No, Really, I DO Have a Life...

For some reason all my posts lately have been work-related. I guess that's 'cause I have been working six days a week. At any rate, this post will be no different...

Fun call for the day:
"Thank you for calling _____, may I have the name on your account?"
"Hello? Hello?"
"Hello, can you hear me?"
"No, I can't!"
There are some customers I am just not able to help.

I WON the pie throwing contest. Let's see, that doesn't sound right...I won a contest and the prize is that I get to throw pies at one of my supervisors. Unfortunately the prize is non-transferable (or I'd have given it to the other supervisor, who puts up with this one admirably). Also, it means I have to go to work on a day that I would not otherwise be there, as I am taking tomorrow off to sleep in and rest. I need it, I am fighting a sinus infection, and I am worn out, and if I don't use my leave tomorrow it expires. On the flip side, this means I can take Nate with me to the pie throwing. How did I win? By being the best of my team for last week :-)

Work News

Alert! My assignment has been extended to at least Jan. 31st, with a possible 'regular' job in my future...I also have a job interview with another company next week, but I would much rather stay where I am at.

Our company has this neat feature where every time you call and talk to us, you get an email that asks if we helped or not, and enables you to leave comments. We can actually go back and read all the comments people leave about us, and I do that in my 'spare time' (ha!) I love this, it can be so much fun, so I thought I would share a few:

"This cust. service young lady(Jennifer) helped me ...Also, she did not make me feel dumb;which I am."
***that one cracks me up. He called me a young lady. Of course he can't be dumb!

"I am happy to say that I got the best help I could ever have wished for and the lady I was talking to was just an adorable new acquaintance!!"
***there you have it, folks--I am adorable! On the phone, at least.

"The agent who I spoke with on the phone was very helpful and friendly. Appreciated her good attitude."
***It's official--I have a good attitude. Now don't tell me otherwise!

I also read the negative comments. My favorite? The customer who answered the question, "did we resolve your problem?" by clicking on 'yes' and then commenting, "NOOOO you did NOT!!!!!!!!" Guess he doesn't know I am judged by my percentage of 'no' clicks, huh?

I'm the Grinch

Or is that Grinchess? Grinchette? Mrs. Grinch?

I ruined someone's Christmas today. I made a totally stupid mistake in an attempt to fix a problem and instead of fixing the problem, I destroyed any hope of doing so. I nearly cried.

They told us in training that this would happen, but that doesn't make me feel any better.

I think I would much rather deal with the Angry Russian than do that over again!

Reason # 26: Why I Love My Job

I have worked at a LOT of jobs, and the most frequent complaint I have had is that those on high would hand down protocols, systems and software that were designed by people who CLEARLY had NEVER used them and never would.

Not so with my current employer. Having been there a mere five weeks, they pulled me for a brainstorming session this morning with one of our software programmers to share problems we have seen with a certain area of our business, solutions, and things we would like to see done in that area. Five weeks, and already they have paid me for my opinions.

It really doesn't get much better than that.

Snow, Blowing Sideways

We have had unusually cold and snowy weather for our area. I live in a desert, and we do sometmies get snow, but it melts right away. This time we have had snow on the ground since Saturday, with a little more added on top each day. It was -3 last night and the high today was about 15.

I happen to love this weather, but I seem to be the only one! I hauled Nate out for a walk in the snow and the last of today's sunshine after work today. Silly kid didn't even wear a coat! Our cheeks and ears were beet read when we came in but the walk felt so good. Until today it's been far too windy for that kind of recreation.

It seemed like a week for comfort food, so we are having, among other things, beef stew, Italian Bean soup, turkey noodle soup, tuna casserole, and crockpot burritos this week.

Tomorrow is Grilled Cheese and Soup day at work and I can hardly wait. I work in one of the coolest places in the world. This week is Castle Building--and we are building them out of sugar cubes! Friday was Chili Day, and there's nothing better than a bowl of hot chili with all the toppings when you have spent your morning with sobbing grandmothers and screaming angry Russians on the phone. Especially when someone else does the cooking and the dishes.

I am behind on my Christmas sewing. This month has gone by far too quickly for me. I can't believe we only have a week left, and here I was planning on being done with a week to spare! I am only working four days next week, which will be a near vacation after the 6-day weeks that I have had lately.

I hope all of you out there in blogland are having a great week and are remembering to keep some rest in this busy season.

