative steps to disguise her age, thinking that might be turning off recruiters from considering her. Then the big question: Are companies relying too heavily on AI screening after posting a job? The irony, JB says, is computers are more in charge of human hiring than humans are. 

It's one thing to get freebies as an "influencer" but that doesn't pay the bills. Jeremy Bradley once again takes on so-called "content creators" and how they see the hobby as a life-long career but don't treat it as a business for long-term success (meaning: money). Later, he calls out celebs who cry about getting little pay from TV residuals for shows they were on 30 years ago. "You were an actor on a TV show. You did the job once and you got paid for it. You didn't write it, you didn't create it, why do you expect to still be getting paid for it?" JB asks. By comparison: "I've been a syndicated columnist for 20 years. I don't expect newspapers to keep paying me every time someone reads something I wrote 15 years ago. I was paid for it then and that was the deal."

Jeremy Bradley, a trained journalist of over 20 years, takes issue with the future of the news business -- and it looks bleak. "I realize the industry has partially done this to itself," he opens. JB talks about the blurring of lines between fact-based journalism and opinion commentary. Just because someone can set up a camera and make a convincing point, doesn't make it factual -- or true. Journalism, for the most part, is outlining who, what, when, where, why and how. "The minute you inject your opinion into the reporting, it taints the story because it's no longer factual. Audiences don't recognize the difference anymore." On the flip side, he says, news personalities want to be social media famous and have cheapened the once-respected craft of journalism. "What do we gain from watching the busty meteorologist put on her makeup and show off her skin-tight dress before today's newscast?"

Many companies have a slogan and a jingle to match. What about an original song? What about over 600 original songs? Jeremy Bradley talks about the creative marketing approach for his coffee company. He outlines how a 24-7 streaming music station has boosted coffee sales. Buff Boy Brewing Co. went from a basic coffee line five years ago, to become a lifestyle and entertainment brand with a content app and a broadcast radio station. "You really have to figure out ways to build on your brand that make sense," said Jeremy Bradley, a radio broadcaster of over 20 years. "We'd already been running an underwear company and we thought coffee would be great because so many guys drink coffee in their undies. From there, we realized people listen to music while drinking coffee in their undies. So, we created a soundtrack of songs -- each about our coffee and tea flavors -- in a variety of genres and programmed a station called Buff Radio at buffradio.com. It costs us nothing in advertising and it's literally 24-7-365 of free marketing. Plus, we make money from music downloads and plays on streaming platforms."

Everywhere you look online, someone is trying to sell you something. While ads seem to be more specifically targeted than ever, a lot of times it's a total miss. Jeremy Bradley has a laugh about the mismatch of ads and how they end up being a waste of money. "I'm not even in Edmonton but I'm getting city council candidate ads for their election," JB said after scrolling his Facebook feed. "That's someone who doesn't understand digital ads and is wasting so much money." Later, JB talks about getting shown ads in Chinese for his phone provider. How effective is social media advertising? Or, is it more beneficial to engage your audience and spend zero on ads? JB confidently shares his experience.

Document, document, document. That's Jeremy Bradley's advice when dealing with companies. Having been a consumer columnist and commentator for decades (look up "Winnipeg Cheapskate" in Winnipeg Free Press and SpeakFreewithJB.com), JB said it's one thing to keep emails or screenshots or correspondence, it's another to record and document everything. "I prefer a phone call with people identifying themselves on the recording. That's stronger evidence than saying, 'I talked to someone last week.' Give them the date, the time, tell them you have the audio of it. You'll often be taken more seriously." JB said he has hours of recorded calls from customer service situations that warranted escalation. "If you become unhinged and scream, you won't get anywhere. If you speak professionally and have your notes together and everything documented and present it cleanly, they'll take you seriously. Usually." JB also talks about one company that wanted him to sign an NDA for a hush-money payment. His response definitely put that company in its place.

