You know what I am tired of having to deal with?
Bad customer service.
Ov-er it.
I want a button or a “go to” person – just one – to call when account representatives, sales people, tech support, and customer service reps go bad.
When I contact you with a problem? You had better bet your ass you should get back with me as soon as possible. When I have a question? You had better know the answer, get back with me in a timely fashion or point me in the direction of someone who can help me.
For example….
I just recently switched insurance companies because I really was paying too much for what I currently had. This new insurance company called me on a Saturday, no less, to get all of my automobile, home owners, camper and life insurance policies all nice and straight.
I was enthralled. I mean…here I was, saving a ton of money now, getting more coverage and was using a big name company that would surely take better care of me than the last company. Right?
Not even close.
Sure…I got the savings, but the “account representative” that initially talked to me for hours and showed so much concern and caring ended up being just a sales rep. Did he come out and tell me that?
Nope.
I had questions, there were problems with underwriting, the company needed other information and then I needed to know where everything stood…..Alas, he never called me back. His emails did not have a phone number – just a fax machine number, he never returned emails, and the 800 number was a fast cesspool of nastiness.
Come to find out, that guy only SELLS insurance, he doesn’t actually manage my account. I don’t get to have an account representative like I did at my other insurance company. When I have a problem, I get to call that damn 800 number just like every other tool out there, and hope like hell the random person answering the phone gives a shit.
Look folks. I am not asking anyone to do anything other than their job. You know…the thing they get paid to do? The very thing that I pay money to [insert company here] in order to have?
With the state of this country and the unemployment rates being all that they are, you would think that some people would make damn sure that they were performing at their very best.
I know that I am….I like having a job. Getting paid and having an income makes life far more enjoyable for me. I am always aware of people that ask questions, need information, require attention or just flat out want something from me while I am at my job. I take care of those people because that is what I get paid to do and I am as far from a customer service rep as you can get.
Interacting with the other people in an acceptable manor is your job no matter what you do.
Period.
If you have a problem with that – quit and let someone else worthy of being an active member of society have your job. You don’t deserve it anyways.
MichChick
Friday, August 21, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Politically speaking...
Sarah Palin.
Sigh.
While I remain vastly uninterested in anything that woman decides to do with her life, I do firmly believe it best if she fades into some sort of sunset. I kept all thoughts to myself during the campaign and even after, as the sheer onslaught of media coverage was already too much and I really did not care to add to her 15 minutes.
With that said, please allow me a moment.
When the news broke that she was going to retire, my first thought was that some scandal was forcing her out. Her need to be in the spotlight was almost as embarrassing as her complete inability to free style speeches. Therefore, I was quite surprised that she would give up such a platform voluntarily – but quite fine with the thought of never having to listen to her trip over her own tongue again.
All hell broke loose in Fox News land and the staunch GOP’s were freaking out – crying over who would lead them into the next presidency. Speculation was at an all time high and again Ms. Palin was being squawked about repetitiously. And just before the dust finally settled on her political coffin, she gave a rousing “good-bye” speech that made most of us ask “what the hell just happened?”
Alas, she is back in the news again for spouting off on her Facebook page - yet again on a subject she should have done her homework on first. My first problem is her chosen method of delivery. She isn’t Lindsey Lohan or Ashton Kutcher for Christ’s sake – so to publicly slam the president from the comfort of her Facebook page is laughable at best.
You can bet your ass that the AP and Fox News are all over it, thus the rant I am on now.
The good old GOP needs to acknowledge that it was a bad choice. Hell, even McCain knew it was, and we knew that too. To continue to act as though they “meant” it and that she should ever be taken seriously is an embarrassment for the county as a whole. I am sure, that for some people – she spoke the tune they have been waiting to dance to. But for a progressive country at large, filled with women who vote and speak in fully formed sentences – not so much.
I am not making negative statements against her as a person, mother, sister, wife or head of the PTA. But, I am stating that politically speaking, she was - The.Wrong.Choice. To allow one more damn segment of news ANYTHING to cover whatever mumbling crap is falling out of her mouth currently, is a shame.
GOP folk should be apologetic and promise that they have put her away some place safe where she cannot get to John Q. Public again.
Her and Dick Cheney.
MichChick
Sigh.
While I remain vastly uninterested in anything that woman decides to do with her life, I do firmly believe it best if she fades into some sort of sunset. I kept all thoughts to myself during the campaign and even after, as the sheer onslaught of media coverage was already too much and I really did not care to add to her 15 minutes.
