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natashalie-lumley · 9 months

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Ok. This is something that maybe doesn't apply to everybody but I don't care because literally Nothing applies to Everybody. And I need to write some of this down before going to bed and having to get up for work again tomorrow

Some context: I answer phones for the Medicare department of a national health insurance agency. That means I'm mostly dealing with older people or younger people with disabilities. It also means a lot of calls about heavy topics. Which is a great lead in to my first point.

1) your member services rep is NOT your trauma dumping ground. I don't want or need to know about your shitty life, past present or future. I get so many people every day telling me they don't have any family or friends and they don't like their lives and honey I'm sorry because that does suck but I AM NOT A COUNSELOR. I'm here to answer your health insurance questions and get you off the phone.

2) similar point, WE ARE NOT MEDICALLY TRAINED PROFESSIONALS!! the number of times I've been asked "what medication should I be on" or "should I have this procedure" is higher than you think. And yes there are some people who are asking "what medications are covered" (which is a little easier to answer) and "is this procedure covered", but that's not what they Ask. Also leads in to point 3

3) we don't need to know your symptoms! We can't do anything with that information! Even if you're calling because something got denied and you want to appeal it, telling us about how you need the chemo because you're losing bodily functions or something is Not Helpful and in fact is very stressful. And no, me adding that to the appeal does not increase the chances of it getting a positive result.

4) don't ask super broad questions. A common one is "am I on the best plan" and they always seem confused when I can't just say "yes/no" to it. Each plan is just slightly different from the other, be it in the amount of dental work it covers or the medications it includes. I need to know what factors matter to you before I can tell you whether there's a plan that would work better.

5) if we say something is a Medicare rule, it means WE CANT CHANGE IT. the biggest one is the Coverage Gap, sometimes called the donut hole. (Tl;Dr is that after so much money gets spent on your meds you end up paying 25% of the cost instead of flat co-pays, which on like a handful of meds actually does save people money but usually it raises the price into the triple digits for a month supply.) Look, we know it sucks. We know that the whole system of stages is fucked. And we would LOVE to find a way for you to get your meds for free or super cheap. But as I mentioned before, we are not social workers and our resources for that are basically Google. So if we say "ok looks like the issue is [Medicare policy x]", telling us how much you need x is not going to change the fact that Medicare gets to do what they want.

6) HIPAA is a big ass deal and unfortunately it can mean making things difficult. Oh, your grandma has dementia and can't talk on the phone? Well unless you're authorized on her account or filed as her POA then grandma has to verbally come on the recorded line and say I can talk to you. Thankfully we're told that the caller can coach the member but like. It's still difficult and sometimes they're not in the same place let alone same state, and we have to say "ok so I can share certain information with you but I can't answer all your questions". If that happens, getting pissy at the rep isn't going to change THE LAW.

7) I'm sorry if you've been transferred a million times but if I can't help you because you need the dental dept, asking me questions is just prolonging both of our suffering. And yelling at me for it does nothing.

8) I don't know why other people do things. One of my absolute least favorite questions is "why did the last person I talked to tell me x and you're saying y??". Dude I don't fucking know I barely know why I DO THINGS and you want me to explain somebody else? (Also half the time the answer is "they didn't want to deal with you getting mad so they said what you wanted to hear" but I can't say that on the recording but it's true.)

9) technology sucks. I have 2 monitors and a laptop for work and I consistently want to introduce at least one of them to the business end of a mallet. Pages load slow or not at all and it's not on me so getting mad at me for taking some time helps exactly nobody.

10) those surveys at the end do have a result- bad reviews get coaching and good reviews go towards getting a raise. So even if you don't think it's worth it, if it's three questions or less maybe just take the dang thing.

11) if we're having trouble explaining something, it doesn't automatically mean we don't understand it. I get insulted at least once a day by someone intimating that if I were smarter there wouldn't be any issues and let me tell you, half the time is me remembering all of the non-advanced terms for things so I can try and break something down for you but the other half of those long pauses are me going "how to better explain the concept of co-pays when I can't break it down any further than "you have to pay for medical services".

12) if you say "well I'm going to change my plan" because we couldn't help you or something wasn't covered, please know that we are seconds from going "fine don't let the door hit your ass on the way out". We don't care, we can't care, because there are hundreds of you and it adds so much to the pile.

13) yes, a lot of us are working from home. Yes, a lot of the employees are from overseas. Yes, the costs of things suck. But if you try and engage us in any of those topics, the best you're getting is a non-committal response because and I can't stress this enough, we NEVER KNOW WHO IS LISTENING. So stop trying to get that agreement tell me what you wanted and go away.

14) if it sounds like a script it probably is. I get graded on my opening AND my closing and if I miss even a beat of it I get points off. So please. Don't hang up. Don't try and "uh-huh" every 2 seconds so we stop. Just listen and deal. Oh and please for the love of heaven, don't tell us "no I'm not taking the survey". What am I going to say to that, huh? Esp when, again, those do affect our jobs. Just say good day and hang up.

15) answer the question you were asked! This applies in both simple things (I end my greeting with "who do I get to help today" and the number of times people skip their name entirely or only give me their first name drives me up a wall) and in more complex questions. If I'm asking a clarifying question about a story you just told me, I don't need the whole story again! I just need that piece of information! You might think you're helping but really I'm sitting there glaring at the screen biting a hole through my lip in the effort to not punch you.

16) speaking of thinking you're helping, STOP INTERRUPTING. If you have something to clarify or think we missed something, keep your mouth shut and be respectful and wait until we stop talking. I hate being interrupted and so often it's something completely useless and I've actually started to very pointedly say "as I was saying" or just altogether interrupt back and say "please don't interrupt me" because "I'm sorry to interrupt but I could answer that question if you let me" was getting me nowhere.

There's probably more but I'm actually getting tired for once so I'm off to bed. The long and short of it- please remember that the person on the other end does not make the rules, does not make the decisions, and is doing their best. And also no their supervisor can't do those either because all of that is back of house and according to the internal phone book they don't exist. Sometimes you get a negative result on something and that's just life.

#actually adhd #got away from me there a little #adulting 101 #insurance rep #health insurance

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theysayitscrazy · 3 years

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Chapter Three:

Once Kara had given the guys the all-clear to head into Clay’s room, they went in pairs, and Metal convinced Kara she needed to get some food. Jason had to marvel at the relationship between Metal and Kara. He’d never seen Metal act like he did with Kara, like he genuinely cared about her; and Kara seemed to let her walls down whenever Metal would ask her something or call her out on her selfcare.

Jason was headed down to the main entrance of the hospital with Ray, Metal, and Kara. As they walked into the waiting room of the Emergency Room, Hawkins called out to them from across the room. Kara smiled as he and Nic walked over. “Hey, how’s Clay doing?” Nic asked with a friendly smile.

“He’s doing okay,” Kara answered easily. “The guys are with him. I’m gonna head out with these guys for a few to get some food.”

Hawk tilted his head and looked at her. She stared right back him, clearly daring him to say something. “He’ll be fine,” Nic spoke up, looking between the two of them. “We’ll keep an eye on things.”

“Besides, Hawk,” Metal drawled, staring right at Hawkins. “Our girl here needs to take better care of herself, right?”

Hawkins nodded once but didn’t look away from Kara. “Right.”

As they were standing around in circle talking, Kara looked to the left and glanced at a dark-skinned man wearing a heavy jacket and talking on a cell phone. He was speaking a language Jason didn’t know. Her eyes darted back to Hawk as she tilted her head to listen better.

“What’s happening?” Hawk asked her, watching her intently.

“How’s your Swahili?” she questioned him.

“Not great,” Hawk narrowed his eyes on her. “You?”

“Fluent,” she shot back immediately.

“Alpha Seven, sit-rep,” Metal immediately demanded, voice low.

Kara snapped into action, her eyes stayed on Hawk as she spoke, a small smile graced her face. “Fighting age male, dark-skinned, wearing a heavy black coat, speaking Swahili on the phone. He specifically stated that he was wearing a vest and was ready. 2nddark-skinned, fighting aged male twelve o’clock, also wearing a heavy dark coat. It’s 85 degrees outside. There are 34 people in this room. 6 children, 15 women, including Nic and myself, and 9 men not including the four of you. Of the 15 women, 3 are geriatric.”

Jason was immediately on alert. The moment she started speaking and rattling off the statics of the room around them, Jason was able to zero in and see what she had seen in a moment’s notice. Sure enough, there was 2nd possible tango near the wall of windows that overlooked the parking lot beyond the hospital.

“You caught all that the moment we walked in here?” Ray asked.

“Kara can see the matrix,” Metal explained.

Jason turned to Metal and raised an eyebrow. Metal only nodded back at him. Jason looked down at Kara who was still looking at Hawk with a slight smile on her face, being completely inconspicuous. “Alright, how do we handle this?” Jason asked, differing to her and Metal for a plan.

“Hospital policy dictates in a potential hostage situation to immediately call 911 and avoid contact,” Hawkins stated and pulled out his phone from his pocket.

“We need to go into lockdown,” Nic said. “Keep people from entering the building. We could pull the fire alarm,” she suggested.

“We do that, and every door closes and locks, and we’ll be trapped in this room with two true believers and roughly 40 victims. No, we alert the staff and do a compacity close,” Kara turned to Nic. “Nic, send out a code 8 alert. Close the hospital to all incoming ambos and patients. It’ll lock all exterior doors.”

Nic immediately pulled out her phone and started texting.

Kara turned back to Hawkins, “Call 911, discreetly explain the situation,” Kara ordered.

Hawkins walked away, phone pressed to his ear and purposely going in the opposite direction.

“Won’t that draw suspicion?” Ray asked.

“Not if we play off the overcrowding,” Nic answered looking around.

“I’m gonna need you guys to blend in,” Kara said, and glanced at Metal.

He nodded once to her, clearly trusting her.

Kara glanced around the Emergency Department and sighed. They had gathered attention. Both men were watching them. Kara suddenly laughed and grabbed Nic’s hand in an exaggerated belly laugh as she doubled over. “Oh my god! You’re right!”

Nic immediately followed and laughed too, clutching Kara as they stumbled away from their little group over to the check in desk.

The girls finished what seemed to be a lively conversation in front of the reception desk before they both looked down at the check in sheet. Jason, Ray, and Metal headed dispersed amongst the crowded waiting room, looking for a seat that would allow for a clear line of sight in case they needed to do anything. Without weapons though, it was going to be hard.

Jason could see Nic talking to the check in girl who nodded once before she stood up and headed into the room behind the reception desk.

Kara picked up the sign in clipboard and looked it over before she then looked around the room. “Alright everyone, listen up!” she called out loudly over the noise of the waiting room. She waited briefly for the noise to die down before she continued. “Welcome to Chastain Memorial Hospital in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA,” Kara drawled, adopting her best gameshow host voice, and letting her eyes make a slow and casual sweep of the room. “My name is Dr. Kara Spenser. As you can see, we are quite busy here in the Emergency Department. Yes, Emergency department. It is no longer classified as just the Emergency Room; we are a whole department. A whole department dedicated to ensuring you get the absolute best care you so rightly deserve. So, I have one rule, and one rule only here in my E.D. and that is, ‘My way or the highway. My word is law.’ If you don’t like that rule, I don’t really care. I’m not here to be your friend, I’m here to ensure that you do not bleed out. And there will be no blood on my E.D floor,” she smirked at Hawkins, who had walked back in the room with his phone nowhere to be seen. “So, this how we’re going to things,” she turned toward Nic. “This is Dr. Nevin, she’s going to take our children directly up to pediatrics. Why wait here, when you can wait there?”

There was a bit of a grumbled from the parents of the children, but they slowly gathered their things and their children and followed after Nic, roughly clearing out a dozen people.

Ray’s throat tightened when he saw Naima walk out of the back room behind the reception desk and glance around.

Kara glanced over at her briefly before she launched into her next spiel, “Next we have our lovely elderly patients. You’ve done a lifetime of waiting now, so we’re gonna get you up and out of my E.D. The lovely nurses Naima and Brenda here, are gonna assist you lovely ladies on up to our geriatrics ward.” There was a shuffle as Naima and Brenda helped the three patients to their feet and they shuffled out.

Kara started to pace the room as she continued. “The rest of you, I apologize for the wait. Dr. Conrad Hawkins and I will be with you shortly. We have your check in information. We will go down the list according to who checked in first.”

Jason had to admit he was impressed with Kara’s quick thinking. She managed to clear half the people out of the room, including Naima and the front desk woman Brenda. All the children and elderly were evacuated. All that was left was the four trained Navy SEALS, Hawkins, Kara, two armed men, and roughly ten others that they could hopefully get out of harm’s way before the men decided they were done waiting.

As she finished speaking one of the men, the one that had been talking on the cell phone, had decided he was done waiting and stood up managed to grab Kara as she was walking by. He managed to get an arm around her neck and pull out a gun before Kara could even move. She froze and flashed her gaze to Metal, as the gun was waiving around in front of her.

The gunman started yelling and chaos erupted in the E.D.

“Hey, hey,” Jason tried to call over the yelling of the room, but the gunman yelled louder.

A hush finally settled over the crowd in the E.D while the gunman assessed the situation around him. He was flighty and waiving the gun in front of Kara. His other arm was locked in a headlock around Kara’s neck. She was clawing at his arm to no avail.

“Come on man, let her go,” Metal’s voice was soft and gentle in a commanding sort of way.

Kara’s eyes left Metal’s and landed on the other man in a coat in the room. The man stood up, pulled out a 9mm and turned his back on the crowd behind him. With his back turned, it took Jason all of a second’s decision making to tackle the man.

His gun went flying out of his hand and scattered across the floor at Kara’s feet.

She made a split-second decision and a tossed her head back into her assailant’s head, with a sickening crunch in her ear, his nose broke. He broke his hold on her and she dropped her weight and lunged for the 9mm lying at her feet.

In a trained and liquid move, she grabbed the 9mm, rolled onto her back and with both hands on the weapon, fired off two shots into the extremist’s chest in a tight pattern. His body hadn’t even hit the floor before she turned her body and eyed Jason struggling with the man in the vest. With the gun trained on them, she watched the extremist knock Jason off his back and reach for his torso.

Kara fired off a single shot, straight through the skull.

There was a moment of deafening quiet in the E.D before Kara got to her feet, holding the gun down and aimed at the ground as she assessed the situation around her. Both assailants were dead, everyone else in the room was crouched down, except for the SEALS that were on their feet also looking around for a threat.