It's a question Jeremy Bradley gets asked at least once per week from his American colleagues: "Do Canadians hate us now?" It's in response to the Trump administration (but largely Trump himself) that has the southern country worried about its neighbors up north. JB says it's actually two specific questions that are asked: one about the country as a whole and the other about its people. "It's twofold: it's 'do Canadians hate Americans?' as in individuals, and separately as a country to another country. Obviously, a land mass doesn't have feelings, but as whole -- Canadians as a singular unit -- answering the question if Canada hates the country of the United States of America." JB talks about the noticeably different vibe when visiting his hometown earlier in the summer and how there was a sense of national pride everywhere he looked. "It was similar during the (2010) Vancouver Olympics but a different tone. That was celebratory and 'we're all one,' this is more 'we've got to come together.' In both instances, it's Canadians being there for each other which is something we're known for."

Jeremy Bradley was a college student majoring in journalism on Sept. 11, 2001. Like most people who witnessed the terror attacks either in person or on TV -- anywhere around the world -- JB tells his "I remember where I was..." story from Canada. He talks about sitting at the kitchen table reading the newspaper with CNN on the TV in another room and hearing something different that caught his attention. Later, he rushed to his campus to join classmates and faculty for the century's biggest news story in their training environment. 

Remember when you could call a company, ask a question, get your answer in a few minutes and be on your way? Those were the days. Jeremy Bradley talks about how, with so much technology and ways to communicate, companies are making customer service -- or customer "experience" -- the most maddening part of doing business. JB targets wait times, be it for chat or email or phone, that send customers over the edge. "What used to take five minutes on the phone, now goes through three departments, two countries and 20 minutes of hold time," JB says. 

Jeremy Bradley has no interest in social media... but he definitely has an opinion on how companies should use it. JB talks about how companies need to get creative and show a personality. He said businesses need to loosen up and get playful on social media even if the "brand voice" dictates otherwise. JB talks about how his businesses cash in on the fun and silly without paying a penny for social media advertising. Later, JB addresses people who use social media for their personal brand and how they, too, miss the mark on making money.

A Jersey Shore goodbye: with Mike, Vinny, Ron, Sam & Deena. Jeremy Bradley takes a walk down memory lane with clips of his chats with the MTV cast over the years.

Who's raising the kids these days? If technology is doing more parenting than humans, we're headed for trouble. Jeremy Bradley, once again, goes on a rant about the state of childhood behavior and the staring-at-phones parenting style that is harming future generations. JB talks about instances where kids are desperate for a parent's attention but are ignored because mom and/or dad are clutching their device and more interested in what's on the screen. Should this be considered child abuse or neglect? 

Another episode, another customer service rant. Jeremy Bradley talks about how he prefers avoiding contacting a company and letting things slide to eliminate the hassle of crummy customer service. JB mentions how he won't frequent a company if their contact info isn't front and center on their website. "The harder you make it for me to contact you, the less likely I am to deal with you." He goes on a rant about technology destroying the reputations of once-regarded brands. Later, JB shares a nightmare grocery-delivery story that ended up going from confusing to frustrating to downright creepy.

Jeremy Bradley says it all the time: customer service ain't what it used to be. Now, he compares the way he was trained in retail over 20 years ago versus how it appears employees are coached today. Are the standards the same? He doesn't think so. At the same time, have customer expectations shifted over the years? More and more, businesses are pushing back on the concept of "the customer is always right." JB shares stories about how his e-commerce staff has been treated by clients. Later, do "adult-content creators" eventually regret their nudie past or do they wear it (no pun intended) as a badge of honor? In a world of OnlyFans and sex-for-money work, are people less uptight about their past of baring all?

The AI discussion continues on the show. After the last episode, Jeremy Bradley had conversations with people about the growing use of artificial intelligence in day-to-day life. But, now that it's crossing over into the bedroom, is it getting too comfy or too creepy in people's lives? JB talks about checking out an AI boyfriend/girlfriend app and what he thought about the experience. Was he convinced that a person can become emotionally attached to a chat bot?

