Week 14- Top 10 customer service do’s and don’t

1. Do greet the customer with a smile and use your manners such as please and thank you. Don’t roll your eyes, sigh or swear out loud in front of the customer. 2. Keep your hair neat, clean and out of your face. You may be ugly but they still want to be able to see who is waiting on them.
3. Be sure to wash your hands frequently and keep your fingernails clean and for goodness sakes don’t pick your nose or teeth in front of the customer. 4. Even if you’re busy, acknowledge the customer with a small nod or a couple words like, I’ll be right with you. They can see it’s busy; they get that, never just ignore them and wish they’d all go away. 5. When communicating, use complete sentences, speak clearly and slowly, don’t use slang and poor body language because like no, like we don’t like understand what you’re like saying. 6. If you don’t know the answer to a customer question, don’t lie or send them on a wild goose chase! Simply tell them you’re not sure but would be happy to get that information for them. 7. Always use professionalism and empathy when dealing with your customer, don’t treat them like they’re idiots because they asked what you might think is a stupid question. 8. When bagging glass, do be sure to wrap it in tissue or another bag to protect it. Don’t put all the cans in one bag either; it’s far too heavy to carry and the bag eventually splits in half and everything spills out all over the ground. 9. Do make the customer your first priority and yes this means get off the damn phone and be available for them! 10. Be perceptive of what the customers sees such as your courteous behavior; don’t chew gum, don’t walk away from them when they are talking to you and whatever you do don’t rush them.

week 13 small to big

My car needed an inspection sticker so we made an appointment at the local garage. I was hoping the tires would pass but got to thinking they really weren’t that old and wondered why the tread was so worn. I finally found the Sears paperwork and took the car back to them to find out what the warranty was. Come to find out these supposed 70,000 mile tread tires I paid big bucks for were junk. According to the mileage, I had only 16,000 miles on them over the past 3 years; needless to say they replaced them.

Another issue I was concerned with for the inspection besides a little rust was the inside of my car smelled of gas sometimes. It was very faint but still made me think I may have had a bad line or something because I never saw a spot in the driveway where I parked. But I was using a ton of gas just to drive under 10 miles round trip per day so I knew something was up.

The day my car went into the garage after the tires were replaced my engine light suddenly came on. Oh great I thought another expense to get this car legal. They put my car on the lift and found the rocker panels under the doors of the car were pretty much rotted away and I had holes in my gas tank and the break & gas lines all needed replacing. This was going to cost me around $600.00 and they’d have the car about 4 days so I gave them the ok.

Three days into my car being in the garage, I’m called to be informed that not only were my rocker panels gone the rear quarters were rotted as well and they had no place to attach the new metal. My hear t sunk. They already had the car torn apart, what choice did I have? When I asked how much more it would cost me, he said about another $1000.00 that was a tough pill to swallow but I had to justify it was cheaper than buying a new car and having a payment.

2 weeks later and no car, still, I called to find out what the holdup was; they had ironically run into another snag. How much I asked. I was sick to my stomach….total was going to be just over $2000 because I needed ECG/EGR valves to make the engine light go away and have the car run right.

Hard to believe I addressed a simple spot of rust on my car to get a $15 inspection sticker which ended up costing over $2000. This will go down in the books as the most expensive inspection sticker I’ve ever purchased. I’ve decided I’m going to keep this hunk of metal for a couple more years, like it or not.

week 12 risky rewrite

There was a point in my life when I wanted to give up. When it first came on, it was very unsettling, but once it got to the “don’t give a shit stage” I was at my calmest. I was working sales at the time and remember waking up that day in a great mood, too happy. The kind of sickening too happy when your over smiling, whistling, skipping around; definitely out of my ordinary. As I was getting ready for my day; picking out my suit and jewelry for the outfit, I jumped in the shower. While showering I remember making up my mind that today would be the day I smashed my company vehicle into a tree at 100 miles an hour. I had contemplated pills but didn’t have the resources. I would never cut myself or blow my brains out because I didn’t want my daughter to find me in that condition. I figured an accidental car crash was the best way out. I applied my makeup, styled my hair and grabbed my brief case. My husband was home that morning and obviously could sense something was different in my demeanor which alarmed him. I thought I was behaving wonderfully and he’d appreciate the happiness I was exuding. Apparently he was too smart for that, somehow he kept stalling me from leaving the house. I don’t remember exactly what he was doing or saying, but that feeling of calmness was slowly slipping away and I was getting infuriated because he was in the way of my destiny. I never did get to leave the house that morning. Shortly after all his prying that feeling of calmness completely left me and I finally broke down. After some pretty intense therapy I've learned how to properly control my emotions during difficult situations. Never again will I allow myself to get to the point in my life where I'd give it up.

