Slaves

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We’re all slaves.

Slaves to something. Whether it be an addiction or ideology or habit or whatever, there is something that controls us to some degree. It is inevitable.

Guaranteed you’re a slave to money. So am I.

We all need it to one degree or another. Some of us need it less and some of us need it more but, any way you look at it, we all still need it. We don’t live in a hunter-gatherer society any longer so we obviously live beyond just a subsistence level (those were simpler days, weren’t they?).

So, I was thinking about the fact that we are all slaves today.

Through this whole pandemic thing, I have had to keep asking myself about whom I am willing to be a slave to. I need money, that isn’t an option. Because of that, I have really been questioning which is more important, my job or the government? Essentially, I am asking which am I willing to be a slave to.

Would I rather be a slave to big business or to big government?

Some might argue that they are pretty similar, really, but let’s not get into the weeds of the debate here. Would I rather be at the mercy of big business where, for the most part, there is innovation and some freedom to decide where I want to work OR would I rather be at the mercy of an all powerful government where I have to rely on them for most everything and not question them and there is little to no innovation or freedom of choice?

Business or government? Freedom or oppression?

Now, I am a historian and I know the history. I know big business can be a lot like a government in my ways.

There is always going to be abuse, but at least with business there is always the chance for the little guy to break away and try to make it on his own. Start something new if he doesn’t like the big business or has an idea that could possibly innovate an industry.

But with a government, in most cases, I can’t just pick up and move to a different government if I don’t like it (like I can with a job). Know what I mean? In most cases I am going to be subject to the current government and there isn’t a way for me to break away and say, “Hey, I have a better idea, let’s do it this way!” Thus going about establishing a new government I see fit for me and those who agree with me.

That option doesn’t exist under a government like it does with a business.

Anyway, all this to say, have we let the government(s) go too far with this whole lockdown thing? Which response, meaning what level of government, was appropriate – federal, state, county, city? Whom has abused their powers? The powers WE gave them and that WE may possibly need to fight back to get again?

I feel like I am rambling now. I was hoping to keep this as a short, salient point, but I fear the more I explain it the more confusing it gets.

So, who or what are you willing to be a slave to?

Printer

green and black industrial machine

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I should have known. Experience has taught me otherwise, but I went against my better judgement…

Someone in the house burned up the rest of the toner in the printer and I can’t print the documents I need for work this morning. So, I am hastily trying to figure out how to make things work before the meeting (oh, yes, while frantically Pissing and Moaning to you all).

When the printer gave a “low toner” alert, I went on Amazon and purchased an off-brand toner cartridge because the reviews said it was good and the description said it would fit the printer. Model numbers, everything lined up. Better judgement (and some spotty past experience) in me said this was risky but when trying to save a penny here and there you sometimes feel like you gotta take a chance.

Well, that chance failed. The box clearly says it should fit, but the toner cartridge clearly doesn’t! The printer manufacturer must have changed the loading cartridge without this off brand company getting the message because it isn’t even close.

So, work arounds and a little added stress. I can do it and it wasn’t the other household member’s fault since they, just as I would have, assumed we had a replacement ready to go.

It’s just really irritating when you do all the necessary research to make sure you are doing it correctly (forget the off-brand part, LOL) and still have it end up wrong.

TGIF.

This too shall pass, but I am going to Piss and Moan loudly about it on my Amazon review and return.

Buried

Not dead yet. Yet. Not six feet under. Not yet.

Just buried “at” work, though I am not AT work.

Make sense?

Now that schools have finally decided “in person” instruction isn’t going to take place again this year and distance learning is now kicked off, “full-steam ahead, engines be damned,” there are lots of things that teachers are trying to do to make online learning work for them. As they adjust the way they do things, they are looking for ways to make it easier on the kids, and themselves, as change can be hard…especially when it is forced on you without any time to prep for it.

So, I have been getting ready for a plethora of presentations to the teachers in an effort to help them live in this new reality. Our software has tools available to help the teachers, but for a lot of them they are either afraid to try it or just don’t know what to do once they do try it. As such, training via remote applications is what we do almost on a daily basis so we are out here prepping and presenting, since we are the “experts” on a sort of remote learning.