Jeremy Bradley shares his memories of Dolly Parton: including the time she crashed his radio show as a surprise guest. Plus, the celebrity tributes keep coming in for Dolly.

HELLO, DOLLY! Dolly Parton crashes a radio show! Remembering Dolly Parton Original air date: Nov. 6, 2019, Jeremy Bradley's Top of The Charts

It's official: Jeremy Bradley has discovered AI. He talks about how what was usually a quick Google search turned into hours of chatting with... a robot? He talks about the intrigue about asking it questions and testing its accuracy. How often was it correct? JB was surprised -- but in a good or bad way? He talks about the hours he spent and how it made him feel afterward. What was the one instance that made him second guess it all? You'll be surprised. Later, he reveals he can understand how people could fall in love -- literal emotional love -- with artificial intelligence.

For a neighborhood and household that's usually pretty quiet and boring, Jeremy Bradley recounts the craziness that happened in his world over the course of a week. First, it's flashing police lights outside the house, then the house suddenly goes dark. "What could possibly go wrong next?" JB wondered. Bad things happen in threes, right? JB proves that with the interesting stories on the show. Later, JB tells a story about remarkable organized retail theft... because the store didn't give a damn. Did they get what they deserved?

There are some people who share -- and over-share -- about their relationship and it makes you wonder why. Is it for attention? Is it for the sake of complaining? Is it for reassurance? Jeremy Bradley talks about how people chime in on his relationship when he's not even asking for advice or even discussing a problem. "I didn't ask for your relationship advice, but thanks," he said. It often happens when someone asks about his marriage and suddenly they become a relationship expert, leading him to wonder how it became a counseling session. JB wonders why people open up their relationship for discussions online. Later, he shares the one relationship question he's asked but doesn't understand.

When you're in your 20s, you can go, go, go all night and feel fine the next morning (maybe having not even slept) and go another full day. As you get older, sleep is your friend -- your best friend -- your BFF. Jeremy Bradley talks about his new appreciation for sleep. After spending 15 years waking up at 6 a.m. to be on the radio, JB talks about early retirement and the joy of sleeping in... until noon... every day. For many people, there aren't enough hours in the day: you wake up early, commute to work or school, spend the day there, commute back home and before you know it, it's time to go to bed again. You've had, maybe, four hours to yourself... if you don't have a partner, kids or pets needing your attention in the evening hours before bed. Later, JB talks about the rule in his bedroom that guarantees a great night of sleep -- every night.

Perez Hilton: forgive and forget or NMP? Jeremy Bradley chimes in on the drama surrounding the troubled gossip blogger.

Social media has become a hotspot for digital panhandling. But is it becoming too much? Online fundraisers seem to be the easiest way to get money, however the expectation of those begging for cash is a little rich, according to Jeremy Bradley. "It started with people posting their Venmo on social media and expecting the audience to give money for their birthday, and now it's the go-to method for anybody needing extra cash for anything." JB recalls a time when you didn't want people to know you're struggling for cash and you found ways on the downlow to get through the tough time. "Now, for some reason, people broadcast it and announce they don't have money." He tells a story about someone he hadn't had contact with in 20 years randomly messaging and asking him to post and promote a fundraiser. Later, JB goes on a rant about millionaire and billionaire celebrities posting pleas for you to help donate to causes.

Have you ever run into someone, had a full conversation and left thinking, "I have no idea who that was." Jeremy Bradley often has those moments but relives running into a former classmate. He did remember her and the two spontaneously caught up to share a laugh. JB says it was great to reconnect and, of course, the meeting ended with "let's keep in touch." Did they though? Or was it just something said to end on a pleasant note? If you don't reach out following the meetup and they don't, does it make you wonder if they didn't have as much fun as it seemed?

