This all started a few days ago at work. I don't always deal with customers but the ones I do, are usually not happy. The thing is over the years I have learned to care for a customer like a friend. I mean old habits die hard. These customers I talk to are transferred to me by other agents that couldn't reach a compromise with the customer for them to move on. One of the things they do is warn me about how bad or good the customer has been on the phone, which doesn't help me. It makes my heart sink into my stomach before I even get the customer on the phone. Now sometimes I get a customer that once I listen I can usually get them to schedule an appointment we can agree on a resolution or steps we are going to take to get to the resolution. Sometime between right now and tomorrow night. It just isn't realistic to believe that there are people sitting at the end of your street waiting for you to call.
So the incident that brought on this post was a customer that has had service issues and I acknowledged that. We had been out before but the first word out of his mouth was not the greeting any woman or female dog would want. It was not a conversation about resolutions or anything else that might have been constructive. I know this man SCREAMED at me for quite a while and I put him on hold which meets two points, one I can think and two I was trying to get him calm down so I can help fix the trouble. When I returned he continued to SCREAM at me again, for quite a while at one point told me I didn't care and I said, "If I didn't I would have already hung up." I did get him an appointment and it was for that afternoon. Even after that it wasn't enough and he SCREAMED more.
I did what I needed to do but the only thing that kept me listening to this man's abusive tirade was that I didn't want him to call back and treat someone else like that. I feared that it might happen anyway with the promises he made during the periods that he wasn't SCREAMING.
I have worked with customers of one sort or another my entire working life, everyone does. Not are they always customers as we are when we shop in Publix but sometimes customers as in another employee that works for the same company that you help resolve an issue to help them complete the job. At Eckerd I would fix someone's in-house email password so they could do their job but they were my customer or assisted with how to use the email service back when that was new. I have always thought that if a customer asks for help I should take them to the product they are looking for or help them as much as I can without doing their job for them.
The point of all this is expectations of customers who believe they are always right. Well like a child having a tantrum kicking and screaming on the floor in the front of the store, that is not going to get you a toy or a piece of candy and it shouldn't. Rewarding poor behavior will not get us anywhere. Acknowledging a problem, and a compromising resolution these are the things that are realistic. I know in my time doing customer service over the phone in other jobs, where I was truly trying to help them fix their problem. One call resolution was what we called it. That was you called in to get help and the person that answered the phone fixed the problem or scheduled an appointment. You the customer off the phone in 15 minutes or so and know that if the issue isn't fixed it will be whenever that tech gets out to fix whatever the problem is.
So why a few weeks ago did Brian call the phone company because the pole in front of our house had been switched out and there was a line hanging down draping across the driveway. It wasn't ours it was to our neighbor who doesn't live in the house year round, he was just trying to help and get the line fixed or cut down. He was on the phone more than an hour and was transferred 11 times and when he hung up they said it would be two weeks before someone could come out. Now how does a company think that that is effective customer service. I would have given up long before that and waited until I saw a utility truck on the street and gotten them to cut it or fix it. Ironically, that afternoon the power company was back out to remove the old pole and took care of the line. Not his line but the other company's. Not because it was his job but it was the right thing to do.
As an employee that has no bearing on what happens before or after I talk to techs or customers I do the best I can to assist them or point them in the direction of the best person or department to fix their issue.
FYI. There is no better satisfaction than a tech telling me how many other people and how many departments they have spoken to and a few well placed clicks of my keyboard and I have resolve their problem and that of the customer.
Saturday, April 27, 2019
Sunday, February 18, 2018
If not results Hope.
The Beatles sung "All we need is love" but in truth after any tragedy I think the thing people need most is Hope. Another shooting another time I can not watch tv or listen to the news and again the sadness returns. I watched CBS Sunday Morning today as I do every week. Knowing at some point I may have to pause or fast forward through names and numbers I can't hear. I know to those that lost someone hearing their name makes you think they will be remembered but I can tell you 5 years afterwards that sometimes that is the hardest thing. Not that you don't love and remember those that you lost but just like losing my mom sometimes it is easier not to think about the end and just remember the good times we had.
Well seeing the young man from the high school speak his mind about change and about expecting something this time from people in positions of power who have not budged before on gun laws made me think. The thing this kid wants is hope. Now I know how this thing played out in the past and every tragedy the survivors think this is the time that Congress is going to listen. This time there will be change. Well the one thing the young man said today that got me was that if they elected officials don't make a change that we will have to. Now in my mind that is saying if you won't change the laws fine expect the end of your term to be the end of your political career. Because honestly people don't change and if you want change then you want new people. And the only way that happens if more than 5 percent of the voting population get out and vote for a change.
I always find it interesting how time changes your perspective on an event. But some situations shouldn't have to happen. In 2011 I volunteered at my nephew's school a few times a week while I was unemployed. I went through a back ground check and a stood outside for fire drills and sat on the floor under the window during a lock down with the blinds closed. These things were all before our family's tragedy. Before I believed it could happen to someone I love. As a volunteer sometimes the teacher would let me know the drill was coming just so I was prepared and knew what to do to assist.
