Customer Service on the Phone

Have you ever made a call, gone through menu after menu which includes entering your account #, to finally get a person and they ask...FOR THE ACCOUNT#? Arrh! That annoys me still, but not as much it did before I worked in a call center.

There are sooo many things that can affect whether the person gets the info you entered or not. From the company not using all of the technology correctly, to a major outage from their phone provider, to short wrap up times between calls. So if the person doesn't answer the phone & say "Hello Ms. Remnants, how may I help you?" Then usually ask them what do they need to help me. Sometimes the account #, or maybe the reason for my call. The call can go smoother if they can go through their own menus and ask you for the info as they get to it.

One thing that I didn't know before I worked in a call center is that if the company has the right technology a call center an be a great place for blind or visually impaired people to work. I am soo in aww of the blind people that I worked with, because they have to listen to the computer in one ear & the customer in the other. They have to remember how many times to tab to certain places to enter info & just memorize so much that I just depend on my sight to do. But they pretty much had to meet the same goals that those of us that could see did.

I know I've called somewhere & there was a rude person on the phone, especially in those companies that once they have you locked into a contract they don't have to work to keep loyal customers. Can you say Cable Companies, Ricky? But I guess I try to be pleasant even when I have a major issue, like waiting during that half day window & the technician hasn't called or come.

I could probably go another 10 paragraphs on scenarios & situations, but I'm off to see a movie.

I do have to say again that I am in aww of my blind coworkers. Because they used to deal with some of the same rude people that I would talk to. I had a hard time concentrating when a person just talked & talked while I tried to complete some of the more difficult requests. So that listening to different things in each ear just wouldn't work for me a deeply dependent on my vision with my glasses or contacts person that I am.

Movies, Movies, Movies!

Over the past 2 weeks I have gone to the movies to see. a) Everybody's Fine, b) Up in the Air, c) Did you here about the Morgans? & d) Armored.

Why these movies? There really are quite a few more that I want to see. I guess they each had an actor I like for one reason or another, well, one of the movies...I just really needed to see black people after those choices. LOL Actually, I knew about Armored before the others, but I saw trailers and added them to my list. I didn't realize that Sam Elliott was in 2 movies until I saw them. He's another actor that I enjoy seeing.

If it wasn't for the $5 matinee before noon...I wouldn't go so much. But I need to make sure that when I go to another theater that isn't my normal stop. I should know the matinee price & hours. Also theaters don't advertise when they change prices or times for the bargain matinee so I guess I should check often.
a) I liked the trailers & and I am a fan of R. De Niro. The movie was ok. It's your normal holiday family with issues movie. Just the kind of mix that I like funny moments, serious moments & happy moments. The entertainment that I needed.

b) Another movie that after seeing the trailers & the lead actor, I just had to watch. I thought that the fact that some of the people used in the firing scenes had actually been fired recently was interesting. It also doesn't totally follow the “Hollywood” formula. I enjoyed it, it won't be a classic in my book. I am sure that there is someone more deserving of an award for best actor, but I'm not voting so what I think doesn't matter.

c) c)Well, obviously Mr. Grant is in this one...I must have wanted to see a romantic comedy. Guy does something stupid, guy loses girl, girl & guy work it out, guy gets girl in the end. No, I didn't ruin the ending for you. You know the formula...But I liked the movie. And Sarah outside of New York city was funny.

d) Diversity in the cast. Oh boy! I don't think that it was entirely believable but it was entertaining and a good movie overall. Bad guys never prosper & the hero does. :-)

Randomness again

I have started quite a few posts. It's the finishing part that hasn't happened, so I'll just be random.

The weekend of Dec. 5th I had a great birthday & attended another friend's surprise party. I was in my home state of Texas. I stayed with one of my best friends that I have known since Jr. High. So we were celebrating birthdays for those of us OVER 45.

I didn't realize how much I missed seeing burnt orange & white for the Real UT, the University of Texas; because here in GA I don't see many people in Texas jerseys; hats etc., it's always the other UT.

I waited until the last minute take my car for its emissions test & it didn't pass. Can't get my tags until it does. The parts cost more than I can afford right now. Ugh...

Sometimes I feel like I have stepped so far backwards in my life.

My landlord is a lunatic...not just my opinion. I live in a duplex & my neighbor says our landlord is the devil.

Maybe my next post will be more coherent.

Really an Award?

I saw the movie "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" the Saturday that it opened in Atlanta. I typically don't do reviews, because I am afraid I'll give something away. And I also don't feel that I write well enough to do reviews. I think I tweeted that Monique did an amazing job. I almost tweeted that Mariah won't win any awards, but she did ok. However, I decided to be nice. Her role was important, but she didn't have as much screen time as some of the other characters.

But when I saw this article I had to write something. I really do not know much about the award, but if it is for someone new to acting, well Gabby Sidibe should win it. Or if it is only for a new actor in a supporting role then any one of her classmates should get an award. And Paula Patton as Ms. Rains had a more significant role than MC as Mrs. Weiss, and did a good job.

What did MC do that was so amazing? Should she get an award because she didn't wear makeup? Oh maybe because she wore drab clothes? It seems to me whenever someone praises her performance they stop just short of saying she did a Plain Jane so well. The role was definitely more noteworthy than her previous role, but please wait until she does something more signifcant before giving her an award.

Easy Pumpkin Pie Recipe

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I got a laugh out of this, I hope you do too!

Randomness & things that make me go Hmmm

When did compound cuss words become common? Namely the word bitchassidness (my spelling) I have seen it spelled different ways; and think it is a very relevant term. I just wonder why I am stuck in single syllable cuss word hell.

When exactly did companies start making the bulk of their profit on fees, instead of just whatever they charge for their service etc.? And or requiring a contract instead of providing the best customer service to keep customers?

Why do people think that only voting in the "Big" elections is the thing to do? Don't they know that voting in the local elections is just as important? Especially if having enough police to control crime or keeping enough firemen employed to protect us & our property is important to them.

Is all publicity good publicity? Example of the week...Katt Williams.

I have to start somewhere

I blog in my head all the time...but it never makes it to the computer. There are so many things that I have running through my head. So today I guess this will be a very random post.

Fort Hood, TX was practically home for me as a child. My parents bought their house in the city just outside of the base. But everything we did was on Fort Hood. I took swimming lessons & went swimming at an indoor pool on base. All my medical care was at Darnell. I went to movies there...I can't really remember the 1st time I went to a movie off base, but I remember thinking "Did I miss the National Anthem?" According to my son...movies on a military installation still have the "National Anthem" before the movie starts. We went grocery shopping at the commissary, and also did other shopping at the PX.

I went to the only Catholic school in town, and some of my friends lived on base. One of my best friends lived near this field that we really shouldn't have been playing in at times, but we did and we could see the imprints in the grass where helicopters had landed.

My father's funeral was in a chapel on Post. The service is actually a blur in my memory, but I do remember the drive to the cemetery, and I remember the soldiers in uniform stopping & saluting the procession as we went by.

I lived on post when I was married. My son learned to walk in the house his dad & I lived in there. And as an adult he went through training & the processing that soldiers go through on there way overseas.

So someone shot our soldiers & civilians working on the post that I once called home. I have fond, happy & some sad memories there. But the families of those that were shot & injured or killed there, will just have awful memories about the largest military installation in Texas. That their family member was killed or injured there while still in the US.

They are in my prayers...