Metal slowly walked over and pulled gun out of her hands and flipped the safety into place before he pulled her into a hug. She didn’t even hug him back, just rested her forehead against his chest and breathed in deep, taking in his familiar and comforting scent. “Good work, Alpha Seven,” he stated clearly as he pulled her against him.

Kara had to chuckle softly as she shook her head. “Fucking hell,” she grumbled and wrapped an arm around his waist.

#Seal Team #Seal Team Fan Fic #Clay Spenser #Clay Spenser Fan Fic #Clay Spenser x OC #Sonny Quinn #Ray Perry #Brock Reynolds #Full Metal #Scott Carter #Trent Sawyer #Conrad Hawkins #The Resident

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swa-ua-traveller-blog · 5 years

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Six Weeks

Lots of planning had gone into this 6 week trip, but with an eye to keeping things flexible. I was careful to not over pack, limiting myself to just one mid-sized, carefully packed check-in bag and one hand-carry that would be easy to take with me on planes, trains and boats. Part of the time, I will be doing activities with groups, other parts of the time, friends or family will be flying in to join me. All are excited.

I had a round-trip United Airlines San Francisco (SFO)-London Heathrow flight booked for a June 10, 12:25 pm departure. I would start the day in San Diego though and so had booked a separate 6:30am Southwest San Diego-San Francisco flight to be sure, landing in SFO at 8:10 with plenty of time to check-in my bag at United. I was fairly confident with the SWA booking as I am an A-List Preferred member having flown nearly every week with them the previous year. Plus, there is an 8:10am-9:55am flight just in case.

Three Boarding Passes on Leg 1

I arrived and checked in my bag in San Diego airport more than an hour before departure and headed to my gate. When I reached my gate, I learned that my 6:30am SAN-SFO my flight has been cancelled. The SWA agent at the gate re-booked me for the 8:10am flight and had my bag moved to the flight. No worries, I have SWA boarding pass #2 for Leg 1.

About an hour or so later, SWA announces the 8:10 flight is delayed by 45 minutes. I went and talked to a ticketing agent and informed her I have a 12:25pm SFO-London flight and I wanted to check the delay status.

The agent, behind the counter tell me to switch to the 8:05am flight to Oakland and just take the 30-min Bart train to SFO. She called the baggage handlers and confirmed that the bag is being transferred to the Oakland plane. I now have SWA boarding pass #3 for Leg 1.

Leg 1, The Mythical OAK-SFO 30-min BART train, Delayed Luggage

I land in Oakland at 9:40am, but alas my luggage did not appear on the carousel. I went into the lost baggage office right next to the carousel and the SWA baggage rep Allison tried to trace it but could not find the bag and doesn’t know if it is in OAK or SFO. She writes up the paperwork and will send the luggage on to London. She says she will call me and leave voicemail so that when I land in London, I will have the flight number and arrival info of my luggage. Simple enough. She also advises me to take an Uber because getting on BART to SFO from OAK requires transfers will take substantially more than 30 mins. The Uber costs me $70.

At 10:50am, she calls me while I am in SFO to tell me they were able to find my luggage on the Oakland plane, but somehow it did not get unloaded with the rest of the bags and they just found it then. Lost luggage found!

SWA Delayed Baggage = Hot Potato

I make my United flight to London, but without being able to check in my luggage as planned and paid for. Upon arrival in London Heathrow airport on June 11, I eagerly check the SWA voicemails on my phone. But none of them had the promised flight info for my delayed luggage.

Instead, Allison the Oakland agent had sent the bag to SWA in SFO and said SFO now owns getting my delayed luggage to me. This is the beginning realization by myself of what can be accurately described as the SWA baggage culture of “delayed baggage=hot potato”. The goal is not to get the delayed luggage to the owner, the goal is to get the delayed luggage out of their hands as soon as possible so they can say not to contact them anymore as “We have no info because the bag is out of our hands now”. An oft-repeated mantra that SWA lost baggage reps in different cities would tell me with officiousness, as if it was a valid reason to give a customer.

SWA says I should file a baggage claim with United and the United folks at Heathrow says we should be using the same reference number that was already created by Southwest to track the bag and not create a new one since Southwest has the bag. I make an International call to Oakland Baggage folks and reminded them of their promise. What was promised and reality are as different as night and day. I also told them United will not create a claim with United since they do not have the luggage.

Sailing

I depart London the same day and headed to the South coast of England for a 3-day sail with a group to France. That was very enjoyable. I pick up an email from the SWA SFO Manager of Baggage Services that she had walked over the bag to the United counter and that United has the the bag. She emails me that it will be on Flight 730 that departed the day prior on June 13. On June 14, I take an almost 3 hour journey back to Heathrow to be at the airport when Flight 730 arrives. Things look good!

Found Luggage is Lost Again Found Again Lost Again

My bag was not on the plane. United at Heathrow says that the bag was last scanned a couple of hours earlier still in SFO, tagged still with the original SFO tag and that SWA has closed the file reference for the luggage. United says SWA should not have closed the file reference until I receive the luggage.

I ask SWA to confirm that United has the bag and give me the LHR tag number since the bag according to SWA would have been retagged for London but SWA could not provide the new tag number and the London tag is not on the file reference. An SWA baggage rep walks back to United and confirms the bag is still in SFO but is in United’s possession but provides no London tag number. She said the bag was not put on Flight 730 because “you will not file a claim with United as directed”. I corrected her and told her I tried to file a claim but could not get them to open one and to please advise me on what to tell United so I can get them to file a claim request. She finally provided the info “ask them to file a courtesy claim request using the existing file number” so that the bag will get loaded to a plane to London. It was after 5pm and I was not not having much luck reaching either of the 2 United baggage reps in Heathrow whom I had already spoken to that day, so I call up United Premier Baggage service which is US based and she files the courtesy claim at around 6pm.

I book a hotel room near Heathrow. More than 8 hours after filing the courtesy claim request, United says “they are still searching for the bag” and the bag had not made it to 2 London flights that it could have flown out of already. I call up Southwest again and tell the woman who answered the phone that I called up United and that United reports they are still searching for the bag. I told her that since Southwest knows the United agent that has the bag if Southwest can contact the United agent and provide the agent the claim request number they were asking for.

“We no longer have the bag in our possession so we can’t help you with the bag”

I told her Southwest lost the bag in the first place after cancelling and delaying 2 other flights I was booked on.

“You should contact United at the number they provided using the claim number that you now have”

I told her that I informed her at the beginning of the call that I am calling Southwest because I called United and that they are still searching for the bag.

“The bag could not be put on a flight be United because you don’t have a claim number”

I told her I just told you I have a claim number?

“We no longer have the bag in our possession so we can’t help you with the bag. You should call the number that United provided to you with the claim request number”

I asked her to email me this response so I can discuss it with a supervisor or manager and please make sure her name was on the email.

“Let me put you on hold for my supervisor.”

15-20 minutes pass while I am on hold on an international call. I hang up and call again. A voicemail answers and I leave voicemail to please call me back as I could not stay on hold for long periods on an international call.

6 hours later, no return call and they are still not picking up my calls.

United calls at 11am to say that they still cannot find the bag but will keep trying and keep me posted. They have reached out to United SFO. I told her the bag is confirmed to be with United SFO as it was last scanned there. It is supposed to be retagged with LHR but it has either not been retagged or the LHR tag is not noted in the file reference, or it is with someone waiting for a courtesy claim request number.

The Southwest people who can help and who knows which United agent received the bag in SFO, is not picking up and not returning my call. There is neither concern nor drive here to make sure a customer gets her bag, which would have made a difference in the process. The goal comes across very clearly - get the hot potato out of their hands and shift the blame.

But My Trip Will Go On

I am not planning to have Southwest delayed luggage handling hold my 6-week trip hostage. I have been without my luggage for over 5 days now. I will just need to move on. But there are things in there I need like the rest of my medicine, some things not easily replaced like sailing gear, 2 pairs of brand new walking shoes for walking all over UK and Europe that I spent time looking for...

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scarfanon · 5 years

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Etiquette for calling a customer service line

Let’s face it, there are a lot of products out there that don’t always work the way they’re supposed to. So what do you do when this happens? If you have two neurons to rub together to form a synapse, you read the labels and/or the use and care manual until you find a customer service number. Now, it has become increasingly clear to me that many, many, MANY people out there don’t understand that there are rules and protocols that customer service reps are required to follow, so here’s a few handy tips to keep in mind:

1. Make sure you are actually standing beside the product that you need help with when you call. We only know what you tell us, so we need you to be our eyes, ears, and most importantly, our hands when addressing the issue with the product in question. If you’re running an errand and think for one second that we can do anything at all to help you when the product is at home, you’re going to have a really unpleasant time. Don’t call us while you’re driving, unless it’s to ask how late we’re open, and please for the love of all that is decent, DON’T TRY TO RETURN THE PRODUCT WITHOUT CALLING US FIRST OR YOU WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY. Also, make sure you actually have time to stay on the phone and address the issue.

2. Do not just start rambling at the person you are speaking to. There is always an order of operations that must be followed if they are to help you and more often than not, the person who picks up the phone is either not trained or not authorized to directly address the problem that you’re having, unless they tell you otherwise. In most cases, the first person you speak to is only supposed to do two things: register a file in their computer system for the product in question (or otherwise access an existing file) and then transfer you to someone who can actually help you with the problem that you are having. In addition, extraneous information can slow down the process, waste time for both parties, and cause additional problems, so listen carefully to the person that you speak to and they will tell you what information they need. Once the unit is registered, the agent may then place you on hold and transfer you to the department that is trained to address the specific product you have and the specific problem that you are having with said product. This is why you need to make sure you have time to actually stay on the phone, because they can only help you if you’re going to be available long enough for them to get the information they need. If you require a representative who speaks a language other than English (usually Spanish, but the center where I work does also employ at least one French-speaking agent), please request to speak with a representative who speaks that language, as the agent may be able to immediately transfer you to someone who can communicate with you more easily.

3. Answer all of the questions that you are asked, and only those that you are asked, in the order that you are asked them. yes, I briefly addressed this above, but it still bears repeating. The data entry systems have variations from one company to the next, but more often than not, when the agent answers the phone, the only thing they have on the screen before them is a single textbox that will only accept one specific piece of information. In addition, the systems are usually designed to access data from the top down, meaning that you MUST provide the information specifically requested before it will allow the agent to access anything else. If they don’t ask you for a piece of information (such as the date of manufacture or who installed the unit), it’s more likely that the information is unnecessary than it is that they forgot to ask for it. And if they ask you what room an appliance is installed in, it’s usually because certain models are only designed to be installed in certain locations, so please be specific. And for pete’s sake, A HALLWAY IS NOT A ROOM; IF YOU MEAN CLOSET, JUST SAY CLOSET.

4. Read all information directly from the label on the product itself. In many cases, the only place you will be able to find the information is on the product itself, and the agent with whom you are speaking will be able to direct you to its location. This is why you must remain near the product for the duration of the call. DO NOT WRITE IT DOWN OR READ FROM THE COPY THAT YOU HAVE WRITTEN. 100% of the time, one or more digits are omitted or miswritten and you will be asked to go back and check again, and the system will not accept the information unless every single digit is entered correctly. This is not something that you can ballpark. Every single specific individual digit of each number requested must be included, correct, and presented in full and in the right order. This isn’t just limited to Serial and Model numbers. Learn to distinguish between Q, O, 0, 8, B, U, 4, and A, the difference between G, 6, and 9, the difference between 5 and S, the difference between 1, 7, T, 2, and Z, and the difference between a dash/hyphen (-), an underscore (_), and a space ( ). Yes, I have seen every single one of these digits mistaken for every single one of the others and getting even one digit wrong can mean the difference between getting the help that you need and wasting time. And when providing these numbers PLEASE ONLY SAY ONE DIGIT AT A TIME. You may see it as 217, but when we hear it, it comes across as 2 7 teen, and then we have to go back and correct it, which gets especially annoying when the text box that we’re entering it into has a character limit and has to be manually highlighted in order to correct the error, which causes us to fall further behind. And don’t say “oh” when you mean “zero”, it doesn’t save any time. Also bear in mind, if you have more than one unit, each unit must be registered under its own file so that they may be addressed individually; remember that the information for the product is saved under the serial number, NOT the owner’s name. Also, if you need glasses to read small print, WEAR THEM. I cannot begin to describe how many times I’ve asked a customer for their serial number and then had to wait several minutes for them to put their glasses on so that they can read it. And when we ask you for your serial number, please don’t ask “are you ready?” We were ready the moment we asked for it.

5. Yes, you do need to provide your personal information. but usually only the first time you call. It’s the only way they can link the product in question to the customer that owns it, and in most cases, the warranty will only pertain to the original registered owner of the unit. In some instances, the database will be designed to allow for multiple contacts to be attached to the same file, but there will always be one primary homeowner that takes priority over the others, and so all information must be correct, especially with regards to sending parts or repair personnel under the warranty coverage. In addition, when accessing an existing file, asking what name the file is registered under is the easiest way for the agent in question to determine that they have entered the serial number correctly, which means that telling them to write “john doe” will just make it impossible for them to find your information should you need to call back. In addition, you must also provide the information requested of you in full. This means that when you are asked for the owner’s name, you must provide both the FIRST AND LAST name. When you are asked for a preferred phone number, YOU MUST PROVIDE THE AREA CODE FIRST, and when you are asked for the address, YOU MUST INCLUDE THE HOUSE NUMBER, STREET NAME, APARTMENT/TRAILER/LOT/SUITE NUMBER (if applicable), CITY, STATE, AND ZIP CODE (or province and postal code if you are calling from Canada), as the system will usually have a feature that it uses to validate the address for the purpose of sending parts or technicians to the correct location under the warranty, and if it does not recognize the address or the address is incomplete, it will not accept it. In addition, for larger appliances, the warranty will only apply if they remain installed in their original installation location, so we need to know where that location is in order to cover the appliance. And if they ask if your phone number is a home, work, or mobile, it’s usually because they’re selecting from a drop-down menu and can only select one option, so if you say “all of the above,” they will want to reach through the phone and swat you, and just because they ask this question doesn’t mean they are looking for a specific number (hence the use of the term “preferred phone number”). “But I don’t want my information where some stranger can access it!” I hear you cry. Tell me, How are you calling us right now? and how did you obtain the means to do so in the first place? How did you pay for it? Chances are, the answers to all of these questions required you to offer your personal information to some party or other in the past, so I’m sorry to break it to you, but if you’ve ever used a cell phone, or the internet, or a credit card, or have a driver’s license, or any form of legal ID whatsoever, your information is already irretrievably out there and you have nothing to lose by providing it to the people who actually need it in order to help you. You’ll be happy to know that in most cases where appliances are concerned, providing your email is optional, but if you don’t wish to provide your email or otherwise don’t have one, don’t be an ass about it, just say “no email”. And if you do provide your email, here’s a couple of pet peeves I would like to address. I have been on this earth for about as long as email has existed, and never in my entire life have I encountered an email program where the email address was case sensitive, nor have I encountered an email address that has spaces. YOU DO NOT NEED TO TELL ME THAT IT IS ALL LOWER CASE AND YOU CERTAINLY DO NOT NEED TO TELL ME THAT THERE ARE NO SPACES OR THAT IT IS ALL ONE WORD, because it is my job to copy every single digit that you provide exactly as you provide it and I will read it back to you digit by digit to make sure I have it written correctly.