He wears his heart on his sleeve. It is what it is. Everything happens for a reason. Manifest it. The cat's out of the bag. These are phrases North American English speakers know but, like, what do they even mean? Jeremy Bradley -- a journalist and former English major -- questions the literal meaning of common terms and phrases we use every day and wonders why we accept that they make no sense whatsoever. Later, JB takes on those whimsical and inspirational quotes seen on home decor that are meant to bring positivity to the world. "Do people really feel inspired by reading that stuff?" JB asks.

Are viewers getting sick of mainstream TV and music these days? Jeremy Bradley thinks so, and he takes it one step further saying that's why there's a retro revival with people streaming full seasons of their past favorite shows and listening to full albums from a decade or two ago. "These days (music and TV) content is just pushed out for the sake of pushing it out," JB said. "Since we're constantly blasted with new content from so many different angles, we don't get the opportunity to savor something and fully appreciate it -- not that we want to because it's all just slop now. Because of that, we go back to a time of classic sitcoms or pop music that make us relive happier, carefree times."

Parenting ain't what it used to be. And onlookers notice. Non-parents notice. Big time. Non-parent, Jeremy Bradley, shares his observations about how today's parents compare to when he was growing up in the '80s and '90s. "We weren't friends with our parents," JB said. "You were afraid of your parents back then. And that's not a bad thing." JB talks about how parents aren't raising their kids how they were raised. Meaning, many households had strict rules back in the day, so if that's how you were brought up, why aren't you raising your kids that way? Is this why kids today are out of control? Later, JB is in tears laughing about a family birthday party memory. 

A child being applauded for finishing his ice cream at Dairy Queen. A child being congratulated for eating all of his fries at McD's. Jeremy Bradley is confused about why kids require such positive reinforcement for eating... junk food. "Way to go, buddy! Good job!" JB doesn't understand why parents make a big deal about kids eating food. From there, JB continues on about food and why taxpayers are expected to help feed schoolchildren. "We ate breakfast at home," JB said, "If you can't afford to feed kids, don't have kids."

Is it really cheaper to make food at home? Jeremy Bradley talks about how the golden rule to save money was always to make your own food and not dine out at expensive restaurants. With the crazy cost of groceries, JB maps out several dining instances that have him questioning the math. How much does a night out with a friend cost? Are you going out less because you feel establishments are overcharging for what they offer?

As people get older, they either embrace their age... or try to hide from it. As Jeremy Bradley turns 44, he talks about aging and wonders why people lie to themselves about how many years they've been alive. "You can change your face, you can change other body parts, but your age is still your age," JB says. He talks about the pivot when young people brag about how old they are ("I'm an adult now!") to playing coy as they age ("How old do you think I am?"). JB wonders the magical age that has people finally embracing their age. "People shy away from saying they're in their 50s or 60s but when they hit other milestones, say, 80, people, like Jane Fonda, are proud to admit it." JB talks about executive producer, Bonnie Winters, who will never publicly say her age. (Cough- 70s)

Is he becoming a grumpy old man? Jeremy Bradley is days away from turning 44 and admits that he's fed up with dealing with people in public. "I"m going to end up on one of those A&E shows at some point," JB says. From loud talkers to obnoxious kids to the genuinely inconsiderate, JB talks about how he prefers being out in public in the daytime when everyone else is at work or school. "I don't have people crashing into me because they're staring down at their phone. I don't have to cover my ears because a kid is having a meltdown for their parent's phone." Later, JB wonders why customers have to pay a premium price just for timely customer service responses. 

More and more, fake social media profiles are set up to dupe other users. Whether it's to scam them out of money or catfish to mess with someone's emotions, it's getting worse every day. Jeremy Bradley talks about the obviously fake pages on Meta platforms and the astonishing amount of people following and commenting... and getting fooled. "It makes me want to be a scammer," JB jokes. "I could clean out these people!"

As we get older the tables turn: the parents that raised us will often need to be taken care of as they age. Jeremy Bradley talks about serious debates he's had with relatives and friends about the care of elderly parents. Is it the kid's/kids' responsibility to take care of parents in poor health or is it only a moral obligation?

