Here is my annual ranting post. If the trend follows, it will probably get more page views than all of the positive, uplifting posts I make all year combined. A really good rant is just more entertaining than rainbows and waterfalls I guess.
There are a few clients that have been driving me crazy lately. They are rude, demanding, and impatient. I would like to tell them a few things to improve the situation, for all of us.
1. I am in Hawaii. Unless you also live in Hawaii, my time zone is much different than yours. It is anywhere from 3-6 hours earlier here than anywhere else in the United States. We don't participate in Daylight Savings Time.
2. If you call me at 4am , you do NOT want me to answer your call. I will not be coherent enough to help you, and I might be just a little grumpy. Calls this early will go to voice mail.
3. If I do not answer your call before the sun is up, do not call back in 20 minutes. These calls will also go to voice mail. I will call you back when I WAKE UP,.
4. If your need is truly urgent, and since I don't work with doctors, police officers, or firemen, true emergencies are RARE., send me a text or email. I may not ready to answer the phone and deal with unidentified problems that early, but if your problem is simple, I may be able to handle it without having to speak. Give it a try, about 90% of the time, a conversation is not required.
5. Number 4 also applies if I am on the phone, in a meeting, or otherwise busy. If you really need me, text or email.
6. If I made the rules, there would be no speaking required before 10am. It would just be better that way.
7. If you send me an email, I will respond when I have an answer. Regardless of popular belief, I do not have all the answers, to all your problems immediately at my figure tips. Give me a few minutes to at least read your email, and figure out the situation. When I have an answer for you, I will reply.
8. If you are rude your response time will be slower. I can't help it, that's just how it is. If you are nice to me, the solutions come quicker. If you use bad language, you might never get the response you are hoping for.
9. I am NOT tech support. I do not know where files are stored on your computer. I do not know what version of software you are using. I CAN teach you how to print to PDF, rename a file, or save something to the desktop, but it's not my job. If you need this kind of help, please be nice. You are asking dumb questions and if you are rude, I just won't have the patience for it.
10. If you are that unhappy, if we are that incompetent, why do you keep sending us work? Why don't you take your business elsewhere? Do you just love the conflict? Did your wife leave you and now you have no one left to pick fights with? I don't get it. This is what we do. Most of our customers love us. If you don't , that's ok, you can stop using us. It won't hurt my feelings. In fact, I wish you would go bother the competition for awhile.
Showing posts with label text. Show all posts
Showing posts with label text. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Disconnected
I love technology. I am a gadget geek. I used to have a crackberry, and I loved it. I have had an iphone for a few years, and I have loved them all. Between my laptop and my phone, I am pretty much always connected, and always reachable. I think this desire for constant communication stems from my long-term self employment, but maybe it goes deeper than that. I want to get an order, or take a call from a client without delay. I don't want to miss a thing.
Before the days of smart phones, the first thing I did when I walked in the door was check my email. I was an early adopter of gmail, because I could check my email from any computer, I didn't have to be at my desk to see what was going on. As soon as you could get email on a phone - I did. I used to wish for a way to send short messages without making a voice call via my cell phone. I was dreaming of texting before texting was.
Going back a little further, to the 80's, when I was a kid, I had my own phone. It was my phone, with my own number. It was plugged into the wall, with a VERY looooooong cord. I had call waiting, and that was the coolest thing ever! I was connected!! I was reachable. In the early 90's I was a receptionist for a small company, and I used to day dream about inventing caller id. If only I could have known the identity of the caller on the other end BEFORE I answered the phone, my job would have been so much easier!
In the early 80's we had an Apple IIe at my Dad's house and TI (as in Texas Instruments) at my Mom's house. I took programming in high school and learned how to write programs in DOS. I was so excited when I wrote a program that would do my Algebra homework for me! Computers are awesome! When I started at that receptionist job in the early 90's we used WordPerfect for DOS. It was sort of like HTML, you had to know codes for everything just to create a document. After a year or so I convinced the boss to buy us all new Apple computers, and laser printer. We had hit the big time! Man, that was fun! I took some classes on how to use desk top publishing and spreadsheet software. We used a mouse! Watching the 70 year old nun in my class figure out how to double click is still one of the funniest things I have ever witnessed.
We have had internet access in our home since before Quincie was born. That was back in the early days, before most businesses had email, and weren't even sure what it was good for. Who did I email then? I can't remember. But it was COOL!
I used ICQ, and all the other IM platforms. Skype was an exciting discovery, and I had to invite all my friends so I had someone to Skype with. I am a first, or early responder in the technology communications arena. I guess what I am trying to explain is how I arrived at this point of complete connection to my iphone and laptop.
My iphone is an extension of me. It is my personal, offsite storage device, my external hard drive. It is my connection to my work, my friends, my family, my community. It is my watch, alarm clock, book shelf, radio, calendar, calculator, GPS, scriptures, address book, weather report, camera and notebook. That is all in addition to the standard communication tasks of phone, email and text.
