Call-centres...ARGH!!!

Outer Mongolia????

Not really sure if the phenomenon of call-centres has actually reached Outer Mongolia yet, but it can't be far away...lol...

They got them in India and Idaho (not sure about this fact either, but Idaho rhymes better than Texas;) and surely, not far from where you live, there are buildings filled with call-centre workers chained for a shift to a headset and computer terminal.

The most worrying part about the trend to outsource to other countries is that the people you end up speaking to are being paid a pittance, they must be, otherwise routing calls to international numbers woudn't be cost effective.

And before anyone asks, yes, I have been there and done that...I've actually worked for 3 large call centres. Cut my teeth at BT as an operator, and yes, thier training is still second to none...The other 2 were a bank and a mobile phone company.

The recent trend to outsource call-centre work from the UK to far-reaching corners of our planet is still confudling me though (ok, stop sniggering, I know I'm blonde).

One of the most irritating and frustrating experiences I've ever had would have to be calling a well-known ISP provider and being put through to a call centre in India!!! I'm not predjudiced or racist in any way, but why the hell connect customers already in difficulty to a call-centre which just cannot cope with the query??? Seems a pointless excercise and just wastes everyone's time and money...and leaves me sitting on the end of a phone with the alarming urge to punch someone on the nose!!!

Having worked in a number of these places, I'm very familiar with the way these companies operate thier excuse for customer care. The number of times I've navigated my way through an automated queuing system only to find that when I've chosen option whatever number, aftera very long and laborious series of choices, that my option isn't covered, is NOT funny!!! But what does the silly sounding cow that spouts these choices say if you don't press anything? Usually not even the choice to return to an earlier menu or group of choices is offered. What frequently happens is the voice says they haven't recognised the choice selected and would you please mind choosing again!!! No, I don't want to choose again, I want to speak to a person, not a bloody machine!

Another of the worst experiences has to be getting 'lost' or 'stuck' in the automated service and not having the chance to be put in the queue for a live bod to speak to...

Automation pergatory :(

Left to roam aimlessly through the auto service not realising until you check and find that you've been waiting 3 days!!! Most of us realise this quite quickly and unless you get a message actually telling you there's a delay, my advice is to hang up after 10 mins and try again.

Having had the 'luxury' of seeing it from both sides I 'spose I should be more patient. After all, it isn't the fault of the poor sod you eventually (if you get lucky) get to speak too that you've had so much trouble getting through the maize of the phone system.

Another major failing of call-centres is that the agents/customer service advisors don't generally have any real authority to put things right or problem solve if your query differs even slightly from the norm.

There is very little continiuty for any major or on-going problems and the frustration of having to go over the details time and time again is rather off-putting for most people.

No-one seems to want to, or be able to take 'ownership' of a customer's problem and follow it through to a satisfactory conclusion for both parties.

A perfect example was when I moved home and wanted a certain service switching to my new address and a new telephone number...lol...

I wasn't laughing by the end of the sorry 4 month battle, I know :( But that's for another rant...pmsl

Welcome to The Jungle...

Ermmm...my jungle, that is, the one I've been trying to chop down!!!

Spent most of yesterday fighting what seemed, initially to be a losing battle against the weeds that have taken over my back garden.

For the size of house, I'm lucky and have got a nice sized garden, the bottom part, nearest the house, is like a yard and is lovely and shaded for my patio furniture and BBQ. The upper part, reached by steps is supposed to be lawn...pmsl...More like weed central!!!

A few weeks ago I cleaned up the yard part and my furniture but, due to rainy weather decided to postpone tackling the upper part.

Well, after all the nice weather we've had this week I couldn't really put it off any longer. It was as dry as it was going to get, and I noticed we had rain forecast for today.

Off out into the jungle I went armed with a strimmer and some bin liners...lol...Napalm would have been a better idea but I don't think my neighbours would agree.

