As I've already covered in this blog, I work in an in-bound call centre. Generally speaking the callers are the agents who sell our investment products or their assistants, but occasionally we get clients calling in as well. Many of our clients are elderly and are often confused by our automated attendant and they either push the wrong button or don't push any button at all and end up speaking to me because apparently I'm the switchboard.
I had to transfer one of these clients to another product queue just today since she couldn't count to 3 and pushed 2 instead. I conferenced over to the correct area and got my colleague, Wojtek (pronounced VOY-tek). Wojtek was born in Poland but raised in Canada and speaks flawless and completely unaccented English. Arguably, he speaks English better than I do. When I conferenced in the client and introduced Wojtek, the client asked, "Does he speak English?" My answer: "Yes, he speaks English," but I was stuck by the sheer stupidity of this question. I'm pretty sure the ability to speak English is a prerequisite for our job since it involves talking on the phone all day to people who expect you to speak to them in English, regardless of how you pronounce your name. So here (in descending order of snark) are the answers I really wanted to give this client:
1) Yes, he speaks English, but he has trouble understanding "bigot" so make sure you speak sloooooowly.
2) No, he doesn't speak English so he'll be using a translator. But don't worry, you won't even notice the 4 second delay.
3) Yes, he speaks English but if you ask nicely he'll teach you how to say "fuck you" in Polish.
Sorry for the rant, but this really pissed me off.
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
What Was I Thinking?
Yesterday was my first day back at work, but it didn't really count because I spent almost the whole day sorting through the 1391 emails I received over the last 3 months. It sounds like a lot but I actually expected there to be a lot more. About 75% got deleted immediately ("Does anyone have any Tums?") and the rest gradually got filed away into their respective folders. The whole exercise was very satisfying and didn't require a whole lot of concentration which was a good thing because I was frequently interrupted by well-wishers and the curious wanting to know how I was and how my mom was, etc.
Today was another story. The morning saw me communicating frequently via both email and phone with our help desk trying to get my systems in order. Of course I had forgotten all my passwords but on top of that my access to some systems had been revoked due to the length of time I had been away. This meant sending an email to my manager asking her to provide authorization, yadda yadda yadda. Lots of bureaucratic red tape. I was scheduled to actually go on the phones and start doing my job at 12:30--I got access to the last outstanding system at 12:45. Phew!
Then came the calls--how could I have forgotten how to do my job in only 3 months? How do women coming back from maternity leave do it? That's a whole year, for crying out loud! I don't think I told anybody the wrong thing, but to be honest I'm not entirely sure. By the time 4:30 rolled around I was more than ready to get the hell out of there. And I probably only took about 20 calls!
So here I sit, glass of wine in hand, trying not to worry too much about how stressful the rest of the week will surely be. Whose brilliant idea was this again? Oh yeah, mine.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Decision
I've decided to go back to work. It was not an easy decision, and I'm still not sure it's the right decision, but it's the one I've made. One week from this coming Monday I'll be sitting at my desk answering the thousands of emails I've received over the course of the last three months.
There were many reasons behind this decision: My Honey and I are hemorrhaging money right now and I feel it's my responsibility to stop leaching and resume contributing; I think it'll be good for me to get some structure back in my life; my Mom really thinks I should go back.
The last one might surprise you, but it's typical of my Mom--she feels guilty that she's keeping me from "getting on with my life" and earning an income. She hung on a lot longer than any of us expected and I think she has a little guilt about that, too. My Mom doesn't like to be a 'burden' and sometimes feels like we resent the fact she's still alive and hasn't died quickly enough. Of course this is completely insane and I'd like to blame the morphine for her skewed view of reality, but sadly she's always been this way.
To be honest I have no desire whatsoever to go back to work. I've so valued these last few months spent with my Mom and the rest of my family--it saddens and worries me to leave that cradle of comfort and strength. I'll try and come up to visit as many weekends as possible and hopefully that will be enough for all of us. I also hope that I'll be able to focus on my job and give my employer the quality of work they expect and deserve. They've been so understanding through this whole thing, I really want to do a good job for them and not be distracted by things outside of my control. It's going to be hard--I think about my Mom all the time.
Only time will tell if I've done the right thing.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
"Life and Death Are Balanced on the Edge of a Razor"
Early Sunday morning, a friend and colleague of mine was tragically killed in a hit-and-run accident. He was 31 years old. The perpetrator has not yet been caught.
