Comments

If I made as much money as Tom I would happily be so lame as to refuse to press my own suit. Ever.

Posted by Chris at April 5, 2006 10:04 AM

I tried the 'put it in the bathroom and turn the hot water on' trick 4 years ago at The Braekers in Palm Beach. Worked beautifully, although I left water on too long and was frightened that I peeled wallpaper in bathroom. I had to refuse that evenings turn down service as I waited for the bathroom to dry...all turned out well.

Posted by Scott Segal at April 5, 2006 10:52 AM

Scott, I'm a fellow member of that club.

Posted by tom peters at April 5, 2006 11:05 AM

Ritz - deserves and earns radical LOYALTY for that kind of WONDERFUL customer service - on the road the last thing you want is to be waiting for your clothes to return.

Posted by Sean at April 5, 2006 11:14 AM

Great on the Ritz. You're an expensive suit-presser, Tom.

I use the shower trick often too. However I got caught once in an old English hotel, though. I'm not quite sure how steam from the shower managed to set off the smoke alarm. Go Figure. It was 2:30 in the afternoon when they evacuated the hotel and the fire department showed up.

I got a royal reprimand from the hotel manager. You would have thought he was the headmaster.

The next night I was in a hotel where I was a regular visitor. Ironically at 2:30 in the morning, someone else set the fire alarm off. I was just so glad it wasn't me.

I've been a little leery of using the shower trick outside of the U.S. ever since. Guess you can't blame me. Still I can't figure out why steam would set off a smoke alarm, especially when the bathroom door was shut.

Posted by Liz Strauss at April 5, 2006 11:30 AM

Liz - I set off my parents' Seattle smoke alarm - same thing with shower steam - must be the vapor effect ...

Posted by Sean at April 5, 2006 1:46 PM

Here we go with that "experience" thing again, huh? Tom, it IS the Ritz after all.

Posted by S. Anthony Iannarino at April 5, 2006 6:59 PM

If I had earned as much money as Tom, what would my life be like?

Posted by june at April 5, 2006 9:43 PM

Here's a recommendation for Tom! Hang your suits in the plastic bags that they come back from the cleaners in. Even in tightly-packed roller bags, they travel almost wrinkle-free -- and that goes for hanging shirts, as well. Hang them up upon arrival, and that's it. They will be ready in the morning. Wish I could patent the idea. It works! WOW! And I probably travel about as much as Tom.

Posted by Chris Mercer at April 5, 2006 9:59 PM

Mostly Chris. I not only put the suit in the plastic bag, but I use 2 bags--one over the pants, then a top layer over the suit. It often does an okay job. There are tw problems. First, I sweat at times during presentations; if the suit is damp when it goes in the bag, expect Wrinkle City regardles of effort. Second, given what I do and what's expected, "good enough" is not "good enough." That is, for my Client's sake and my self-esteem the suit must look perfect, no trace of a wrinkle. Hey, I don't even sit down after I put it on for a presentation. And this from a first class+ slob at home!!

Posted by tom peters at April 5, 2006 10:11 PM

June. Whatever. I love my work. My standards are outrageous. I drive myself crazy. My schedule is nutty+; I hate it-I love it. (And I loooovvvvve this Blog!) Etc ....

Posted by tom peters at April 5, 2006 10:13 PM

Nah Tom... You just got lucky, they weren't busy in that 14min time frame. Ha, ha, ha, ha....

Posted by ovlas at April 5, 2006 11:21 PM

yes, too bad their online reservation system has a few kinks [see screenshot]
http://www.cre8media.com/images/ritz_error.gif

Posted by Eric G at April 5, 2006 11:56 PM

Not to denigrate Sir Edmund's achievment, but weren't there two fellows there? Don't forget Sherpa Tensing, or indeed the rest of the team that worked so hard to put the pair of them on top of the world.

It's like everyone can name Neil Armstrong, a lot of folks can name Buzz Aldrin but (great quiz question) who remembers the name of the pilot of the command module that orbitted the moon while the other two were on the surface?

Posted by Mark J Foscoe at April 6, 2006 2:59 AM

Mark--the astronaut's name was Michael Collins. I remember identifying with him at the time (I was a mere lad, of course) due to having the same first name.