Anyway, I almost forgot to complain about something today. Is this a complaint? Not really. Or maybe it is. I’ll let you know.

I am working on my next presentation that came about at the beginning of the week as a casual conversation, then a casual presentation, to a full-fledged and full-blown training of over 150 teachers over the next two school days (Friday & Monday). There’s a good possibility that more sessions will be added. The training will be recorded, of course, so there will also be video production after all is said and done so that an “on-demand” training video can be used in the near future.

Whew! I will need a drink after prepping today and definitely after Monday’s training.

 

 

Breakthrough

As Gomer Pyle used to say, “Surprise, surprise, surprise!” You could also throw in his “Shazam!” or “Golly!”

There was a breakthrough. I am holding my breath, but at least there may be a payoff to my concerted effort and persistence.

Goal Zero finally responded to my customer service inquiry – only nine days after submission. Not with an answer I liked, but at least it was an answer.

And Ryobi, finally, after two hours on hold yesterday and then resorting to the “call back” (yeah, don’t fall for that ever…) option for no response. I called again this morning and after 20 minutes on hold, someone actually picked up!! They were very nice and got the process started for tool replacement via the warranty. Mind you, this was just the first step so there are still things on their end that they need to do, but I am hopeful. Hopeful that at least the process will now go the way it should have at the start.

Persistence. Patience. Bargain with the devil? Nah, I didn’t have to go that far, but I was contemplating the next step…a witch’s curse? Pentagram on the garage floor? Flaming sacrificial alter for burning the tools? There are a lot of options when you think about it.

Hopefully none of you out there are doing customer support. If so, know that you may not be safe from the dark world. As a matter of fact, maybe that is why I have had strange happenings in my home office…perhaps I have been cursed in my role for customer service…that might explain the strange goose-pimples at odd times of the day…

I’m out! I gotta go get my protection on.

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Most popular

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I am not sure why, but one post on here seems to be the most popular.

Apparently there are a lot of people dealing with moldy bagels! Specifically, moldy bagels from Costco.

A post I wrote, “Costco’s moldy bagel problem,” shortly after I started this blog gets over a 100 views per month. It isn’t all that entertaining as it is much more of a complaint than anything, but apparently people are looking for answers so they click on the link.

The only answer they will find is that freezing them, in an attempt to stave off mold after a day or two, is the only think you can really do. Defrost each time you want one, and eat. There is no other way to stop the mold.

Oh wait, there is. Buy bagels from some place else! Bagels from a local grocery store that makes them fresh each day actually has better bagels for a better price on a dozen. They don’t mold nearly as quickly! Plus, the habit of slicing and freezing hasn’t gone away. It just works for me.

Anyway, I always find it interesting that this post is the most clicked on. Do you have a post that surprises you for the frequency that it gets visited?

Blah!

It’s been that kind of week.

Blah!

Customer service issues that still haven’t been resolved. Radio silence. Crickets everywhere.

Work has been overwhelming in trying to help schools with distance learning with little to no guidance from the state on how they should be tracking attendance, engagement, or even if they need to do it. Every call is a lot of shoulder shrugging, head nodding, what ifs, and apologies for not being more helpful.

BLAH!

It’s Friday.

I have never run a marathon, but is this what it feels like?

I need this weekend like no other.

Customer service?

 

The saga widens.

If you’re a business, staying in contact and helping your current customers is important for continuing to be a business. This shouldn’t even be a question. It’s a given!

If you’re a business and want to stay in business, you should respond to potential customer inquiries so they can decide if they want to buy your product. Again, this should be a given.

Customer service these days (well maybe always, but definitely more noticeable these days) is severely lacking in all kinds of different places. With most business being shifted online because of the current lockdown, customers are trying to reach out to companies as they deal with product issues or consider purchases. I am no different.

The Ryobi issue is still ongoing…no call back from the Warranty Department. Do I call every day now? Do I wait it out? Should I create a Twitter account just so I can go on there and shame them into helping me?

I emailed a company to ask about a product I currently have to see if they had a connection cable needed to connect to another product I have of theirs so they would work together. As yet, no response to that email from Goal Zero.

