Did you know you can track Santa’s progress tonight via NORAD?
Yep, as in the North American Aerospace Defense Command. And all because of a misprinted phone number.
Back in 1955, a newspaper ad for a Sears store in Colorado Springs advertised a direct line to Santa Claus. Callers instead reached CONRAD — NORAD’s predecessor — and hotline operator Colonel Harry Shoup obligingly used the radar to track Santa for the kids on the line.
That’s customer service, folks.
And a tradition was born. Since 1958, NORAD volunteers have personally responded to phone calls and emails about Santa from children all around the world. Today NORAD provides up-to-the-minute info on Santa’s location via Google Earth and Google Maps, and Twitter and Facebook posts about each sighting, including the cookies and beverages consumed by the big man at each stop.
Talk about turning a wrong into a right.
Way to go, Harry.
Posted in Business, Christmas, Commentary, Holiday, Humor, Internet, Life
Tagged Business, children, Christmas, Colonel Harry Shoup, Colorado Springs, commentary, CONRAD, Facebook, Google Earth, Google Maps, Holiday, hotline, Humor, Internet, newspaper ad, NORAD, North American Aerospace Defense Command, phone number, radar, santa, Santa Claus, Sears, tracking Santa, turning a wrong into a right, Twitter
That’s the spirit
Did you know you can track Santa’s progress tonight via NORAD?
Yep, as in the North American Aerospace Defense Command. And all because of a misprinted phone number.
Back in 1955, a newspaper ad for a Sears store in Colorado Springs advertised a direct line to Santa Claus. Callers instead reached CONRAD — NORAD’s predecessor — and hotline operator Colonel Harry Shoup obligingly used the radar to track Santa for the kids on the line.
That’s customer service, folks.
And a tradition was born. Since 1958, NORAD volunteers have personally responded to phone calls and emails about Santa from children all around the world. Today NORAD provides up-to-the-minute info on Santa’s location via Google Earth and Google Maps, and Twitter and Facebook posts about each sighting, including the cookies and beverages consumed by the big man at each stop.
Talk about turning a wrong into a right.
Way to go, Harry.
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Posted in Business, Christmas, Commentary, Holiday, Humor, Internet, Life
Tagged Business, children, Christmas, Colonel Harry Shoup, Colorado Springs, commentary, CONRAD, Facebook, Google Earth, Google Maps, Holiday, hotline, Humor, Internet, newspaper ad, NORAD, North American Aerospace Defense Command, phone number, radar, santa, Santa Claus, Sears, tracking Santa, turning a wrong into a right, Twitter