With that said, please allow me a moment.
When the news broke that she was going to retire, my first thought was that some scandal was forcing her out. Her need to be in the spotlight was almost as embarrassing as her complete inability to free style speeches. Therefore, I was quite surprised that she would give up such a platform voluntarily – but quite fine with the thought of never having to listen to her trip over her own tongue again.
All hell broke loose in Fox News land and the staunch GOP’s were freaking out – crying over who would lead them into the next presidency. Speculation was at an all time high and again Ms. Palin was being squawked about repetitiously. And just before the dust finally settled on her political coffin, she gave a rousing “good-bye” speech that made most of us ask “what the hell just happened?”
Alas, she is back in the news again for spouting off on her Facebook page - yet again on a subject she should have done her homework on first. My first problem is her chosen method of delivery. She isn’t Lindsey Lohan or Ashton Kutcher for Christ’s sake – so to publicly slam the president from the comfort of her Facebook page is laughable at best.
You can bet your ass that the AP and Fox News are all over it, thus the rant I am on now.
The good old GOP needs to acknowledge that it was a bad choice. Hell, even McCain knew it was, and we knew that too. To continue to act as though they “meant” it and that she should ever be taken seriously is an embarrassment for the county as a whole. I am sure, that for some people – she spoke the tune they have been waiting to dance to. But for a progressive country at large, filled with women who vote and speak in fully formed sentences – not so much.
I am not making negative statements against her as a person, mother, sister, wife or head of the PTA. But, I am stating that politically speaking, she was - The.Wrong.Choice. To allow one more damn segment of news ANYTHING to cover whatever mumbling crap is falling out of her mouth currently, is a shame.
GOP folk should be apologetic and promise that they have put her away some place safe where she cannot get to John Q. Public again.
Her and Dick Cheney.
MichChick
Friday, August 7, 2009
Parenting blows...
I have a few friends that are at different stages in their lives and for various reasons, childless. I have one in paticular that fights an inner battle with herself as though having children is what classifies people as having worth. I call "bullshit" on that theroy.
First and foremost, I am 38 years old. The mere thought of just starting to have children now is hair raising and a theme of many unsettling nightmares I have.
Really.
When I hit the ripe old age of 44 my little beautiful children will ALL BE OUT of the coop….or at least legal to kick out… Either way, my parenting time in the sun is complete.
I think there is some insane bullshit pressure that we put on ourselves about having kids. Like it is the frosting on our life cake or something. People that you don’t know very well will have huge amounts of audacity when it comes to busting your balls about not having them…..like somehow you are a freak or missing out on something.
Here is the thing…..those people have kids - after all, misery loves company.
Having children is rewarding and yes, you do love them a lot - but I am not sure that it is the essence to life or necessary to feel fulfilled. There are tons of things in my life I will never get the pleasure of doing that could come close. That doesn’t make ME a freak. That bullshit only comes from not having kids.
The big, fat, nasty little joke that no one ever talks about? Having kids sucks ass most of the time.
No....It really, really does.
Yes…I get to have sacred love (but, it is conditional….any parent telling you different is lying thru their teeth), and I get to have pride and joy. One of those is a sin.
So what does that leave? I get to have deep seeded love and joy? Ok….well…that’s it.
The cost of that deep seeded love is: strife, depression, anger, resentment, hurt feelings, distrust, worry (like you have never experienced before), shock, horror, disappointment, bitterness and failure. You get ALL of that more than you do anything else and that is if they are normal functioning children. Throw in a dash of screw up and you have a whole other ballpark.
I love my dog Ripley almost as much. I do not love my other dog like that, but I sure do love Ripley. So….it is possible to get close to it with other things.
I know, I know….I make is sound horrid…..well, it is. It is hard and thankless and at the end of it all, they leave your house and forget you ever put yourself through all of it anyways.
"Shame on you MichChick! Being a parent is beautiful and fullfilling and what life is meant to be!"
Wrong.
That is your idea of what your life should be either because you have chosen that path or because you think you should. That does not negate the wonderful life that any individual could or does have sans any offspring.
Each individual has the right to choose thier life path. With or without children. All I am merely pointing out is the hidden truth that no one ever seems to want to talk about.
Look, being a parent...no wait...scratch THAT. Being a good parent is hard ass work. Really hard. Being great is subjective and I have no idea what goes into that, so I will not even try.