As for Hope. After Brian and I came home we went to a group counseling for people who had lost relatives. I only went once. I couldn't do it again because what I wanted was to see progress. To see that it gets better. I wanted to see time does heal all wounds. Even big gaping ones that you at that moment can't imagine healing. I will not share the things I heard that night but I didn't see hope. It could be that group had been together a long time and they commiserated with each other and their pain but Brian and I were not the only people there that night for the first time and some of these people had been dealing with their loss for years and I felt were no further along in the grieving process than we were. I found other people to talk to and I found that those people didn't have to live through the same things that I did to listen. Same goes for all the rest of the people and their own personal struggles. Sometimes someone on the outside looking in can gleam a bit of hope for you.
So before I go to work today again I pray. A prayer I have prayed to many times before but because I have hope will probably pray again. Dear Father please watch over the people suffering losses this big because any loss is a large loss to You. Hold them in Your hands and let them know that their is hope. There is a light and that light is You. Amen.
Well seeing the young man from the high school speak his mind about change and about expecting something this time from people in positions of power who have not budged before on gun laws made me think. The thing this kid wants is hope. Now I know how this thing played out in the past and every tragedy the survivors think this is the time that Congress is going to listen. This time there will be change. Well the one thing the young man said today that got me was that if they elected officials don't make a change that we will have to. Now in my mind that is saying if you won't change the laws fine expect the end of your term to be the end of your political career. Because honestly people don't change and if you want change then you want new people. And the only way that happens if more than 5 percent of the voting population get out and vote for a change.
I always find it interesting how time changes your perspective on an event. But some situations shouldn't have to happen. In 2011 I volunteered at my nephew's school a few times a week while I was unemployed. I went through a back ground check and a stood outside for fire drills and sat on the floor under the window during a lock down with the blinds closed. These things were all before our family's tragedy. Before I believed it could happen to someone I love. As a volunteer sometimes the teacher would let me know the drill was coming just so I was prepared and knew what to do to assist.
As for Hope. After Brian and I came home we went to a group counseling for people who had lost relatives. I only went once. I couldn't do it again because what I wanted was to see progress. To see that it gets better. I wanted to see time does heal all wounds. Even big gaping ones that you at that moment can't imagine healing. I will not share the things I heard that night but I didn't see hope. It could be that group had been together a long time and they commiserated with each other and their pain but Brian and I were not the only people there that night for the first time and some of these people had been dealing with their loss for years and I felt were no further along in the grieving process than we were. I found other people to talk to and I found that those people didn't have to live through the same things that I did to listen. Same goes for all the rest of the people and their own personal struggles. Sometimes someone on the outside looking in can gleam a bit of hope for you.
So before I go to work today again I pray. A prayer I have prayed to many times before but because I have hope will probably pray again. Dear Father please watch over the people suffering losses this big because any loss is a large loss to You. Hold them in Your hands and let them know that their is hope. There is a light and that light is You. Amen.
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
How did this happen?
Someone commented on a recent post I wrote on how much thought goes into what I write. Well really everything I do. When I sat down this morning, the 9th of November 2016 I intentionally did not turn on the TV or go to any of the news media's webpages to find out who the next President of the United States will be. I know it is one of two people neither of which I voted for. I thought about that very seriously. Here is what I decided:
The reason I did not vote for either of the main candidates was that I felt that neither of them were the best choice. No amount of commercials or phone calls to my house could make me choose. I would get the question, "if the election was today who would you choose." and my answer every time was I don't know.
I had considered the lesser of two evil approach which maybe that would have been better but I don't know who won so I don't know the answer to that. I could have helped one or the other out since I know as of last night Florida was a state that they were very close in the polls and returns. But that should not be the approach we take in electing our President. I also considered the fact that I always thought a woman would be a good President but I don't know that the woman running was the candidate I wanted to choose.
In my life I have voted in almost all the elections since I turned 18 and it got to the point where the percentage of people voting was so small that there were times that I thought why doesn't everyone take this seriously. Well... Now will the rest of this country take elections seriously. You have a right to vote being a citizen of this country but you also have an obligation to help select the next "Leader of the Free World". I don't want to be embarrassed by things that our President says and does. One of the candidates has already spent time in the White House and had embarrassing moments there already. Did we really want more of that? Or do we want a business person who's ethics were lost before Millennials were even born. One way or another one of them will be sworn into office in January.
People often say life was better when I was a kid. I had freedom to go outside and play til the street lights came on and my parents didn't worry that I had been abducted. Even people who have lived through times of war in this country saw the good in the times that people helped each other out. Women went to work to support the war effort. Everyone was doing their part. Victory gardens and tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree. Times were hard but life was simple.
I know we can't go back but kids today don't know any better. If I never again see an ad on TV talking bad about another candidate I will be happy. How did we get to this point? I tried this past week to look up information on a candidate for Sheriff here where I live and his entire webpage was dedicated to the wrong doings of the other candidate. I couldn't find any information on his webpage about him. Instead of spending money on talking bad about someone else please tell me the good that you can do or have already done.