Posted by Mike at April 6, 2006 8:05 AM

Mark. Guilty as charged. Wrote the Post in the middle of the night, remembered the Sherpa, couldn't remember his name--and was too lazy to Google. Whoops!!!!!!

Posted by tom peters at April 6, 2006 8:44 AM

Here's an idea to make it even faster. Don't wear a suit. Wear a casual, no-press outfit, sweater and sports coat - or red t-shirt with jeans. Create a WOW! wardrobe that defies expectations and sets yourself apart from the 99.9 percent of business travelers. Set the trend rather than pressing on with the old-school paradigms. As Linda Ellerbee said so eloquently: "If men can run the world, why can't they stop wearing neckties? How intelligent is it to start the day by tying a little noose around your neck?"

I stopped wearing suits for work in 2004. Haven't looked back since.

Posted by Tom O'Leary at April 6, 2006 9:18 AM

Mike - well done. You're hereby authorised to treat yourself to a donut and a coffee as your top prize from me!

Tom - it's all in the detail...! (But we'll forgive you this once.)

Posted by Mark J Foscoe at April 6, 2006 9:19 AM

Suits though are so cool Tom O - agree the tie is a bit much - although it is the only real color area a man has each business day. Suits are an easy choice - like a uniform - and given the crowd knows Tom is raking ka-ching big bucks - they probably expect an impeccable expensive tailored suit?

Posted by Sean at April 6, 2006 9:54 AM

Sean - I guess it comes down to realising that it's easier to get your message across if you don't start off by alienating that chunk of the audience who think casual clothes = sloppy thinking. If you turn up in their uniform, maybe even smarter and with a bit more braid on the sleeve, you'll seem like one of them and you'll get their attention.

You and I may have views on style versus content but part of getting your message across has to be knowing how to get it across.

In my job (with a large Japanese company) if I have a meeting with management it's suit, tie and best behaviour. If I'm with one of my guys in the field, it's jacket and trousers (note to Americans: "pants" = underwear in English). If I'm in one of the distribution centres down on the floor with the real workers, I'm casual. "Horses for courses..."

Posted by Mark J Foscoe at April 6, 2006 10:21 AM

Running to event. Will comment lat3er,. Great stuff.

Posted by tom peters at April 6, 2006 10:52 AM

I used to think that suits were cool Sean. Had a closet full of them as a palette for my double windsors. The shoes were most important. My father-in-law had a drill instructor in the 1950s (Korean War timeframe) who used to tell his company "a man who doesn't shine the back of his shoes doesn't wipe his arse."

I agree that one should look sharp. But one can look very sharp in dressy casual attire. They do it in Hollyweird and spend big bucks doing so. Suits look haggard at the end of a day, especially if you're sitting down. Heavier fabrics, like wools, fleece, tweeds and newer fabrics have a longer crisp feel factor. In warmer weather, good quality breathable cotton and wool blends will be less sticky. A long-sleeve jacket in Alabama in August? I think not.

A good haircut, well-groomed fingernails, nose/ear hair trimmed, a good watch, lean physique, blackberry and other accessories make the casual look complete. Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Michael O'Leary (Ryan Air in Ireland) are taken very seriously not because of their clothes, but because of their performance. They generally don't wear suits.

The trend in Europe appears to be heading for the no tie zone with crisp button-down shirts (of bright color normally). When I do dress to impress, I still opt for the IBMesque white shirt. White shirts are very rare in Europe. They go for the bright colors - now, more and more without the tie.

I don't believe in wearing what the other guy is wearing to fit in. If I'm negotiating an oil deal in Saudi Arabia, should I wear a thawb, bisht and ghutra? I will shake their hand firmly, look them in the eye, and represent myself in my words and actions.

