Latest news with #local
Washington Post
2 hours ago
- General
- Washington Post
Miss Manners: Vet wants equal treatment for all patients
Dear Miss Manners: I have changed from working at a veterinary clinic in a lower socioeconomic area to one in a more affluent area. I have noticed that when I refer my patients to the local specialist hospital, the hospital staff members are much more polite and respectful than they were when I called from my old clinic. This upsets me on behalf of my previous clients, as they and their animals deserve the same treatment and respect as my new patients. Is there a way to gently encourage the hospital staff to be less concerned with the status of the area that the patients are from? Yes, but if you want to avoid being called naive about the fact that money talks, you will have to play naive. As a referring veterinarian, you will, at some point, be asked to share your thoughts on the hospital in question. No matter the form this takes — questionnaires from the hospital itself, informal discussions at your new clinic, whatever — include some negative examples about the facility's customer service from your days at the old practice. Do so without mentioning where the patients involved were from. Given your status, this will cause concern and follow-up from the hospital. Even if the reasons for the disparate treatment turn out not to be as simple as you suspect, the hospital staff will realize your new clinic is speaking for the broader community. Miss Manners suspects all patients and facilities will benefit from this realization. Dear Miss Manners: Once a month, I make a four-gallon pot of soup for my small church community. When planning the soup, I keep in mind the many food sensitivities that members of the community have and still manage to serve a tasty variety of soups. Today, a member served herself a large bowl of soup, seasoned it, took a few bites, then dumped the remainder of her soup back into the pot. I approached her and asked her why she had done that, and she said it was more than she could eat. I told her she should have dumped the extra soup in the compost bucket. I told her to never do that again. She acted as though I was being rude. For food safety, I should have dumped the entire pot of soup into the compost, but I did not. I warned another member that the soup was no longer free of the seasoning she is allergic to, and apologized because she looks forward to my allergen-free soup. How should I have handled the culprit? You should have been polite to the errant member. Perhaps you were, though your lack of interest in asserting that you were — and your use of words like 'culprit' — make Miss Manners wonder. A polite correction would still have allowed you to make the woman understand that her thoughtlessness meant other people were going to go hungry. But it would have been done with a sad tone, not an angry one — using phrases of apology, not confrontation. It would also have emphasized consideration for church members with allergies, not your own anger about wasting the time you put into the preparation. If apologizing to this culprit seems counterintuitive, Miss Manners asks you to consider the alternative: Do you want to be polite and change this person's behavior? Or do you want to be rude — and, by going on the attack, give her a valid grievance? New Miss Manners columns are posted Monday through Saturday on You can send questions to Miss Manners at her website, You can also follow her @RealMissManners. © 2025 Judith Martin
CTV News
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Kicking off the Ottawa Lebanese Festival
Ottawa Watch A local favourite event is back for its 35th year! The Ottawa Lebanese Festival kicks off tonight and we give you all the details.
Forbes
8 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Bilt Reaches $10.8B Valuation & Announces Home Away From Home Platform
Imagine walking into your neighborhood cocktail bar and receiving a round of espresso martinis on the house – not because it's your birthday, but because you live nearby. Or booking a fitness class seamlessly through an app, and earning a post-workout smoothie in the process. Bilt is betting big on this vision of hyper-local loyalty, where members including many Gen Zers, earn perks not only for paying rent but also for engaging with the merchants, experiences, and entertainment options that define their daily lives. The loyalty program turning rent payments into reward points, has launched a hotel collection that brings this to life. The company's newly launched "Home Away From Home" collection offers Bilt's members VIP benefits like early check-in and premium amenities at the world's most prominent hotels. This marks a notable shift for a company that built its reputation on helping renters earn points on their monthly housing payments. While Bilt has offered travel-focused rewards before - in partnership with Virtuoso - this latest addition suggests the five-year-old startup is testing whether its members want more than just rent-related perks from their loyalty program. It doesn't hurt that just last week, the company more than tripled its valuation to $10.75 billion. But, this global travel expansion retains a local-first lens. Ankur Jain, founder and CEO of Bilt, explains, 'When our most loyal members travel, they get curated recommendations and perks at the best local restaurants and bars in that city. We're enhancing our merchant network by connecting travelers to it, not just residents.' "Our Gold and Platinum members have been asking for travel experiences that match the elevated lifestyle they've come to expect,' said Richard Kerr, VP of Travel at Bilt. 