6. You must stay on the phone until we have finished all of our procedures. Once the first agent has registered your unit, or confirmed that they’ve opened the correct file, they will likely transfer you to another department that has the training and authorization to directly address the problem that you are having. DO NOT GET UPSET THAT YOU ARE BEING PUT ON HOLD. This is a necessary evil, as the agent is required to wrap up the conversation in a hurry and move onto the next customer, and you need to speak to someone who can actually use the information that has been gathered to help you. once put on hold, they will tell the system to transfer you to a particular line within the call center, at which point you will be added to the end of a queue. If the agent says something to the degree of “Please stand by”, that is an indication that they need a minute or so to finish entering the information that you have provided, that they are waiting for the next page to load on their screen, or that they are about to send you to someone who can help, and are requesting that you patiently wait for them to request the next piece of information. NOT AN INVITATION TO START TALKING OR YELLING AT THEM. There will be times when the automated hold system will tell you that there are a number of callers ahead of you, or that you will have to wait a certain amount of time before an agent will be available to answer. Whatever you do, DO NOT HANG UP THE PHONE AND CALL BACK HOPING TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE SOONER. All that will accomplish is getting ahold of another registration agent, who will ask you for your serial number again, and will then transfer you back to the same queue, where you will now have to wait even longer because you gave up your place in line.

7. When providing information, SPEAK SLOWLY AND ENUNCIATE YOUR WORDS. This is a huge pet peeve of mine. If English is not your first language, then it’s understandable (also you speak my language MUCH better than I speak yours), but if you’re a native English speaker, you have no excuse. Half the mistakes that are made are due to poor or miscommunication. When I ask you a question, I expect to hear words, NOT A STRING OF GROANING NOISES. If I can’t understand what you’re saying, I’m going to write the information wrong and then we’re going to have to waste even more time correcting the errors. In addition, make sure you speak at an audible volume. You don’t have to shout, but if you’re mumbling or speaking in a low tone, we will not be able to hear what you are saying. And PLEASE keep your fingers away from the buttons and/or screen while you are on the phone; it’s going to make it that much more difficult if I keep hearing buttons being pressed every two seconds. And for Pete’s sake, CHANGE THE BATTERIES IN YOUR SMOKE DETECTOR. I swear, every third call I hear that infernal beeping in the background.

8. Yes, you must troubleshoot the product. Regardless of your preconceived notions of how a particular product works, or what the problem is, or what you want done to resolve the issue, we still need to know the exact nature of the situation before we can take any actions to resolve it; the most fundamental of which is to walk the customer through a step-by-step diagnostic and troubleshooting procedure over the phone. The purpose of troubleshooting the unit is to determine the nature, source, and severity of the problem through process of elimination by observing the symptoms that it exhibits under different circumstances. You may think you know what’s wrong and what needs to be done, but there will ALWAYS be something that you missed or otherwise didn’t think to look for. Plus, as mentioned above, we cannot see what is happening on the other side of the phone, so we need you to be our eyes, ears, and hands and follow our instructions, many of which are time sensitive once we begin. Always listen to the precise wording of each instruction you are given and each question that we ask, as if a step is performed incorrectly, it can give inaccurate information or force us to start over. It may seem intimidating if you’ve never done it yourself before, but it’s necessary for you to help us help you resolve your problem. And no, we will not ask you to do anything that will endanger your health or safety; for any problem where that would be an issue, you will likely be instructed to hire a professional to do the work for you (assuming that one isn’t already being requested under your labor coverage, if applicable). In most cases, the steps are simple enough, and the agent’s instructions easy enough to follow, that even a child could accomplish them. “But I just have a simple question!” I hear you cry. No, no you don’t. It’s never simple and it’s never just one question.

9. Sometimes you just have to wait. It is inevitable that a problem will sometimes require that a part be replaced or that a licensed professional be sent to diagnose, repair, or replace the appliance in question. But understand that we will never be able to get them to you the same day that you call. In the case of the parts, the reason for this should be obvious, but in the case of the technicians, there is some explanation required. You see, while there may be some companies out there that have their own field technicians on their payroll that can be sent out at a moments notice, said companies are increasingly few and far between, and most of the time they prefer to cut corners in the interest of spending less money, and the easiest way to do that is to outsource to independent businesses. Typically the situation is as follows: The parent company manufactures the product, which is then sold to an independent vendor, who then sells the product to the customer at locations of the vendor’s choosing, with little to no input from the manufacturer. The manufacturer themselves will then sign on various independent contractors and business owners to take warranty jobs in the contractors’ own service radius if a customer should need a technician to help them with their unit under their labor coverage. Because the units are sold to the customer by the vendor, whose distribution is not controlled by the manufacturer, there is usually little to no correlation between where the products are sold and whether there are technicians under contract with the manufacturer within the same area, so even though a product is sold in a particular location, the manufacturer may not be able to send a technician, simply due to not having anybody under contract that services that zip code, or otherwise not being able to reach or send the ones that do, due to various circumstances (eg outside their normal service radius, too many customers on their plate at the time, or just plain not answering their phone). In most cases when something like that happens, the company will offer the customer the means to hire their own technician and then submit for reimbursement for the service fee. From what I’ve gathered, most companies that have a need for field technicians function this way, for better or for worse, simply because it’s cheaper and easier for the company to contract independent businesses than it is to employ personnel for a division that only sees occasional use. Why am I telling you this? Because I’m tired of customers acting like it’s our fault that the technician never showed up, or that there wasn’t one available for us to send in the first place. Our influence only extends so far, and while they may be under contract with us, we don’t own them, and so have zero influence on when or where they are available. Yes you should call us back if there is a problem with the technician, but also understand that simply sending a technician in the first place means that there are now three separate parties involved in the situation, two of whom are separate businesses. And this should be a no-brainer, but when the technician does show up, please please PLEASE have the technician call the manufacturer while they are in front of the machine so that we can walk them through our troubleshooting steps and ask them what they find. Telling us “they already left and they said xyz” is not at all helpful to us, because how do we know you didn’t cancel the technician and just make that up on the fly to get a quick fix? How do we know the technician actually said that? How did they come to that conclusion in the first place? What did they do? What did they see? This of course is to prevent people from just calling and asking for free parts or replacing the device for something as simple as not understanding how it functions. Our job is not to give you what you want. Our job is to solve the problem with the unit.

10. All of our calls are recorded. This is something that a lot of customers seem to not realize, even though the recorded message that they hear while on hold explicitly tells them as much (it also explicitly tells them to have their serial number ready, WHICH THEY NEVER DO). So if you say something off-color that makes the agent uncomfortable, or if you threaten the customer, their employer, or the parent company in any way, THAT SHIT GETS RECORDED AND CAN BE PRESENTED IN A COURT OF LAW. It also means that you can’t say one thing and then deny it later in the call, because guess what? We have a recording of you saying the thing that you said, which means you can’t take it back or say that you were lying earlier and that your new story is the truth, because how can we trust that you’re telling the truth now if you didn’t tell us the truth to begin with? This is a major pet peeve of mine. I’ll get a customer who says their unit is having a problem whose nature or circumstances are not covered by the warranty, and then when I tell them as much, they’ll suddenly change their story, thinking they can talk us into giving them what they want. Sorry, but that ain’t happening. We already have you on record as saying A, so if you think you can talk us into believing B, you’re wasting your breath. This is also why it’s important that you give us the CORRECT information the first time we ask for it, because if you feed us false information and then call back later and say that it’s actually something different, we will call you out on that shit.

11. Nobody manually answers phones anymore. Every time someone complains to me about how long it took me to pick up the phone, I want to reach through the line and slap them. All call centers have an automated system that directs the call to the first available agent’s computer. That computer will then answer the call automatically and let the agent know through their headset that the call is coming in and which queue it is coming from, usually about two seconds before the line connects. The agents have zero influence over how quickly your call is answered, because that part of the process is entirely automated. If it does take a long time for your call to reach an agent, it’s usually due to one of two things: they are either experiencing a higher call volume than normal, which means there are more customers ahead of you in the queue, or they are understaffed, meaning that there are fewer people available to take the calls in the first place. Either way, as soon as one call ends, another usually connects, and rarely does it take longer than a few seconds for an agent to receive their next call.

Here’s a short glossary of terms to keep in mind when calling:

Unit: the individual product that you are addressing

Model: the type of product under which the unit is categorized

Part: a specific component of the unit which may be replaceable.

Serial Number: a sequence of digits (often both numbers and letters) that identify the specific individual unit that you are working with. Every unit of every product ever manufactured has a unique serial number that is not shared with any other unit of that product, and so this is the number that the call center agent uses to identify which file to open, and the first thing they ask for when creating a new file. ALL OTHER INFORMATION IS SAVED UNDER THE SERIAL NUMBER. Just because you have provided all of your information during a previous call does not mean they will instantaneously have your information in front of them the next time you call; the registration personnel alone receive a bare minimum of about 84 calls per day, rarely from the same person twice, and do not know you from a hole in the wall, so you must provide the serial number again in order for them to access the file for your unit. And please please PLEASE make sure the serial number you provide pertains to the unit that you actually need help with, because as mentioned above, each individual unit must be registered under its own separate file, and the serial number for a replacement unit will not allow us to access the information for the previous unit, regardless of whether they have the same owner’s info attached to them.

Model Number: a sequence of digits (again usually consisting of both numbers and letters) that identify the type of product that you are working with. Unlike the serial number, which is unique to the individual, the model number is shared among all units in a specific production line. More often than not, the model number will tell the agent various other pieces of information about the unit as well, so that they do not need to ask you for as many details about the product (such as the warranty, size, capacity, etc), which means fewer questions for them to ask. The model number will usually only be requested the first time you are calling about a particular unit, and only after the serial number has been provided. Usually the model number pops up on their screen automatically with the touch of a button, but the agent will ask you to read the number anyway in order to confirm that it matches the one that is attached to the serial number that you have provided. If it doesn’t match, you will be asked to provide the Serial number again, ad nauseum, until it does match. WE CANNOT USE THE MODEL NUMBER TO PULL UP YOUR FILE BECAUSE MORE THAN ONE UNIT HAS THAT MODEL NUMBER.

Part Number: a sequence of digits (again, usually consisting of both letters and numbers that identify to a specific part of the product that you are working with. Similar to a model number, a part number is shared among all individual units of that specific part, but does not say much about the unit as a whole, as multiple models may utilize the same parts. Many appliances are designed to be repaired on the spot, hence the need for part numbers, but if you think we’ll be able to tell which unit you have just from the part number, you are sorely mistaken. More often than not, agents higher up the chain will be able to access a list of all part numbers pertaining to your unit once they have access to your file, so this number is almost never necessary to provide. NO, WE CANNOT JUST SEND YOU A PART BECAUSE YOU HAVE A PART NUMBER WITH YOU. First off, it may not even be the correct part for that unit, and second we still need to know what the actual problem is before we can determine if you even need that part in the first place.

SKU Number: a sequence of digits (usually just numbers, but may occasionally include letters) that the vendor (read: the store where you bought the damn thing) uses to identify the individual product in their database. This number is completely useless to the call center agent and will never be requested over the phone.

Troubleshooting/warranty department: usually used interchangeably, as the person troubleshooting the unit over the phone is required to recognize what is covered under the warranty and what is not. Either way, they are the ones you want to speak to after the unit has been registered, and if they aren’t, they can usually direct you to the ones that are.

Parts department: this department process part orders, both in and out of warranty, but will only speak to a customer directly if the customer wishes to purchase a part out of warranty. If the customer wishes for the part to be sent under their warranty coverage, they need to speak to the person troubleshooting the unit.

Contractors department: This is the department you want to speak to if there is a problem involving a field technician, whether it’s having trouble finding one in the first place, or having problems with one that has been dispatched to the location of the appliance.

Billing department: this is the department responsible for processing your reimbursements. if a reimbursement is necessary, the customer will usually be given specific instructions on what information to send and where to send it. most such info is sent electronically these days, so you will likely not be able to send it via physical mail. Also bear in mind, WE ARE NOT STUPID. If you think you can send us a hastily written MS Office document or handwritten “invoice” and that we’ll give you free money, you will instead receive a templated email and/or letter explaining that your document is invalid and cannot be used. I worked in my company’s voucher department for a time and nothing would bring me more joy than going into miniscule detail in my reply to a fraudulent customer’s email about why their documentation was invalid.

Claims department: This department handles any cases where the customer is seeking reparation for damages caused by the product in question, but you usually won’t get to speak to them until after the unit has been registered and diagnosed. In addition, any cases where a claim has to be filed will require that the appliance remain in its installation location pending further investigation.

Supervisor/Manager: Most of the lower departments are required to strictly adhere to the rules that they have been instructed to follow, else they get in trouble and are required to correct their indiscretion, usually by calling the customer back and explaining that whatever we promised is not actually going to happen and that we need to go through all the steps properly before we can provide anything (this is referred to as a rework). Only the supervisor or manager has the leverage to bend the rules and give you something that we otherwise would not, though they are also required to work within certain limitations. Bear in mind however that they can only help you if you’ve already tried to cooperate with the lower departments and if you think you can just bypass the process by immediately asking to speak to a supervisor and demanding things from them, you will learn very quickly that they have the authority tell you where you can stick it.

I think that about sums it up. Just try to be polite and cooperative to the person you’re talking to and they’ll do their best to help you out.

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raisingsupergirl · 5 years

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Apple or AT&T—Who's More Evil?