Posted by Tom O'Leary at April 6, 2006 2:43 PM

A few quick points from me. (1) First, many of my audiences (eg Merrill Lynch Financial Advisors) are "older." Lots of thirty-somethings, but lots of late-40s and then some. But having done years of no-suit zone, I returned to suits (not all that expensive, call it Nordstrom mid-grade) because (2) a lot of the booking executives simply expect it (the choice to book me had been among me, Welch, and Gerstner or Giuliani, say). (3) Mostly I decided it was a way of showing respect for the audience per se. Tomorrow I'll be talking again to Merrill Lynch "FAs." They'll be in Key Biscayne casual; and I'm saying,"I respect the way you dress when you work advising your high net worth Clients back home." (4) Also I fervently believe that the more radical the message, the more important (conservative) the disguise--quite frankly, I don't need Tommy Bahama shorts and a Dead T-shirt to prove I've got a radical message. (5) My message is to a significant degree about gettin' your stuff together to deal with a (professional) life & death issue--whether or not you'll keep your job; we may have fun with it but it is also sobering and demands something less than flippancy of style. Bottom line: If I'm going to alienate anyone, I want to alienate them with my "strange" ideas, not my dress. (Incidentally, I might think about this differently if I were 32; on the other hand, the handful of 32-year-old "gurus" are the ones most likely to dress sober. (FYI, as far as I know, in the olden days Mr Gates would dress up when the IBM guys were around--there are some positively hilarious shote of Bill, Paul et al doing their imitation of the suit drill.)

Posted by tom peters at April 6, 2006 8:06 PM

As I sit here in my home office in my tracksuit and, of course, my Manchester United top ... yes Mark .... I know I am old enough to know better :) .... I just can't help but let my mind wander back a while .. maybe it's cos it's Friday ....

As an office worker in the NHS in 1970 wehen I was 18 I was expected to wear a collar and tie at work. A suit would be the preferred attire but if not able to afford that, then smart trousers, jacket, shirt and tie was acceptable. The 2006 dress code is different even in the NHS. Those areas away from the “public face” of the organisation are more liberal about dress code. I do not see as many suits as I used to. Having said that …. there are still a high proportion of suits among middle and senior managers in the NHS. Some parts of the NHS allow “jeans day” – usually a Friday :-)

I am not suggesting any of the two distinctly different approaches are right or wrong. I simply suggest things have changed and it now a very different culture. From memory I was probably comfortable with the old style - it was ….. after all …… “just how it is round here.” I am definitely comfortable with the new informality. The “old world” was perhaps one of knowing your place in the pecking order. The new world is more about informality.

However this is the test ...

*Would I be comfortable receiving advice from my Bank Manager dressed in torn jeans and t-shirt and a stud in his ….. or her……eyebrow and nostril?
*Would my Doctor inspire confidence …. if dressed in shades, sandals, T shirt with gold medallion, shorts and baseball cap for my consultation?

Horses for courses I guess

Posted by Trevor at April 7, 2006 1:58 AM

Interesting Trevor. I trust my incredible cardiologist (cardiac electro-physiologist, to be more accurate) because of his informality. He's an unreconstructed, long-haired hippie, mid50s, who plays in a half decent rock band for relaxation. He loves his work, hates administration (he does his share as head of a 10-doc practice), and says he's only really happy in his green scrubs in a hospital. (Yup, horses for courses.)

NB: To my mind, and 63 helps here, one of the best ways to vet a doc is to gently tease him. Many of the pompous bastards can't abide it. If he can handle some light banter about grave subjects--and his lack of invincibility--I feel a lot more comfortable with his-her minstrations.

Posted by tom peters at April 7, 2006 4:43 AM

I acknowledge that many people--especially, perhaps, those who are old, not so well educated and scared--want the projection of "doctor knows." I personally prefer, "We know some stuff, we're ignorant as hell about a lot of other stuff, but wwe are determined to screw around vigorously until we get this as right as we can."

???????????

Posted by tom peters at April 7, 2006 4:48 AM

EDIT: In the above change "projection of 'doctor knows' ..." to "crisp, white-coasted projection ..."

Posted by tom peters at April 7, 2006 4:50 AM

Tom - I worked with hundreds of doctors during my NHS career – and I have to say most of them are great. They have the same frailties and emotions as all of us – they bleed and they cry just the same as us.

HOWEVER …..

One of my best friends is a doctor and he gave me this. Happily I never worked with any Doctors quite like this guy below but I know they exist in UK – presumably in the States too. :-)

Hopefully this will bring a smile to your face – if you have not already seen it.

“The man arrived at the Pearly Gates and found a queue a mile long and took his place at the back. The day was hot and tempers were getting frayed as the delay lengthened. After a while an old man dressed in a long white coat, sporting a long white beard and carrying a black bag marched to the front of the queue through the Pearly Gates and into heaven. The Angel whose job was to guide the queue calmed everyone’s rising anger by explaining; "Don’t worry - that's just God, sometimes he thinks he is a doctor!"