'Home Away From Home delivers exactly that, but with a twist – every property feels like an extension of their own neighborhood. The partnership with Virtuoso means they're getting white-glove service with dedicated travel advisors managing every detail of their journey. We're giving our members that same level of access and service as part of their existing Bilt experience." Latte with heart-shaped foam art served at Sideboard in Lafayette, California, January 30, 2025. ... More (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images) From Rent Payments to a Local Lifestyle Platform Bilt began with a simple but powerful idea: allow renters to pay rent by credit card without transaction fees and earn points along the way. But Ankur Jain, Bilt's founder and CEO, sees an even broader future. 'We looked at it as a housing and neighborhood commerce platform,' Jain explains. 'The customer gets value for payments they're already making, plus rewards that create a true members-club feel within their community.' The company partners with property managers nationwide to integrate seamlessly into residents' lives, creating what David Wyler, Chief Business Officer, calls a fully branded ecosystem. 'There are more Bilt emblems on property walls than some hotel signs globally,' he says. Residents encounter Bilt at every stage – from lease signing to monthly payments to local perks that make their neighborhood feel like an extension of their living room. Home Away from Home journey Driving Local Commerce with Data and Perks Beyond rent rewards, Bilt's model aims to drive meaningful economic impact for neighborhood businesses. 'Two years ago, we launched our neighborhood rewards program,' says Jain. 'Local businesses pay us to drive customers to them. It's a performance marketing fee – they only pay when we drive spend.' Through its platform, merchants can analyze foot traffic and spending patterns by building, allowing them to tailor promotions. Jain illustrates: 'A restaurant can see there are 347 residents in a nearby building, 19 have visited so far, and they can target that building with a campaign offering comped espresso martinis for every guest in their reservation. It's hyper-targeted and drives real ROI.' Richard Kerr, VP of Travel, echoes this focus on value creation: 'These businesses no longer have to rely on flyers under doors or broad Facebook ads. We're offering a smarter way to connect with locals who live just steps away.' Entertainment as a Loyalty Driver Bilt is also reinventing neighborhood entertainment. Jain says Bilt invests in hyper-local experiences. 'We created a network of private comedy shows across the U.S., bringing the best local stand-up talent to intimate, invite-only events for Bilt Members. We also host monthly tasting menus with top neighborhood chefs to introduce residents to their local culinary scene.' This experiential focus turns loyalty from a transactional program into a lifestyle brand, aligning with what consumers increasingly value: unique experiences that create connection and community. Integrations Drive Richer Local Loyalty Program Bilt's competitive edge lies in deep integration with housing and neighborhood commerce ecosystems, enabling services that go far beyond traditional points programs. Jain elaborates, 'We built a rewards ecosystem, a demand management platform, and a loyalty checkout capability. We can programmatically have a car waiting to move you, have dinner booked and certain items comped, and automatically apply your FSA/HSA benefits – all seamlessly integrated.' This vision – a frictionless local loyalty experience powered by AI and proprietary integrations – turns loyalty into a strategic moat. 'Even OpenAI, which powers a lot of our models, doesn't have integrations into point-of-sale systems, healthcare reimbursement rails, or the rent ledger,' Jain notes. 'That's what makes Bilt unique.' The Future of Local Loyalty As urban living and digital experiences continue to merge, Bilt is betting that loyalty's next frontier isn't just about flights or cashback. Instead, it's about making people feel recognized, rewarded, and entertained in the places they call home – whether that's an apartment in Brooklyn Heights, a condo in Scottsdale Quarter, or a luxury hotel suite in Aspen. Jain summarizes the thesis simply: 'Your home isn't just the four walls you live in. It's where you dine, work out, pick up prescriptions, and spend time with friends. We're creating a loyalty experience that lives everywhere you do.'