Let me start out by saying that I get it. I really do. Companies have to make money. Successful companies with great products deserve to make money. Apple and AT&T? They both make wonderful products and provide top-notch services. The problem is, for some dumb reason, they both like making as much money as possible. And the easiest way for them to do that is to keep us, the consumers, buying their new crap. Convincing us that we need it and that there's no other alternative. So when a company gets that big, when they can leverage their power against the little people, what stops us from finally getting fed up, throwing our phones in the toilet, and going back to smoke signals? Well, to answer that, I need to tell you what brought on my recent frustrations (as if any specific examples need to be given)…

Problem 1: The Man With the Data Plan

My wife and I went on a cruise a few weeks ago. And like most Americans with 1st-world problems, we had to decide whether we wanted to 1) go a week without cell phone or internet access while we cruised across international waters…yeah, right, 2) buy an international data plan from AT&T, or 3) purchase access to our ship's Wi-Fi access. In the end, it looked like the Wi-Fi package would be the cheapest, so that's what we went with. My wife was careful to turn off all wireless data to all apps and services on her phone (I just kept my phone turned off all week. I would have thrown it in the ocean and never looked back if she'd have let me) as directed on the various FAQs she found, and she logged onto the ship's Wi-Fi without complication. Smooth sailing… or at least we thought so until we received our AT&T bill. Yup, you guessed it—$100 worth of charges for iMessages and calls.

Problem 2: Disposable Phones

My wife and I bought new iPhone 7s two years ago. It was a great time in our lives. I remember the occasion fondly because it was the same day that our sweet Avery (two years old at the time) dressed up in her yellow "Beauty" princess dress and took in her first movie theater experience with Mommy and Daddy. Well, fast-forward two years, and we just paid off those phones. And lo and behold, my wife updated her phone earlier this week and within 30 minutes…it stopped working. Not completely, just the microphone, which, contrary to this smart phone generation's beliefs, is kind of important. And there was "nothing" that could be done to fix it. Which meant, just when we were free from the clutches of our AT&T contract and iPhone debt, we were sucked back in. Sure, the wife would get her fancy new phone, but at what cost?

So off we went to the AT&T store. We spoke with our customer representative (Ayla, which is easy for me to remember because it's the name of a cavewoman character in my favorite video game of all time, but I digress…), and she was great. She upgraded our antiquated data plan, made sure we understood the new plan, showed us where things could be improved to fit our needs, let us know who to contact about the $100 charge on our AT&T bill, and put up with our two insane daughters while my wife got her new phone set up. All in all, it was a great experience, but it was one that should never have happened in the first place. Why? Because Apple is intentionally breaking their older iPhones (if two years is considered "old") so their customers will buy the newest model. If you're not aware of this practice (YES, it's real, and it's confirmed by Apple's corporate reps), read on. If you know about it, feel free to skip the next three paragraphs.

First, imagine a perfect product. Let's use a fish aquarium heater as an example. Its job is simple—heat water to a specific temperature so your tropical fishies don't freeze to death. A company could easily create a heater that would last for decades, but why in the world would they do that? Even if they charged double the price of typical heaters, they would still lose money because in those two decades' time, its customers would by three or four of those "disposable" heaters that crack or short out from routine use. So it just doesn't make financial sense for them to make a durable product when they could make one that works just long enough to keep the consumer coming back for more.

Now, take that principle to the tech world, and we have to look at things a little differently. For those of you old enough, you remember those first Nokia brick cellphones well. Why? Because they were indestructible, their batteries lasted forever, and they had service EVERYWHERE. They were perfect phones. Except, the most exciting game on them was Snake, and within a few years, the Blackberry (and all of it's thumb-injuring successors) had overshadowed the poor, reliable Nokia despite its inferior construction. In this way, the tech world kept consumers buying new products every year because the amazing technology advanced so rapidly. I mean, you'd be insane to use those boring old bricks that could only make calls and use T9 to text when there were newer phones out there that could take pictures and check electronic mail!

Then something happened. The technology started to stagnate. It kept improving, but not nearly as fast. All phones had cameras, internet access, and most importantly, apps. At that point, if a phone didn't break, it could be used forever while the user just downloaded whatever new apps that came out. Sure, the new apps would take up more space and demand stronger processors and whatnot, but a frugal user could make due for years and years. And that kind of return just didn't work for the tech companies. If they were ever going to be able to swim in a vault filled with gold coins a la Scrooge McDuck, they needed to find a way to keep selling new products that consumers had no real reason to buy. And so, they invented the "update." Oh yes, you NEED this update! It'll keep your phone safe. It'll keep it running smoothly with all those new apps. It'll keep it… updated. But we should mention that those updates will eventually fry your phone's "old" processor, forcing you to fork out a grand every couple of years.

I'm not going to pretend to be tech savvy enough to outline every reason for this (and that's not what this blog's about, anyway), but we've all been victims of the sudden battery death, random crashing, and in my wife's case, microphone failure that happens immediately after one of these "updates." And as I said, this practice is documented and admitted. For the big companies, it's essential to keep them afloat. Heaven forbid that they keep giving us actual reasons to buy new products. No, they've already perfected the smartphone, so instead of creating something new, they've found ways to keep selling us the same thing. It's brilliant, in an evil mastermind sort of way.

Okay, back to the story. My wife got her new phone. She was safe for the next couple of years (though it's just a matter of time before MY phone dies of update sickness…), so now it was time to take the fight to AT&T's retentions department and see about that $100 charge on our bill.

Round 1: I called 6-1-1 and I spoke with the level 1 boss, though I didn't catch her name… She told it to me, but I didn't catch it. She was polite the entire time. She explained how there were, in fact, charges on my bill and how those charges were because we'd used data and call services in international waters. I explained (politely) that we hadn't authorized these usages because we turned off all cellular data, etc. and only used Wi-Fi while out of the country, and that I didn't plan to pay these extra charges. 30 minutes later and she let me know that she was going to "send this case up," and I should get an email within 24 hours. "No," I said, again politely, "I think I'll just talk to someone now." Brief (ten minute) pause, then [insert name here] said, "One moment please."

Round 2: Level 2 boss's name was John, and his accent fit his name. He, just like Level 1 Boss, took a good while searching through the charges and getting back to me, but he also remained completely polite the entire time. He explained that the Wi-Fi packages on most cruise ships only cover international water usage, and our AT&T charges had come while we were docked in port in Haiti. Why? Because my wife's phone started using the Haitian towers (instead of the cruise line's Wi-Fi) without our approval. It made perfect sense whether it was true or not, but John went on to tell me that, while he may not be able to get ALL of the charges removed, he would do what he could because we were, "…long-time valued customers." His words, not mine. Five minutes later, John took me off of hold and told me that he obtained approval to take $75 off of the bill, so we would only have to pay $25. Truth be told, I had no intention of paying ANY of that bill, but my interaction with John was so pleasant (I didn't have to ask him to reduce the bill. I didn't have to bring up the fact that we were valued customers, or that we could take our business across the street to Crickett Wireless. He knew all of these things, and he that knew I knew them. And he got the job done, or close to it) that he'd gained my respect. I wasn't going to fight John over the remaining $25, even if it did take over an hour to get that $75 knocked off. Game over. Roll credits.

So here's the thing—I'm a huge skeptic. With everyone I worked with throughout this debacle, I know that there's a possibility that they were all just working off of a script. That they did exactly as they'd been trained, performing damage control and getting every cent possible out of a tough customer like me. After everything, it's possible that AT&T and Apple still won. But at least they played the game. At least these REAL people listened to me and answered my questions, and in the end, the interactions were extremely pleasant. Yes, I get that I'm a number to the companies, but I was a person to their employees. And they treated me with respect. And I did the same with them.

My title poses the question of who's more evil between AT&T and Apple. Unfortunately, I don't have the answer to that question, but in THIS case, as much as it hurts me to say it, the bigger evildoer is definitely Apple. Why? Well, in AT&T's case, their charges were legitimate. My wife incurred roaming charges in Haiti because of the cruise line's failure to explain how their services worked. And even if John straight up lied to me about that, his company still only wound up stealing $25 (and one hour) from me. Apple on the other hand… they're openly breaking their own phones so their loyal customers have to buy new ones. And those new phones cost a whole lot more than $25. Yes, our experience in the AT&T store was pleasant while buying that new Apple iPhone (thanks to Ayla), but it should have never come to that.

In the end, we're victims of our circumstances. We're brainwashed by brilliant marketing. We're forced into competition with our neighbors. And there's only one thing I can say as I finish up typing this scathing report on my Apple MacBook Air—Joke's on you, Satan, er, Apple. Money's not real. No one really owns anything anymore. There's no privacy. No Freedom. The only things we have are our experiences, our interactions, and our attitudes. And as the days get longer and the grass gets greener, I can't help hoping Y2K is just running fashionably late (all you millennials should Google Y2K along with The Matrix and Surge soda. There's so much you've missed…). In the meantime, I'm going to go cut my grass with a lawnmower that's older than every piece of technology I own, and believe it or not, it's never had a single update. What a world.

#att #apple #appleproducts #appleproblems #at&t #cellphoneproblems #tech problems #big business #momblr #mumblr #dadblr

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wwwnewunificationchurchcom · 3 years

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MIAMI — A little-known GOP candidate in one of Florida’s most competitive congressional seats was secretly recorded threatening to send “a Russian and Ukrainian hit squad” to a fellow Republican opponent to make her “disappear.”

During a 30-minute call with a conservative activist that was recorded before he became a candidate, William Braddock repeatedly warned the activist to not support GOP candidate Anna Paulina Luna in the Republican primary for a Tampa Bay-area congressional seat because he had access to assassins. The seat is being vacated by Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.), who is running for governor.

“I really don't want to have to end anybody's life for the good of the people of the United States of America,” Braddock said at one point in the conversation last week, according to the recording exclusively obtained by POLITICO.

“That will break my heart. But if it needs to be done, it needs to be done. Luna is a f---ing speed bump in the road. She's a dead squirrel you run over every day when you leave the neighborhood.”

Reached by text message, Braddock refused to say whether he made any threats about Luna to the person who recorded him, Erin Olszewski.

This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Share: Secret recording: Florida Republican threatens Russian-Ukranian ‘hit squad’ after rival FacebookGoogle+LinkedInPinterestTumblrTwitter Direct Link https://www.politico.com/news/2021/06/17/secret-recording-florida-republican-threat-hit-squad-494976 Start From hh:mm:ss Embed Code <iframe src='//players.brightcove.net/1155968404/r1WF6V0Pl_default/index.html?videoId=6259286704001' allowfullscreen frameborder=0></iframe> Close Modal Dialog Asked repeatedly via text if he mentioned Russian-Ukrainian hit squads, Braddock wouldn’t give a yes or no answer, saying he had not heard the recording and that it’s “allegedly me … there is no proof of that.” He also suggested the recording “may even be altered and edited.”

“This is a dirty political tactic that has caused a lot of people a lot of stress and is completely unnecessary,” he said.

Olszewski denied editing or altering the recording. She said she made it because she was concerned about Braddock’s “unhinged” dislike of Luna that he had previously expressed. After she made the recording just after midnight last Wednesday, she promptly turned it over to St. Petersburg, Fla., police and gave a heads-up to her friend Luna, who filed a petition for an injunction against Braddock. Luna and Olszewski each received a temporary restraining order against him last week. Braddock filed to run Monday.

In the recording, Braddock early in the call brought up the alleged assassins. He also made rambling statements about getting financial help from fellow Freemasons or by somehow importing millions of dollars from Malta and Gibraltar.

“I have access to a hit squad, too, Ukrainians and Russians,” he said about three minutes into the call, adding “don't get caught out in public supporting Luna. … Luna’s gonna go down and I hope it's by herself.”

Braddock went on to explain that he didn’t think Luna could win in the general election. Luna, an Air Force veteran and former model who went on to become a conservative activist, won a crowded GOP primary in the state’s 13th Congressional District last year but lost the general election to Crist.

It's unclear exactly why Braddock has such dislike toward Luna. The two do not appear to have any previous connection to one another, and Braddock is a lower-tier candidate in an increasingly crowded race for Crist’s seat. Already, two state lawmakers and a former Obama administration official have entered the race, with others expected to jump in.

The threats, claims of assassins and political backstabbing put an only-in-Florida stamp on what was already shaping up to be a wild midterm of congressional races. Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz in the Panhandle is still batting back accusations in an ongoing federal sex trafficking probe. Democratic Rep. Val Demings is leaving her Orlando seat to run for Senate, causing a mad scramble to replace her. And the state is getting an additional congressional seat that is certain to lead to another crush of candidates after redistricting before next year’s elections.

MOST READ Anna Paulina Luna stands on a podium at a rally for then-President Donald Trump. In secret recording, Florida Republican threatens to send Russian-Ukrainian ‘hit squad’ after rival Manchin moves shake up Dem strategy for massive elections bill Trump rails against Covid vaccines for ‘very young people’ GOP hands Dems a new line of attack: They're for 'Trump over the cops' New York’s mayoral race remains a tossup after final Democratic debate

Olszewski, who initiated and recorded the call just after midnight on June 9, said she phoned Braddock at his insistence because he kept trying to get her to appear on a health care panel for an event he was organizing.

Olszewski, a nurse by training, became a conservative figure last year after penning a book called “Undercover Epicenter Nurse: How Fraud, Negligence, and Greed Led to Unnecessary Deaths at Elmhurst Hospital,” which some in the health care industry have called disinformation.

After having a few conversations with Braddock, however, Olszewski said she became concerned that he wanted to use her to advance his candidacy and that he left her “threatening” messages about Luna that sounded “unhinged.”

With such a closely divided Congress currently in Democratic control, Braddock said on the recorded call that the “pivotal” St. Petersburg-based district will take on outsized importance in 2022 to keep America from devolving into a “communist-socialist s---hole.” When Olszewski asked him why he had Russians at the ready, Braddock indicated they were to stop Luna.

“My polling people are going to charge me $20,000 to do a poll right before the primary. And if the poll says Luna’s gonna win, she’s gonna be gone. She's gonna disappear,” Braddock said in the recorded call, pledging Olszewski to secrecy. “For the good of our country, we have to sacrifice the few. … For the better or the good of the majority of the people, we've got to sacrifice the few.”

Later in the call, Olszewski asked what would happen if “Luna is gonna win” and Braddock assured her that wouldn’t happen.

“She’s gonna be gone. Period. That's the end of the discussion. Luna is not an issue,” he said.

Olszewski pushed him, asking “how do we make her go, though? I just don’t understand that.”

“I call up my Russian and Ukrainian hit squad, and within 24 hours, they're sending me pictures of her disappearing,” he replied. “No, I'm not joking. Like, this is beyond my control this point.”

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Asked if the killers were snipers, Braddock described them as, “Russian mafia. Close-battle combat, TEC-9s, MAC-10s, silencers kind of thing. No snipers. Up close and personal. So they know that the target has gone.” Olszewski said that threats like the ones Braddock made “you can’t take lightly. Normal people don’t say these things.” Olszewski called Braddock on one smartphone and recorded video of the call with another, occasionally displaying his name and number on the video to show it was him on the call. POLITICO also obtained a separate recording, a voicemail message, Braddock left with a consultant in which his phone number was identical and voice seemed to match the information Olszewski shot in her video.

