Rant VIII: The Reckoning
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figmentPez
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I'm too stressed right now to watch humor abut my situation. Is that just a general reference, or there some specific gem of wisdom I'm supposed to get from 20+ minutes that I cannot focus on while I'm nauseous from the heat?
It just came out, so it is topical to you situation. Specifically, your situation reminded me of the practices to try and force out residents as a way of empty an apartment in order to jack up the price and re-rent the place.
Guides: Landlord/Tenant Law: Remedies for Failure to Repair
This legal research guide provides information about landlord and tenant law that is helpful to both the practitioner and the public looking for legal information.
guides.sll.texas.gov
I don't know if that'll be useful, but it might be a start.
--Patrick
I wanted to know if someone would ask me was was happening or knew what is happening over here right now.I thought you were referring to the ransomware problems. I did not realize you meant an actual, IRL siege.
--Patrick
I'm ok. I live in the coast region of Ecuador. Things here are a lot quieter than in the sierra region.
They cut commerce between regions, almost stopped all oil extraction, poisoned at least one water treatment plant, took over a power plant trying to cut electricity to the largest city in the country. In other country they would be dead by now.
So… Bit over a week ago, my wife went to the hospital for a possible hernisted disc. Turns out that was breast cancer that spread to her spine. The pain was the tumour pushing against it. In the hospital now, she’s got a biopsy scheduled for Monday (could be earlier if we’re super lucky) to determine the next steps.
It's been my experience with family members battling cancer that those symptoms typically come from the treatment. It's what makes cancer especially dangerous, it can be invisible for a long time until it's too late
So I was away for two weeks, and I'm now slowly getting all caught up on my reading and stuff.
Yesterday I went and found out that Skin Horse, a webcomic I had been following for 14 and a half years, has ended. Well, that's no fun. The story was winding down and all, but sort of "missing" the last day and having it come fairly suddenly...yeah. Shame. And it'll make my daily morning routine just that tad less fun.
Today I went to Twentysided, a blog I have been following for about 20 years. And discover that the author has died two weeks ago. I've read that blog almost daily for almost 20 years, I've seen and gotten to know the author pretty well in many ways, I've bought all his books, and I would literally read almost anything he wrote - he could make a column about growing grass interesting. And now he just went and died. It's surreal; I think the last death of someone I didn't actually know that affected me like this was Terry Pratchett. It's a loss for the world.
And, again, my morning routine has become a little less fun.
I don't think I should take vacations anymore, I come back and people I admire and look up to disappear or pieces of art are lost,.... Blegh.
Yesterday I went and found out that Skin Horse, a webcomic I had been following for 14 and a half years, has ended. Well, that's no fun. The story was winding down and all, but sort of "missing" the last day and having it come fairly suddenly...yeah. Shame. And it'll make my daily morning routine just that tad less fun.
Today I went to Twentysided, a blog I have been following for about 20 years. And discover that the author has died two weeks ago. I've read that blog almost daily for almost 20 years, I've seen and gotten to know the author pretty well in many ways, I've bought all his books, and I would literally read almost anything he wrote - he could make a column about growing grass interesting. And now he just went and died. It's surreal; I think the last death of someone I didn't actually know that affected me like this was Terry Pratchett. It's a loss for the world.
And, again, my morning routine has become a little less fun.
I don't think I should take vacations anymore, I come back and people I admire and look up to disappear or pieces of art are lost,.... Blegh.
I really liked DM of the Rings.
Fuck PA road construction, and fuck you contractors that leave nails laying around.
Took a shortcut through a rural area on my motorcycle. Caught nails in the front AND rear tire. Luckily they were slow leaks that I rubber cemented over and was able to ride over to my bike shop - losing about 1 psi per hour. 400 dollars later I have sweet new Pirelli Angel GT's on my bike - A YEAR SOONER THAN I WANTED TO SPEND THAT MONEY! God, I still had a solid 5k miles left on my old tires.
Took a shortcut through a rural area on my motorcycle. Caught nails in the front AND rear tire. Luckily they were slow leaks that I rubber cemented over and was able to ride over to my bike shop - losing about 1 psi per hour. 400 dollars later I have sweet new Pirelli Angel GT's on my bike - A YEAR SOONER THAN I WANTED TO SPEND THAT MONEY! God, I still had a solid 5k miles left on my old tires.