Posted by Trevor at April 7, 2006 6:15 AM

PS!!!! forgot to say ....

Extending you analogy about age I often use my own family situation in talks I do about patient/doctor relationship:

*My Mother is 77 year old
*I am 53
*My Daughter is 25

My Mum believes the Doc – almost without question
My Daughter wants to know more about EVERYTHING the doc tells her
I am somewhere in the middle – I WANT to believe the doc but I also to do my homework

Interesting aye?

Posted by Trevor at April 7, 2006 6:32 AM

"and I have to say most of them are great" I wish I agreed Trevor. But it's my doc friends who disagree, and I don't just think they,re being catty. One highly reputed pal and I got into a discussion about docs more or less keeping up with the changes in their speciality. I said I was under the impression that most made a pretty significant effort. He laughed in response, and said, "I'd guess 25 percent read nothing, another 50 percent make a little effort and only a relative few are the students you need to be in today's world." Likewise I've heard far to many discussions about the # of specialists a particular Internal Medicine doc wouldn't refer a patient to come hell and high water. There are many great docs and teachers--but the median isn't what one might hope for. That's my amateur's take from the left side of the pond.

Posted by tom peters at April 7, 2006 7:35 AM

Good points Tom - 15 love to you perhaps!

I have a good friend Doc who would fully sign up to what you say. My own experience working alongside Docs for many years is that most of them are kind, considerate and caring people who worry about the sort of things I too worry about– their staff, their ‘customers (patients) their kids and their family. I would 'guestimate' three out of ten are - to quote you - ‘pompous bastards’

I totally accept that is 30% too many. I found the other 70% were usually people who were altruistically motivated and very dedicated professionals. One of my concerns is that the young docs coming into medicine will have as role models some of those old school ‘pompous bastards’.

The medical profession (like all professions) has its share of pompous bastards – probably a few more than in most other professions but pompous bastards do exist in the legal profession, in management and leadership positions in all settings … and even in the world of management consultants (present company excepted of course :-) ....he says ... trying hard to back track gracefully) …

Ooops ....there goes my next months pay check.

Posted by Trevor at April 7, 2006 8:02 AM

Tom and Trevor - MD's are best at golf and tennis - not medicine - ever notice how super fluent in sports triva they are - minds like steel traps for most anything recreation oriented.

Tom - the point on conservative dress I love with a radical message - the few times I've done TV I try to appear to the right of VP Cheney - makes it easy to slip in snarkie comments.

Posted by Sean at April 7, 2006 9:14 AM

Trevor - the classic problem with, "...most of them are kind, considerate and caring people..." is that there is no relationship or correlation (maybe negative?) between that and "effective." The thing I can never understand with something as fundamental as medicine is why the qualification or licence is given out for life. Why is there no re-examination or formal peer review? Why do we have to wait until a patient's dead before the doctor comes under scrutiny?

Posted by Mark J Foscoe at April 7, 2006 9:22 AM

Hi Mark

Ironic you should say that. Following the infamous Dr Shipman, all doctors are now going to be re-validated annually in all probability via the General Medical Council (GMC)

I am in fact currently involved in a major national project in which we are piloting the re-validation process which involves feedback from 20 colleagues and 40/50 patients per doctor to assess both their clinical and communication skills.

It is an exciting project that will feed into annual re-licensing of doctors. It is anticipated that the GMC will make their announcements later this year.

Posted by Trevor at April 7, 2006 9:58 AM

Trevor - good news. Just make sure that the assessment makes no bias for dress, unless the doc turns up in a Man U shirt in which case he should be disbarred and quite probably jailed! (I'm off to Twickenham this weekend: my team Bedford are playing Harlequins in the final of the Powergen Trophy.)

Posted by Mark J Foscoe at April 7, 2006 10:52 AM

Mark - Any doctor supporting Man United gets a bonus before we start the assessment - I write the rules! ...just joking in case any Doctors are watching :-) ...good luck to Bedford... I didn't even know they had a Rugby team! I am disappointed that you support the football code for girls :-)

Posted by Trevor at April 7, 2006 11:08 AM

Nordstrom Hickey Freeman 2-button suits: black, charcoal, midnight blue, black w/tight pinstripe - Rat Packesque.

Posted by Sean at April 8, 2006 3:02 PM