So here is my idea for running for office. If every time someone offered money for your election campaign you said donate that money to a local charity instead of all the millions of dollars spent on negative ad campaigns we could have provided charities all across this country with money that maybe they could do some good with, instead of padding the TV and Print Ad companies pockets.
I think if $100,000 is donated in the name of your campaign word will get out that you are doing some good in the world and not bad talking the other candidates.
I know in this day and age that what ever bad you have done in your life is probably already on the internet and that is probably the reason people that could be excellent candidates for office decide not to run because maybe they have dirty laundry and don't want it strewn across their front yard for everyone to see. But I guess we have 4 more years to think about all of this and see if we can get collective heads off of the internet and back to real life and realize that this isn't reality TV this is for real and one of those two people will now become our next President.
Our children or grandchildren will study this election and ask how did it happen? And hopefully we will be able to show the good that comes from the error in our ways. God Bless America.
The reason I did not vote for either of the main candidates was that I felt that neither of them were the best choice. No amount of commercials or phone calls to my house could make me choose. I would get the question, "if the election was today who would you choose." and my answer every time was I don't know.
I had considered the lesser of two evil approach which maybe that would have been better but I don't know who won so I don't know the answer to that. I could have helped one or the other out since I know as of last night Florida was a state that they were very close in the polls and returns. But that should not be the approach we take in electing our President. I also considered the fact that I always thought a woman would be a good President but I don't know that the woman running was the candidate I wanted to choose.
In my life I have voted in almost all the elections since I turned 18 and it got to the point where the percentage of people voting was so small that there were times that I thought why doesn't everyone take this seriously. Well... Now will the rest of this country take elections seriously. You have a right to vote being a citizen of this country but you also have an obligation to help select the next "Leader of the Free World". I don't want to be embarrassed by things that our President says and does. One of the candidates has already spent time in the White House and had embarrassing moments there already. Did we really want more of that? Or do we want a business person who's ethics were lost before Millennials were even born. One way or another one of them will be sworn into office in January.
People often say life was better when I was a kid. I had freedom to go outside and play til the street lights came on and my parents didn't worry that I had been abducted. Even people who have lived through times of war in this country saw the good in the times that people helped each other out. Women went to work to support the war effort. Everyone was doing their part. Victory gardens and tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree. Times were hard but life was simple.
I know we can't go back but kids today don't know any better. If I never again see an ad on TV talking bad about another candidate I will be happy. How did we get to this point? I tried this past week to look up information on a candidate for Sheriff here where I live and his entire webpage was dedicated to the wrong doings of the other candidate. I couldn't find any information on his webpage about him. Instead of spending money on talking bad about someone else please tell me the good that you can do or have already done.
So here is my idea for running for office. If every time someone offered money for your election campaign you said donate that money to a local charity instead of all the millions of dollars spent on negative ad campaigns we could have provided charities all across this country with money that maybe they could do some good with, instead of padding the TV and Print Ad companies pockets.
I think if $100,000 is donated in the name of your campaign word will get out that you are doing some good in the world and not bad talking the other candidates.
I know in this day and age that what ever bad you have done in your life is probably already on the internet and that is probably the reason people that could be excellent candidates for office decide not to run because maybe they have dirty laundry and don't want it strewn across their front yard for everyone to see. But I guess we have 4 more years to think about all of this and see if we can get collective heads off of the internet and back to real life and realize that this isn't reality TV this is for real and one of those two people will now become our next President.
Our children or grandchildren will study this election and ask how did it happen? And hopefully we will be able to show the good that comes from the error in our ways. God Bless America.
Friday, June 17, 2016
Another Tragedy in the World
So it is 5:30 in the morning and I cannot sleep. I can't turn off my brain and all I keep thinking is that I am avoiding the news and the stories and the drama on tv but my brain still knows it is going on.
I know the suffering the choices that people are making. I know that for some this is all more than they can take in and that somehow going out for a night on the town should never have turned to this tragedy. But it has. I always read a previous post before I start writing. Today I looked back to find what I had written after the Sandy Hook shooting. I first had a hard time finding the post. I didn't realize it was back in 2012, the same year as our own tragedy. After reading what I had written it came back. The feelings then were still fresh, the wounds still open and the anger was real. Part of me thought just re-post what you wrote back then. It is still true, my feelings have not changed and guess what neither has gun laws or the amount of suffering in the world. I do stop and check myself so I just looked up gun law changes in wake of Sandy Hook shooting as far as I could find nothing changed on a national level and only 3 states made changes to existing gun laws: Connecticut, New York and Maryland. So thank you to 3 out of 50 states for saying that a clip holding more than 10 rounds isn't necessary. I know some will think I am cruel but if Congress can't change laws after a shooting in an elementary school what makes anyone believe they will make a change after a shooting in a bar.