I snapped at a customer today.
They were calling about someone else's account. I think it was in their dad's name. For privacy and security, we don't discuss an account unless their name is, at least, listed as an authorized user. Typical account security stuff.
Well, this guy didn't like that rule. So had his mother call and I was "lucky" to get them again. Her name was also not authorized. Literally no other name on there but the main account holder. I don't know them from a hole in the wall, so I don't know if the account holder would even want them calling on his behalf.
So the son said "Look again. It's there."
And after biting my tongue for years, hearing customers trying to tell me how to do my job, I flat out asked him.
"Sure thing. Where do I find it in the program I use here?"
"Uh, I don't know. That's your job."
"Exactly. It's my job, I know where to look where someone is authorized and there is NO OTHER NAME listed. If you want help, you need to get [main account holder name] to call and add you and your mother on there."
Meanwhile, said mother is now in the background, yelling at him to hang up on me. Which he did.
Fuck it. I'm sick of attitudes from people who think they know how to do my job. Like people calling asking for discounts and "know" that I can give them a deal when I literally can't.
It reminds me of all the times at Blockbuster when people "knew" we could pull up an account by a phone number when we couldn't (at least not on the system I used). And would get angry, saying "It worked the last time!" even though I'd told that SAME customer the same thing last time.
Ugh.
Customer service would be great if I didn't have to deal with customers.
They were calling about someone else's account. I think it was in their dad's name. For privacy and security, we don't discuss an account unless their name is, at least, listed as an authorized user. Typical account security stuff.
Well, this guy didn't like that rule. So had his mother call and I was "lucky" to get them again. Her name was also not authorized. Literally no other name on there but the main account holder. I don't know them from a hole in the wall, so I don't know if the account holder would even want them calling on his behalf.
So the son said "Look again. It's there."
And after biting my tongue for years, hearing customers trying to tell me how to do my job, I flat out asked him.
"Sure thing. Where do I find it in the program I use here?"
"Uh, I don't know. That's your job."
"Exactly. It's my job, I know where to look where someone is authorized and there is NO OTHER NAME listed. If you want help, you need to get [main account holder name] to call and add you and your mother on there."
Meanwhile, said mother is now in the background, yelling at him to hang up on me. Which he did.
Fuck it. I'm sick of attitudes from people who think they know how to do my job. Like people calling asking for discounts and "know" that I can give them a deal when I literally can't.
It reminds me of all the times at Blockbuster when people "knew" we could pull up an account by a phone number when we couldn't (at least not on the system I used). And would get angry, saying "It worked the last time!" even though I'd told that SAME customer the same thing last time.
Ugh.
Customer service would be great if I didn't have to deal with customers.
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For what it's worth, I don't think that was out of line...depending on the tone of voice, of course.
As to dealing with customers, though:
--Patrick
I fully admit, my tone was snippy. I snapped at him. Not yelled, just laced with a lot of attitude. It was a combination of being told "Look again" (or other variations) by other customers in the past, the fact that this was the second time he was calling about it, and now checking a name for a second person who was ALSO not authorized.
I've seen the bad aftermaths of accounts where an unauthorized user got access. Parents who access their adult children's account, adult children accessing parents' accounts, current or ex roommates. A LOT of cases involving a divorce or a bad break up.
Most times, it's genuinely harmless, but I fully understand and have witnessed why the rule is in place.
I've had a few of those. It's not common, but it's happened a few times where I'll catch it.
Nothing drives me more bananas then when I get second guessed on my job and reports. I feel your pain and your response was totally fine. I wish I could do the same.
Heh. Waaayy back in the day, I used to work at K-Mart. My favorite thing ever was "checking in the back" for customers that didn't believe me when I told them something was out of stock.
Yeah, I'd go into the back and take a 10 minute break. There was a cool upstairs area in the back area where they had two-way glass. I'd go up there and just people watch, while also seeing said stupid customer waiting like a moron.
My girlfriend - who lives in St. Louis while I'm in Canada, and is therefore far outside the reach of anything I could possibly do to help - just got carjacked at gunpoint. I know basically no details beyond that, except that her brother is taking her home and we're going to talk later. I'm feeling completely helpless and also got hit with a full stress response adrenaline dump so I'm just sitting here vibrating with anxiety.
FUCK.
FUCK.