Things That Stick In Your Craw

Is it standard procedure when you are working with customer service (spectrum is the one I’m working on now) to put you on hold to “look into it” and then either completely hang up on you, or kick you back to the general wait list?

This would be highly unlikely, although a smaller tel-com that doesn’t outsource their customer service might be able to ‘get away with it’ more so than if you were calling T-Mobile or the like. My company has provided customer service, sales, tech support, etc. for TMob, Bell Canada, AT&T, Comcast, etc. and there is no way a single one of them would put up with this handling their customers in such a way. In fact we don’t have a single telephony application that would make it possible to put a contact back into the queue. Hanging up would be another story.

Is it standard procedure when you are working with customer service (spectrum is the one I’m working on now) to put you on hold to “look into it” and then either completely hang up on you, or kick you back to the general wait list? I’ve had this happen to me so many times I think it’s a tactic to get you to get frustrated and give up. After ten minutes with agent one, she kicked me to hold and I had to wait another ten minutes on hold and then start all over.

And agent two is absolutely useless so I have to wait again. Ugh.

Based on the ‘glowing’ reviews my dad gives Spectrum this sounds about par for the course for them

Honestly spectrum has been far easier than when I had frontier and dish. I spoke with three reps in the span of an hour phone call. First one kicked me to hold, second one was completely useless, claiming he couldn’t access any specifics on my account (?) third one was super nice, helpful, and able to answer all my questions. It’s just such a crapshoot who you get and a lot of time waiting on hold and for someone who can actually help. I can see why a lot of people get frustrated and just pay whatever they are charged. I was routinely hung up on when I was trying to end my frontier and dish accounts.

Then I spent time with tech services as our WiFi cuts out a lot and he was very thorough and helpful.

I have been far more happy with Spectrum but it’s getting to the expensive part as promos end.

Is it standard procedure when you are working with customer service (spectrum is the one I’m working on now) to put you on hold to “look into it” and then either completely hang up on you, or kick you back to the general wait list?

This would be highly unlikely, although a smaller tel-com that doesn’t outsource their customer service might be able to ‘get away with it’ more so than if you were calling T-Mobile or the like. My company has provided customer service, sales, tech support, etc. for TMob, Bell Canada, AT&T, Comcast, etc. and there is no way a single one of them would put up with this handling their customers in such a way. In fact we don’t have a single telephony application that would make it possible to put a contact back into the queue. Hanging up would be another story.

The only we can send someone into a queue is to transfer them to another skill and I am almost positive we cannot transfer callers back into the same skill they are already on. My teams are typically dealing with a very specific set of customers (unlike the support SS) provides) so if we do accidently hang up on caller ( Mr. Fat Fingers checking in :wave: ) we almost always know the caller and can ring them back quickly.

A specific set of customers doesn’t like to be taken.

So this is a question – what bothers you more…your hotel shower lever not automatically switching back to the tub faucet or your spouse who doesn’t check and do it after they shower.

That ice cold water blast from the shower head never feels great when you aren’t expecting it

Always start the water before you enter the tub!!

I run the water a good five minutes before I think of going into the shower.

I run the water a good five minutes before I think of going into the shower.

Jeez are you guys using 10-gallon water heaters? :mrgreen:

At home I need 30 seconds to verify water temp cause I know where the handle should be. But in a hotel, never get in until you know what temp the water is coming out so you can adjust accordingly.

I let it run a few minutes to make sure the temp is where it is where I like it to be.

Craw-sticking: when the water pressure is sh* in a hotel. I want that shower to kick my butt with pressure.

Or at hotels when the shower head is too low. Hate that.

Welcome to my world. At 6’4″, that’s every hotel I stay at. :chainsaw:

Or at hotels when the shower head is too low. Hate that.

Welcome to my world. At 6’4″, that’s every hotel I stay at. :chainsaw:

Try 6’7″… :wall:

We had one last weekend that basically hit me at the bottom of my rib cage. I’m about 6’. It was a powerful shower and methinks Viking would have gone up a couple octaves there. :shock:

I run the water a good five minutes before I think of going into the shower.

Jeez are you guys using 10-gallon water heaters? :mrgreen:

At home I need 30 seconds to verify water temp cause I know where the handle should be. But in a hotel, never get in until you know what temp the water is coming out so you can adjust accordingly.

