2 posts tagged “call”

8 a.m. this morning, the doorbell rings.  I thought maybe it was my brother because he's an early bird like that.  No such luck.  It was a police officer here to question my son about graffiti. 

He has been lectured so many times about not damaging other people's property and keeping it on paper.  He's been punished over and over, but I just can't get through to him.  He thinks he's getting "rep".  Well, come on, we live in Maine for Pete's sake.  There is no rep to get in Maine.  Besides punishing him, I've also bought him some trucker hats to paint on so he can start his own business.  He's been working on his own Cafe Press store too. 

That will have to wait though.  He's going to get a summons for his graffiti.  He was summonsed last month for the same thing.

Side Note:  Did you know that when teenagers under 18 get in trouble (at least in Maine), they don't get arrested?  They're just handed a piece of paper with a court date on it and then a couple weeks later the juvenile corrections worker calls and sets up an appointment to figure out what to do:  Pay a fine, pay restitution, or do community service. If it isn't too serious, they don't even have to go to the court date before the judge.  What is this teaching anyone?  I want my son booked, damn it.  I want them to take his fingerprints, get a mug shot of him, and throw him behind bars for a day or two.  Now THAT would teach him a lesson. 

I've been volunteering with him at a local food pantry as he works off his community service.  I'm happy he is being of service to someone, but it isn't teaching him a damn thing, obviously.  He couldn't even work an hour without complaining.

I don't want this to reflect poorly on my family either.  We're not like that.  Heck, we don't even speed, let alone break the law.  I am so angry that he thinks it's okay to deface property.

It's so sad.  He is really a talented artist, but he's just throwing his life away right now.  Hopefully something will happen soon

Sometimes I don't like being a parent.

I just called the local electric company to pay my bill over the phone.  I chose their "convenient automated customer support system".  When my call was answered, a man rambled on about how this was their convenient automated payment system.  He informed me there would be a $2.95 charge.  I was warned that by selecting option 1, I would be agreeing to their terms of service, as well as Western Union's terms of service, which could be viewed on line at www.blahblahblah.  After a few minutes more of him rambling on, I was given options to choose from.  I chose to pay my bill, option 1. 

The Western Union service picked up my call.  They informed me that by agreeing to use their service, I was electing them to charge $2.95 to my account and agreeing to their terms of service.  They told me I could pay with Visa, MasterCard, Discover, ATM, debit or credit card, checking account, etc.  They then began to tell me about their terms of service............................ and I hung up.

I then called the main electric company number, hit 0 for operator, and spoke with a real live person, who promptly scolded me for not using the "convenient automated payment system."  But she processed my payment in less than a minute and I was off the phone.

Look, if you think sending your calls out to a call center will save you money, more power to you.  But please try to make it as painless as possible for your customers.  Just because you have an automated system, it doesn't mean your customers want to be held hostage having to listen to one of your representatives ramble on and on.  Just give us the choice, 1 for this, 2 for that, 3 for the other.  That's all we want.  Get on with it already.

When I call my doctor's office, I really don't need to be told that "if this is an emergency, please hang up and dial 9-1-1."  I have not had any brain trauma lately, and I am not under 3 years of age.  Is that to protect you from lawsuits if a patient can't quickly get through to your office or what?

My time is as valuable as yours, maybe more valuable.  Because I am smarter than you are.  I know that customers do not want to be forced to spend sometimes hours on the phone (local internet company).  I know that those of us who are hard of hearing find it a great inconvenience to not get a real human being on the phone.  I know that some senior citizens find it frustrating and confusing dealing with "convenient automated systems".

One more thing:  I hate calling you.