My strimmer is a good one and comes with ordinary and heavy duty cutting stuff. I started off trying the ordinary stuff but it was completely hopeless as it kept getting tangled in the weeds. Changed over to the heavy duty stuff and was much better, although it was wearing pretty quickly. I managed to do about half of it before I ran out of the heavy duty cutting line.

So off I goes to Focus to get some more...Surprise, surprise, they didn't have any left and wouldn't be getting another delivery til today, which is too late as it's bloody wet!!! The nice shop assistant did, however, advise me where to look for some.

A little trip to Aberdare town centre, easy and quick thinks me, no way ;) The first shop I tried only had heavy duty stuff for petrol mowers, the market was the same, and Argos, where I bought the strimmer, doesn't sell it at all!!! How 'helpful' is that???

Upto this point I was doing really well and staying focused on the job in hand (appart from getting some scented BBQ candles)...

Then I noticed New Look...I thought I may as well have a browse, so in goes me...Fatal! What did I see as soon as I stepped inside??? A dress!!! Now, I'm not a 'dress' girl usually but this one was really nice and summery, and I thought it wouldn't do any harm to try it on...But it looked so nice on, I couldn't bear not to get it...And how did I justify buying it? I'm going upto Nottingham today for the weekend, that's how. Flimsy excuse. But hey, an excuse ;)

Back to the garden...I did really well, I think, by clearing most of the garden and weeds. My arms didn't get off lightly though, must have dozens of bloody itchy, sore bites!!! Revenge for destroying the insects paradise that was my garden!!!

Summer Wardrobe...ARGH!!!

ARGH!!!

They don't fit!!!

How could I not notice me putting on so much weight???

Is only a stone but it means that all my nice Summer clothes won't go on and/or my stomach and ass look like they're trying to escape!!!

Ah well, salad for a month 'cos I can't afford to buy new even if I wanted to, which I don't 'cos I got some real nice stuff :(

Smoking...

This contentious subject rears itself again as the Department of Health prepares to introduce a partial ban on smoking in public places including all workplaces, restaurants and the 90% of pubs that prepare and serve food.

If the ban in pubs is successful, then gone forever will be the unique british pub.

Ok, the traditional picture of a british pub is somewhere to have a drink, play pub games such as pool and darts, smoke, sometimes entertainment, and, more recently have a meal.
People's views on smoking fall into 3 main categories:-

Smokers - obviously they still do it so would be the people most inconvenienced by a total ban, although, even I see the need for restrictions as it can affect others. The policy of segregating smokers from non-smokers in pubs and restaurants has worked very well and all you need for this to be effective is good ventilation.

Non-smokers who don't mind it - loads of non-smokers I've chatted to have always accepted that smoking is part of an evening out and that pubs/bars and even restaurants won't be the same without it.

Then you get the 3rd category, which comprises mostly of reformed smokers! A good proportion of these people have given up heavy smoking habits and are now vehemently against smoking of any kind in any place. They forget that they themselves did it for years without any consideration to anyone else and it's only the fact that they have given up that has made them so against it. I wonder if this is because they found it so hard to give up? Who knows...

All told though, I'm pretty sure that the businesses such as pubs and restaurants that have to implement this ban will be hard hit due to people simply not wanting to visit an establishment which traditionally, would have accomadated thier habit.

If you ask any smoker when they most enjoy a cigarette, the answers will be after food, with a drink and after sex...lol...And 2 of those things you do when you visit a pub or restaurant ;)

We will get used to it in time, as has happened in America, but until then those businesses will suffer the consequenses.

I'm a heavy smoker and will find it quite annoying to adjust to it but I've visited America frequently during recent years when they've been implementing the partial and then blanket bans on smoking in public places so am a little used to being restricted.

Texting...

And for my first attempt at my news inspired postings we have AOL news to thank and thier little snippet about Becks and Snoop Dogg texting each other (AOL news, 16/06/05)...lol...

Ah well, it caught my eye and I got a bit of an issue with texting anyway :)

I don't like text messages, never have, maybe I will.

Not because of the text format itself, but because, ever since I succumed to peer pressure to aquire my first mobile, I've had problems with it!!!