It takes me about 5 seconds. Just hop in and go!!!

Can’t really do anything about the vehicles. They are both loud, no matter what (used to live next to a similar neighbor).

The fireworks, though…COULD be a thing. If they are illegal, or making excessive noise outside city ordinance hours (usually 8am-10pm)…

Harley’s do have a trademarked sound, but not a trademarked volume. Red lining them several times before taking off isn’t required for operation.

Agreed, but they are louder anyways. Diesel trucks? They wake ME up, and I wake up to almost nothing. Not even revving, just starting up.

Speaking from personal experience… Harleys are not all that loud from the factory. Are they louder than most passenger cars, or a Gold Wing or something? Sure… but the idiots that have to rev up the engine to make windows rattle are just being :censored:

At my last house I had two neighbors with Harleys. One would slowly drive down the road when he left early in the morning. The other would let her rip and rattle the windows.

I also had the guy across the street who had a lifted diesel. He would let his truck idle for 60-90 minutes before he’d leave in the morning. He ran a roofing company so he worked long hours and would wake up at 4 am and immediately turn on his truck (which was only parked on the street and usually had a giant trailer attached). Then he’d get ready for the day and eat breakfast and leave around sunrise.

I think we’ve all established that this guy’s name is Richard; just have different experiences on loudness of things.

At my nephew’s 7th grade flag football game. Between games some of the mother’s from the opposing team headed to their vehicles to top off their cocktails…

Serious… you need to drink at your kid’s 7th grade flag football game?!?!?!

At my nephew’s 7th grade flag football game. Between games some of the mother’s from the opposing team headed to their vehicles to top off their cocktails…

Serious… you need to drink at your kid’s 7th grade flag football game?!?!?!

After being in hockey and soccer for quite a few years and having grown a base of friends (parents of our kids’ teammates) it is understandable to see them and have a few drinks. It is common for parents to tailgate and have a couple beers in the parking lot during practice or in the hour the kids warm up before a game.

My kids had hockey tryouts today and 4 sets of parents got together in the parking lot and enjoyed the day. It was a nice excuse to get together.

After a while It’s not just about the kids.

When we lived in Maple Grove people would pack coolers for the annual parade and there are kids everywhere. The one question I’d have about drinking in a parking lot is whether or not there are sober drivers at the end.

Yes.

During my lunch I walked over to the MPW Mall to look for a Gophers jr. sized hat for my son. We had to shave his head pretty much bald for a medical reason…

– Went to Goldy’s and they were closed due to staffing.

– Tried Lids and they were closed cause the “system” was down.

– Tried Champs and no jr’ hats.

– Tried Kohl’s as well and they had no jr. hats.

– Also went to JC Penny’s and all they had was wisconSIN hats for jr’s.

I guess I’ll roll the dice and try again at Goldy’s again tomorrow… LoL!!!

During my lunch I walked over to the MPW Mall to look for a Gophers jr. sized hat for my son. We had to shave his head pretty much bald for a medical reason…

– Went to Goldy’s and they were closed due to staffing.

– Tried Lids and they were closed cause the “system” was down.

– Tried Champs and no jr’ hats.

– Tried Kohl’s as well and they had no jr. hats.

– Also went to JC Penny’s and all they had was wisconSIN hats for jr’s.

I guess I’ll roll the dice and try again at Goldy’s again tomorrow… LoL!!!

Coffman has a ton of Goohers gear as does Ridgedale, Costco (not as much but still) and that crazy sporting goods place in EP with all the stuffed animals.

When we lived in Maple Grove people would pack coolers for the annual parade and there are kids everywhere. The one question I’d have about drinking in a parking lot is whether or not there are sober drivers at the end.

Yes.

I walk with the FCM float every year in the Maple Grove Days parade and the amount of tailgating that goes on never ceases to amaze me. We throw candy to the kids and can coozies to the adults. I think the adults are more aggressive than the kids.

I’ve personally been in charge of some of the bigger parades in the Twin Cities. What REALLY sticks in my craw is people who throw candy from moving vehicles/floats. Every parade I have been a part of specifically bans throwing candy from moving vehicles. I see kids all the time run up to vehicles to get more candy. Some of the bigger vehicles might not see the kids. In SSP we once had a huge garbage truck throwing out t-shirts from their window. There was no way the truck could see the kids and it was an accident waiting to happen.

