We wanted all the inside scoop on that super cool and very popular groovy green headset, so early in December we sent TriXie straight to the source: the Plantronics factory in Tijuana, Mexico. Here’s her report …
TriXie Does Tijuana San Diego, California. December 8, 2004. I’m in a Chevy Venture minivan with six guys, headed for the Mexican border. It’s like prom night all over again (kidding!). I’d flown down with two of my favorite Xbox® guys, Rob Walker and Scott Loomis, who do all the cool peripherals for Xbox. We met up with four Plantronics dudes, and piled in the minivan. The cool thing about being the only girl on this trip? I could play the chick card the entire time. They carried my junk, let me ride shotgun, opened doors for me, etc, etc, etc. That just never got old to me. Here’s the cast of characters:
Rob "Commando" Walker. Boss of the Xbox Peripherals Team. He thinks that packing light for a one week trip to China means only bringing one pair of skivvies—hence his nickname. Rob is pretty important here in Redmond, but in Mexico I made him my video biatch.
Scott Loomis. Manager of third-party Xbox Peripherals. Our flight back to Seattle was cancelled and we three Xbox-ers had to fly standby. The airline gave Scott the last standby seat and he let me have it. He and Rob took a much later flight. Because he was so kind to me, I promised not to reveal that his nickname on this trip was "Crusty."
Thomas Jechart. Product Manager. Poor Thomas had to drive the whole time and everyone flipped him crap—just because he went through a red light or two in San Diego. He desperately wanted to purchase this atrocious cockfighting souvenir when we were waiting to cross the border, but I talked him out of it. He also let me drink his Diet Coke.
L-R: Dean, David, Matt, and Scott.
Matt Miller. Director of Retail Channel Marketing. His Gamertag is snarlybigmatt. Was a good sport when I volunteered him to appear in the How to Wear the Headset video (see sidebar). Matt recommended another Plantronics product to me: the Roadrunner. This beauty is a Bluetooth headset that lets you switch between your cell phone and your land line at the touch of a button—it’s masterful.
Dean Hovey. Vice President and General Manager, Mobile & Entertainment. When I found out that Dean was a VP I informed him that as ranking officer he was responsible for bailing my ass out of jail should the need arise. Dean is such a gentleman that not only did he escort me to the ATM so I wouldn’t get abducted, but he actually stood up when I came to the breakfast table. Seriously, I thought that only happened in Cary Grant movies. Dean’s my hero.
David Ovadia. Director of Product Management, Consumer Products. David’s the new guy. He’d only been with Plantronics for a few weeks. The story was that they were sending him down to the factory in TJ so he’d get a feel for the product or something, but I have come to believe that making him spend two days with me was an elaborate and particularly unpleasant initiation ritual. Oh, those crazy Plantronics boys!