It's a walk-back this week, says Jeremy Bradley. He recently went on a rant about how news broadcasting has become all-about-me TV with reporters and anchors performing on social media in content totally unrelated to their job. Listeners reached out and said there are plenty of professions where people post and stream live from their job. The problem: they're getting fired because of it. JB talks about watching videos of people immediately going live on social media to talk about how going live got them fired. Ironic, right? 

You're workplace besties. One of you leaves the job and goes elsewhere. What happens to that friendship? Jeremy Bradley talks about the fizzling out of friendships after you no longer see each other every day. The big question: were you really friends or was it a workplace convenience? He talks about a listener who wonders why she was all but ghosted weeks after saying goodbye to her in-office BFF. Later, JB talks about his obsession with someone who ghosted him in his 20s, then the revelation years later and how JB got the last laugh.

Do you really care what shoes the anchor is wearing? Does a dancing weatherman help you prepare for a storm? Is reporting from a tragedy really the best time for a selfie? Jeremy Bradley, who's been in the news business for over 20 years, chimes on why people don't take seriously trained "professional" journalists anymore. It's not about factual reporting, it's the look-at-me-I'm-on-TV mindset employees have at their respective news outlets... and it's only getting worse.

Don't throw your junk in my backyard, my backyard, my backyard. (If you get it, you get it.) Jeremy Bradley talks about run-ins with his neighbors that have him saying anything but "love thy neighbor." For 19 years, he's asked himself, "Why do they always think my property is theirs to use?" It's been multiple neighbors throughout the years not respecting property lines. But, why were the cops called? Whose car had the sticker, "I heart people who do drugs?" Are parents raising nightmare kids? JB recounts the drama of living around inconsiderate people.

In the second part of the cheating discussion, Jeremy Bradley talks about two instances where he's known about someone cheating and felt a moral obligation to reveal the betrayal to the person's partner. One was a good friend -- practically a sister -- and the other was a closeted married man who was engaging in dangerous activities with men behind his wife's back. Did things go as dramatically as you think? JB tells all!

"Once a cheater, always a cheater," is the old saying about relationships. Generally, it's said to people who've been cheated on in the hopes they'll leave their partner who wronged them. Jeremy Bradley talks about a colleague who is in an awkward situation after finding out about a friend cheating... and scrolling through DMs to show the flirty conversations. How would you react if your BFF came clean to reveal a secret relationship and catches you off guard?

It's not the usual rant about how a home is too expensive nowadays. Jeremy Bradley talks about two friends both going through their own housing crisis. First, JB talks about a pal who bought into luxury apartment living and kind of regrets it. Later, a friend has inherited his childhood house but doesn't know if he wants to keep it and move into it or let it be a memory from the past. JB chimes in with his thoughts.

Do you have a BFF at the office? Jeremy Bradley takes aim at his 20-year radio producer this week. The two have shared countless laughs over the decades, from their unhinged on-air antics or pranks behind the scenes. JB is all laughs as he recounts the infamous printer prank and ambushing the executive producer in Hawaii with a shocking surprise live on the radio.

As Canada celebrated its 150th birthday last year, Jeremy Bradley hosted a special broadcast in honour of the country's milestone.Canada Day LIVE featured music stars from coast to coast to coast. Over a dozen recording artists chatted with JB about their favourite Canadian memories, places and moments.Artists include: Terri Clark (Alberta), Doc Walker (Manitoba), Natalie MacMaster, Jimmy Rankin and The Trews (Nova Scotia), Alan Doyle (Newfoundland and Labrador), Dean Brody (British Columbia), Susan Aglukark (Nunavut), Codie Prevost (Saskatchewan), Roch Voisine (Quebec, New Brunswick), Paper Lions (Prince Edward Island), Barenaked Ladies (Ontario), Jona Barr (Yukon) and Welders Daughter (Northwest Territories).