He was a wonderful person who touched the lives of many.
Jason, we love you and we miss you.
He was a wonderful person who touched the lives of many.
Jason, we love you and we miss you.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Anything to Avoid Doing Dishes
I've been an absent blogger all week, but I had a good excuse: my life was boring and I felt like a sack of shit. However the last two days were much more eventful, and I'm mostly over the cold I developed on Sunday night and am now just plagued by my agonizing allergies.
Friday I got my Birthday Haircut ('cause Monday's my birthday...hint hint) which I'm very happy with. It's still a bob but he cut it nice and short in the back to keep my neck cool in the heat of summer--if it ever gets here. At around 8pm or so I went out with Kiki, Randy, Katie and Guy for a much anticipated "Evening in Paris." Sadly not Paris, France (or even Paris, Ontario) more like a bar with cardboard Eiffel Towers on the tables and an annoying (but hot!) mime. It was an event hosted by the staff association at work, so our expectations weren't high. Tickets were $15 each and for that you got 2 free drinks, all the deep-fried pickles you could eat, and a shot at some sweet prizes which (not unsurprisingly) none of us managed to win. Despite the lack of prize winning, we had a good time and didn't leave until the music stopped and we were nearly forcibly removed.
But the weekend was just getting warmed up! A special woman in my life takes me every year for my birthday to see a play in Stratford and to either lunch or dinner at a nice restaurant. Yesterday that day finally came and it did not disappoint. We saw Colm Feore star in MacBeth at the Festival Theatre and it was really well done. It was set in Mid-century, civil-war torn Africa which seems strange but was oddly fitting.
Feore is one of my favourite Canadian actors, but he wasn't my favourite player in this--I really enjoyed the actress who played Lady MacBeth, Yanna McIntosh, and I was impressed with the short but effective performance of Kolton Stewart who played the young son of MacDuff. In his final scene he's murdered by having his throat cut by MacBeth's henchmen. It was done in a very realistic and visceral way and it was quite disturbing, as was all of the violence in the play.
I found in general the performances were very subtle, not overblown in the way Shakespearean theatre can sometimes be. The modern military setting served to enhance the feeling of tyranny and control MacBeth tried to exert over his domain, with the ever-present soldiers in army fatigues standing watch from towers equipped with searchlights and machine guns. The use of television screens in most of the second half of the play conjured up comparisons to an Orwellian "1984"-like state. It was an interesting and effective interpretation of a play that's difficult to execute in a modern setting.
For dinner, we went to Charbries, a local fine dining establishment and one of my special friend's favourites but one I have never visited. I had a lovely spring salad with chevre to start and beer-battered pickerel with sweet potato for my main. I somehow found room for strawberry rhubarb pie flambeed table-side for dessert. My friend and our other dining companion (a childhood friend of hers visiting from Arizona) each had crab cakes and pizza Provencal--a flatbread crust with "I had a bite of it and it was as delicious as it sounds!
Today I'm recovering from the food coma by doing dishes, making Father's Day cards and throwing together some chocolate peanut butter squares for my co-workers for tomorrow--it's tradition to bring a "treat" to work on your birthday. My rule is you don't get a treat until you wish me a happy birthday. What?! It's my birthday, my rules! Who's gonna argue? These squares are awesome!
Friday I got my Birthday Haircut ('cause Monday's my birthday...hint hint) which I'm very happy with. It's still a bob but he cut it nice and short in the back to keep my neck cool in the heat of summer--if it ever gets here. At around 8pm or so I went out with Kiki, Randy, Katie and Guy for a much anticipated "Evening in Paris." Sadly not Paris, France (or even Paris, Ontario) more like a bar with cardboard Eiffel Towers on the tables and an annoying (but hot!) mime. It was an event hosted by the staff association at work, so our expectations weren't high. Tickets were $15 each and for that you got 2 free drinks, all the deep-fried pickles you could eat, and a shot at some sweet prizes which (not unsurprisingly) none of us managed to win. Despite the lack of prize winning, we had a good time and didn't leave until the music stopped and we were nearly forcibly removed.
But the weekend was just getting warmed up! A special woman in my life takes me every year for my birthday to see a play in Stratford and to either lunch or dinner at a nice restaurant. Yesterday that day finally came and it did not disappoint. We saw Colm Feore star in MacBeth at the Festival Theatre and it was really well done. It was set in Mid-century, civil-war torn Africa which seems strange but was oddly fitting.
