That's exactly what someone told me today. Someone from New York. And I was trying to help the guy by getting him in touch with the department that handles his type of phone. He would have none of it. If I couldn't solve his problem, he'd just hang up, but he didn't hang up. I offered again to transfer him. 'I wish you would die in an accident' I hung up on him.
That sounded more like a threat than anything else I've heard in my 8+ years in customer service. I was so tempted to send his information the the FBI. I'm still tempted.
What on earth would make someone think they could say that over a phone line?
I'm livid right now to the point where if I weren't already far behind this week, I'd stop working for the rest of the night.
But I need the hours. He needs to get a life. Or maybe he needs to get life.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
A nightmare ends, for now...
Well, after missing a full day and a half at work due to a hard drive failure, I am now back on line, mostly. I'm missing a few tools I need at work, and most of the links that I had accumulated over the months.
But I now have a working computer. temporarily.
Truth be told, it was a temporary situation any way I looked at it. The Beta version of Win 7 I currently use will expire in a couple of months, and then I would have had to buy it anyway.
But on my budget, paying $200 plus for the full version of the operating system is simply too much. Add to that the cost of a new hard drive, and it makes it unattainable.
I'm using my old hard drive from my old computer right now. Had to wipe it and put Win 7 on it. It's an IDE drive, and I suppose it's fast enough, but it's not as fast as my former SATA hard drive, and also not nearly as large. So the more I use it, the slower it will get. I can get a decent hard drive for $60, not a budget-killer by itself, but of course there's the new version of Win 7 to get.
I can get an OEM version of Win 7 for about $110, but I'm not sure how that works when it comes to changing computers.
So I have some researching to do before I commit money I can't afford into something I may not be able to use.
And I also have to make up 10 hours of work.
Joy to us all!
But I now have a working computer. temporarily.
Truth be told, it was a temporary situation any way I looked at it. The Beta version of Win 7 I currently use will expire in a couple of months, and then I would have had to buy it anyway.
But on my budget, paying $200 plus for the full version of the operating system is simply too much. Add to that the cost of a new hard drive, and it makes it unattainable.
I'm using my old hard drive from my old computer right now. Had to wipe it and put Win 7 on it. It's an IDE drive, and I suppose it's fast enough, but it's not as fast as my former SATA hard drive, and also not nearly as large. So the more I use it, the slower it will get. I can get a decent hard drive for $60, not a budget-killer by itself, but of course there's the new version of Win 7 to get.
I can get an OEM version of Win 7 for about $110, but I'm not sure how that works when it comes to changing computers.
So I have some researching to do before I commit money I can't afford into something I may not be able to use.
And I also have to make up 10 hours of work.
Joy to us all!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Worst. Episo...er Day.Ever
Over the weekend my computer took a header for one brief hour. I thought at first it was a failing hard drive, but as it turns out that's not quite the case.
Monday, as I was getting ready for work, it takes another header. It's not the hard driver, per se, it's the whole thing is overheating. It happened at possibly the worst time it could happen, just before work.
While I frantically tried to cool the damn thing off, my shift started. I then tried to get my old computer to work. Big Mistake.
Well, first of all, this is an XP system, designed about 5 years ago and it was pretty obsolete even then, but it was cheap. It served its purpose then.
I haven't used it much since I got the new computer. So what does it do when I first plug it in? It tried to update. About 6 months worth of updates. Plus I can't even try to use it until Java updates. So I let it update. Tick. Tock.
So it finishes updating and I try to log into my work systems. More updates. Then I forgot my user ID to get into the systems, and had to briefly reconnect my old/new computer to see if I can get it. I can't even get the thing to boot up. Tick. Tock. I tried to put a spare power supply in it, thinking that might help. Well the spare didn't work. Tik. Tok.
So I put the old computer back on, and ask my supervisor for help getting my user ID. It is now written down rather than just being on my computer.
I start to slowly log into my systems, and just when I'm ready to log into the phone, I discover that the program that logs me into the phone is denying me access because of some Java issue. T. T.
I can't use the old computer, but maybe the new computer has cooled down sufficiently to work. I throw the working power supply on the thing and pray.
YES! It worked!
And it lasted the rest of the shift, half of what I was scheduled.
The idea is it appears the system heats up to a point where it's unusable. The solution, albeit temporary, is to let the system stay off for the 2-3 hours before work starts. That way everything's cooled down, and hopefully will last the entire shift.
If not, it will be a piss poor week. And I'll have to get a replacement computer, or whatever component is failing, I'm still not sure which it is. Either way, I'm not a happy camper. I think I'll start by getting one replacement fan. We'll see if that works, if not, it goes back.
I'll keep you posted on how it turns out.
Monday, as I was getting ready for work, it takes another header. It's not the hard driver, per se, it's the whole thing is overheating. It happened at possibly the worst time it could happen, just before work.
While I frantically tried to cool the damn thing off, my shift started. I then tried to get my old computer to work. Big Mistake.