In Search of the Perfect Dress

When I come home from work lately, I want to change straight into my new jammie pants. This is a bad thing, especially when one gets off work at 3 in the afternoon! I have good reason for this, though. My new jammie pants, in addition to being pink camo, are the softest fleece I have ever felt, and the most comfortable piece of clothing I own.

Additionally, putting together enough work outfits to last six days a week PLUS a church outfit on Sunday is wearing on my small wardrobe.

So you can see why I am searching for the perfect dress. It has to be a dress, because then I don't have to have more than one piece. It has to fit me, which dresses rarely due since apparently as you gain weight you are also supposed to grow taller, therefor all dresses in my size are made for 9 foot tall women or chunky cross-dressers. The bust hits me at the waist, the waist at the hips...let's just say it doesn't work well. It needs to be extremely comfortable, as I sit at a desk 8 hours a day talking on the phone (no, seriously, I get paid to do this). It needs to look really good as I work with about 200 men, but more importantly, I need to feel cute every day. It needs to be warm and cozy, for those days when I really did not want to get out of bed and need desperately to feel like I am wearing a security blanket.

And I need it in seven different colors. You know, just so people don't think I wear the same outfit every single day.

Customer Service

I still love my job. But some days are certainly more difficult than others. My voluntary overtime shift is Monday mornings, for instance, and apparently this shift was available because hundreds of customers feel they have to wait until then to call in, only by that time they are pretty steamed about their problems. Seriously, folks, if a business is open 24/7, it's ok to call on the weekends.

Today I had a customer call to complain that...everything went right. Yes, I typed that correctly. He had received his order, in good condition, on time, and he called to complain. Because things happened just like we said they would.

I also had several customers with problems that I just couldn't fix. I hate that! My job is fixing problems and making people happy and when I can't do that job, I am just as upset as they are. Dude next to me actually leaned over during on call today and said, 'Oh, that call was so SAD!' He was right, too.

On the other hand, I get to hear about people's kids, see what others are getting for Christmas, find out what the weather is like everywhere from Denmark to Kuwait to Florida. I am getting pretty darn good at pegging accents, too! And I have sure learned a lot.

Still adjusting to the new schedule. Don't ask me how I am feeling for a least a week. I am sure I'll take at least one nap in the next few days! But Nate says it feels to him like I 'get off early' every single day, and that's a blessing. Yesterday he even forgot I was working a half shift and was quite surprised when I came home in time for lunch!

The Difference Between Boys and Girls

Those people who say there is no difference between boys and girls clearly aren't paying attention.

I work near the mall. Yesterday on my lunch I decided to run over and see what CJ Banks had on their clearance racks. On the way I did my daily lunchtime check-in with Nate.
"What are you having for lunch?" He asked.
"I don't know. I am going to go to the mall and see what CJ Banks has on clearance."
"You mean you would choose clothes shopping over eating?! What kind of NUT are you?!"
"Female."
"Female is Latin for 'weird,' you know."

CJ Banks has great stuff right now, btw. The colors are amazing. I had to make a hard choice--longer denim skirt, black and red plaid skirt, and a blue and black dress that looked far better on me than I expected when I grabbed it. I went with the denim. Boring, but versatile, and the only one of the three choices that did not require black shoes. And all those choices were under twenty bucks. Imagine what I could have bought if I had money! LOL

Decompression and Math

Just when I thought I was in the swing of things, work-wise, it changed.

I really love my job. Honest, I do! I have had frustrating jobs where I didn't get to help people, and I don't like that. My current job is all about helping people. I love that! And unlike working in JoAnn's, I only have one customer at a time. Should be easy, right?

Somehow, though, the mere doing of my job raises my blood pressure and makes me tense. On my short breaks there is no time to decompress and on my lunch break, about the time I am breathing normally again, it's time to head back.

After work, I have to sit for 30 minutes. I can't watch a movie or anything, because I am still so tight from work that I wouldn't enjoy it.

I am not sure how to combat this. Breathing exercises? Who knows.

Sorry the posts are so few and far between these days! Should get a bit better when my schedule changes next week...perhaps I can post in my sleep, lol.

Nate seems to me to be mathematically gifted. Problem with that: He abhors rounding and repeating decimals. It bothers him to no end that the answer is imprecise. On a certain level I sympathize. On a certain other level I want him to get over it, lol.