One thing that most don't realize when I write these thoughts I am so careful in what I say and have spent an hour writing and only written 2 paragraphs where normally my fingers are tired at this point from all the typing. I have erased more than I will probably share today. I think of the suffering and the sadness. I know that everyone deals with something like this in their own way. Some have to talk about it and get it out and others keep everything inside. I don't begrudge those that must talk about it just please don't talk to me about the details. If you want to talk about healing or getting through this that is fine but the details are not for me.
In the wake of this tragic event I will just remind the world that this is not over for all the families. Even though another week or so will pass and the news will start to wane. It will take months for some to be able to go out in public again and others may never. Family members will hold tight to a t-shirt or a teddy bear instead of their family member. Some will seek help and others will not. And for some years will pass in a blink of an eye and they will continue to live in these days. They hold on to the darkness and don't let in the light. They will be unable to move on. Unable to live their own lives. But they will not make the news. Their suffering will go unknown by most. This is where the terror lives. I think it is great that health care agencies are letting their patients know that they do have people that you can talk to on the phone and who may be able to help some deal with the tragedy.
So I have learned this morning that I today am more about the healing of the victims and their family members than the changing of the world.
In closing I pray. I pray for the victims those both with visible scars and those without. I know the wounds are real for both. I pray for the mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers. The friends and acquaintances of the victims. I even pray for those who may have thought of going out that night but decided they were too tired they to have survivors remorse. You will heal and it will take time. Be open and share your feelings. Take one day at a time and each decision that you make or don't make is ok. Everyone heals at a different rate and your healing will come. Amen.
I know the suffering the choices that people are making. I know that for some this is all more than they can take in and that somehow going out for a night on the town should never have turned to this tragedy. But it has. I always read a previous post before I start writing. Today I looked back to find what I had written after the Sandy Hook shooting. I first had a hard time finding the post. I didn't realize it was back in 2012, the same year as our own tragedy. After reading what I had written it came back. The feelings then were still fresh, the wounds still open and the anger was real. Part of me thought just re-post what you wrote back then. It is still true, my feelings have not changed and guess what neither has gun laws or the amount of suffering in the world. I do stop and check myself so I just looked up gun law changes in wake of Sandy Hook shooting as far as I could find nothing changed on a national level and only 3 states made changes to existing gun laws: Connecticut, New York and Maryland. So thank you to 3 out of 50 states for saying that a clip holding more than 10 rounds isn't necessary. I know some will think I am cruel but if Congress can't change laws after a shooting in an elementary school what makes anyone believe they will make a change after a shooting in a bar.
One thing that most don't realize when I write these thoughts I am so careful in what I say and have spent an hour writing and only written 2 paragraphs where normally my fingers are tired at this point from all the typing. I have erased more than I will probably share today. I think of the suffering and the sadness. I know that everyone deals with something like this in their own way. Some have to talk about it and get it out and others keep everything inside. I don't begrudge those that must talk about it just please don't talk to me about the details. If you want to talk about healing or getting through this that is fine but the details are not for me.
In the wake of this tragic event I will just remind the world that this is not over for all the families. Even though another week or so will pass and the news will start to wane. It will take months for some to be able to go out in public again and others may never. Family members will hold tight to a t-shirt or a teddy bear instead of their family member. Some will seek help and others will not. And for some years will pass in a blink of an eye and they will continue to live in these days. They hold on to the darkness and don't let in the light. They will be unable to move on. Unable to live their own lives. But they will not make the news. Their suffering will go unknown by most. This is where the terror lives. I think it is great that health care agencies are letting their patients know that they do have people that you can talk to on the phone and who may be able to help some deal with the tragedy.
So I have learned this morning that I today am more about the healing of the victims and their family members than the changing of the world.
In closing I pray. I pray for the victims those both with visible scars and those without. I know the wounds are real for both. I pray for the mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers. The friends and acquaintances of the victims. I even pray for those who may have thought of going out that night but decided they were too tired they to have survivors remorse. You will heal and it will take time. Be open and share your feelings. Take one day at a time and each decision that you make or don't make is ok. Everyone heals at a different rate and your healing will come. Amen.
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Pete Rose for President
Usually I start and I am not sure what I am going to say today I know what I am going to say and I even had a title before I sat down. Now you are thinking why? There are two things that really annoy me with the world. People don't care who gets hurt for the sake of the sport and people have a very short memory for some things that should not be forgotten. Same goes for politics. People forget or don't care. Some might argue that was in the past. But most people don't truly change so if we were to forgive and forget how come people that have been convicted of a crime have to divulge that information on most job application. But not when you want to play a professional sport or run for office. If you want to find out the bad thing someone did they leave that up to the other people running for office to run their slander campaign. Which most of us were probably taught if you don't have something nice to say don't say anything at all. Yet in the next few months me being a resident of Florida will be bombarded with ads on the television and the radio and even the news will take their political agenda on the road and on the air.