For those of you whom have chosen to forgo the childbearing part of life? Enjoy sleeping in on Saturday. Don't let anybody make you feel guilty about it either.
MichChick
First and foremost, I am 38 years old. The mere thought of just starting to have children now is hair raising and a theme of many unsettling nightmares I have.
Really.
When I hit the ripe old age of 44 my little beautiful children will ALL BE OUT of the coop….or at least legal to kick out… Either way, my parenting time in the sun is complete.
I think there is some insane bullshit pressure that we put on ourselves about having kids. Like it is the frosting on our life cake or something. People that you don’t know very well will have huge amounts of audacity when it comes to busting your balls about not having them…..like somehow you are a freak or missing out on something.
Here is the thing…..those people have kids - after all, misery loves company.
Having children is rewarding and yes, you do love them a lot - but I am not sure that it is the essence to life or necessary to feel fulfilled. There are tons of things in my life I will never get the pleasure of doing that could come close. That doesn’t make ME a freak. That bullshit only comes from not having kids.
The big, fat, nasty little joke that no one ever talks about? Having kids sucks ass most of the time.
No....It really, really does.
Yes…I get to have sacred love (but, it is conditional….any parent telling you different is lying thru their teeth), and I get to have pride and joy. One of those is a sin.
So what does that leave? I get to have deep seeded love and joy? Ok….well…that’s it.
The cost of that deep seeded love is: strife, depression, anger, resentment, hurt feelings, distrust, worry (like you have never experienced before), shock, horror, disappointment, bitterness and failure. You get ALL of that more than you do anything else and that is if they are normal functioning children. Throw in a dash of screw up and you have a whole other ballpark.
I love my dog Ripley almost as much. I do not love my other dog like that, but I sure do love Ripley. So….it is possible to get close to it with other things.
I know, I know….I make is sound horrid…..well, it is. It is hard and thankless and at the end of it all, they leave your house and forget you ever put yourself through all of it anyways.
"Shame on you MichChick! Being a parent is beautiful and fullfilling and what life is meant to be!"
Wrong.
That is your idea of what your life should be either because you have chosen that path or because you think you should. That does not negate the wonderful life that any individual could or does have sans any offspring.
Each individual has the right to choose thier life path. With or without children. All I am merely pointing out is the hidden truth that no one ever seems to want to talk about.
Look, being a parent...no wait...scratch THAT. Being a good parent is hard ass work. Really hard. Being great is subjective and I have no idea what goes into that, so I will not even try.
For those of you whom have chosen to forgo the childbearing part of life? Enjoy sleeping in on Saturday. Don't let anybody make you feel guilty about it either.
MichChick
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Lessons in Dirt
Some would say that I have lost my mind……I’m ok with that. I know where I put it.
A while back, I had written about how the Mister and I have purchased a plot of land with big intentions, not a lot of knowledge but the love and desire to be free and self-sufficient.
That dream still stands.
Because I do not believe in making empty promises to myself, we have taken some really big steps in the direction of and the education required, to move forward in our dream life.
I now have a vegetable garden. Not some piddly little splat of dirt - but a big girl garden, complete with three raised deep beds measuring 3 foot by 16 foot each. In case you need it, that is 144 sq ft of planting surface that took the Mister and me three solid weeks of digging and turning the earth to get done.
Walking upright was a challenge during that little bit of fun, by the way.
We have built a dual compost tumbler, an herb rack / garden and two cold frames to act as a plant nursery and hardener. We have rain barrels out there collecting every drop we can get and now my plants are all fed a strict diet of earth water only.
I have composting worms. Yeah…I just typed that. W-O-R-M-S.
They are working worms, if you can believe such a thing – and do a fantastic job of turning rotting lettuce, rabbit manure and cardboard into rich, beautiful, black dirt. Thus, recycling and reducing our household footprint has taken on a life of its own.
I now make my own breads, ice cream, butter and buttermilk. I knit, grind my own flour and will build a weaving loom soon for cloth.
Crazy.
The Internet and all of its splendor has been my saving grace.
Yes, I do read a ton of books, magazines and instruction manuals – but nothing compares to the sheer “how to” of the Internet. It has been my classroom and without it, I would still be fumbling around with seeds and a shovel. If you need any ideas on where to go to get information, shoot me an email – I am happy to help.
We still have mountains of things to learn, difficult roads to cross and trust me, not everything works out the first one or two times out of the gate.