Well, first of all, this is an XP system, designed about 5 years ago and it was pretty obsolete even then, but it was cheap. It served its purpose then.
I haven't used it much since I got the new computer. So what does it do when I first plug it in? It tried to update. About 6 months worth of updates. Plus I can't even try to use it until Java updates. So I let it update. Tick. Tock.
So it finishes updating and I try to log into my work systems. More updates. Then I forgot my user ID to get into the systems, and had to briefly reconnect my old/new computer to see if I can get it. I can't even get the thing to boot up. Tick. Tock. I tried to put a spare power supply in it, thinking that might help. Well the spare didn't work. Tik. Tok.
So I put the old computer back on, and ask my supervisor for help getting my user ID. It is now written down rather than just being on my computer.
I start to slowly log into my systems, and just when I'm ready to log into the phone, I discover that the program that logs me into the phone is denying me access because of some Java issue. T. T.
I can't use the old computer, but maybe the new computer has cooled down sufficiently to work. I throw the working power supply on the thing and pray.
YES! It worked!
And it lasted the rest of the shift, half of what I was scheduled.
The idea is it appears the system heats up to a point where it's unusable. The solution, albeit temporary, is to let the system stay off for the 2-3 hours before work starts. That way everything's cooled down, and hopefully will last the entire shift.
If not, it will be a piss poor week. And I'll have to get a replacement computer, or whatever component is failing, I'm still not sure which it is. Either way, I'm not a happy camper. I think I'll start by getting one replacement fan. We'll see if that works, if not, it goes back.
I'll keep you posted on how it turns out.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Work: Methinks she doth protest too much
I had a caller recently, a New Yorker, whom I had asked whether she still had the cable that came with her phone so she could hook it up to her computer. She said, rather hotly, that she never got one. I replied that she should have, and she then accused me of calling her a liar.
Why do people do that?
If I'd wanted to call you a liar, I would say so to your face. I have no problem acting the same way you do. -Acting, mind you. I'm not like that.
As it was, I wondered whether people who say things like that are really lying to me after all. Maybe she lost the cable somewhere and didn't want to admit it and when I called her on it, she became defensive.
At any rate, let's combine two gripes into one blog.
She was a New Yorker. These people, and yes, I'll lump them all together, because I have yet to see someone born and raised in New York who wasn't like this, seem to go out of their way to either offend, or act offended at the slightest provocation. They are rude, demanding and think the world revolves around them.
Maybe they don't see their faults because everyone they know acts that way, and finding someone who truly cares and is considerate in that bunch is like finding a needle in a haystack. So when they're dealing with someone who isn't one of them, their first reaction is to try to take advantage of them.
I wonder how customer service agents from that area act around them? Do they put on the tough guy/gal act too? 'Ey, you want something from me, ya bastard? Go to hell.'
*Smiles*
Yeah I can totally see that.
And you can't fire them because they're all like that!
Maybe I need to work in New York!
Nah, I'd rather work from home, home being in any place but New York or California.
Have a wonderful evening! Even those from New York.
And for God's sake, lighten up!
Why do people do that?
If I'd wanted to call you a liar, I would say so to your face. I have no problem acting the same way you do. -Acting, mind you. I'm not like that.
As it was, I wondered whether people who say things like that are really lying to me after all. Maybe she lost the cable somewhere and didn't want to admit it and when I called her on it, she became defensive.
At any rate, let's combine two gripes into one blog.
She was a New Yorker. These people, and yes, I'll lump them all together, because I have yet to see someone born and raised in New York who wasn't like this, seem to go out of their way to either offend, or act offended at the slightest provocation. They are rude, demanding and think the world revolves around them.
Maybe they don't see their faults because everyone they know acts that way, and finding someone who truly cares and is considerate in that bunch is like finding a needle in a haystack. So when they're dealing with someone who isn't one of them, their first reaction is to try to take advantage of them.
I wonder how customer service agents from that area act around them? Do they put on the tough guy/gal act too? 'Ey, you want something from me, ya bastard? Go to hell.'
*Smiles*
Yeah I can totally see that.
And you can't fire them because they're all like that!
Maybe I need to work in New York!
Nah, I'd rather work from home, home being in any place but New York or California.
Have a wonderful evening! Even those from New York.
And for God's sake, lighten up!
Friday, January 22, 2010
Work:: Hello?
I'm trying to help you. You don't need to keep saying 'hello?'
If your connection is that bad, use a different phone.
Worse yet is someone who asks a question, and almost before they finish it they say 'hello?'
I'm here. But if you keep it up, I may not say anything and let you think the connection was lost.
Just a small warning.
If your connection is that bad, use a different phone.
Worse yet is someone who asks a question, and almost before they finish it they say 'hello?'
I'm here. But if you keep it up, I may not say anything and let you think the connection was lost.