Feore is one of my favourite Canadian actors, but he wasn't my favourite player in this--I really enjoyed the actress who played Lady MacBeth, Yanna McIntosh, and I was impressed with the short but effective performance of Kolton Stewart who played the young son of MacDuff. In his final scene he's murdered by having his throat cut by MacBeth's henchmen. It was done in a very realistic and visceral way and it was quite disturbing, as was all of the violence in the play.
I found in general the performances were very subtle, not overblown in the way Shakespearean theatre can sometimes be. The modern military setting served to enhance the feeling of tyranny and control MacBeth tried to exert over his domain, with the ever-present soldiers in army fatigues standing watch from towers equipped with searchlights and machine guns. The use of television screens in most of the second half of the play conjured up comparisons to an Orwellian "1984"-like state. It was an interesting and effective interpretation of a play that's difficult to execute in a modern setting.
For dinner, we went to Charbries, a local fine dining establishment and one of my special friend's favourites but one I have never visited. I had a lovely spring salad with chevre to start and beer-battered pickerel with sweet potato for my main. I somehow found room for strawberry rhubarb pie flambeed table-side for dessert. My friend and our other dining companion (a childhood friend of hers visiting from Arizona) each had crab cakes and pizza Provencal--a flatbread crust with "I had a bite of it and it was as delicious as it sounds!
Today I'm recovering from the food coma by doing dishes, making Father's Day cards and throwing together some chocolate peanut butter squares for my co-workers for tomorrow--it's tradition to bring a "treat" to work on your birthday. My rule is you don't get a treat until you wish me a happy birthday. What?! It's my birthday, my rules! Who's gonna argue? These squares are awesome!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
The Bad and the Good
I just found out that my supervisor has been "let go." This really sucks for her since she's been with the company for something like 15 years, but also for me because I really liked my supervisor and she really liked me. She was my champion and mentor and now I'm feeling kinda lost and adrift.
Change is afoot and I'm still a little unsure of how it's all gonna turn out. I'm still not really worried about my own job, but there's a definite sense of unease around here. Two supervisors have been let go in as many weeks--not a good omen.
On the bright side, I was chosen to be a contributor for a newsletter that has been developed by our investment processing services area to be distributed all through the wealth management division, so that's pretty cool! I'll be responsible for the CSR perspective I guess--we meet on June 10th to plan the July newsletter so I'll know more about my responsibilities then. I'm really excited to do this--it'll look good on a resume and on my performance evaluation, but it'll also give me an opportunity to meet people that work in other areas and give me another perspective on my position within the company and where I could be headed. This is just the boost I needed after the disappointment of not getting the trainer job!
Change is afoot and I'm still a little unsure of how it's all gonna turn out. I'm still not really worried about my own job, but there's a definite sense of unease around here. Two supervisors have been let go in as many weeks--not a good omen.
On the bright side, I was chosen to be a contributor for a newsletter that has been developed by our investment processing services area to be distributed all through the wealth management division, so that's pretty cool! I'll be responsible for the CSR perspective I guess--we meet on June 10th to plan the July newsletter so I'll know more about my responsibilities then. I'm really excited to do this--it'll look good on a resume and on my performance evaluation, but it'll also give me an opportunity to meet people that work in other areas and give me another perspective on my position within the company and where I could be headed. This is just the boost I needed after the disappointment of not getting the trainer job!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
I Can Hear a Pinot Noir Calling to Me...
Made it back safe and sound from California! No Swine Flu--oops sorry, H1N1 or whatever the heck it's called. No emergency landings on the Hudson River, the air line didn't lose my luggage and my parking shuttle was waiting for me when I exited the terminal. All this might suggest I'm in fabulous mood, but sadly I am not.
I came back to work on Wednesday to discover I didn't get the trainer position I applied and interviewed for and desperately wanted more than anything in the whole world. This seriously bummed me out.
I tried to not get my hopes up, but I really should know better--I always let myself get all hopeful and worked up about stuff like this and then when it doesn't happen I crash like a Steinway Baby Grand off a 30 storey building.
It is a small consolation that my supervisor thinks I was the better candidate and that the wrong person was chosen for the job. I understand why this person was picked, but that doesn't make me feel any better about it.
I'm just going to wallow in self-pity/red wine for a few days until I either fell better or feel nothing. I predict that will take until Sunday.
