Customer Service

I just read an article in the NPR newsletter that said a recent survey showed Americans are more unhappy with the customer service they’re getting than ever. I personally agree.

Although customer service can (and often does) involve one-on-one contact, I tend to think most of us complain the loudest about the service (?) we receive when we have to place a phone call to remedy a situation — and almost inevitably, we are met with a bot along with seemingly unlimited wait times!

For me personally (once I have pressed innumerable numbers to get to the appropriate department), I dislike reaching a person who is (most probably) based in another country and English is his/her second language. I already have difficulty hearing due to wearing hearing aids, but then I have to deal with someone who has an accent!  (I almost want to dance a little jig when I reach a person who speaks good English!)

Although telephonic automation is the go-to word for most companies nowadays, some do offer an email or online message system on their website — and for me, that method has worked the best. (I nearly always get a helpful response. 🙂)

What about you? How do you feel about today’s “Customer Service”? Have you found some companies are better than others in how they respond? What are your thoughts about the telephone “wait times?” And what about that “on hold” music?!!?

******************************
Image by S K from Pixabay

Size Matters

Subtitle: I Remember The Good Old Days

Many years ago when I was still working and living in the San Francisco Bay Area, I purchased a nice London Fog jacket. (As many of you may know, this “was” a quality brand of clothing.) The material was comparatively lightweight and it had a hood, which made it perfect for the spring weather (and frequent rain showers) common to that part of California.

After I retired and eventually moved to Oregon, the area in which I settled had much cooler Spring weather and was not as rainy, so the jacket got pushed to the back of the closet and was replaced by (more casual) sweatshirt jackets.

Then, about five years ago, I made a move to another part of Oregon. The weather here is more reminiscent of the Bay Area so I decided to dig out my old London Fog jacket. Remarkably (probably due to quality), it still fit perfectly; however, to my disappointment (but not unexpectedly), it was no longer “in style.”

So, based on my past experiences with this brand of clothing, I placed an online order for a new London Fog jacket in the same size as my older one. It arrived a couple of days ago — and to say I was disappointed is putting it mildly.

The jacket material itself was considerably inferior to my old one, but what was most disturbing was the way it fit. It was WAY too small. I looked at the tag to see where it was made and … you probably know what I found.

For those of us who have been around for a few years, it’s difficult to “adjust” to the inferior quality of nearly everything we buy. The “Made in U.S.A.” tag has all but disappeared and is most frequently replaced by “Made in China.” All due to the greediness of U.S. companies (and their executives).

There’s little doubt our lives have improved with the many new and innovative products that have been developed over the years. Yet one can’t help but wonder … at what cost?

And by all indications, it’s going to get worse.

Quotes

While recently sorting and discarding some old office files, I came across the following quotes that I had considered using in my book. Although they never ended up within its pages, I still think the messages they contain offer some food for thought. Do you agree?

******************

Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. Do not believe in anything because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason, and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, accept it and live up to it. —Buddha

******************

It is enough for me to contemplate the mystery of conscious life, perpetuating itself through all eternity to reflect upon the marvelous structure of the Universe; and to try humbly to comprehend even an infinitesimal part of the intelligence manifest in nature. —Albert Einstein

******************

But who prays for Satan? Who, in eighteen centuries, has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner that needed it most? —Mark Twain

******************

Every day, people are straying away from church and going back to God. —Lenny Bruce

******************

We must question the story logic of having an all-knowing all-powerful God, who creates faulty Humans, and then blames them for his own mistakes. —Gene Roddenberry 

**************************************
Image by Mary Pahlke from Pixabay

Censored

Why do people use the word “fuck” so much?

At one time, its usage was somewhat limited, as in cases where a person was particularly upset about something. Moreover, as a general rule, it was employed much more often by the male gender. Nowadays, it’s uttered by both male and female and the tone of the conversation makes no difference.

Considering the core meaning of the word, why would a reference to “sexual intercourse” be appropriate in everyday usage? Further, since the act itself is generally considered enjoyable, why has the word so frequently become an expletive?

I recently read the following in a blog post: “I say “fuck” a lot when I get angry. I also say “fuck” a lot when I’m not angry.”

And I cannot help but ask … Why? What value has the word incurred over time that so many feel its usage is almost required in everyday conversations?

Inquiring minds want to know.

********************************
Image by Sambeet D from Pixabay

I’m So Tired …

• Tired of Trump and any and all news about him
• Tired of reading about Marjorie Taylor Greene and her idiotic and perverted beliefs
• Tired of The Pillow Guy
• Tired of people defending Kyle Rittenhouse’s actions
• Tired of WHITE law enforcement killing BLACK people
• Tired of Antifa getting the blame for QAnon actions/activities
• Tired of Faux News manipulating the facts to satisfy their audience
• Tired of disagreements without compromise
• Tired of people who refuse to wear a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Tired of churches claiming they are exempt from COVID-19 restrictions
• Tired of the COVID-19 pandemic
• Tired of evangelists ripping off their congregations to satisfy their own biblically forbidden “worldly desires”
• Tired of the evangelical community forcing their beliefs on others
• Tired of individuals claiming false Second Amendment rights
• Tired of closed-minded individuals
• Tired of ignorance
• Tired of … etc., etc., etc.

Are you tired also? Here’s your chance to kvetch!

**********************************
Image by Stephanie Ghesquier from Pixabay