In Florida, it’s a third-degree felony to record another person without their knowledge. But Olszewski said that St. Petersburg police told her she had nothing to worry about in recording the conversation and turning it over to authorities. A spokesperson for the St. Petersburg police declined to comment on the recording or whether it was legally recorded.

Braddock, though, indicated he was ready to sue Olszewski.

“The folks in possession of whatever recording they think they have of myself or someone else (which may even be altered and edited) will be facing civil damages suit(s) when the paperwork is file [sic] with the county and felony charges after I file with the local police department,” Braddock said in his text message to POLITICO. “I strongly advise not to get involved because the civil suits will continue to be filed until people stop sharing them because whomever is on the recording did not consent to be recorded in my humble opinion.”

In her filing for an injunction, Luna also mentioned how Braddock claimed in the call with Olszewski that two other potential Republican candidates in the race, Amanda Makki and Matt Tito, had formed an alliance with him to stop Luna. Braddock briefly posted the petition for the injunction on his Facebook page Friday but then took them down.

Both Makki and Tito denied the claims of an alliance with Braddock and each of them criticized Luna for mentioning their names in the injunction she filed against Braddock.

“The fact she dragged me through the mud, after not seeing or talking to me after 11 months, it really calls into question her judgment,” said Makki, who ran unsuccessfully in the GOP primary against Luna in 2020, despite earning the endorsement of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

Tito, also, was displeased with the fact that he was named in the injunction.

“This is a total political hit job. I wasn’t served. I’m not in legal trouble,” he said. “Luna doesn’t want me to get in the Republican race because she knows I’ll beat her. I’m a better candidate. She’s trying to wipe me out of the race, trying to embarrass me, intimidate me, smear my name so she has a wider path to the nomination.”

In the call, Braddock mentioned that he offered Tito a job on his campaign to keep him on the sidelines, but Tito said he had no intention to work for Braddock.

James Blair, a spokesperson for Luna, said she wouldn’t comment on the ongoing investigation. But he suggested Makki had “sour grapes” for losing the primary last year to Luna. And he faulted Tito because he “immediately blamed the woman” by accusing Luna of a political hit job. “The content of the protective order filed is based upon Mr. Braddock’s own threats, actions, and statements,” Blair said. “I understand that Mr. Braddock is the one who stated he is working with Mr. Tito and Ms. Makki, so perhaps they should take it up with him instead of attacking the person he said he was going to kill if that’s what it took to keep her from winning.” In her petition for the restraining order, Luna made it clear that she took Braddock’s threats seriously. “I do not feel safe and am currently in fear for my life,” Luna wrote, according to a copy of it. Olszewski, too, said Braddock sounded dangerous. At one point, Braddock even said he was scared himself. “Don’t be on the f---ing wrong side of supporting Luna because if you're near her when the time comes, I just don't want that to happen to you because you've got kids,” Braddock said on the call. “So don't be associated with Luna under any circumstances. Please. And do not repeat this anybody because both of us will be in jeopardy if you do. I'm not just blowing smoke here. I'm f---ing being dead ass serious and it scares the s--- out of me, too.”

“The content of the protective order filed is based upon Mr. Braddock’s own threats, actions, and statements,” Blair said. “I understand that Mr. Braddock is the one who stated he is working with Mr. Tito and Ms. Makki, so perhaps they should take it up with him instead of attacking the person he said he was going to kill if that’s what it took to keep her from winning.” In her petition for the restraining order, Luna made it clear that she took Braddock’s threats seriously. “I do not feel safe and am currently in fear for my life,” Luna wrote, according to a copy of it. Olszewski, too, said Braddock sounded dangerous. At one point, Braddock even said he was scared himself. “Don’t be on the f---ing wrong side of supporting Luna because if you're near her when the time comes, I just don't want that to happen to you because you've got kids,” Braddock said on the call. “So don't be associated with Luna under any circumstances. Please. And do not repeat this anybody because both of us will be in jeopardy if you do. I'm not just blowing smoke here. I'm f---ing being dead ass serious and it scares the s--- out of me, too.”

FILED UNDER: CHARLIE CRIST, TAMPA, LEGAL

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mona-stay · 6 years

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A Dangerous Date -Peter Hale

Prompt - Scott's older sister goes on a date with Peter as Scott and stiles try to stop it Pairing - Peter hale x reader Warnings- none Story Peter had come out of his coma killing Laura to take the power of the alpha he felt was rightfully his. He's created a beta, even if Scott was unwilling to join the pack. Peter could always think of a backup to force him. Now Derek and Scott both knew Peter was the alpha and wasn't in a catatonic state. Peter didn't see the need in hiding away anymore.

Peter's first plan was going to be Scott's adoring mother. He went to the hospital looking for Melissa McCall, when a sent caught his attention. He followed the sweetie intoxicating smell, finding a young beautiful girl in hospital overalls following another doctor.

Peter looked at her and knew without a doubt he needed to talk to her "sorry excuse me could you help me find ward 6 please" Peter said making conversation. The other older doctor told her to go he'd find her later after he'd seen a patient. "yes it's this way follow me" she blushed making Peter smirk. "I'm Peter Hale" he said in the lift trying to get her talking. "I'm y/n, y/n McCall" Peter's smirk grow even bigger.

You had only been back in beacon hills a week. After finishing university you started medical student training in the hospital your mother worked in. You had missed home and had a chance to continue with your goals of becoming a doctor. Your first day couldn't have gone any better, the staff was kind and supportive. No doubt thanks you your mother. You picked up everything quick and to end the day you had a date with a handsome man. Scott was sat in his room talking to Allison as you popped you head round his door. "hey I'm gonna be home late tonight" you tell him. Scott stirs at you making you feel nervous "what's wrong" you ask him in a panic. "nothing you look.. Look" he started "amazing" Allison jumped in for him. "yes you look amazing. Wait what do you look amazing?" he asked.

"well Scotty boy, I had a dinner with a rather charming medic rep from work" you say. Scott started to frown he knew everyone in the hospital and couldn't work out who or what a medic rep was. "what medical rep?" he questioned. As you went to answer the doorbell rang "that medical rep" you panic "I'm not ready Scott answer the door and please be nice to him" you beg running back to your room to get your shoes on and do last minute touches.

Scott went to open the door but could sense Peter on the other side. Ding dong the bell went again as you shout again for him to open the door. Scott watched at the handle turned opening from the outside. As he looked out panicked he saw no one there "Scott" you shout from the stairs "invite him in" you say. Scott spins seeing Peter at the door.

Peter hears you call you'll only be a minute or two. Giving him a chance to talk to Scott, putting his hand out to stop the closing door. "Really? Slam the door in my face?" Peter smoothly said. Scott looked around thinking of what to do next "Come on, Scott. Take a second to think that through." Peter warned him before Scott tried anything else "I'll tell her" Scott panicked

Peter laughed "That I used to be a catatonic invalid with burns covering half my face? Good luck with that." Peter told him knowing no matter what Scott tries to you. "If you hurt her, if you even touch her" Scott started but Peter quickly cut him off "Scott, if I may interrupt your listing of the top five most impotent-sounding threats for a moment, try and remember that I've been in a coma for six years. Don't you think I'd like to have dinner with a beautiful woman?" he told the teen. Scott's face dropped thinking it over.

You come to the door "I'll just be one more minute I promise" you say running to get you bag from the living room. Peter turns to a pale looking Scott "Or maybe You think that I've come up with an idea. Like how it might be easier to convince you to be part of the pack if your sister is, too" Peter says" Scott swallowed hard as Peter moved in close to him "You need to understand how much more powerful we are together. You, me, Derek and pretty little y/n." Peter said. Before he could answer you came out ready.

Peter looked at you his eyes in awe "you look incredible" he said offering his arm out "shall we?" he asked. You both walked out to his car, leaving Scott scared and worried. He ran up the stairs hunting round his room for his phone. "I'm sorry, I know you want to talk and do to but please just wait here ten minutes" Scott says to Allison getting his shoes "I wouldn't leave you if it wasn't important promise me you'll wait" he begged her. Allison sat on the bed as he ran out calling stiles.

You was in the car while Peter drove watching the road confused to where you was going. "everything okay" Peter asked you giggled nervously "yeah I think you missed the turn for the restaurant" you say looking at the missed turn. "oh, should we pull over and check the map on your phone" he said pulling over to the side of the road. Taking your phone put of your bag Peter stirs at you, making you feel nervous "is something wrong" you ask with a small laugh. "nothing, you have the most incredible skin, flawless" he says making you laugh. "that's a new one" you blush at the compliment. "may I?" Peter asks as he lifts his hand to your face stroking it gently. The touch made you drop your phone.

Peter watched you duck down to find the phone. He could feel his eyes and fang beginning to show, he had to fight every part of him wanting to bite you there and then. He knew from the second he smelt the sent in the hospital you was his mate werewolf or not he knew his heart belonged to you. As he leaded in to bite you a crash made you both jolt. Peter's face went back to normal as you got out the car to see who hit you.

"stiles!" you scream seeing his blue jeep. "wow y/n what a funny coincidence" he tried to lie but you knew better then that. "I think we need to call my dad for the whole department" he says scared looking at Peter who was glaring at him. "the will be no need for that" Peter says charmingly walking back to the front of his car while you start to scream at stiles.

"Well played Scott" peter says looking for his beta "I know you're there, Scott, and I'm impressed. It's too bad most teenagers aren't that smart. It's like that one on the lacrosse team Jackson. Thinks he knows all about us. You know how they say knowledge is power. Not in his case." Peter says hearing Scott run off to save another friend.

You asked stiles what the hell was going on it was too coincidental he crashed your date."your date, well I think he's dangerous, your on a dangerous date" stiles said make you raise your eyebrows at him "oh and care to tell why that is" you ask annoyed "because he's a hale related to Derek Hale the murder my dad is after you can't trust him he could be a killer too" you went to speak but stiles carried on “we think hes going to kill to get at scott” thus is when you laughed “why would Peter want to kill me to get to Scott for they don’t even know eachother” you say

Peter was impressed by the betas plan even more so when he heard the sound of hissing coming from his back tire. Peter walked over to her interrupting her current conversation. "I'm sorry to say during stiles little bump my car is now has a flat tire. May we rearrange our date" Peter says kissing your hand. With nothing you can do about it and stiles quick to offer you a lift home you sadly left. Peter went to hale house, his phone rang "you not going to get that" Derek asked Peter as they heard Jackson banging on the door he was locked behind. "it's another problem for another day" Peter snapped throwing the phone on the table. Derek looked at the caller ID recognised it Scott's sister. "that's your plan to get Scott on side, using his sister" Derek asked not impressed. "isn't that what Jackson's for" Peter answers sarcastically. Derek didn't buy it for a minute folding his arms over his chest. "no Derek I'm not using y/n to get at Scott, I was keeping her out of all this stuff for now" he said truthfully "so why is she calling you, I didn't know you even you knew her" Derek pushed more.

Peter sighed knowing Derek wasn't about to give up until he got answers. "she's my mate" Peter tried to make it sound unimportant. "I was going to take her out last night but Scott and stiles interfered. she calling to rearrange" peter said. Derek was taken back a little, still thinking his uncle was incapable of love. Before he could ask anything else a crash came from the room Jackson was in. you saw Scott sneak out, curious you followed him to see where, he’d been acting differently since you came back you wanted to know why. Scott went to beacon hills reserve, you pulled up walking at a distance in the wood. scott was to focused on tracking Jackson he didn't know he was being followed and not just by his sister. as he entered the Hale house, Scott jumped in front of Jackson showing his fangs to Derek defending his former enemy. Peter calmly walked out, grabbing Jackson by the throat as he pleaded for his life. the three wolfs spent a few minuets in an intense stir out. Scott planning what to do, Peter watching him panic as Jackson gasped and begged.

Derek was the first to turn away when he heard someone approaching. "Scott" all of them froze at the sound of your voice. peter smirked as Scott's heart quickened in fear for his sister. " okay peter lets make a deal I be apart of your pack, ill do anything you want me to just please let them go. Jackson and my sister don't hurt them and ill join" Scott begged. Peter dropped Jackson on the fall "he's not going to hurt your sister" Derek said as the door opened

you walking into the burned out house remembering the stories of the fire. you see the four boys all stood silent looking at you. something was off you could feel it "what's going on?" you ask looking at Scott. peter was the fast thinker, "he's being a brother, Scott and his friend came here to warn me not to harm you" he said in a charming tone making you blush looking at him then frown at Scott. Scott looked at peter confused uncertain why peter was being charming and covering for him. Scott thought maybe Peter was covering for himself he didn't want y/n to know but why would that matter if he was planning on killing her.

As you went to tell Scott to come home Derek shouted "cover your eyes" the next few minuets went by fast a hail of bullets and arrows came from outside spilling into the house. peter grabbed you dragging you in using his body as cover. Scott was the first to see and smell the blood, "y/n" he screamed as everyone else's attention turned to you. the shooting outside was still ongoing as peter and Scott both took your pain and tried to stop the bleeding, "turn her" Derek said seeing how much blood you where loosing. "no!" Scott screamed trying to block peter, "if I move her she'll bleed out an die in minuets if we stay those hunter will kill us all" peter said back trying to make the young boy see sense. "but what if the bite kills her" Scott argued back. "Scott its not going to kill her i know it wont now just let him" Derek shouted trying to keep Jackson from getting hit.

Scott knew they was keeping something from him, but Derek was always keeping something hidden. He had no time to question it, the footsteps to the hunters was close and you was dying in his arms. Seeing no other chose Scott looked at peter "okay do it, bite her please don't let her die" Scott said almost begging peter. he didn't need to be asked twice, peter sifted looking into your terrified eyes.

your tired to back up looking at Peters fangs, Scott held you in place telling you it was all going to be okay. you screamed as Peter bit into your neck, almost fainting. Derek and Jackson tried to go but couldn't with the gunfire. Looking at the others Derek shouted "get them out" as he went to the front door creating a distraction. Peter scooped you in his arms running out the back Scoot and Jackson not far behind.

once back home both peter and Scott didn't leave your side. Derek eventually knocked after losing the hunters. Scott felt you with Peter not really wanting to but Derek pointed out if peter wanted to hurt her he's had plenty of chances by now. Downstairs Scott wanted answers and trusted Derek a little more then Peter for the truth. after asking and finding out Jackson was just leverage to get Scott on the hale side. he asked the true questions bothering him, "why is Peter acting weird round y/? how did you know bite wouldn't kill her? what wasn't you both telling me back at the house?" he fired questions at the youngest Hale. Derek took a breath knowing peter was listening and if he didn't want Scott knowing the truth he'd have come down by now. "peter was never planning on hurting her, I knew she'd take the bite because she's always destined to be a wolf." Derek said. Scoot looked more confused then before.