Personally I have no problem with people walking in the parade and throwing candy.

I’ve personally been in charge of some of the bigger parades in the Twin Cities. What REALLY sticks in my craw is people who throw candy from moving vehicles/floats. Every parade I have been a part of specifically bans throwing candy from moving vehicles. I see kids all the time run up to vehicles to get more candy. Some of the bigger vehicles might not see the kids. In SSP we once had a huge garbage truck throwing out t-shirts from their window. There was no way the truck could see the kids and it was an accident waiting to happen.

Personally I have no problem with people walking in the parade and throwing candy.

Several years ago I was home for Indian Days and went to the parade in Browning. No lie… I saw a piece of candy get tossed into a pile a cow manure during the parade. I watched a kid stare at that piece of candy for a good 5 minutes contemplating if he should dig it out or not. I thought for sure he was, he eventually went back to paying attention to the parade.

I’ve personally been in charge of some of the bigger parades in the Twin Cities. What REALLY sticks in my craw is people who throw candy from moving vehicles/floats. Every parade I have been a part of specifically bans throwing candy from moving vehicles. I see kids all the time run up to vehicles to get more candy. Some of the bigger vehicles might not see the kids. In SSP we once had a huge garbage truck throwing out t-shirts from their window. There was no way the truck could see the kids and it was an accident waiting to happen.

Personally I have no problem with people walking in the parade and throwing candy.

Several years ago I was home for Indian Days and went to the parade in Browning. No lie… I saw a piece of candy get tossed into a pile a cow manure during the parade. I watched a kid stare at that piece of candy for a good 5 minutes contemplating if he should dig it out or not. I thought for sure he was, he eventually went back to paying attention to the parade.

I used to run the Kaposia Days Parade in South St. Paul. One year a parent emailed us the day after the parade to complain that they were at the end of the parade any by that time all of the floats were out of candy so her kids didn’t get any. :roll:

When we lived in Maple Grove people would pack coolers for the annual parade and there are kids everywhere. The one question I’d have about drinking in a parking lot is whether or not there are sober drivers at the end.

Yes.

I walk with the FCM float every year in the Maple Grove Days parade and the amount of tailgating that goes on never ceases to amaze me. We throw candy to the kids and can coozies to the adults. I think the adults are more aggressive than the kids.

I’ve personally been in charge of some of the bigger parades in the Twin Cities. What REALLY sticks in my craw is people who throw candy from moving vehicles/floats. Every parade I have been a part of specifically bans throwing candy from moving vehicles. I see kids all the time run up to vehicles to get more candy. Some of the bigger vehicles might not see the kids. In SSP we once had a huge garbage truck throwing out t-shirts from their window. There was no way the truck could see the kids and it was an accident waiting to happen.

Personally I have no problem with people walking in the parade and throwing candy.

The organizers of the MG Days parade don’t allow candy to be thrown from vehicles. They also tell us to throw candy behind the kids so they need to turn toward the curb to pick it up instead of throwing it at their feet. It makes me super nervous when I see kids running into the street toward the floats.

When we lived in Maple Grove people would pack coolers for the annual parade and there are kids everywhere. The one question I’d have about drinking in a parking lot is whether or not there are sober drivers at the end.

Yes.

I walk with the FCM float every year in the Maple Grove Days parade and the amount of tailgating that goes on never ceases to amaze me. We throw candy to the kids and can coozies to the adults. I think the adults are more aggressive than the kids.

I’ve personally been in charge of some of the bigger parades in the Twin Cities. What REALLY sticks in my craw is people who throw candy from moving vehicles/floats. Every parade I have been a part of specifically bans throwing candy from moving vehicles. I see kids all the time run up to vehicles to get more candy. Some of the bigger vehicles might not see the kids. In SSP we once had a huge garbage truck throwing out t-shirts from their window. There was no way the truck could see the kids and it was an accident waiting to happen.

Personally I have no problem with people walking in the parade and throwing candy.

The organizers of the MG Days parade don’t allow candy to be thrown from vehicles. They also tell us to throw candy behind the kids so they need to turn toward the curb to pick it up instead of throwing it at their feet. It makes me super nervous when I see kids running into the street toward the floats.