As the football season ends it makes me think of players that have been convicted of some major crimes but for the sake of the game they continue to play. I would not be able to sleep at night knowing that I employ a person who has killed animals for the sake of betting or let them be killed in his yard. I can not condone the behavior of athletes that beat their wives and girlfriends. The NFL has their month they dedicate to domestic abuse and that may make some feel better and be able to sleep at night but I wonder if the wife of the player using steroids to improve his playing realizes that that is also contributing to his abusive behavior.
So we are currently a 9 months away from the next Presidential election and we already have more than 20 people that have thrown their hat in the ring so to speak. And of course some have already dropped out. I cannot watch the debates with the likes of Donald Trump spewing out of his mouth the things that he does. It used to be that a debate had rules and protocol but then again so did the dinner table and most of those have been thrown out the window as well.
Here comes Spring Training and where I work I will have to leave early for the next few weeks so that people from places up north can come to Florida and watch the pro players get ready for the regular season. Now I am not a baseball fan but I will take a Spring Training game any day over a regular season game. There is that atmosphere of the smaller stadium and outside in the Florida sun with the cool breeze of what we call winter on your face.
Funny that tying sports and politics together does not seem to be much of a reach. There is a hierarchy among both sports teams and leagues as well as state and national governments. Since the rules are now getting thrown out during debates will we soon have no rules for baseball. Will it no longer be considered wrong to bet on the game you play or the team you play for. Really what difference does it make if you are buying your way into the White House or a baseball player just trying to make a better life for himself. Same difference.
So in 1989 when Pete Rose was getting thrown out of baseball, Ronald Reagan was still a President in the White House with all of his charm, wit and integrity. There was still a standard to be upheld. He himself had played sports. He was a man that people respected. I cannot name one person running for the office of President right now that I respect.
Now in the early 1990's Pete Rose paid for his crimes that he was convicted of and released. This is really when the problem begins for Pete. He tries to get back to life but the only life he ever knew was baseball and he is standing outside the fence watching the game and can't get back in ever. Now unfortunately he did probably know there were rules and he probably thought he wouldn't get caught but he did. He now signs autographs for die hard Cincinnati fans but he knows how different his life would have been if he would not have ever bet on baseball. But what is done is done and he has truly been paying for his crime for 25 years. Was Pete Rose a great player? Yes. Did he beat records that will never be beat, probably. Did he break the rules? Yes. Has he paid for his crimes? I say yes. Do you think that letting him in now is still not going to be difficult. People will still ridicule him for decisions he made 25 years ago. But today in the political arena we don't hold politicians responsible for the things they said yesterday. Do politicians receive votes and money illegally? Yes. But they have lawyers and speech writers that will spin the truth into a pretty sweater with your initials on it and you still vote for them. So I say why not Pete Rose. He has admitted what he did was wrong. I don't think he is going to bet on China vs US and since we teach kids to forgive and forget isn't it time we acknowledge what he did well and leave the rest of the small print for people 100 years from now to read about online while they read about the first woman president who has already had her way in the White House or have people already forgotten that people thought she was running the country anyway?
As the football season ends it makes me think of players that have been convicted of some major crimes but for the sake of the game they continue to play. I would not be able to sleep at night knowing that I employ a person who has killed animals for the sake of betting or let them be killed in his yard. I can not condone the behavior of athletes that beat their wives and girlfriends. The NFL has their month they dedicate to domestic abuse and that may make some feel better and be able to sleep at night but I wonder if the wife of the player using steroids to improve his playing realizes that that is also contributing to his abusive behavior.
So we are currently a 9 months away from the next Presidential election and we already have more than 20 people that have thrown their hat in the ring so to speak. And of course some have already dropped out. I cannot watch the debates with the likes of Donald Trump spewing out of his mouth the things that he does. It used to be that a debate had rules and protocol but then again so did the dinner table and most of those have been thrown out the window as well.
Here comes Spring Training and where I work I will have to leave early for the next few weeks so that people from places up north can come to Florida and watch the pro players get ready for the regular season. Now I am not a baseball fan but I will take a Spring Training game any day over a regular season game. There is that atmosphere of the smaller stadium and outside in the Florida sun with the cool breeze of what we call winter on your face.
Funny that tying sports and politics together does not seem to be much of a reach. There is a hierarchy among both sports teams and leagues as well as state and national governments. Since the rules are now getting thrown out during debates will we soon have no rules for baseball. Will it no longer be considered wrong to bet on the game you play or the team you play for. Really what difference does it make if you are buying your way into the White House or a baseball player just trying to make a better life for himself. Same difference.
So in 1989 when Pete Rose was getting thrown out of baseball, Ronald Reagan was still a President in the White House with all of his charm, wit and integrity. There was still a standard to be upheld. He himself had played sports. He was a man that people respected. I cannot name one person running for the office of President right now that I respect.