Upstairs, you was in bed all the pain had gone. you could hear your brother and Derek talking like they was in the room with you. "she's Peter's mate, that how I knew. Its probably the reason peter bit you that night in the wood's. in his wolf form he could sense the d.n.a of his mate" you opened your eyes sitting up. Peter was next to you a small smile on his lips "how you feeling sweetheart" he asked you low. "different" you said still adjusting to the change in senses. "is it true what there saying" you ask as peter tills his head listening to them talking about what mates are. "yes" peter said "but don't worry to much about the wolf dynamics" you nodded unsure what he meant "how about to start with we try that date again and take it from there?" he asked holding out his hand. you took his hand smiling nodding at him.

when you got to the kitchen Scott ran hugging you, "your okay" he repeated a few times. "I'm fine Scott" you tell him. peter and Derek leave the room giving you booth chance to talk. Scott filled you in the whole truth, about when he got bitten, about stiles knowing, about the Argents and other hunters. How they set the hale fire and Peter wanted revenge,, how he sent stiles to sabotage your date with Peter. You took all the info in still overwhelmed by it all. "about my date," you started making Scott look at you "Peter asked me out again" you tell your little brother. "are you going?" he asked still having strong doubts about peter. "yes I've already told him I am" Scott went from unsure to angry "have you not been listening to what I told you, Peter is a kill...." he said before you cut him off. " he saved my life" you corrected him. "he could have left us to die back there but he didn't I owe him a date" before Scott could argue back Peter and Derek came back mainly to say goodbye. you hugged Peter thanking him again "anything for you sweetheart" he said Scott pulling a face but didn't say nothing. Peter leaned down giving gentle kiss on the cheek " see you at seven" he whispered in your ear before leaving you happy and excited to see him again.

________________________________________________________________

note: this was just a quick idea had and wrote its more a quick drabble then a fic hope you all like it anyways if you do i mite make a part two with more init

#Peter Hale #peter hale imagine #peter hale x reader #peter hale fluff #teen wolf #teen wolf imagine #teen wolf fluff #teen wolf x reader #Scott McCall #derek hale #stiles stilinski #Jackson Whittemore

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tallmantall · 6 months

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easyfoodnetwork · 4 years

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The Coronavirus Delivery Pivot Is Already Coming to an End

A single order awaits being carried out from Sushi Yasuda in Midtown Manhattan | Gary He

As dining rooms around the country shuttered in response to the pandemic, restaurants turned to delivery and takeout — but now, some chefs are saying it’s not worth it

“I don’t think we as a society are fully grasping how fucking dire and dystopian this can get,” says Andy Ricker, the chef and owner of the Pok Pok restaurant group. In the week following Oregon’s March 17 order to shutter dining rooms statewide to slow the spread of COVID-19, five of Ricker’s seven Portland-area restaurants continued operating in a takeout or delivery capacity. But after chef Floyd Cardoz’s March 25 death from complications of COVID-19, a loss that Ricker described on Instagram as “an arrow to the heart,” he decided to close all of his restaurants. “We are food professionals,” he wrote. “We’re okay following health code, and being careful about spreading foodborne illnesses. But a deadly coronavirus? That’s just not something we’re trained to deal with. It just hit me: It’s better to close than to be open.”

Ricker joins a growing number of chefs and restaurant owners across the country who initially tried to make a go of takeout and/or delivery after many cities implemented social distancing or shelter-in-place plans, but have recently decided it was too risky for the health and safety of their workers, and are instead choosing to close entirely. Last week, Chicago’s One Off Hospitality Group announced it was closing its restaurants (which include Big Star and the Publican) due to safety concerns for staff and customers; in Houston, Ford Fry announced he was shutting down his restaurants for similar reasons. This week, Los Angeles’s Sqirl added to the chorus, writing on Instagram that the restaurant’s last day of service will be April 3. At suburban Detroit’s Eli Tea, Elias Majid made the tough decision to close his shop thanks in part to “customers not respecting distance,” he tells Eater. “One lady came in visibly sweating and coughing.” From a financial perspective, Majid had been doing well, as had many of the restaurant owners interviewed for this story. But it’s public health they’re more concerned about now.

“The unfortunate reality is that there are no concrete guidelines available for small restaurants about how to operate in a way that’s not endangering their employees and potentially their customers,” says Heather Sperling, co-owner of Botanica in Los Angeles. When the city’s “safer-at-home” orders came down on March 19, Sperling and her partner, Emily Fiffer, quickly rejiggered their restaurant setup into a marketplace, selling pantry items, fresh produce, and prepared foods.

Business was “hugely successful,” Sperling says, and the revenue sustainable enough to allow Botanica to stay open indefinitely. And yet, on March 20, she and Fiffer announced on Instagram that they were closing to “regroup, restock & do a precautionary quarantine.” Ultimately, “until we better understand how to operate in a way that truly feels safe — if that’s even possible — we didn’t feel it was fair to put our employees at risk,” Sperling says.

In other parts of the country, other operators echoed that sentiment. On March 25, the team at Jonathan Waxman’s beloved New York City restaurant Barbuto announced they were halting their popular to-go operation and closing entirely. “We have been so thrilled to have your support, however the crisis has become too hard to justify our staying open. ... Until the government declares New York City safe, we will remain hunkered down for the duration,” they wrote. Other restaurants across the city, including Superiority Burger and Cafe Katja, posted similar messages of their own.

Back in Portland, Ricker’s post hit home for Johnny Nunn, the owner of Verdigris. Although the French-inspired restaurant had been doing a robust curbside takeout business, Nunn decided to close down on March 25. “I just feel outmatched,” he explains. “I’m a cook. I’m not qualified to make decisions about people’s wellbeing in the face of a crisis.”

Some chefs and owners say that part of the issue is the lack of guidance about worker safety from local and federal officials, who are themselves scrambling to manage and distribute information to an industry in crisis. Nick Cho, the owner of San Francisco’s Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters, has written Medium posts about the measures he’s put in place to keep his workers safe: They include trying to minimize all contact by moving service to the front door, installing an enormous plexiglass sneeze guard that separates customers from baristas, and asking all customers to wrap their fingers in a sheet of thin wax paper before signing on a touch screen for their credit card orders. Momofuku owner David Chang has also been particularly vocal on this topic: As part of a long Twitter thread on the question of how to keep workers safe in the event that restaurants reopen, he wrote, “One thing is for certain we cannot wait for local, state or federal authorities to prepare us. We need to go on the offensive here.”

“What I wish is that there would be rapid training and mobilization within the Health Department, to send a free consultant to any operation that wants to stay open at all, to come into their facility and help establish best practices,” Sperling says. “Instead, what we got was an email alerting us to the safer-at-home ordinance that had been passed four days earlier. It was laughably, dismayingly useless.”

When I reached out to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to ask if it had any specific guidelines for restaurants to operate safely in a takeout or delivery capacity, it sent over this link, which encourages increased handwashing, basic food safety precautions, and the establishment of “social distancing practices for those patrons in the queue when ordering or during pick-up.” It declined to comment further.

Other officials are trying to address an issue of unprecedented scale, while grappling with quickly changing and sometimes-conflicting information about the virus and best practices for preventing it. In Oregon’s Multnomah County, where Portland is located, environmental health supervisor Jeff Martin says his team has been calling every restaurant in their district individually, talking to them about how to safely execute delivery and takeout and answering as many questions as possible—often, he says, about proper sanitation procedures and what exactly “contactless” delivery means. “We’re doing phone calls, video inspections, and email—we’re trying to use technology to cover as much ground as possible,” he says. The Multnomah County Health Department has set up an online FAQ page that’s updated constantly with questions like “Should I wear a mask when preparing food?” (“No, masks should only be worn for people experiencing symptoms. If you are experiencing symptoms, you should not be at work.”) and “What are acceptable takeout and grab-and-go methods?” (Maintain social distance, no self-service, etc.)

And on a personal level, Martin adds that he still feels comfortable ordering takeout. “I think it’s still safe,” he says. “I’ve been picking up food almost every day.”

Gary He

Carbone in Manhattan resorted to taping out spaces for waiting couriers to maintain distance

Not everyone is discouraged by the efforts of their local officials. In Raleigh, North Carolina, chef Ashley Christensen has been working closely with the Wake County Health Department to stay ahead of rapidly changing developments: On March 17, the state ordered all bars and restaurants closed for dine-in; on March 27, Wake County issued shelter-in-place orders. “We’ve been in constant contact with the governor and county reps; any time any document is produced, we have direct access to it, and we distribute it to a number of colleagues,” Christensen says. “These guys are busy, they have a lot on their plates right now.”

Christensen started offering takeout at her restaurants two weeks ago, but found herself dealing with an unforeseen problem: the crowds who clamored outside without adhering to social-distancing guidelines. It’s an issue that has dogged restaurants around the country, and created perhaps the biggest threat to takeout safety. This became startlingly clear the week before last at the New York City restaurant Carbone, where the crowds of delivery workers and pickup customers were so bad that the police had to be called and the restaurant’s managers eventually closed down the operation, leaving a number of customers empty-handed.

“We can’t really control how the public thinks and how they interact with each other in front of our shops,” Christensen says. So she and her business partner and wife, Kaitlyn Goalen, quickly made the decision to pivot to a delivery-only model, offering premade dinner kits prepared in a commissary kitchen with social-distancing practices in place.

“I don’t think anyone who is staying open is really thinking they’ll make money — most of them are scared that if they close, they’ll lose everything.”

The pair aren’t sure what they’ll do in a few days when they run out of the product they had already ordered, and which had made the switch to delivery temporarily possible. “Takeout and delivery was important for us to do for a week to stretch the timeline of what we could do for the team we’ve been able to retain, and hopefully stretch the cash flow until we can access some other kind of support,” says Goalen. “But the biggest concern here is the very real reality that people are getting sick and dying.”

All of the chefs interviewed for this story have been in constant communication with their staff about whether they felt comfortable coming to work. “I checked in with every person on my team, and they all said, as bad and hard as this is, I feel safer not working,” says Sylvie Gabriele, owner of Love & Salt in Manhattan Beach, California. After initially pivoting to become a curbside and delivery grocery popup, Gabriele decided to close on March 26. “I wanted to ride as far as we could until some relief came through, so there could be a little good news,” Gabriele says. “I’m just hoping I didn’t wait too long.” The day after she closed the restaurant, the House of Representatives passed a $2 trillion economic stimulus plan, which will offer some relief to affected workers in the restaurant industry — though it still might not be enough for small-business owners and millions of workers.

Some owners who are frustrated by the lack of guidance from official sources are still choosing to stay open, and implementing extraordinary safety precautions as best they can. In San Francisco, which ordered restaurants and bars to close for dine-in service and residents to shelter in place on March 17, Wrecking Ball owner Nick Cho says that safety means “taking control of our space and the customer environment.” Of the measures he’s taken to that end, he explains, “I’m just trying to think about it in terms of managing systems and creating protocols and procedures. Too much is being left to individuals to figure this out on our own.”

Most chefs emphasize with their colleagues who choose to stay open. “I can’t find fault with it — I myself was there just a few days ago,” says Ricker. “I wanted to protect as many employees’ job status as I could, and I wanted to show spirit and feed the community. I don’t think anyone who is staying open is really thinking they’ll make money — most of them are scared that if they close, they’ll lose everything.”

He hopes that as the situation continues to evolve, the government will “do the right thing” and provide relief so that more operators feel comfortable shutting their doors. “I love my restaurants, and I love the restaurant world, but we are not a part of the supply chain that can deliver basic human necessities to stay alive in hardship,” Ricker says. “We have got to stay home. All of us.”

Jamie Feldmar is a Los Angeles-based writer and cookbook author. See more at jamiefeldmar.com and follow her @jfeldmar. Photos by Gary He

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/3aDPQ12 https://ift.tt/2QZaBws

A single order awaits being carried out from Sushi Yasuda in Midtown Manhattan | Gary He

As dining rooms around the country shuttered in response to the pandemic, restaurants turned to delivery and takeout — but now, some chefs are saying it’s not worth it

And on a personal level, Martin adds that he still feels comfortable ordering takeout. “I think it’s still safe,” he says. “I’ve been picking up food almost every day.”

Gary He

Carbone in Manhattan resorted to taping out spaces for waiting couriers to maintain distance

“I don’t think anyone who is staying open is really thinking they’ll make money — most of them are scared that if they close, they’ll lose everything.”

Jamie Feldmar is a Los Angeles-based writer and cookbook author. See more at jamiefeldmar.com and follow her @jfeldmar. Photos by Gary He

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/3aDPQ12 via Blogger https://ift.tt/3bFLcQr

#Blogger #cooking #Eater #food #recipes

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nostalgiaispeace · 6 years

Text

622.

5000 Question Survey Pt. 31

2901. have you ever written a letter to: a friend: yeah a lover: no a celebrity: yes. congress/house/reps: no the president/leader of your country: no. 2902. Why are cigarette companies allowed to manufacture and sell cigarettes when they are so unhealthy and dangerous? same reason alcohol companies can i guess. 2903. Do you chat with people in an elevator? no 2904. What’s your favorite Jack Nicholson movie? hmm...The Departed?