With many people feeling the financial pinch nowadays, there are plenty of ways to creatively save money. Bestselling "cheapskate" Jeremy Bradley confesses how, even before becoming a successful businessperson, he's always looked at $50 as a lot of money. JB talks about getting older and how he pays attention to "wants" and "needs" while shopping. It's not about money, it's about waste. Ultimately, those choices save money, so it's a win-win, as he explains. Later, he shares tips for little spending changes that add up over the course of a year to save a lot of money. Check out the book, The Official Guide to Being a Winnipeg Cheapskate, for more ideas.

Buying your first home is an exciting time but is recording a walking tour for social media a little, well, classless? Jeremy Bradley talks about the trend of people posting photos of themselves holding a giant key and the declaration they're a new homeowner, in hopes of getting applause from the audience. People take it one step further, he says, when they stage videos and welcome people in as though they're appearing on MTV Cribs. "If you want to broadcast to the world the outside of your house while showing your address, have at 'er," JB said. He talks about the need for the inside of his houses to be private. "Social media has made people's lives -- and homes -- an open book and it's a little sad -- scary, even."

Jeremy Bradley talks about visiting a local mall from his childhood. A hairstylist that had been there for over 20 years suddenly closed. Some of the staff had been there for decades. JB talks about the memories of the place but, in the end, he stopped going there... but was still sad about its demise. He wonders if you're a bad customer because you eventually stopped giving it your business. Later, JB talks about the public sadness when a celeb dies. The tributes and how much people "loved" them but, in reality, hadn't watched or listened or consumed their product in years -- possibly forgotten about?

There's a growing frustration for job seekers. Whether it's an exhausting application and interview process or a lack of responses from potential employers, those looking for work find it difficult or even less than straightforward to get a job. Business owner, Jeremy Bradley, answers listener questions about the job market and how people should apply, interview and present themselves throughout the hiring process.

There are so many fads and fleeting trends nowadays that it's tough to keep up -- or even know what they are. Jeremy Bradley talks about hearing of new currencies and investment concepts, yet no one he's asked can explain to him what they are or how they work. "You're not really selling me on it if you can't tell me what I can do with it," JB said. Later, JB talks about multi-level marketing (ahem, pyramid schemes) that hook people looking for fast and easy money. "People just need to get a regular job and get paid regular money."

The latest online trend is holding a pity-party telethon for yourself and asking -- demanding -- money and handouts from the audience. Whether it's GoFundMe campaigns or direct links to send money, people have no shame when it comes to expecting "gifts" (donations) from an internet full of strangers. Jeremy Bradley talks about when the worlds of entitlement and lazy collide for a new embarrassing trend on social media. "People are posting, 'It's my birthday, here's my Venmo' to blatantly ask for money," said JB. "Or they do a live stream and get progressively angry when viewers don't kick in." Later, he talks about a relative who had every excuse in the book to not get a job and provide for himself... and his wife... and his son.

Jeremy Bradley -- who has a life -- talks about recently learning of the politics and drama amongst social media content creators. Because of those platforms, everyone thinks they should be broadcasting anything and everything -- all the time. But lacking originality is a problem in those creator circles. And when they start making content taking shots at the others' content, it gets catty, petty and hilariously (and sadly) entertaining, said JB. He goes on another rant about the delusions of an "influencer" lifestyle and why most people should stick to having a job and working for someone else.

What a major miscommunication! Jeremy Bradley talks about the time his relative proclaimed the wrong family member died. It was a game of telephone gone wrong -- very wrong. JB's mom shared that a different relative died so he thought two loved ones died in a matter of one hour. Craziness ensued as JB and his cousin tried piecing together who was still alive and who had died. Later, JB talks about the obligation he always has to speak at funerals thanks to his history as a professional writer and broadcaster. Sometimes, though, there's an awkwardness... especially when you'd never had a conversation with the deceased. JB reflects on three recent deaths that caught him off guard... and off guard... and off guard. Finally, JB talks about his I-remember-where-I-was-when moments as an entertainment host covering celebrity deaths.