Now in the early 1990's Pete Rose paid for his crimes that he was convicted of and released. This is really when the problem begins for Pete. He tries to get back to life but the only life he ever knew was baseball and he is standing outside the fence watching the game and can't get back in ever. Now unfortunately he did probably know there were rules and he probably thought he wouldn't get caught but he did. He now signs autographs for die hard Cincinnati fans but he knows how different his life would have been if he would not have ever bet on baseball. But what is done is done and he has truly been paying for his crime for 25 years. Was Pete Rose a great player? Yes. Did he beat records that will never be beat, probably. Did he break the rules? Yes. Has he paid for his crimes? I say yes. Do you think that letting him in now is still not going to be difficult. People will still ridicule him for decisions he made 25 years ago. But today in the political arena we don't hold politicians responsible for the things they said yesterday. Do politicians receive votes and money illegally? Yes. But they have lawyers and speech writers that will spin the truth into a pretty sweater with your initials on it and you still vote for them. So I say why not Pete Rose. He has admitted what he did was wrong. I don't think he is going to bet on China vs US and since we teach kids to forgive and forget isn't it time we acknowledge what he did well and leave the rest of the small print for people 100 years from now to read about online while they read about the first woman president who has already had her way in the White House or have people already forgotten that people thought she was running the country anyway?
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Soup of the Day
Here I am at almost 5 o'clock in the morning thinking about soup? Some of you are shaking your head and thinking now I know she has lost it. That is funny losing it. Somethings your happy to lose like 20 lbs but you may be furious when you lose your wallet. Either way you no longer have something you used to. There are people out there that would be thrilled to gain 20 lbs and some that would be thrilled to find their wallet. I am trying to learn to live with the things I find and accept that the things I have lost are gone.
When you toss a coin either way it lands someone wins and someone loses. It is never going to end on it's side and be a draw. Lately a lot of people believe we should toss again because the flip did not land their way. This is how I got to soup of the day.
Soups are of two basic kinds water base or cream based. You can add the same vegetables or meats and spices to both and you end up with two totally different things. Manhattan clam chowder or New England clam chowder. They are both made with clams but some will not eat one but love the other. Some people will not eat tomato soup with water added and some will not eat the tomato soup with cream added. I am of the school if I do not have cream to add I will add water. I just want tomato soup with my grilled cheese. Oh my we can not discuss grilled cheese. Because do I want brie, or mozzarella or American cheese. Do we want organic cheese or pasteurized cheese slices that I am not sure actually have any cheese in them at all but the label says they have milk. Hmm so why would you not eat tomato soup with milk or cream but you will eat the grilled cheese that is not even made with cheese but the label says it has milk in it?
So am I really pondering this morning about soup and grilled cheese. Well no. I am pondering love and hate. Which I have always said are really not that far apart. They are both based on passion. Because if you are not passionate about whatever the subject you will neither love it nor hate it. Now I am also of the school that I try very hard not to say that I hate anything. Even people. I mean I am no better or worse than anyone else so yes I do love and at times I do hate but I really try not to be so passionate towards the one end of the scale. Now I don't really care if you hate tomato soup and grilled cheese. Even if it is my favorite comfort food. Just more for me if you don't want to share in it. You can take it or leave it. Either way I am still going to take what I want and leave what I don't.
As you all know I do not watch the news anymore. Most of my news comes from social media which at times I can take it or leave it. Sometimes I have to leave it alone for a while as well. Mostly because of love and hate. Because people feel like the things that they love are right and the things others love are wrong.
How could that be? Isn't all love good. Well no. A very bad type of love just came to my mind that I will not share because well that is how I am. I may even think that I would hate people that choose that kind of love and am I right or wrong.? You don't know because you don't know what I am talking about.
See lately a lot of people have been showing their love and their hate for lets say chicken soup all over the internet. I am sick of chicken soup and tomorrow or today I am going to get broccoli cheese soup or french onion soup. The funny thing about soup is you can choose whatever kind you like but some restaurants are not going to serve both. Hmm. Why do they hate chicken noodle? What did the chicken noodle soup do to them. Well some will not eat it because it has chicken in it and they are vegetarians. Ok by me. Eat carrot soup. If you don't want to go to that restaurant because they do not serve carrot soup it is ok by me as well.
Same can be said for being American most of us love the freedom that comes with being an American. Some of our ancestors gave up everything for the hope of more. More freedom, more jobs, more money. Or maybe better working conditions and better housing conditions. But as they find out once they landed in our great land the streets are not paved with gold. And to have more freedom does not mean it is easier to always find a job with better working conditions or housing that is of a higher standard.
I have always thought it strange that at this time of the morning there is someone on tv somewhere asking you to give to a charity to help children in another country get the food and water they so desperately need. But rarely do you see someone asking you to help the children across the street that may not have food or clean water to drink. So why. Why do we spend money on teaching children in other parts of the world of democracy but here we teach the children how to take a test.
I could go on and on asking why. Why citizens of this country fight and die for freedom half way around the world but it is ok if you express your freedom in your yard but if your neighbor wants to express their freedom you throw a flag and say hey I do not share your passion for your freedom so I do not want it in your yard. How dare you eat chicken noodle soup in your house I am a vegetarian. Yet our sons and daughters go half way around the world so the people have the freedom to eat whatever soup is put in front of them and they are thrilled just to have the soup.