Times are a changing from when I was kids. I can’t imagine now days the parades back home trying to drive farm equipment (tractors, Big Buds, combines, grain trucks and so on) down Main St. I may sound old by saying this, but it seems like kids and parents now days are A LOT less responsible then when I was a kid,

My employer just rolled out new software which blocks my work system from streaming radio or livestreams from youtube.

Now, I work from home and can just stream whatever I want on a different computer or my phone, but it’s a little annoying that my employer doesn’t expect me to be able to manage my time.

The product they’re using advertises itself as the “Zero Trust Leader!”

Maybe I’m not cut out of big companies.

That crap is so stupid for the 90% of employees who do/exceed what is expected of them. Institute that crap for people who can’t keep up or are having other disciplinary issues so you can work through why they are having issues. My 2cents…

Like I said, it’s a minor annoyance. I have enough devices laying around with which to stream, and I could probably spend 30 minutes figuring out a way around it if I really wanted.

But they trust me to, and for that matter require me to log into customer computer systems that cost significant fractions of a Billion (with a dollars. But they don’t trust me to stream a radio broadcast while I do so.

My work had kept a Wi-Fi for the principals password locked, and a separate Visitor Wi-Fi also password locked. When we had people into the office, they would ask for the Wi-Fi password, and I had to get someone to give it to them. It was embarrassing, feel like a child who has to go ask a parent if something is okay since we couldn’t possibly be trusted with a WiFi password.

We finally got separate employee Wi-Fi we can all use about 2 years ago… I am just not sure what for. Most private email (Gmail, Yahoo, etc) is all blocked. Anything streaming is blocked; pandora, spotify, youtube, etc. iHeartRadio is blocked because it somehow views it as a “Game”… A plethora of websites are blocked, so you cannot even find a menu for happy hour some places because a taproom’s website is blocked. It’s so dumb. You gave us this thing that does nothing anybody wanted it for. Thanks, but no thanks.

At work I can access Facebook and LinkedIn but GPL is blocked because it’s tagged as a ‘games’ site

So, my building is in what would be a strip mall for light industrial, about a half a dozen companies, sharing a very large parking lot. Some of the lot was scheduled for repaving/etc.

They started at 1pm today. WTF. Part of the re-paving blocked the ramp my company uses to load heavy items into the customer’s or our company’s van. THANKFULLY that was not needed today, but doing a project like that limiting or basically stopping business? Idiots. Made a mess of trucks trying to deliver to the companies on that stretch/etc.

I was polite, but vocal about it, like they listened. :chainsaw:

You would be surprised at how many people cannot self-manage their time/productivity at work or at home. At the onset of the pandemic I think people thought they were more productive at home but in reality a load of laundry here and there a quick nap here and there as well or running an errand adds up. Mostly it is the non-emergency tasks that eventually turn into emergencies if not handled. For me it was my providers doing simple things like calling customers or responding to emails.

The flip side is the unproductive time is the same in an office setting with swinging by cubicles or workstations and chatting for a few minutes etc.

I have worked on my own for 7 years now. Could I be more productive? Yes. Am I the highest rated in my work group? Also yea.

Similar, we had at least half of our department on a WFH schedule prior to last March so we quickly pivoted with no loss of productivity.

Where we have seen a loss is new employee training. Having to do it virtually has probably added 25%-30% more time to get someone up to speed. So much is learned via observation and overhearing others which I think accounts for the extra time.

I’ll never understand American’s infatuation with the Royal Family and LeBron James’ opinions… :chainsaw: :chainsaw: :chainsaw:

Similar, we had at least half of our department on a WFH schedule prior to last March so we quickly pivoted with no loss of productivity.

Where we have seen a loss is new employee training. Having to do it virtually has probably added 25%-30% more time to get someone up to speed. So much is learned via observation and overhearing others which I think accounts for the extra time.

For me it was even longer to get up to speed. It took 2.5 weeks just to get a MMM computer!!!

Wish I was at Mariucci right now.

I was set to go to the game with my dad. We went golfing instead. Then the rains came. Had to point out that Mariucci would have been much more enjoyable.

At work I can access Facebook and LinkedIn but GPL is blocked because it’s tagged as a ‘games’ site

At my former employer we could not visit brewery websites for some reason. One of my co-workers had a major local brewery as an account but could not access their website.

Facebook down?

I think you are correct. I noticed Instagram was also not loading about 10min ago.

Facebook down?

Oh so could be a blessing in disguise.