Last Thursday as I was wrapping up an off-site work meeting, I accidentally left my iphone in a public restroom. When I discovered it was missing, after less than 5 minutes, I ran back and it was GONE! \(BTW, that is the first time I have sprinted in ages.) The restroom was empty, and my phone was no where to be seen. PANIC - RED ALERT It was a crisis moment so I reached for my best problem solver and source of all information - my phone - but it was GONE - the source of my panic! I was paralyzed. How do I solve a problem without my phone? I can't call for help. I needed to get online to use the FIND MY PHONE ap. I needed to contact AT&T to cancel my service before who ever found it started calling Australia or something. I needed my PHONE, but I had NO PHONE! Can you get a sense of my panic?
All that panic happened in a flash while I stood there staring at the spot where I had last seen my phone, in it's brand new, shiny blue case. Then my brain kicked in, and dug deep. I rushed to the business office and asked if anyone had turned in a lost phone. Of course not. I asked the receptionist to make an announcement over the PA. I called Carl and had him start tracking it with FIND MY PHONE and to all call AT& T. I went back to the bathroom and searched high and low, all the stalls, trash cans, all of it. I prayed and begged for it to be returned. A brilliant, but friendly, employee asked me if had called my service provider - "WITH WHAT????" I asked. - Genius....
Eventually I had to face the fact that it was gone. I had to leave for a busy evening ahead, and I would have to wait until the next day to resolve my phone problems.
I had to face the busy, social evening ahead without my phone - no texts, no photos, not status updates. I wanted to go home, get online and start tracking down a replacement asap. What I really wanted was to just go to an Apple store, or AT&T and buy a new one, on the spot. There were time sensitive commitments that evening, and no time for any of that. I would have to survive.
I did indeed survive. I even think I learned a thing or two from the experience. The drive home in rush hour traffic was hard. I kept imagining what I would do if I were really late and couldn't call anyone to tell them. Or, what if I had car trouble and I couldn't call for help? What if I missed Ryker's performance? What if I couldn't find Quincie once we got on campus? What if I couldn't find my friends when we got to the movies and I had to sit by strangers while they were saving me seats in a different theater? What if a client called for a home inspection and I missed the call? What if there was a family emergency and I didn't get the call? What if my friends sent me a text and I never saw it and then when I didn't respond they were mad at me? or if they needed help and they thought I didn't care? AGGGHHHHHH - all the crazy what if thinking HAD to stop!!
I took a few deep breaths and calmed down. It was only a phone. It was only a thing. It could be replaced. My data was safe on my laptop and in the cloud. (Never mind that I had broken the space key on it earlier that day and now have to plug in a USB keyboard to use it.). Calm Wendy, calm. You can go a day or two without constant communication. I made it home, and had an enjoyable evening. No one was lost, no car trouble, no scheduling issues, not a single problem. I was a little worried that I wouldn't wake up on time the next morning. I don't have a clock near my bed, and only use my phone for an alarm. I slept like a baby for those few hours, and Quincie woke me up right on time.
I had a long, quiet contemplative drive the next day. The car radio doesn't get a good signal for a long stretch of that drive and I had to sit there in the silence with myself. It was therapeutic. I recommend a large dose of silence and self reflection on occasion. It's good for the soul.
Thanks to good friends, I am back online and reconnected with my universe, but something has permanently shifted for me. I think it was time for me to learn a thing or two about the need to disconnect on occassion and let my world go silent. It's ok, and even good, to let all those external cares and concerns go unanswered and go within. It's important to let the outside world stay outside, and just tend to the people in my presence. I can go to sleep without playing a round of Words with Friends. I can wake up to a human voice rather than a buzzing alarm. I can drive and not worry about my arrival time I can miss a call and let someone else be the responsible party. I can be temporarily disconnected and my world will not fall apart.
Before the days of smart phones, the first thing I did when I walked in the door was check my email. I was an early adopter of gmail, because I could check my email from any computer, I didn't have to be at my desk to see what was going on. As soon as you could get email on a phone - I did. I used to wish for a way to send short messages without making a voice call via my cell phone. I was dreaming of texting before texting was.
Going back a little further, to the 80's, when I was a kid, I had my own phone. It was my phone, with my own number. It was plugged into the wall, with a VERY looooooong cord. I had call waiting, and that was the coolest thing ever! I was connected!! I was reachable. In the early 90's I was a receptionist for a small company, and I used to day dream about inventing caller id. If only I could have known the identity of the caller on the other end BEFORE I answered the phone, my job would have been so much easier!