week 12 risky

Thinking back to my teen years and some of the shit I used to pull, this one in particular came to mind. Imagine a split level ranch; upstairs is the kitchen, living room, bathroom and master bedroom, downstairs are the 3 bedrooms and a laundry room. One night my mother and step father were going out to eat. My girl friend Kim was staying over and our plan was to have our boyfriends come over while my parents were out. They were a bit older than us; had their driver’s licenses and could buy beer. I know, statutory rape, but this was over 30 years ago. I knew if I got caught with these boys in the house, I’d be grounded for life. So the guys how up minutes after my parents pulled out of the driveway with a cooler filled with beer! How long did these guys think they were going to be able to stay! Seriously, how long does it take to go out to a restaurant, eat and come home? Anyway, we were listening to albums, smoking it up, throwing a few back and having a great time. I suddenly got really paranoid about my parents coming home cause I knew they’d be back at any time. Kim and the guys kept reassuring me everything would be fine, they‘d hide out in the closet once my parents got home and would wait quietly unit they went to bed. How naive can any human being be? Well, I fell for it. Here we are 2 young teens getting wasted with 18 and 19 year old guys in my bedroom at my mother’s house while she and my step dad were right upstairs! We ended up sneaking them out my bedroom window a few hours later, and to this day, I can still remember what a fiasco it was getting them out. They were trashed, loud and obnoxious yet not once did my mother or step dad yell down to find out what all the racket was. Thankfully my mother has to sleep with a fan on which must have been my saving grace. We were home safe, or so I thought. The next day after my step dad came home from work he sat me down and asked me if I had company over last night while they were out. I lied of course and said no. Well after about the third time I caved in and asked how he knew. I’m thinking duh Darlene, how the hell else do you think he knew! They practically woke the neighborhood trying to get out the damn window last night; I was still hung over, looked like shit and probably had hickies all over my neck. His reply was he’d noticed a McDonald’s bag out in the driveway that wasn’t there when they’d left last night so he just assumed I had friends over. He continued saying, you might want to tell your friends next time they ought to be more careful. If they're trying to sneak around, they shouldn’t leave behind their trash!

week 11 The Driveway

The driveway was very long and very secluded leading to dad’s new house; he asks us kids what we think of our new home.

The moving truck brings all the belongings to the house down the long driveway; we pick out our bedrooms today.

Dad has trees cut down about half way down the driveway to park the vehicles in the winter months because the bottom half is too steep to drive up.

The dog houses and their runs are set up at the end of the driveway in the turn around part.

All of us kids help make a rock walkway from the end of the driveway down to the house.

Whippoorwills sing every night in the trees around the end of the driveway.

The old chicken coup to the left of the driveway brings on many dares to see who will jump off the roof first.

My youngest step brother jumps first and breaks his leg; the chicken coup to the left of the driveway is torn down.

The barn at the end of the driveway on the right is spooky, old and full of giant spiders; I will not play hide and go seek in there.

Walking up and down the driveway to catch the bus for school, feels like eternity to get to the top. Sometimes my 2 step brothers and I race each other to the top.

Sledding down the driveway at what feels like 100 MPH and jumping the snow bank where all the snow was plowed at the very end, every landing knocks the wind out of us.

Riding our mini bikes up, down and all around the driveway; no helmets, no protection, lots of cuts and bruises but no broken bones!

A new pool is put in at the end of the driveway over where the old chicken coup once stood. Let the parties begin.

I get my first car and park it with all the other vehicles at the end of the driveway.

My 16th birthday and the driveway is full of cars and we celebrated.

Graduation day for me and my oldest step brother. In the driveway, dad hands us our graduation gifts; each of us receieve a bank book.

The police break up the 4th of July celebration and cop cars flood the driveway.

The ambulance heads up the driveway with my younger step-brother in it; he left a note.

Driveway is full again but this time with mourners.

A for sale sign is posted at the top of the driveway.

The moving truck slowly heads up the very long and very secluded driveway with our belongings, I never looked back.

Week 10 Work

I can’t believe he said it, what was he thinking??? It’s like Vegas here man, what happens here, stays here.

How am I going to fix this, is it even up to me to try?

Rumors are running rampant, why do these people come to me? They KNOW I can’t talk about it? Haven’t they figured this out by now? I want to scream….what part don’t you understand?

Closed doors, hush, hush, people not looking into each other’s eyes as they pass in the hall; secrets out.

Why do I get so involved, why do I care? What is wrong with people? Why can’t they leave well enough alone?

So much like high school; the whispering, the side glances and the fake smiles….who do they think they’re kidding?

What ever happened to the real friends, true friends; the kinds of people who are like your family-friends. Do they even exist?

I feel so tired, so worn out and I despise every minute of it. I’m at a loss for words and this is a first for me; I think I’ve met my challenge.