Why?

Because I'm dyslexic, simple as.

Initially, I couldn't get my head round predictive texting and no amount of trying or persuding could make me understand that it could possibly work. I mean you type in words and the bloody phone guesses what your saying??? How can it do that??? It's a mobile phone!!!

I typed in stuff and the things it was coming up with were ridiculous, confusing and sometimes downright scarey!!!

Secondly, the qwerty keyboard was enough of a 'headfull' to learn and then, to have to get my head round yet another text format was simply not being accepted by my 'ickle blonde head'...lol...

So, for the last 4 years, I've been very reluctant to use the medium, prefering instead to ring someone if they had the cheek to send me a text message!

Lately though, due mostly to financial considerations, I've had to have a little re-think about it all.

I sat down one evening, a bit more relaxed on a few glasses of wine and decided to give it a go...

Hmmm...

I now offer my sincere appologies to anyone I've ever offended when I've refused help to get to grips with it...

It's easy! even I can manage it with the minimum of fuss! All it took was about half an hour trying various different things with it, and there I go, can do :) I think it's amazing that a little phone can miraculously 'predict' mostly what I want to type :) Watching the words come up with only minor adjustment is fascinating :)

Is yet another example of my frequently annoying habbit to refuse to try something 'cos of my inability to grasp it/understand it first time...

When will I learn???

Soon hopefully, will save me a lot of money ;)

...And back to Mr Beckham and his new friendship with Snoop Dogg...

I do hope that they aren't both annoying thier respective company when they text as I have been today with my mates.

'Cos it's relatively new to me and I'm finding it a novelty, my phone keeps making wierd and wonderful noises and 'cos they're not used to me doing anything other than talk on the phone it's a bit unsettling for them...lmfao :)

Me? Lazy? Ermmm...

Ermmm...

Yep, I think I am at the moment 'cos I'm not feeling as bad as I have been but I've still not been posting regularly!!!

Not through lack of ideas but rather because I've become 'sloppy' about recording them...lol...

A solution to this problem has been inspired by my reaction and posting by the previous entry, take a topical news item and let it flow :)

So, you have been warned...pmsl...

Look out for Babybear's views on the world :)

Not Guilty...(seems a little too familiar???)

Ours is not the 'luxury of innocence...we can only hope to regain a few fleeting moments...'

'Not guilty' are familiar and comforting words indeed...

Those words have a very different, and significant effect on those of us who's civil liberties have rested upon them...

My heart goes out to Michael Jackson, his family and those children that this whole public tradgedy has affected.

It isn't just this recent public farce or those that have come before that have affected the previously mentioned, but a whole 'cast' and 'production' that have gone before, during, and, will continue long after.

I'm not really a fan, infact, I can't say I like his music much, but I feel for him in a way that only certian people can.

I've been accused of a crime that I didn't commit, not anything to do with paedophilia, but something that carried a hefty prison sentence none-the-less...

A crime that could have, but for the pravail of common sense and justice, seen me wronged ten thousand fold for something I didn't do in the first place :(

Cold Again!!!

Another icky, messy cold :(

Why do cold bugs like me so much?

Has been nearly 2 weeks since this latest took up residence in my now ready-to-explode nose.

But it's not content with playing havock with my head.

Oh no, it has to invade my chest too making me cough and wrecking my sleep :(

C'mon, it's June, heyfever season, not colds and coughs!!!

Got up this morning after a very broken night's sleep but the thought of waiting at the docs on a wet and cold Monday morning put me right off!!!

Trouble is, now, halfway through the day, I wish I had gone 'cos my head now feels like it's full of cotton wool and my nose and cheek bones are really painful :(
I'm deffinately going tomorrow 'cos I can't afford the mountain of tissues I'm going through!!!

hmmm...

hmmm...

I don't hear from him for nearly 2 weeks and then he txts me saying he had his phone stolen...

hmmm...

I know I'm blonde but I aint stoopid!!!