On top of that, I took the battery out of one of the vehicles and took it to a local company to have them check it out. It died in the vehicle for no reason and there isn’t anything that was drawing power from it, so I was wondering if it was bad. I dropped it off on Saturday with the understanding they would call on Tuesday or Wednesday with the test results (seemed like a long time to me, but OK). Yesterday afternoon came and no call. I called them. “Oh, yeah, seems to be working fine but we would like to test it one more time.” So, I’ll be picking that up this afternoon, hopefully.

Is this normal? Is customer service normally this bad?

Anyone else having a hard time getting online customer service? This stuff shouldn’t be that hard as it can mostly be done remotely. Are companies really not that nimble to make adjustments for customer service? Is it that hard to pick up a phone and just call?

I would be interested to know if you are experiencing more frustration than normal when contacting customer service.

Warranty Department

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Continuing the saga from yesterday

With a phone number and instructions to have tools, batteries, and chargers on had when I call the number, I called this morning to make sure that I was calling during East coast hours.

The call was answered by a machine and the instructions were the same as I received in my call yesterday. Then it proceeded to read back my phone number and ask if I would like a call back when someone to handle my call was available, if so, press 1.

1

And now I wait? Until when? It’s been two hours so far. Am I just supposed to wait all day by the phone, in the garage, staring at the tool that doesn’t work?

So, the saga continues…

 

A tool story

Technology in today’s day and age allows companies and customers to better interact.

That could mean that customers have better access to product information and new offerings from a company. It could mean that companies provide better support and customer care when issues arise with it’s products. It could mean that customers are able to communicate with the company their needs for tools and features they need.

Regardless of what could happen, customers should have a good experience with the product and the company. It’s what keeps them coming back to the company and it’s what also has them recommend the company’s products to people they know.

A little over a year ago, I decided it was time to update my power tools so I decided that having something with lots of tools and one battery system would be the best since they are all interchangeable. The answer was…

Ryobi.

In general, I like the tools. They 18v One+ system is a great idea because of the variety of tools that will work off one battery system. No need to have a bunch of different battery sizes and no need to have to buy new and newer tools since other companies keep changing their batteries all the time.

So, I invested. I bought a multiple tool set and over the last year I have added several more tools and a new set of extra batteries with a quick charger (30 minutes to be exact). It’s been a little less than a year since I did this and everything has worked as expected until now.

That 30 minute charger just up and died…used it two weeks ago and it work and then went to use it last week and it didn’t. Nothing. No power.

So, I wanted to find out what now. It is less than a year old and is probably under warranty. I logged into their website, ryobitools.com, and navigation is PAINFULLY SLOW! It takes minutes just to get their page to load, let alone navigate from one place to another once you actually get there.

All I could think as I wait and wait and wait is, “Really?” With a company this large with that kind of budget, they can’t get a website that is zippity-do-dah fast? Kind of not really great customer service, ya know?

When I finally get to the “Contact” page I called the Power Tools phone number for support, 800-525-2579, and their navigation system is garbled and hard to understand…and the number they say to push for help sounds like “8” but when you push that number is says it is invalid. I called several times and finally pushed “2” (sounds nothing like “8”) and got through. WTH? Seriously. I am not joking. Call it yourself.

So, besides having a painfully slow website, they also have a call system that is garbled and hard to understand. Makes total sense for a company trying to get and keep customers, right?

Oh, and after I talked with someone I have to call another department (East coast times, mind you) to get warranty help. I’ll let you know how that goes…

197

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Today marks the return back to work, from vacation.

Coming off the “worst” vacation ever (see previous Day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 posts), getting back to work is still tough.

Last night as I enjoyed some down time I began to think of the things that would need to get done on my first day back to work…several things that didn’t get done before I left and, knowing there would be a crap ton of emails while I was gone, newly assigned things for my return. As you might imagine, the dread for the coming work day started.

Not to disappoint, 197 emails filled my inbox. Fortunately, that is likely a number that is down from the usual vacation absence since schools are not operating as normal so support needs have dwindled slightly. So, I have been wading through those this morning. After an hour and 15 minutes, I still have 87 more emails to get through. Yes, there are some that just need deleted as they are quick communications between team members for innocuous things. I am glad for those. It makes that number go down faster!

Anyway, I better get back to those emails. Oh, and I have a meeting right off the bat too.

Where’s my coffee?