For every one vegetable seed that took off this year, I had two refuse to germinate. My family (bless their hearts) have endured some really bad batches of ice cream, rock hard breads, overly dehydrated everything, ideas that never come to pass, insane demands and some pretty hard physical labor.
Our first cold frame broke due to hinges that were too small and one of the panes of glass shattered when I forgot to prop it open and it slammed shut. High winds broke all of my baby plants off at the ground level and dogs refuse to stay out of gardens.
This is nothing compared to a real farm.
With all of that said, the payoffs are many and the sense of doing instead of watching, is HUGE. I love every single second of it, good and bad. I feel alive and at peace when I am working with my hands and enjoy having to figure stuff out.
This to me folks – is living.
MichChick
A while back, I had written about how the Mister and I have purchased a plot of land with big intentions, not a lot of knowledge but the love and desire to be free and self-sufficient.
That dream still stands.
Because I do not believe in making empty promises to myself, we have taken some really big steps in the direction of and the education required, to move forward in our dream life.
I now have a vegetable garden. Not some piddly little splat of dirt - but a big girl garden, complete with three raised deep beds measuring 3 foot by 16 foot each. In case you need it, that is 144 sq ft of planting surface that took the Mister and me three solid weeks of digging and turning the earth to get done.
Walking upright was a challenge during that little bit of fun, by the way.
We have built a dual compost tumbler, an herb rack / garden and two cold frames to act as a plant nursery and hardener. We have rain barrels out there collecting every drop we can get and now my plants are all fed a strict diet of earth water only.
I have composting worms. Yeah…I just typed that. W-O-R-M-S.
They are working worms, if you can believe such a thing – and do a fantastic job of turning rotting lettuce, rabbit manure and cardboard into rich, beautiful, black dirt. Thus, recycling and reducing our household footprint has taken on a life of its own.
I now make my own breads, ice cream, butter and buttermilk. I knit, grind my own flour and will build a weaving loom soon for cloth.
Crazy.
The Internet and all of its splendor has been my saving grace.
Yes, I do read a ton of books, magazines and instruction manuals – but nothing compares to the sheer “how to” of the Internet. It has been my classroom and without it, I would still be fumbling around with seeds and a shovel. If you need any ideas on where to go to get information, shoot me an email – I am happy to help.
We still have mountains of things to learn, difficult roads to cross and trust me, not everything works out the first one or two times out of the gate.
For every one vegetable seed that took off this year, I had two refuse to germinate. My family (bless their hearts) have endured some really bad batches of ice cream, rock hard breads, overly dehydrated everything, ideas that never come to pass, insane demands and some pretty hard physical labor.
Our first cold frame broke due to hinges that were too small and one of the panes of glass shattered when I forgot to prop it open and it slammed shut. High winds broke all of my baby plants off at the ground level and dogs refuse to stay out of gardens.
This is nothing compared to a real farm.
With all of that said, the payoffs are many and the sense of doing instead of watching, is HUGE. I love every single second of it, good and bad. I feel alive and at peace when I am working with my hands and enjoy having to figure stuff out.
This to me folks – is living.
MichChick
Friday, March 6, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Random Rantings....
Facial Hair, Hand Washing and Sex
I plucked a gray hair from my eyebrow last week. Gray facial hair and a pimple should never reside on the same face.
Ever.
In the ladies' room yesterday, a woman finishing up her visit proceeded to turn on the sink water long enough to get her hands wet and then was done.
Pardon me miss, but I believe that effective hand washing involves soap, friction, and time spent with both. I promise you that your mother is not waiting outside the door to inspect your hands for wetness to ensure proper hygiene. I would also like to bash you for your flagrant misuse of paper towels to dry your germ-laden paws. Go fake it at home with a cloth towel and stop chipping away at the environment because you think you are fooling anybody.
If I had known in my early years that I was having the most sex I was ever GOING to have, I would have enjoyed it more and spent less time faking it.
Money, Crime and Politics
Why is no one telling the banking jackasses that they reneged on the deal, so “screw you Jack – time to give it back.”
Are we too busy over-busting GM’s balls to get around to it?
Seriously.
You wanna start the process of digging ourselves out of our money mess? Stop talking about it. Leave it sit and watch what happens. People, God bless them, are inherently materialistic and are just waiting for the time when we can relax and buy a Snickers bar. Shut up about it already.
If I turn on CNN and have to see them STILL covering the little Caley Anthony murder issue, I am gonna scream.
The mother did it. There. Case solved.
Move on.