I came back to work on Wednesday to discover I didn't get the trainer position I applied and interviewed for and desperately wanted more than anything in the whole world. This seriously bummed me out.
I tried to not get my hopes up, but I really should know better--I always let myself get all hopeful and worked up about stuff like this and then when it doesn't happen I crash like a Steinway Baby Grand off a 30 storey building.
It is a small consolation that my supervisor thinks I was the better candidate and that the wrong person was chosen for the job. I understand why this person was picked, but that doesn't make me feel any better about it.
I'm just going to wallow in self-pity/red wine for a few days until I either fell better or feel nothing. I predict that will take until Sunday.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
How to Embarrass Yourself in Public Without Really Trying
1: Agree to meet a co-worker for beer after work so you can both enjoy the fabulous patio weather after a long, tiring week and then have said co-worker stand you up so you end up sitting alone on the patio surrounded by people enviously eyeing your table and chairs for their own large groups of happy co-workers who didn't stand them up.
2: Spill an entire pint of beer--a beer you really needed and decided to order anyway even though your co-worker is more than 30 minutes late and is likely not showing up so you'll be sitting there alone with your spilled beer and shredded dignity while sympathetic strangers provide you with paper napkins from their dispenser because for some reason there aren't any at your table.
3: Make sure you say "Shit!" really loudly when you spill the beer because just spilling the beer didn't draw enough attention to your pathetic situation, you had to compound your embarrassment by making sure people two tables away now know you're alone and just spilled your beer.
On the bright side, the weather was fantastic and I didn't get charged for the beer I spilled so I still count last evening as a win. I ordered a burger and graciously allowed a few of the chairs to go to better, more crowded homes and generally enjoyed myself while people-watching the other patrons, sipping my beer and watching the sunset.
Just as I asked for my bill, a couple of women came out onto the patio in search of a table. None were free, so I flagged them down and told them they could pull up a chair if they wanted as I was leaving shortly. They accepted and there were introductions all around. We made small talk and it came out that they belong to a roller derby league and their team is recruiting. Roller derby you say? Hmmm. Intriguing.
Stay tuned!
2: Spill an entire pint of beer--a beer you really needed and decided to order anyway even though your co-worker is more than 30 minutes late and is likely not showing up so you'll be sitting there alone with your spilled beer and shredded dignity while sympathetic strangers provide you with paper napkins from their dispenser because for some reason there aren't any at your table.
3: Make sure you say "Shit!" really loudly when you spill the beer because just spilling the beer didn't draw enough attention to your pathetic situation, you had to compound your embarrassment by making sure people two tables away now know you're alone and just spilled your beer.
On the bright side, the weather was fantastic and I didn't get charged for the beer I spilled so I still count last evening as a win. I ordered a burger and graciously allowed a few of the chairs to go to better, more crowded homes and generally enjoyed myself while people-watching the other patrons, sipping my beer and watching the sunset.
Just as I asked for my bill, a couple of women came out onto the patio in search of a table. None were free, so I flagged them down and told them they could pull up a chair if they wanted as I was leaving shortly. They accepted and there were introductions all around. We made small talk and it came out that they belong to a roller derby league and their team is recruiting. Roller derby you say? Hmmm. Intriguing.
Stay tuned!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Apparently We Aren't Done
I'm at work but I've had to go off the phones 'cause my voice decided the day was over. I'm hoping I can woo it back with hot lemon tea and Halls so I can get back on but we'll just have to see...at least this is giving me an opportunity to call all the people back I was supposed to call last week but couldn't 'cause I was comatose on my couch.
I'm getting very depressed--I haven't been this sick for this long pretty much ever. Even chocolate didn't make me feel better. I'm definitely not out of the woods yet--my fever has decided to return and I'm getting these weird tingly feelings (kinda like when you get a "someone-walked-over-my-grave" shiver) in my butt and outer thighs. Very strange and probably completely unrelated to my current situation but off-putting nonetheless.
Is it wrong that I'm fantasizing about putting on a flannel nightgown and crawling into bed?
I'm getting very depressed--I haven't been this sick for this long pretty much ever. Even chocolate didn't make me feel better. I'm definitely not out of the woods yet--my fever has decided to return and I'm getting these weird tingly feelings (kinda like when you get a "someone-walked-over-my-grave" shiver) in my butt and outer thighs. Very strange and probably completely unrelated to my current situation but off-putting nonetheless.