2905. Who should play the part of Superman? don’t care. wouldn’t watch it. 2906. Do you like when your friends and your mate’s friends hang out? i don’t care? 2907. Doritos or Cheetos? doritos 2910. Do you brush your teeth three times a day? no 2911. Should I stop making questions with multiple parts and just count each actual question as a question? i don’t care 2912. What gives your ego a boost? dunno 2913. What knocks your ego down? bullying 2914. Live and let live or live and let die? dunno 2915. What do you think of Damien Hirst’s art piece Mother and Child, which is half a cow in formaldedhyde? dunno it. 2916. Why is it that 70 percent of americans Do Not want to go to war with Iraq and yet we are going to war with Iraq anyway? ummm Is this democracy? no 2917. Imagine you have two choices of what life you can live: One: You are provided with meals, medicine, clothes and shelter. You are always with your family. You can lie in the sun and smoke, drink, play, cook, etc.. There will be certain rules you must follow such as no killing, no hurting others, no leaving the commune you were born in, no stealing, no tv, no newspapers and no books. OR Two: You are turned loose in the world with nothing. You start out cold and hungry. You may stay cold and hungry forever but you also have the opportunity to try and make a life for yourself. This will take a lot of hard work and there is no guarantee you will ever live comfortably. Which life do you choose? both seem shitty WHY? because first has no books and the second i’ll be cold 2918. Why is there no ‘Mr. America’ pageant? who cares Should there be? no. pageant life seems stupid. What qualities would YOU look for in a Mr. America if such a contest were to exist (like miss america he would have to be a role model)? pageants are stupid. 2919. If something offends you do you feel that it has no right to exist? sure. but that’s not reality 2920. Why do advertisers seem to believe that guys will buy any product that a hot girl in a bikini is sitting next too? because sex sells 2921. What would you do if your mom had a fight with a male acquaintance and you heard an answering machine message he left her cursing at her, calling her names and being very disrespectful? i’d call him and cuss him out 2922. What do you represent? myself? 2923. What message does ___ send when given as a birthday present?flowers: nice? slippers: i dunno but i love love it candles: you didn’t know what to get me? diamond necklace: you like me alot? gift certificate: you know what i like cash: you know what i like books: you really know what i like 2924. Have you ever completed a paint by number? probably If yes of what? i dunno 2925. How long has it been since you colored in a coloring book? years 2926. What have you been caught doing? dunno? 2927. Does temptation make you do what you love? no 2928. Do you have an gadgets in the house that you don’t know how to use? What? probably...technology 2929. Do you read the instructions to things or skip them? skip 2930. Will you ever reach your full potential? probably not 2931. Who is your biggest fan? no idea. 2932. Who do you take care of? myself and my husband Who takes care of you? same as above, and my mom 2933. Do you think that lawyers should only argue cases when they feel like the client is in the right? i think they should do their job. If you were a lawyer would you argue cases when you felt like your client was completely wrong? same as above 2934. Is it sexy in here or is it just me? it’s just you. 2935. You are giving out your phone number to a HOTTIE by writing it on a napkin. Do you write a little note or draw a picture too? If yes, what? i wouldn’t do this. 2936. Can you fold paper into anything (a hat, a swan, a boat, etc)? What? no 2937. How can a girl get a guy-she-is-dating’s mom to like her better? i don’t know? 2938. What is one theory about life or anything that you came up with that no one else has? no 2939. Do you like answering questions about: (bold) your life? your taste? tv? music? art? politics? life? religion? issues? sex? loved ones? favorites? objects? math? philosophy? hypothetical situations? things that require lots of thought? 2940. The mortuary science department is having a bake sale. Does this strike you as funny? no 2941. What would you think of a new reality tv game show where real life criminals on death row competed in life threatening tasks for the prize of a reduced sentence? that’s stupid as fuck. Did you know that they are considering making this a show? no Would you watch it? no 2942. What was the last song you looked up the words to? dunno 2943. What Saturday morning cartoons do you like? i don’t have cable 2944. If anything’s possible, then is it possible that nothing’s possible? no..? 2944. What does the T in T-Shirt really mean? dunno 2945. Would you alter your routine if there was a sniper in your area? probably? If so how? i wouldn’t leave the house 2946. Is castration a good punishment for extreme or repeat sexual offenders? just put them in prison and keep them there. 2947. If you are a girl have you ever experienced penis envy? no If you are a guy would you still want to live if you had to be castrated? 2948. Imagine you are teaching a class of sixth graders. A the start of the year you tell them, “If you come away with class and have learned only ONE THING, I hope that you learned….(finish the sentence) no 2949. If you were being interviewed for a job in a clothing store how would you sell yourself to the prospective employers? lolol i wouldn’t work in a clothing store 2950. How do you stop pop up ads? adblock...i think 2951. You are alone. You take a bus to the mall. The stop is right in the mall parking lot. You window-shop. You don’t buy anything. You want to get back on the bus to go home when you realize you have lost all your money. You have no cell phone. All the payphones are jammed with gum. You can not get it out. How do you get the $1.50 you need to get on the bus and get home??? i would ask someone to borrow a phone to call someone 2952. How long would it take you to organize your bedroom? probably a whole dat 2953. Make up a nickname for your bedroom: no 2954. What comes after: I’ve got a love-a-lee bunch of coconuts (diddly dee) There they are a-standing in a row. Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head… 2955. Where ARE the wild things? our imagination 2956. You get a six cd changer for the car, only problem is that you know that once you put in six cd’s you can NEVER take them out. Which 6 cd’s do you put in? oh god fuck you 2957. Let’s play Jeapordy. (Do-Do-Do-Do-Do-Do-Dooooo-) I’ll give some answers..you give the questions. Ready? Begin. The answer is: Purple what colour is barney the dinosaur? Yellow what colour is a banana? Candle what’s something you can light up during a romantic dinner? Pepsi who’s coke’s biggest competitor? Peace i dunno Lisa what’s the name of the eldest simpsons daughter? Cotton what type of fabric are most t-shirts made out of? Flag what does america take too seriously? 42 i dont know 2958. Pick a letter. A List some great words starting with that letter: no 2959. Is eight days a week enough to show you care? no 2960. Have you told your parents you love them today? no. 2961. What is the difference between a number two pencil and any other kind of pencil? no idea. 2962. Have you ever cross-dressed? no. 2963. Are we living in a world without end? seems like it 2964. What do you think of that couple that was just on the news who kidnapped a 16 year old girl for a week and forced her to be their sex slave? that’s disgusting. 2965. Wanna watch a movie about a cheerleading competition? no 2966. Are you singing in the rain? no but i love that film 2967. Should the sopranos actors have been allowed to march in the St Patrick’s Day parade? i don’t care 2968. Is oral sex, anal sex or regular sex more intimate? regular. 2969. Is it time to switch to Decaf? never 2970. Why is it that the truth hurts? some people are pussies 2971. How do you feel about: ticketmaster? meh scalpers? i don’t trust them 2972. What are you guilty of? being a bitch 2973. Have you ever done any of the following in order to catch a buzz or get high? sniffed glue: no sniffed magic markers: nope. ate paste: no. drank Nyquil, rRobitussen or any other Over-the-counter drug: no. 'huffed’ (inhaled or sniffed) any kind of fabric softner, cooking spray or other household product: no. whip-its: no. 2974. What gives you inner strength? dunno 2975. ::eyes you suspiciously::Where have all the COOKIES gone? i don’t have any cookies ever so 2976. What is a good gift for someone you don’t like so that it SEEMS to be nice but really 'gets’ them somehow? they don’t get gifts 2977. If you don’t like the service at a restaurant would you skip the tip? they would get a small one Why or why not? because they wouldn’t deserve a good one. 2978. Apples or peaches or pumpkin pie? none. 2979. What Race/nationality was Jesus? Jewish 2980. What was one evening you’ll never forget? getting proposed to 2981. Name 13 ways to look at a blackbird: no. 2982. Trick or Treat? treat. 2983. If you had money to burn, what 'toy’ would you spend your money on (think monopoly game with real money, luxory boat, a train layout that takes up a house, etc.)? probably something harry potter related 2984. Are you having trouble with aol 8.0? LOL what? how old is this. Or if you don’t have aol…have you ever been to a podiatrist? no 2985. If you could write your own ten commandments, what would they be? 1 no 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 2986. When people lose weight, where does it go? don’t care 2987. Your mate/partner/wife or husband/longterm boy or girlfriend/etc. has SOMEHOW gotten his or her FAVORITE celebrity’s attention. Your sweetie has always thought this celeb was so sexy and now the celeb kinda fancies your sweety as well(although the celeb is not interested enough to stick around for more than one night). Your sweetie wants to have a one night stand with the celeb. Knowing that this is your sweeties one and only chance to bang (or even hang out with) a celebrity (ESPECIALLY their FAVORITE celebrity) you would say: do your thing. 2988. Have you ever seen an Ed Wood film? probably? maybe? it’s possible. i watch a lot of films. if yes, what one(s) and what did you think? If no, aren’t you curious to see a movie by the person known as the worst director of all time? 2989. What kind of bread do you like to eat (white, rye, potatoe, grain, whole wheat, etc)? honey wheat 2990. Are you emotionally articulate? maybe 2991. Does everything happen for a reason? seems like it. 2992. Do you take a piece of those you have loved and carry it around forever? yeah If yes, than aren’t they still with you even when you are gone?

feels that way 2993. Is it true that the child is worth ten of the parent? i don’t know? 2994. Can you think of a door that has closed in your life? yes Can you think of a window that has opened? maybe 2995. What does this mean to you: 'Necessity is the mother of invention’? nothing

Do you believe that necessity is also the mother of: courage? idk survival skills? idk independence? idk 2996. What helps you to get over a Major heartache? i wish i knew 2997. Can you depend completely upon yourself? yes have you ever tried? i have to 2998. How can you tell the difference between the end of one part of your life and the beautiful beginning of the next part? i wish

2999. Have you ever read an stories by Kate Chopin? no If not, I suggest that you do. okay

3000. Do you often make the best discoveries when you really weren’t looking for anything (or anyone)? yes

#me #survey

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shetanshadowwolf · 7 years

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work bitchfit

In case my mood isn’t clear enough ... it was a bad day. aaaand. everything’s going under a cut. So please, open at own risk and be away that this is not going to be nice, polite, respectful, or anywhere close to any of that.

Ok. For anyone who’s seen related posts, or knows me away from Tumblr, I will remind readers that I work for a Major Cell Carrier in the US. Inbound call center, business floor. Which means three things: 1: I am trusted to safeguard my customers’ accounts. This means full and proper verification of callers, triple-confirming the requests before I make changes, etc. 2: I am to ensure that any information I may see never ever walks away from the floor. ( If I take info to a sup to address an issue, for example, it’s on a dry-erase board that gets wiped down after. No Paper, no markers, and no phones/ cameras/ recording devices around the computer areas.) 3: Details and personal information I may remember are not spread around. (My ADHD helps in this, I can forget your credit card information in a jiffy, no joke)

Oh. ALSO. IT MEANS NOT USING WHAT KNOWLEDGE I HAVE FOR PERSONAL GAIN. I don’t mean the “well, I’m familiar with the plans we have so I can’t use that to make sure my own personal account is taken care of”. I mean more like “I won’t accept bribes” or “I won’t abuse my position/ job in ways that benefit me and risk my job / security of customers”.

Now, why the bloody hells would I be mentioning this shit specifically???

Let’s cue up my late evening. I’m about an hour from going home. I have had a decent day. Nothing spectacular (minus a fellow rep bringing in cookies and having them with lunch, which was awesome). Don’t get me wrong, it was normal up and down stuffs, but no stress triggers. ( I like days like that)

And then a “Hi, I’m - May I get your name plz?”

“No offense to you-” (and maaaan, that phrase is an instant fuck you too ) “ But I need to speak to your manager. Or higher.”

“Well, so I can make sure you get to the right person, may I get any information about the situation?” (training 1.3.5 - try to talk the customer down. If it’s something I can do, do it, within reason, without shoving them up the chain. Srsly, sups are busy the fuck with everything we don’t have clearance for.)

“No.”

“ .... May I at least get your name please?” (I can sir and ma’am with the best of them but really. Name?? Please???)

“No.”

MAY I REMIND THE LISTENING AUDIENCE THAT THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO NOT ONLY PISS OFF THE REP WHO INITIALLY ANSWERS YOUR CALL, IT’S ALSO AN EXCELLENT WAY TO PISS OFF EVERYONE ELSE. NO YOU DON’T CATCH US OFF GUARD THAT WAY. YOU PUT US MORE ON GUARD. FUCKERS. STOP THAT FUCKING SHIT IT MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO ONE’S JOB EASIER TO TRY TO HELP YOU AND MAKES US WANT TO HAPPILY TELL YOU NO ALL FUCKING NIGHT.

So I ask Male Voice to please hold, and gimme a minute. it’s late on a Thursday night, we’re slow, there’s not a lot of people at that split second to take an escalation to. My evening sups are taking advantage of the quiet to do much-needed weekly input to their reps, trust me, that shit is vital.

So, I get someone, who asks that I try one more time to get any information from my caller. Female Voice answers. Refuses, again, to tell me anything. put her on hold. go back to let my escalation team know that my attempts still aren’t working. Check back in with the customer (Male Voice, this time ) to let them know it’s gonna be another minute, I have someone available, thank them for their patience.

at this point, I am still trying to be nice. I swear.

I get the lines connected, make sure everyone can hear each other before I go to transfer the call. Mind, this entire process has taken approx 12 minutes, in which time I have had to put the customer on hold approx three times, with check-ins. It’s not ideal goal, but it’s not fucking terrible. I’ve had to make people wait hella longer for other things due to too many factors.

“Well, before I can go into my issue, I need to ask about what is the standard policy for putting a customer on hold without checking in”

.... I took a breath, transferred the call, and tried very, very hard not to scream. why?? why, you may ask.

YOU GAVE ME SHIT-ALL TO WORK WITH. I HAD TO CONFIRM THAT YES, I HAD TRIED ALL THE INITIAL QUESTIONS, ASK MORE QUESTIONS, AND MAKE SURE I GOT YOUR STUBBORN DICK ASS SOMEONE WHO WAS ‘HIGHER THAN ME’ IN THE CHAIN EVEN THOUGH I AM ESCALATIONS TRAINED MYSELF. YOU KNOW WHAT HOLDS ME BACK FROM FAST- TRACKING TO BECOMING A SUPERVISOR MYSELF????

I DON’T FUCKING WANT IT.

HALF BECAUSE OF FUCKING JACKASSES. JUST. LIKE. THIS.

AND IF YOU THINK I AM GONNA STAY ON THE LINE. JUST TO HEAR MYSELF BE CRITICIZED BY YOUR OBNOXIOUS ASSHOLE ATTITUDE THAT PRETTY MUCH TREATED ME LIKE A WEEK-2 PEON AGENT THAT DOESN’T KNOW JACK-FUCK ALL. LEMME TELL YOU SOMETHING.

I AM NEITHER HERE TO LET YOU BITCH AT ME FOR TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE YOUR REQUEST, NOR LET YOU TREAT ME THAT WAY. I’M NOT MASOCHISTIC, ESPECIALLY IN RELATED TO MY JOB. SUCK MY NON-FUCKING-EXISTENT BALLS, YOU SMARMY ASSED POMPOUS GIT.

This? this I could sweep under the rug. Drink a mug of cocoa, breathe, and make it all disappear as one of those Asshole Customers. These calls happen. You learn to either deal with it, or find a different job. There’s a reason call centers have a high turnover rate. Not many people can adapt to the utter fuckery of that inbound call when someone wants to be a complete jack-assed dick from Hell.