The Verge
14 hours ago
- Business
- The Verge
Google's AI can now make phone calls for you
Google will now let everyone in the US call local businesses using AI. The feature, which is now available in Search, allows you to use AI for pricing or availability information without having to talk on the phone. Google first started testing this feature in January, and it's still only available for certain kinds of businesses, like pet groomers, dry cleaners, and auto shops. When you search for one of these services, like a pet groomer, Google will display a new 'have AI check pricing' prompt beneath the business listing. Google will then ask you for more information about your request, such as what kind of pet you have, its breed, and the types of services that you need. It will also ask when you need the service and how you want to receive updates, such as email or text. This feature might prove popular among those younger users, whom studies have shown struggle with making phone calls. Robby Stein, Google Search's vice president of product, notes that the company's Gemini model uses Duplex to make calls. 'Gemini, with Duplex tech, will be able to make calls on your behalf,' Stein tells The Verge, adding that the calling tool will 'announce itself as an AI from Google trying to get information on behalf of a customer and get your info and details conveyed so that you don't have to spend all of this time doing this.' After the AI gets the information it needs, it will provide an update over text about available times or prices. Business owners can opt out of receiving AI calls in their profile settings on Google. Though this feature is now generally available, Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers will receive 'higher limits' that allow them to use the feature more. In addition to widely rolling out its agentic calling tool, Google has also started testing its more advanced Gemini 2.5 Pro in AI Mode, the AI-powered search tool that Google brought to everyone in the US in May. AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers who have opted into the AI Mode experiment in Labs can now choose Gemini 2.5 Pro, which Stein says works 'particularly great for advanced reasoning, math, and code.' AI Mode uses a custom Gemini 2.0 series model by default. Google is experimenting with putting its Deep Search feature in AI Mode, as well, allowing users to have AI Mode craft in-depth reports about a query. 'The model is actually reasoning and thinking of questions to ask and Google searches to perform,' Stein says. 'As it's constructing the response, it will actually check its work and issue further questions in this kind of multi-step reasoning chain.' This feature will also be available to AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers in Google Labs.
CBC
a day ago
- General
- CBC
This man with dementia was denied internet due to a phone call confrontation — but he can't remember the call
Social Sharing When Andrew Poisson caled local internet provider MNSi, looking for coverage for his aging parents, he thought it would be simple enough to get their service changed over. But that's when he says he discovered the household had been "blacklisted" by the provider over a reported phone call confrontation between his stepfather, Don and a company representative, years ago. But the catch? Don has Alzheimer's and has been losing his memory for more than a decade. He has no recollection of any phone call. The family's internet went down last week and since it was becoming a more frequent occurrence, decided it was time to switch providers. Poisson contacted MNSI because they have good coverage in the neighbourhood and it's what many of their nieghbours use. "And when we tried to get them to come out and hook it up, we found out that my parents were blacklisted," Poisson said. "The only reason they gave was there was some kind of verbal confrontation years ago with my stepfather. My stepfather's 88 years old, he suffers from dementia and he doesn't remember any conversation with them." Poisson, who is visiting his parents from the U.S., said the company didn't provide any information regarding the refusal, but just mentioned his dad's name. When he explained Don's disposition in a call Thursday morning, Poisson said it didn't make a difference. Don also said he doesn't remember that phone conversation. 'Not right' Kathy Daly, Don's wife, said they had tried to get MNSi services a couple of years ago but were denied for the same reason. "My husband is the mildest person. He doesn't confront or swear or do any of these things," she said. "Anybody who knows Don would find it hard to believe that he would have a confrontation with anybody about anything." Kathy said she asked customer support for a recording of the phone conversation but was told that it had been erased. "I wish they would come to the house and meet Don and know exactly who they're refusing service to," Poisson said, urging MNSi to make the effort "to at least know the customer". "It seems very discriminatory and not right." Poisson said Don is "a wonderful human being" who has done a lot for Windsor. 'Decisions are based solely on the nature of the interactions': MNSi MNSi will not reveal the specifics of individual customer interactions citing privacy concerns. The company did not directly respond to the family's concerns. In an emailed statement, company's president and owner Clayton Zekelman said that while they strive to resolve concerns, they cannot tolerate conduct that compromises the well-being or dignity of their team members. "When decisions are made to refuse service as a result of interactions between customers and our staff, such decisions are based solely on the nature of the interactions and are in no way related to any protected grounds under the Canadian Human Rights Act or applicable provincial human rights legislation," he said. 'Unfair' that a company can't understand Don worked at CBC Windsor from 1965 until 1990 as a sports broadcaster. Kathy says she wants to know why the company can't be more understanding. "The whole thing just seems unfair and I don't know why," she said. "What could Don possibly say, that would be so bad as to deny service. It just does not make sense in my mind."