Is it wrong that I'm fantasizing about putting on a flannel nightgown and crawling into bed?
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Miscellaneous Musings
I hit a bump in my workout road this week--muscle spasms in my lower back. I ended up flat out on my couch for three days but I'm back in action now. Last night was my first visit after 4 days away and miraculously I hadn't lost any ground. And I only gained back one pound!
It's my Mom's birthday on Friday and she and my Aunt are going to see Tina Turner in concert. How cool is that? I can't wait to hear all about it--I'm sure it'll be quite a show!
Speaking of incredibly talented singers, Guy and I are hitting the karaoke scene on Thursday. The Social Committee at my workplace has planned the event and of course I'll take advantage of any opportunity to support my team (and by "support my team" I mean "be the centre of attention.") We're planning a revisit of our infamous Babs/Neil "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" duet...it should bring down the house!
I'm hoping to visit some friends in Toronto this weekend, although these friends have yet to confirm plans (hint, hint). Since one of them is celebrating her birthday soon I have an excuse to go shopping for a present (and we all know how I love to shop.)
This has been a pretty scattered post but I just had a lot of little things to bring to the table and none of them warranted their own post so this is what y'all get. Feel free to disregard at your discretion. :)
It's my Mom's birthday on Friday and she and my Aunt are going to see Tina Turner in concert. How cool is that? I can't wait to hear all about it--I'm sure it'll be quite a show!
Speaking of incredibly talented singers, Guy and I are hitting the karaoke scene on Thursday. The Social Committee at my workplace has planned the event and of course I'll take advantage of any opportunity to support my team (and by "support my team" I mean "be the centre of attention.") We're planning a revisit of our infamous Babs/Neil "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" duet...it should bring down the house!
I'm hoping to visit some friends in Toronto this weekend, although these friends have yet to confirm plans (hint, hint). Since one of them is celebrating her birthday soon I have an excuse to go shopping for a present (and we all know how I love to shop.)
This has been a pretty scattered post but I just had a lot of little things to bring to the table and none of them warranted their own post so this is what y'all get. Feel free to disregard at your discretion. :)
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Where Does the Time Go?
Wow, I've been back 10 days and only one blog entry! My apologies to all my adoring fans--I promise I'll try to be more on top of this in the future.
To be honest, I've had very little to blog about. I did get moved to another cubicle at work; my co-workers in this new locale were suspiciously enthusiastic about becoming my neighbours. I think I'm going to have to keep my eye on them...
I'm looking forward to having a temporary house guest this week. A friend who now lives out of town is coming back to defend her PhD thesis and I've graciously offered our second bedroom/my Honey's office for her use. This also gives me the excuse my procrastinating self needs to do my Spring Cleaning. I've got a whole colony of dust bunnies living in the corners of my apartment that need to be evicted before their reproduction gets completely out of hand.
Katie is officially in that special limbo between being an undergrad and a grad student and we will be celebrating the momentous occasion this evening with beer, BBQ and booty-shaking. Sounds like fun!
To be honest, I've had very little to blog about. I did get moved to another cubicle at work; my co-workers in this new locale were suspiciously enthusiastic about becoming my neighbours. I think I'm going to have to keep my eye on them...
I'm looking forward to having a temporary house guest this week. A friend who now lives out of town is coming back to defend her PhD thesis and I've graciously offered our second bedroom/my Honey's office for her use. This also gives me the excuse my procrastinating self needs to do my Spring Cleaning. I've got a whole colony of dust bunnies living in the corners of my apartment that need to be evicted before their reproduction gets completely out of hand.
Katie is officially in that special limbo between being an undergrad and a grad student and we will be celebrating the momentous occasion this evening with beer, BBQ and booty-shaking. Sounds like fun!
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Have a Nice Day :)
It never ceases to amaze me how incredibly easy it is to make someone's day. People are so accustomed to talking to customer service representatives that are at worst rude or at best apathetic, that when they speak to someone who's actually pleasant and cheerful it thrills them to no end.
I work in an inbound call centre for a major financial institution and I (incredibly) love my job. I'm living the dream--I get paid really good money to talk to people on the phone all day. While many of you would rather have a root canal or have your fingernails ripped off with pliers, I find this to be a rewarding and enjoyable job with stimulating challenges and tonnes of learning opportunities. I never know what the next call is going to bring! While this would fill a normal person with dread and anxiety, it fills me with adrenalin. When someone calls me and says, "I have a big problem" I actually get excited!