So my soup of the day is both political and religious and it represents people everywhere. Just let your neighbor eat their soup and Love thy neighbor. Someday you may need them to bring you soup and that day you will be thankful that they cared enough to bring whatever soup they had for you but you will also have the freedom to choose not to eat it.
When you toss a coin either way it lands someone wins and someone loses. It is never going to end on it's side and be a draw. Lately a lot of people believe we should toss again because the flip did not land their way. This is how I got to soup of the day.
Soups are of two basic kinds water base or cream based. You can add the same vegetables or meats and spices to both and you end up with two totally different things. Manhattan clam chowder or New England clam chowder. They are both made with clams but some will not eat one but love the other. Some people will not eat tomato soup with water added and some will not eat the tomato soup with cream added. I am of the school if I do not have cream to add I will add water. I just want tomato soup with my grilled cheese. Oh my we can not discuss grilled cheese. Because do I want brie, or mozzarella or American cheese. Do we want organic cheese or pasteurized cheese slices that I am not sure actually have any cheese in them at all but the label says they have milk. Hmm so why would you not eat tomato soup with milk or cream but you will eat the grilled cheese that is not even made with cheese but the label says it has milk in it?
So am I really pondering this morning about soup and grilled cheese. Well no. I am pondering love and hate. Which I have always said are really not that far apart. They are both based on passion. Because if you are not passionate about whatever the subject you will neither love it nor hate it. Now I am also of the school that I try very hard not to say that I hate anything. Even people. I mean I am no better or worse than anyone else so yes I do love and at times I do hate but I really try not to be so passionate towards the one end of the scale. Now I don't really care if you hate tomato soup and grilled cheese. Even if it is my favorite comfort food. Just more for me if you don't want to share in it. You can take it or leave it. Either way I am still going to take what I want and leave what I don't.
As you all know I do not watch the news anymore. Most of my news comes from social media which at times I can take it or leave it. Sometimes I have to leave it alone for a while as well. Mostly because of love and hate. Because people feel like the things that they love are right and the things others love are wrong.
How could that be? Isn't all love good. Well no. A very bad type of love just came to my mind that I will not share because well that is how I am. I may even think that I would hate people that choose that kind of love and am I right or wrong.? You don't know because you don't know what I am talking about.
See lately a lot of people have been showing their love and their hate for lets say chicken soup all over the internet. I am sick of chicken soup and tomorrow or today I am going to get broccoli cheese soup or french onion soup. The funny thing about soup is you can choose whatever kind you like but some restaurants are not going to serve both. Hmm. Why do they hate chicken noodle? What did the chicken noodle soup do to them. Well some will not eat it because it has chicken in it and they are vegetarians. Ok by me. Eat carrot soup. If you don't want to go to that restaurant because they do not serve carrot soup it is ok by me as well.
Same can be said for being American most of us love the freedom that comes with being an American. Some of our ancestors gave up everything for the hope of more. More freedom, more jobs, more money. Or maybe better working conditions and better housing conditions. But as they find out once they landed in our great land the streets are not paved with gold. And to have more freedom does not mean it is easier to always find a job with better working conditions or housing that is of a higher standard.
I have always thought it strange that at this time of the morning there is someone on tv somewhere asking you to give to a charity to help children in another country get the food and water they so desperately need. But rarely do you see someone asking you to help the children across the street that may not have food or clean water to drink. So why. Why do we spend money on teaching children in other parts of the world of democracy but here we teach the children how to take a test.
I could go on and on asking why. Why citizens of this country fight and die for freedom half way around the world but it is ok if you express your freedom in your yard but if your neighbor wants to express their freedom you throw a flag and say hey I do not share your passion for your freedom so I do not want it in your yard. How dare you eat chicken noodle soup in your house I am a vegetarian. Yet our sons and daughters go half way around the world so the people have the freedom to eat whatever soup is put in front of them and they are thrilled just to have the soup.
So my soup of the day is both political and religious and it represents people everywhere. Just let your neighbor eat their soup and Love thy neighbor. Someday you may need them to bring you soup and that day you will be thankful that they cared enough to bring whatever soup they had for you but you will also have the freedom to choose not to eat it.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Customer is always right?
My mind has been lots of places these last few days but last night at work and on the way home I thought about the saying "The customer is always right." I found on Wikipedia this morning that the phrase is over 100 years old. Said first by Marshal Field or Harry Gordon Selfridge who worked for Marshal Field department stores and later started his own department store in London.
Now I find this tidbit of information to be ironic. These same two fellows were the first people to use the __Days left until Christmas countdown in advertising. This is AMAZING that the same guy who said to make the customer first also initiated the mad dash for December 25. If you do not find this to be a ironic you have probably never worked in Customer Service or Retail.