Mike Huckabee now has his own talk show thing on Fox News. Look…set aside that the man does not believe in some pretty basic human stuff – like the age of the planet – but the man has a lisp – and a BAD one. If no one could take him seriously as a potential presidential candidate, there is no way I can sit around and listen to him chomp philosophical while sounding like Sylvester the Cat.
I'm just sayin'.
MichChick
I plucked a gray hair from my eyebrow last week. Gray facial hair and a pimple should never reside on the same face.
Ever.
In the ladies' room yesterday, a woman finishing up her visit proceeded to turn on the sink water long enough to get her hands wet and then was done.
Pardon me miss, but I believe that effective hand washing involves soap, friction, and time spent with both. I promise you that your mother is not waiting outside the door to inspect your hands for wetness to ensure proper hygiene. I would also like to bash you for your flagrant misuse of paper towels to dry your germ-laden paws. Go fake it at home with a cloth towel and stop chipping away at the environment because you think you are fooling anybody.
If I had known in my early years that I was having the most sex I was ever GOING to have, I would have enjoyed it more and spent less time faking it.
Money, Crime and Politics
Why is no one telling the banking jackasses that they reneged on the deal, so “screw you Jack – time to give it back.”
Are we too busy over-busting GM’s balls to get around to it?
Seriously.
You wanna start the process of digging ourselves out of our money mess? Stop talking about it. Leave it sit and watch what happens. People, God bless them, are inherently materialistic and are just waiting for the time when we can relax and buy a Snickers bar. Shut up about it already.
If I turn on CNN and have to see them STILL covering the little Caley Anthony murder issue, I am gonna scream.
The mother did it. There. Case solved.
Move on.
Mike Huckabee now has his own talk show thing on Fox News. Look…set aside that the man does not believe in some pretty basic human stuff – like the age of the planet – but the man has a lisp – and a BAD one. If no one could take him seriously as a potential presidential candidate, there is no way I can sit around and listen to him chomp philosophical while sounding like Sylvester the Cat.
I'm just sayin'.
MichChick
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Good News for a CHANGE...
(article excerpt from MSN.com "Jubak's Journal")
In economic winter, signs of spring
The US will emerge from the financial crisis, and one day new jobs will outnumber layoffs. There are fragile, slender shoots of new life in the economy already.
[Related content: stocks, alternative energy, Jim Jubak, economy, recession]
By Jim Jubak
MSN Money
Six months ago the question was: "When will this financial and economic crisis be over?"
Today, increasingly, the questions are: "Why should this ever be over?" "What's ever going to turn this around?"
Right now, with unemployment rising, it's hard to remember that capitalism is a creator of jobs, companies and industries -- as well as a destroyer.
But I see signs of the growth to come. I see a few fragile shoots of the new economy that will replace some, at least, and maybe all of the jobs lost in this recession. Just like a crocus poking up through the snow is a sign of the spring to come, these examples of growth promise that this recession will someday give way to a time of new investment and new jobs.
******
Jim Jubak? If you are out there.....I would like to personally thank you for being a champ. It takes big balls to stand out in a crowd of media folk that scream nothing but doom and gloom and chirp your thoughts of optimism.
I could kiss you.......it's ok...the Mister won't mind.
Jim's complete article (I challenge you to read it)can be found here.
MichChick
In economic winter, signs of spring
The US will emerge from the financial crisis, and one day new jobs will outnumber layoffs. There are fragile, slender shoots of new life in the economy already.
[Related content: stocks, alternative energy, Jim Jubak, economy, recession]
By Jim Jubak
MSN Money
Six months ago the question was: "When will this financial and economic crisis be over?"
Today, increasingly, the questions are: "Why should this ever be over?" "What's ever going to turn this around?"
Right now, with unemployment rising, it's hard to remember that capitalism is a creator of jobs, companies and industries -- as well as a destroyer.
But I see signs of the growth to come. I see a few fragile shoots of the new economy that will replace some, at least, and maybe all of the jobs lost in this recession. Just like a crocus poking up through the snow is a sign of the spring to come, these examples of growth promise that this recession will someday give way to a time of new investment and new jobs.
******
Jim Jubak? If you are out there.....I would like to personally thank you for being a champ. It takes big balls to stand out in a crowd of media folk that scream nothing but doom and gloom and chirp your thoughts of optimism.
I could kiss you.......it's ok...the Mister won't mind.
Jim's complete article (I challenge you to read it)can be found here.
MichChick
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