I know--I'm crazy.
My theory is if you don't feel the same way as I do then you have no business being in customer service. It shouldn't be as easy as it is for me to make the day of the person on the other end of the phone, but unfortunately we've been conditioned to not only accept poor service, but be grateful for mediocre service. When we eventually get great service it's like winning the lottery!
The best part of all this is when I give great service, I also have a great experience. There's nothing I enjoy more than having a customer tell me, "Thanks so much for helping me. I wish everyone were as friendly and cheerful as you. You've been a big help." It's nice to be appreciated!
I work in an inbound call centre for a major financial institution and I (incredibly) love my job. I'm living the dream--I get paid really good money to talk to people on the phone all day. While many of you would rather have a root canal or have your fingernails ripped off with pliers, I find this to be a rewarding and enjoyable job with stimulating challenges and tonnes of learning opportunities. I never know what the next call is going to bring! While this would fill a normal person with dread and anxiety, it fills me with adrenalin. When someone calls me and says, "I have a big problem" I actually get excited!
I know--I'm crazy.
My theory is if you don't feel the same way as I do then you have no business being in customer service. It shouldn't be as easy as it is for me to make the day of the person on the other end of the phone, but unfortunately we've been conditioned to not only accept poor service, but be grateful for mediocre service. When we eventually get great service it's like winning the lottery!
The best part of all this is when I give great service, I also have a great experience. There's nothing I enjoy more than having a customer tell me, "Thanks so much for helping me. I wish everyone were as friendly and cheerful as you. You've been a big help." It's nice to be appreciated!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
After the Tone, Please Record Your Message.
Voice mail is a necessary evil in our lives--we all hate it, but ironically we all have it. In my job, voice mail is pretty much the only way for people to communicate with me and one of my pet peeves is bad voice mail etiquette. So, here is a handy list of "Voice Mail No-No's" for the workplace. Of course, none of us have ever made any of these mistakes, but it's a handy reference just in case ;)
1. Don't rush through your call back number: There's nothing more annoying than listening to a long, rambling voice mail liberally peppered with "um's" and "uh's" and then at the end having the caller whip through their call back number so quickly and unintelligibly that you have to play it back 4 or 5 times to figure out what they've said. Please say it slowly, clearly and (preferably) twice.
2. Keep it brief: It drives me crazy when I have 3 messages in my voice mail box and I'm being told it's full. I don't need your life story, just who you are, why I should care and how I can get back to you if I am so inclined. Period. However, the flip side of this coin brings me to...
3. Give me what I need: Who are you? Why are you calling me? Why should I call you back if I have no idea who you are or why you are calling me? Give me a compelling reason to return your call or I might "accidentally" delete your message.
4. When playing phone tag, actually respond to the question I asked you on your voice mail: I left a message for a guy the other day and when he called me back and left me a message it was obvious he either a) hadn't listened to my message past "Hi, this is Kendall returning your call" or b) doesn't understand spoken English. When you call me back, know why you're calling me back so I don't have to call you and leave you another message you're not going to listen to. Please.
If we all adhere to these simple rules voice mail will magically become more tolerable and this will eventually lead to world peace. I'm convinced of it.
1. Don't rush through your call back number: There's nothing more annoying than listening to a long, rambling voice mail liberally peppered with "um's" and "uh's" and then at the end having the caller whip through their call back number so quickly and unintelligibly that you have to play it back 4 or 5 times to figure out what they've said. Please say it slowly, clearly and (preferably) twice.
2. Keep it brief: It drives me crazy when I have 3 messages in my voice mail box and I'm being told it's full. I don't need your life story, just who you are, why I should care and how I can get back to you if I am so inclined. Period. However, the flip side of this coin brings me to...
3. Give me what I need: Who are you? Why are you calling me? Why should I call you back if I have no idea who you are or why you are calling me? Give me a compelling reason to return your call or I might "accidentally" delete your message.
4. When playing phone tag, actually respond to the question I asked you on your voice mail: I left a message for a guy the other day and when he called me back and left me a message it was obvious he either a) hadn't listened to my message past "Hi, this is Kendall returning your call" or b) doesn't understand spoken English. When you call me back, know why you're calling me back so I don't have to call you and leave you another message you're not going to listen to. Please.