In the early 80's we had an Apple IIe at my Dad's house and TI (as in Texas Instruments) at my Mom's house. I took programming in high school and learned how to write programs in DOS. I was so excited when I wrote a program that would do my Algebra homework for me! Computers are awesome! When I started at that receptionist job in the early 90's we used WordPerfect for DOS. It was sort of like HTML, you had to know codes for everything just to create a document. After a year or so I convinced the boss to buy us all new Apple computers, and laser printer. We had hit the big time! Man, that was fun! I took some classes on how to use desk top publishing and spreadsheet software. We used a mouse! Watching the 70 year old nun in my class figure out how to double click is still one of the funniest things I have ever witnessed.
We have had internet access in our home since before Quincie was born. That was back in the early days, before most businesses had email, and weren't even sure what it was good for. Who did I email then? I can't remember. But it was COOL!
I used ICQ, and all the other IM platforms. Skype was an exciting discovery, and I had to invite all my friends so I had someone to Skype with. I am a first, or early responder in the technology communications arena. I guess what I am trying to explain is how I arrived at this point of complete connection to my iphone and laptop.
My iphone is an extension of me. It is my personal, offsite storage device, my external hard drive. It is my connection to my work, my friends, my family, my community. It is my watch, alarm clock, book shelf, radio, calendar, calculator, GPS, scriptures, address book, weather report, camera and notebook. That is all in addition to the standard communication tasks of phone, email and text.
Last Thursday as I was wrapping up an off-site work meeting, I accidentally left my iphone in a public restroom. When I discovered it was missing, after less than 5 minutes, I ran back and it was GONE! \(BTW, that is the first time I have sprinted in ages.) The restroom was empty, and my phone was no where to be seen. PANIC - RED ALERT It was a crisis moment so I reached for my best problem solver and source of all information - my phone - but it was GONE - the source of my panic! I was paralyzed. How do I solve a problem without my phone? I can't call for help. I needed to get online to use the FIND MY PHONE ap. I needed to contact AT&T to cancel my service before who ever found it started calling Australia or something. I needed my PHONE, but I had NO PHONE! Can you get a sense of my panic?
All that panic happened in a flash while I stood there staring at the spot where I had last seen my phone, in it's brand new, shiny blue case. Then my brain kicked in, and dug deep. I rushed to the business office and asked if anyone had turned in a lost phone. Of course not. I asked the receptionist to make an announcement over the PA. I called Carl and had him start tracking it with FIND MY PHONE and to all call AT& T. I went back to the bathroom and searched high and low, all the stalls, trash cans, all of it. I prayed and begged for it to be returned. A brilliant, but friendly, employee asked me if had called my service provider - "WITH WHAT????" I asked. - Genius....
Eventually I had to face the fact that it was gone. I had to leave for a busy evening ahead, and I would have to wait until the next day to resolve my phone problems.
I had to face the busy, social evening ahead without my phone - no texts, no photos, not status updates. I wanted to go home, get online and start tracking down a replacement asap. What I really wanted was to just go to an Apple store, or AT&T and buy a new one, on the spot. There were time sensitive commitments that evening, and no time for any of that. I would have to survive.
I did indeed survive. I even think I learned a thing or two from the experience. The drive home in rush hour traffic was hard. I kept imagining what I would do if I were really late and couldn't call anyone to tell them. Or, what if I had car trouble and I couldn't call for help? What if I missed Ryker's performance? What if I couldn't find Quincie once we got on campus? What if I couldn't find my friends when we got to the movies and I had to sit by strangers while they were saving me seats in a different theater? What if a client called for a home inspection and I missed the call? What if there was a family emergency and I didn't get the call? What if my friends sent me a text and I never saw it and then when I didn't respond they were mad at me? or if they needed help and they thought I didn't care? AGGGHHHHHH - all the crazy what if thinking HAD to stop!!
I took a few deep breaths and calmed down. It was only a phone. It was only a thing. It could be replaced. My data was safe on my laptop and in the cloud. (Never mind that I had broken the space key on it earlier that day and now have to plug in a USB keyboard to use it.). Calm Wendy, calm. You can go a day or two without constant communication. I made it home, and had an enjoyable evening. No one was lost, no car trouble, no scheduling issues, not a single problem. I was a little worried that I wouldn't wake up on time the next morning. I don't have a clock near my bed, and only use my phone for an alarm. I slept like a baby for those few hours, and Quincie woke me up right on time.
I had a long, quiet contemplative drive the next day. The car radio doesn't get a good signal for a long stretch of that drive and I had to sit there in the silence with myself. It was therapeutic. I recommend a large dose of silence and self reflection on occasion. It's good for the soul.
Thanks to good friends, I am back online and reconnected with my universe, but something has permanently shifted for me. I think it was time for me to learn a thing or two about the need to disconnect on occassion and let my world go silent. It's ok, and even good, to let all those external cares and concerns go unanswered and go within. It's important to let the outside world stay outside, and just tend to the people in my presence. I can go to sleep without playing a round of Words with Friends. I can wake up to a human voice rather than a buzzing alarm. I can drive and not worry about my arrival time I can miss a call and let someone else be the responsible party. I can be temporarily disconnected and my world will not fall apart.
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