People who don't work with customers that push paper or whatever it is that people do in dark cubicles at the end of the hall where only lost people stop and say hello may never have the opportunity to be face to face with their adversary, sorry I mean customer. I think that people that do not have contact with the person on the other end of their transaction are less likely to feel compassion for them or empathize with the customers situation can easily deny a mortgage or insurance claim. There is no face attached to the piece of paper no heart or soul shown. Same can be said when the customer receives back the claim that was denied or the foreclosure order. There is no heart or soul exposed. Maybe that is why we assume the person who made the decision is heartless or has no soul of their own. I know I can be easily side tracked but I am getting somewhere. I can understand that it could be easier to make a decision based solely on the facts if you do not have to look the person in the face or hear their disappointment over the phone. So this blog is for you. Those who think you are always right and know there are only 24 days left until Christmas.
Please keep in mind that as you stand on the side of the counter closest to the door or are on the end of the phone that it has somehow become acceptable for you to hang up abruptly on the person trying to assist you that the person on the enclosed side of the counter and on the end of the phone that they are told to be polite to the customer that person to has a heart and a soul. They have feelings and they do understand your situation. They have dealt with many of you before and will help many more after you are gone.
I know that on my end of the phone I do not know that your kids are sick and you do rely on your home phone service to leave them home alone while you go to work because you can not afford to take off work. I know you are frustrated that I told you that you will have to wait a day and a half for a technician because we are backed up because of the holiday last week. I will try to accommodate your availability but I do have restraints that the company mandates but they do give me the leeway to break the rules to help you. But sometimes even then. Even after all that I have tried and my years of experience I can not make something work that is broke all the time. Now, you have been fine but your wife in the background is furious and yelling. Not sure why but I try to understand her frustration. As she takes the phone from you and starts yelling at me I am still trying to be understanding and sympathetic and accommodating. I am now being cussed at. Sworn at. Screamed at. Now for you the mortgage processor or insurance adjuster that does not ever have the benefit of this sort of transaction let me tell you to be on my end of the phone SUCKS.
I will now flip the coin for you. I came to work today because I would feel guilty to take time off from work even though yes, my mom did have a stroke over the holiday weekend and yes, she is in the hospital but she is doing so much better than on Saturday when I could not understand a word she said. My brother went to work today even though he had to call 911 after having trouble getting her to respond after taking a face plant on the back patio. My sisters all went to work as well after dealing with the stress of this situation on our holiday weekend as well. Ironically we all work in the public. My brother does not have as much contact as the rest of us but he is out in the world dealing with the people that get in the way of his lawnmower or blower. But my sisters and I put on the happy face and did our job. We all help people all day long in different jobs but we are on the side of the counter that we can not easily walk away from the situation.
So let me get back to where I was going. I remember lots of customers by their situations. I do not remember names or any personal information. My head hits the delete button as soon as the information passes through my ears and past my eyes. I only mentioned once last night that my mom was in the hospital. Don't remember anything about the lady but she was sweet and she asked my moms first name. I told her Jeanne. She said, "I will say a prayer for your mom tonight". As the tears welled up in my eyes I finished that call and moved on to the next. That is my job.
But time after time last night I ran into people that were livid about their services not working. This is not unique to my line of work or in retail. In retail establishments all across the country there were people that saw an ad in the paper for a flat screen TV for $98. Limited quantities. This to me says get there early or you may not get a TV. If I do not get the price I move on. If it was life or death I would have been standing in the store at 4AM when the sale started. But no TV is that important to me. No object is that important to me. I always keep in mind my roots on the back side of the counter and try not to be the customer that is letting loose on the cashier or the agent on the phone. I am not perfect and I have done it. It was probably 6 months ago and I could not deal with one more thing and a person called me and told me I that what I believed to be so as far as my service went was not the case. I did yell and I did cry and I did say I am sorry and I do not mean to be this customer and I need to hang up. The guy gave me his number and said to call him back. I have never called back. Not because I am embarrassed but because I still do not want to deal with the issue and it still makes me mad.
Alright so where is all this mumbo jumbo going. There are 24 days left until Christmas. That is a fact. The objects which you wish to give your friends and family members do not replace love nor does the dollar amount of the gift prove their value. So keep all of that in perspective and value the time that you spend with your friends and family these next few weeks. You do not know when one of the people that means the most may be gone. You do not know what the person on the other side of the counter or on the other end of the phone is going through. I am not expecting to undo a 100 years of misinformation in one Christmas Season. But I would like to see each of you stop and say Thanks to the person that helps you find that perfect object and cashier that rings you up. Maybe stop and drop some change in the Salvation Army's bucket instead of walking by complaining of the obnoxious bell. Be thankful for the work they do. The people they help are thankful for your donations even though they do not see your face and can not shake your hand and let you know personally. They know that whomever made the donation must be a generous, compassionate human being.
So I will turn that upside down on you. When you call and ask for help or walk into a retail establishment imagine that you are the person in need and the agent on the phone or the cashier or store associate is the generous, compassionate human being that just want you to be well. And they are willing to give their last few cents or their knowledge to help you get what you need to make you happy and healthy and keep you safe.
That is what the customer is always right means to me.
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