If we all adhere to these simple rules voice mail will magically become more tolerable and this will eventually lead to world peace. I'm convinced of it.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
I'm RICH, I say! RICH!
Let me preface this post by saying I may be lucky in a lot of things, but lotteries are not among them. I can't say I never win anything (as you will soon learn, that is clearly not the case) but I can say my winnings are few and far between. For the longest time the highlight of my life was winning a colouring contest at age 4--and by winning I mean having lunch with Ronald McDonald along with 20 or so other "lucky" children.
However my luck is changing, baby, 'cause yesterday I won 50 bucks! Well, not exactly--I won a $50 gift card for the local mall. Same difference. And I didn't have to colour anything to get it! Sadly, the powers-that-be want photographic documentation of the happy occasion, but I'm not going to let that dampen my enthusiasm.
Let the shopping begin!
However my luck is changing, baby, 'cause yesterday I won 50 bucks! Well, not exactly--I won a $50 gift card for the local mall. Same difference. And I didn't have to colour anything to get it! Sadly, the powers-that-be want photographic documentation of the happy occasion, but I'm not going to let that dampen my enthusiasm.
Let the shopping begin!
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Snow Day, Part Two
After spending 10 to 15 minutes removing ice and snow from my car and another 5 minutes trying to move it more than 1 foot, I determined I was thoroughly stuck. So off to work on foot I go, having to choose between risking life and limb dodging cars while I walk on the street or slogging though knee-high snow drifts on the uncleared sidewalk. When I finally did encounter a clear section, I managed to slip and fall on some ice. And I don't mean slip-and-fall-on-one-knee kinda fall. No this was a both-feet-out-from-underneath-me-falling-heavily-on-my-left-side kinda fall.
So, Honey, I did walk to work today--are you happy now?*
*sorry for the snarkiness--love you! :)
So, Honey, I did walk to work today--are you happy now?*
*sorry for the snarkiness--love you! :)
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Snow Day
Remember the elation you felt as a kid when when you woke up on a school day and saw a raging blizzard outside? You just knew it was gonna be a snow day. Woo hoo! Snow day! Well, I got to experience a little taste of that today when I got an email at work telling me that a "business decision" had been made to send everyone home early due to bad weather.
That wonderful feeling lasted right up until the moment I stepped outside.
That wonderful feeling lasted right up until the moment I stepped outside.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
They like me! They really like me!
Today I was voted "Catch of the Week" by my fellow coworkers. Now I understand that most of you don't know what I'm talking about, but that is beside the point; the point is my peers recognized my contribution to the workplace today. On their own. With absolutely no suggestion or coercion from me whatsoever. Really.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Of course, those of you who know me are well aware that I'm a total sucker for this sort of thing--I was the kid who couldn't wait to get home to show mommy the gold star/happy face/A+ I got from teacher. You pat me on the head and tell me I'm doing a great job and I'm your best friend for life.
I'm not really sure why this is so important to me. My parents certainly encouraged and praised me as a child (and as an adult for that matter), and I had some wonderful teachers and other mentors who did the same, so I doubt it comes from a lack of recognition at any point in my formative years. And I'm not a butt-kisser or a suckup--I don't ingratiate myself with people to curry favour or anything like that. I don't expect a constant stream of compliments and flattery from an entourage of "yes men". I'm just really motivated by positive feedback and recognition for a job well done. Some people are motivated by money, some people are motivated by fear. I'm motivated by praise.
We all want to be liked, valued and appreciated; today I know I am all three.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Of course, those of you who know me are well aware that I'm a total sucker for this sort of thing--I was the kid who couldn't wait to get home to show mommy the gold star/happy face/A+ I got from teacher. You pat me on the head and tell me I'm doing a great job and I'm your best friend for life.
I'm not really sure why this is so important to me. My parents certainly encouraged and praised me as a child (and as an adult for that matter), and I had some wonderful teachers and other mentors who did the same, so I doubt it comes from a lack of recognition at any point in my formative years. And I'm not a butt-kisser or a suckup--I don't ingratiate myself with people to curry favour or anything like that. I don't expect a constant stream of compliments and flattery from an entourage of "yes men". I'm just really motivated by positive feedback and recognition for a job well done. Some people are motivated by money, some people are motivated by fear. I'm motivated by praise.
We all want to be liked, valued and appreciated; today I know I am all three.
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