Just a small warning.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Play: Back to DPS
I've decided I've had enough of healing for a while, and when I play my priest, she will be covered with shadows and hard to see, as I've converted her Holy spec to Shadow. I will keep the Disc spec for when I'm feeling in the mood to heal, but I'll be working on gear for DPS from now on. Just fair warning for those expecting different.
Political: Building a Solid Foundation - Simplify, Simplify, Simplify
Here is my promised political rant.
Today I heard and read that President Obama began his term as President by trying to build a solid foundation to work from. He made it clear in his inaugural speech that the process of climbing out of this hole we are in will take time. I certainly believed him at the time. Apparently no one else did.
My problem is, with the year he's had to build that foundation, he has put it to Congress to create a Health Care Reform Bill and get it passed. He wanted certain things out of it, but let them decide whatever else to put in it.
Big Mistake!
I tried to slog my way through the bill now at the door of the House of Representatives. Just finding out which bill is the right one took me an hour. This is where I found it.
There is also a pdf version of it, which now resides on my computer.
I know that Congress does things the hard way. They've done it for years. I suppose even such documents as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution (before amendments) are complex by the standards of the late 18th Century. Certainly with the amendments that have been added since by various Congresses, the Constitution is now a much more complex document than our forefathers imagined. I wonder if they could have imagined the monstrosity that is the tax code?
So the point I'm trying to make is: if you want to build a solid foundation, go the way of the original Constitution and the Declaration, and make it simpler.
You want to reform health care? Hey, I'm in agreement with you. For part of this past year, I was unemployed, and then for another 90 days after I was employed I was uninsured. I'm a person with Diabetes and High Blood Pressure. I can't go that long without Health Insurance without doing worse harm to my body.
So you want to change the system. Here's what you do: keep it the way it is for those that have health insurance. Man, that is not the best system, but it's one in place. Don't fix it - yet. You want to make sure anyone who is not insured either gets insurance or is covered if they need medical care. All right. How about a health plan just for those? You're unemployed or between jobs and don't have health insurance? That's okay, the government will cover you until you do. You're poor, destitute, homeless? You can get the medical and dental care you need. I know Medicaid exists to cover some of that, especially for families, but it leaves gaps. Let's close the gaps. Let the government take care of its own, and yes, even the illegal immigrants if they need it.
You don't fine people who can't afford insurance. Don't even cover it up by giving exemptions. My God, this is how the tax system got so bloated, by having exemptions. But that's for another blog. Cover everyone dammit, regardless of the cost.
That's the solid foundation to build on. Once everyone is covered, then you can start to work on the problems that are causing our health care system to be broken.
This is my solution. A simple bill that guarantees that no one pays more than they can afford for health care.
We can do this. We have to do this.
Today I heard and read that President Obama began his term as President by trying to build a solid foundation to work from. He made it clear in his inaugural speech that the process of climbing out of this hole we are in will take time. I certainly believed him at the time. Apparently no one else did.
My problem is, with the year he's had to build that foundation, he has put it to Congress to create a Health Care Reform Bill and get it passed. He wanted certain things out of it, but let them decide whatever else to put in it.
Big Mistake!
I tried to slog my way through the bill now at the door of the House of Representatives. Just finding out which bill is the right one took me an hour. This is where I found it.
There is also a pdf version of it, which now resides on my computer.
I know that Congress does things the hard way. They've done it for years. I suppose even such documents as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution (before amendments) are complex by the standards of the late 18th Century. Certainly with the amendments that have been added since by various Congresses, the Constitution is now a much more complex document than our forefathers imagined. I wonder if they could have imagined the monstrosity that is the tax code?
So the point I'm trying to make is: if you want to build a solid foundation, go the way of the original Constitution and the Declaration, and make it simpler.
You want to reform health care? Hey, I'm in agreement with you. For part of this past year, I was unemployed, and then for another 90 days after I was employed I was uninsured. I'm a person with Diabetes and High Blood Pressure. I can't go that long without Health Insurance without doing worse harm to my body.
So you want to change the system. Here's what you do: keep it the way it is for those that have health insurance. Man, that is not the best system, but it's one in place. Don't fix it - yet. You want to make sure anyone who is not insured either gets insurance or is covered if they need medical care. All right. How about a health plan just for those? You're unemployed or between jobs and don't have health insurance? That's okay, the government will cover you until you do. You're poor, destitute, homeless? You can get the medical and dental care you need. I know Medicaid exists to cover some of that, especially for families, but it leaves gaps. Let's close the gaps. Let the government take care of its own, and yes, even the illegal immigrants if they need it.
You don't fine people who can't afford insurance. Don't even cover it up by giving exemptions. My God, this is how the tax system got so bloated, by having exemptions. But that's for another blog. Cover everyone dammit, regardless of the cost.
That's the solid foundation to build on. Once everyone is covered, then you can start to work on the problems that are causing our health care system to be broken.
This is my solution. A simple bill that guarantees that no one pays more than they can afford for health care.
We can do this. We have to do this.
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