No. No no no no no no.

I checked in with the person who took that call. Common protocol, esp being esco-trained, check in with my fellow team-lead cohorts and the sups and see if there was any other way I could have handled this better. I need the feedback. Makes me better at my job.

I’M LESS PISSED AT THEIR SUPERCILIOUS FUCKING BITCH SELVES NOT WANTING TO TALK TO ME

AND MORE FLAMING THAT SHE WAS PRIOR BIZ REP. AND HE’S A CURRENT ONE. WITH A PERSONAL ACCOUNT WITH OUR CARRIER. NOT PAID BY OUR JOBS.

AND THEY USED THE JOB TO GATHER INFORMATION. TO ENSURE THEY WOULD GET OUR DEPARTMENT. TO THREATEN MY CO-LEAD INTO TRYING TO GET WHAT THEY WANTED. WHICH WASN’T EVEN REMOTELY RELATED TO THE ACCOUNT THAT GOT THEM INTO MY FLOOR.

LEMME TELL YOU SOMETHING. SOMEONE IS GONNA GET FUCKING FIRED.

YA WANNA KNOW WHY????

POINTS UP TO START OF POST

I SHALL NOT USE MY JOB TO ACQUIRE INFORMATION FOR OTHER PEOPLE’S ACCOUNTS. I SHALL NOT USE WHAT KNOWLEDGE I DO GAIN IN THE COURSE OF DOING MY JOB DUTIES TO ENDANGER OR ACCESS ACCOUNTS AND DEPARTMENTS THAT IS NOT RELATED IMMEDIATELY TO THE CALL IN QUESTION. I SHALL NOT USE ANY OF THAT INFORMATION FOR MY OWN PERSONAL GAIN.

AND I SURE AS FUCK AIN’T GONNA USE THAT TACTIC TO TRY AND BULLY FELLOW REPS INTO TRYING TO GIVE ME FREE SHIT. OR MAKE MY BILL DISAPPEAR. OR ANYTHING THE FUCK LIKE THAT.

YOU, SIR AND MA’AM, WHOEVER THE FUCK YOU ARE. YOU ARE NOT FUCKING WORTHY OF WORKING THIS JOB. YOU, BITCH, I AM GLAD YOU NO LONGER WORK FOR US, AND HEY ASSHAT, I HOPE YOU’RE FIRED.

DO YOU HAVE ANY FUCKING IDEA WHAT THE FUCK YOU HAVE UNLEASHED YOU FUCKING IDIOT.

dear audience. do me a favor. i don’t care if you work for the mom’n’pop shop down the street. or Disney. or somewhere in between.

Respect your customers’ privacy. Don’t abuse your position.

and for the love of all things customer service, don’t call in and be a dick to your fellow co-workers. i don’t care if they work the same building as you or not. one company, one team, one being. many parts, many departments, many people. One goal.

And if you can’t do that, if you can’t respect your customers’ private information, if you can’t respect your fellow service agents, go find something else to do. This job ain’t for you.

#Beffles is Bitchy #work things #great day #bad night #swearing #viciousness #i am not a happy pup #MUCH SWEARS #sorry #bad-angry feels

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ncmagroup · 4 years

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Believe it or not, cold calling success isn’t about the script you use or the structure of your call.

Those are important elements, of course, but they aren’t what matters most.

What does move the needle, you ask?

Keep reading to learn 15 advanced cold calling tips that anyone can master — all but guaranteed to boost your success rate and help you hit your numbers faster.

Let’s dive in…

15 Cold Calling Tips

Target the Right Prospects

Set the Right Expectations and Goals

Use the Right Script

PRACTICE, practice, practice

Get Through to the Right Person

Make Your Reason for Calling Clear Immediately

A Lesson from Stevie Wonder

Pay Attention to Your Body Language

Have a Plan for Handling Objections

Anticipate Questions

Don’t take it personally 🙂

Document the Call

End the Call With an Action

Follow Up

Make Your Call Matter

Cold Calling Tip #1: Target the Right Prospects

Narrowing down your qualified prospects can take some time, but it’s better than wasting time tearing through a list of contacts you have no chance of closing. You want your prospects to be as qualified as possible to maximize your time and resources.

In addition, ideally, your first contact with a prospect won’t be a cold call. Warm them up by reaching out via other channels first (think InMail, Twitter, email, or a postcard) so that when they do get a call from you, they’re at least somewhat familiar with your name.

Tip #2: Set the Right Expectations and Goals

When you make a cold call, what are you expecting to get from it? If you answered “A sale,” you’re doing it wrong.

Your objective is to get leads so you can move them through your sales funnel. For a cold call to be successful, it should result in a follow-up action, such as scheduling a meeting, setting up a demo, or sending additional information via email. Your goal isn’t to make a sale, but to establish contact and move your lead to the next step. That’s all.

Whatever your goal, it needs to be clear and actionable. Without this, your call is going to be pretty pointless.

I recommend you set a small goal to get you started and celebrate every time you hit it. As your success rate climbs, you can adjust your goals too, and you will see a gradual improvement in your efficiency and success rate.

Tip #3: Use the Right Script

It’s hard work to get prospects on the phone, so when you finally do make contact, the last thing you want to do is botch the opportunity with a terrible sales pitch.

So should you use a script or not?

Many salespeople believe they’ll sound robotic or phony if they use one – but this is usually only true if they don’t practice or use it effectively. The advantage of using a script is that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time you call a prospect.

Scripts take the guesswork out of what to say when you get your prospects on the line. You’re not wasting valuable time making small talk, adding useless filler, or trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t.

Instead, you’ll be able to stick with your objectives and make it clear why you’re calling. Scripts work very effectively when you think through your sales process and know exactly what you should be saying to turn a cold prospect into a warm lead.

There’s an art to writing an effective sales script, though. Before you decide to use one in your sales organization, make sure you’re working with a professional who can help you get the most out of every word.

Tip #4: PRACTICE, practice, practice.

You must know your product cold.

Know what you’re talking about. Do your research before you start calling potential clients. Understand the problems your product solves and how the potential client will use it – and then practice communicating this with them.

Remember: You have 10-15 seconds to get their attention, so make sure they count.

A lack of practice is where failures tend to happen — either by the sales organization or by the overconfident “how hard can it be to call” sales rep.

The first is a BIG company failure. (That’s not on you, sales rep.) The second can be resolved very fast. (But only if you apply yourself! This one is totally on you, rep.)

Think about actors for a moment…

The best actors in the world practice like crazy before a role. They deep dive into the role and become the character they’re going to play.

In 1989, when Daniel Day-Lewis starred in the film My Left Foot, in which he played an Irishman with cerebral palsy, Lewis did not leave his character’s wheelchair. Crew members were required to spoon-feed him. He also adopted his character’s slumped posture, which eventually caused two of his ribs to break.

I´m not saying you need to go to those extremes, but to become great at your work, you need to practice!

First, make a script. It will help you stay focused, especially in the beginning. Think of the script as your wingman. When you need support, it’s there.

As you grow more comfortable with your script, you’ll start to personalize it. Eventually, you’ll have a unique script that fits within the framework but is all “you.”

Now, let’s look at 3 ways to practice delivering your script.

1. Listen to others and let them listen to you.

This is more helpful than you might realize. Some years ago, I managed an outbound call center, and every time we started a new employee, we quickly got them up to speed by giving them:

A predefined script

1:1 training without the phone (role-playing)

Dedicated time for listening to some of our best reps

Later we let them try it themselves — with one of us listening to them and giving them constructive feedback. Using this approach, you never feel alone. You listen and learn from the best.

2. Practice with your colleagues, manager, etc.

You will find your own style — and the more natural it sounds (be you), the better and more confident you will feel. (And I promise, the people you call will feel it.)

There is also a ton of software that lets you tape your sales calls so it’s easy to review your calls for training and to be sure you follow the script.

3. Focus on your voice.

Remember, on cold calls, you can’t display your body language or facial expressions. Your voice needs to communicate everything. You’ll do that by moderating your pacing, your tone of voice, and your volume.

Pace. Speak a little faster than the person you speak to. That will help them feel like you’re thinking and working in sync. People from different regions can have completely different pacing, so pay attention to the other person’s speaking style, and then adapt to it.

Also, vary your pacing. If you use the same flat pace with no variation, it will sound boring (and scripted). It sounds more conversational to vary your pace, depending on what you’re saying.

Tone of voice. Similarly, you should change your tone, depending on what you are talking about. This can be difficult at first, but when you begin to lower and raise your voice in the right places, it tells your listener that you’re engaged and interested.

Volume. I´m not recommending you scream but speaking out a little louder than you normally would transmit security and confidence

Tip #5: Get Through to the Right Person

This one might sound obvious, but sales reps will know it’s trickier than it sounds.

One of the biggest reasons cold calling can be frustrating is that it can be a struggle to get around gatekeepers. Ideally, this is where your previous outreach via LinkedIn or email can be helpful with name recognition.

Even if you think you know who you’re supposed to be contacting, don’t always assume you have the right person. Your pre-call research should reveal who you need to speak to at a particular company before you call, but job roles change, and sometimes different departments or decision-makers are involved that you might not be aware of.

So it’s important to confirm if the prospect is the appropriate contact as soon as you get them on the line. Just ask them (or the gatekeeper) – and if they aren’t the person you need, hopefully, they’ll be willing to connect you with the right decision-maker.

Take it a step further by asking for an email address or the best time to call so you don’t end up in an endless phone tag session. Remember, it can take an average of eight attempts to connect with someone on the phone and turn them into a lead.

If you have absolutely no idea who you need to talk to, your first priority should obviously be to get a name and a direct line or extension. Auto attendants can be a cold calling goldmine if there’s a company directory you can browse through.

Tip #6: Make Your Reason for Calling Clear Immediately

When your prospect answers, you’ve got about 30 seconds to make a good impression.

According to a recent cold calling challenge, one of the best ways to do this is to say something along the lines of “I know I’m interrupting you; can I have 25 seconds to tell you why I called, and then you can decide whether to hang up or learn more?”

It’s a unique, attention-grabbing “in” that also gives your prospect an “out.”

Tip #7: A Lesson from Stevie Wonder

Weirdly, the #1 cold calling tip can be summed up in an old Stevie Wonder song.

Here’s what I mean by that…

It might not be the first thing you say to someone when you cold call them, but Stevie Wonder nailed it with his lyrics, “I just called to say I love you. I just called to say how much I care.”

My tip? You must have the right mindset.

To truly succeed at cold calling, you need to care about the person on the other end of the line. Treat them as a person, not a phone number. And to express that concern, you need to have a positive mindset.

Think about it…

Your mindset affects your tone of voice. When you’re feeling positive and upbeat, your voice is brighter. When you’re tired, depressed, or angry, it’s flat and less inviting.

All of this gets transmitted to the listener. And it sways them unconsciously to stay on the line… or not.

So Tip #1 is this: Go into your cold calls with the right mindset.

Now, to be clear. It doesn’t change the fact that you’ll get a ton of nos, but as the old saying goes, “No is one step closer to the Yes.“

With the right mindset, you’ll stay positive and upbeat no matter what. Even more important, you’ll brush off negativity and respond to the nos politely and professionally.

Tip #8: Pay Attention to Your Body Language

It seems odd but it works. It’s hard to “fall asleep” or “be boring” when you move your body in the right way.

Here’s how to do this:

Stand up while calling.

Put a smile on your face.

If you have the option to walk around a bit, you will be surprised how much it affects your tone of voice and confidence.

One piece of advice: If you start pacing up and down the office floors, your co-workers may not like it, so make sure it’s ok with your colleagues.

Tip #9: Have a Plan for Handling Objections

You will get objections. Period.

If for no other reason, you’ll get objections because your prospects get calls all the time, and their default response is one of 3 things:

I don’t have time.

Send me an e-mail.

I’m not interested.

So be prepared with a response that disrupts this default pattern. Just make sure it fits into the goal of your call (meeting, trial, or a direct sell).

Tip #10: Anticipate Questions

Similarly, no matter how much you want to stick to your script, if your prospect is engaged then they will have questions.

One of the easiest ways to turn off your prospects is not being able to answer their questions or stumbling over their objections. The best sales reps are forward-thinking about the questions or objections they’re likely to hear and will have responses ready.

This can take some practice, especially for new companies and reps that are just starting a cold calling strategy. Good notes are critical so you can set a baseline for future cold calls.

Tip #11: Don’t take it personally 🙂

Cold calling is a tough job. You’re going to get a lot of Nos. So think about it like this:

The people who give you a well-deserved Yes are one step ahead of their competition (who may have already given you a No). You are making a difference to their business. Well done.

Tip #12: Document the Call

It’s best practice to take notes as you go, but if you’re using a script or otherwise concentrating on the conversation, typing notes into a CRM might not be an option.

Immediately after hanging up, document call details while they’re still fresh in your mind. Don’t leave out anything, even if you think it’s not significant. When you review the call later, those details can really stick out and may create talking points for future conversations.

Alternatively, consider recording your call so you can listen back later to identify important details or see what you could have done better, or have a refresher ahead of your next call.

Tip #13: End the Call With an Action

There should always be a takeaway from every call, for both you and your prospect. Make it as easy as possible for them to follow through, too. For example, if you’ve agreed to set up a follow-up call, utilize a tool like Calendly to share a scheduling link that allows the prospect to easily and automatically select a time that works, without all the back-and-forth.

Tip #14: Follow Up

Regardless of how the call went, send the prospect a quick follow-up email immediately after hanging up to thank them for their time and outline the next steps, if there are any. This extra touchpoint gives them a way to easily contact you and leaves them with a positive impression of you and your company.

If it will be longer than a week before your next touchpoint (i.e. a scheduled meeting, follow-up calls, etc.), send another email prior to the next step to let them know you’re looking forward to your upcoming conversation.

Tip #15: Make Your Call Matter

Get ready, here’s the golden rule. Your call needs to matter.

Remember, you’re reaching out to people who have no idea who you are or why they should give you their valuable time.

Your objective for the call should be important to the person you’re calling, first and foremost. If there’s something in it for them, you’ll have a much better chance of getting them to take your call.

Bottom Line

Some of these tips may be obvious, and they may sound simplistic. But you’d be surprised at how often they’re forgotten.

Go to our website: www.ncmalliance.com

15 B2B Cold Calling Tips to Boost Your Success Rate (& Keep It Fun) Believe it or not, cold calling success isn’t about the script you use or the structure of your call.

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findmoneycoach · 4 years

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instantdeerlover · 4 years

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