ENGLEWOOD, CO, US
02/05/2008 5:35 P.M. DELIVERY
02/05/2008 5:06 A.M. OUT FOR DELIVERY
02/05/2008 4:01 A.M. ARRIVAL SCAN
How does it take 12 hours and 29 minutes for a package to be delivered after going out on the truck? I can understand if I was some distance away from their facility - but I live 5 miles west of the Englewood, Colorado UPS facility. Used to drive by the place all the time when I was bored at work.
UPS’s shipments are always like this. I’ll see my shipment listed as out for delivery anytime between 5am and 6am, but I don’t think I’ve ever had a delivery from them before 3pm. This delivery was later than usual, normally they will come between 3 and 4. It’s not like it was a big, heavy package - only 10 pounds (as billed by them). I understand there are places for them to get to before they come deliver residential packages - but they could have easily had this package delivered around 9 or 10 am.
I think next time, I’m going to include additional instructions in my orders to companies I order from online - “UPS/FedEx/DHL is authorized to deliver package during day. Person will be at home”. Maybe I can get them to come a little earlier that way?
I got the pleasure yesterday of dealing with a very upset Italian woman who was having issues with her bill yesterday. I believe her monthly bill had gone up by $17.62, and she kept me on the phone for quite some time ranting about it. I got so confused in her bill (because she had made so many programming changes in October) that I had to get my trainer over to check it over and try to figure it out. He couldn’t even find it, and he was a platinum agent on the floor for over a year before he started training people. So he went into Dish Promo, which shows things like that a little better, and he discovered the America’s Everything Pack (basically EVERYTHING DISH OFFERS) had been added (by the automated system, as I found out when I went through the notes again), then removed 10 days later.
It took another 10 minutes on the phone to get it through this lady’s head that yes, she was being charged correctly, that extra 17.62 was for those 10 days of having America’s Everything, and that her bill would return to normal next month, while she tried to convince me that this was some Spanish agent’s fault when I knew already that it had been the automated system that upgraded her programming, and I could see notes from the day before that another agent had already advised her about the partial charges. Basically, she’s trying to call up and find someone at DISH who will just throw money at her problem, and it ain’t happening. Even if someone does adjust off the charges, it probably won’t be approved, and it doesn’t matter anyway because this lady would still have to pay that extra this month.
And of course the next call after that was a guy who was very upset about a tech that came to his home, and keeps calling to tell agents he’s gonna cancel if the tech didn’t fix it by Friday. Fortunately, it looked like I could schedule someone for Friday for him. Of course he was still angry, and bitched and moaned about it. I just told him the tech would be there on Friday, and it seemed to satisfy him. Of course DNS uses an entirely different system than we do, so they don’t get the notes on the account to find out what’s been done already to fix it.
The domain forum.mattfast1.com has been deleted from my DNS entries. This means that it will no longer be accessible in any form to anyone. This is as per my previous postings on this subject.
The first thing any Technical Service Representative (TSR) learns at Echostar is to dominate the call (and the customer). This message is repeated several times daily, in order to ensure it sinks into the head of everyone in the class. It is shouted by the class (if they are lucky to get my trainer, he’s awesome). However, no amount of training can help one deal with *drum roll* the first call. I took my first one Friday afternoon, and felt good about it - the only opportunity that was noticed by my mentor was the final step - educating the customer. Teaching them why that setting made a difference, how what you did fixed their problem, etcetera… that was the only thing I didn’t do. However, I handled the call well, got top marks on my first live call, and I feel good.
I think this job might work out for me. I hope so, from what I hear, the benefits of being one of the top agents are pretty sweet. A 20% bonus on my gross for the next month, plus access the Platinum lounge, sounds pretty appetizing. I’ll have to work to get there.
It was a dark and stormy night.
Sorry, I always wanted to write that. But then again, it was dark and stormy, and it was before midnight, thus making the time of day night. I was driving down Santa Fe road near Aspen Grove Shopping Center when I had to honk at some yahoo who was pac-manning it. Said yahoo eventually ended up behind me in the turn lane onto Mineral road, and as I was completing this turn, he sped up suddenly, creating a dangerous situation where I could not even see his headlights. Do I…
A) Speed up excessively, even though I know it will create an even more dangerous situation
B) Speed up slightly, to the normal (daytime & dry) speed limit
C) Let off the accelerator, and allow my vehicle to coast
D) Brake suddenly, hoping he rear-ends me and I get to sue his ass
Continue reading ‘Picture This’
Almost ready to start my new job… I just have to remember to throw some stuff in the car. I might want to think about doing that tomorrow.
Due to abuse of the registration system at this blog recently, I have disabled user registrations. If you want to have an account (don’t see why you need one, but whatever; you can still comment without an account), you will have to contact me. Otherwise, I’m decreasing my headaches now.
On Monday, October 1, 2007, the Board of Smartness will be closed permanently. The Board of Smartness was originally created as a fun thing to do back in 2003, when we were all in high school. Now, we have all graduated, moved away, and generally forgotten about this board. These days, it’s even rare for me to spend any time at all on here… in fact, the last time I visited was June. That’s just one example of this board’s deadness.
I will hold a copy of the database until Wednesday, October 31, 2007, at which point THE ENTIRE DATABASE WILL BE LOST FOREVER. This will be THE LAST DAY I could possibly restore the board. I will probably set up another board for something else at some point, since I DO have a lifetime license to use this software and get updates - but I highly doubt it will be another incarnation of the Board of Smartness, which would be the 4th, I believe.
Anyway, it’s been fun. If you have any questions or comments, you can contact me at my email address (mattfast1 swirly-at-thingy gmail a dotty thingy com). Otherwise, consider yourself notified.
(This message was also sent to all 8 currently registered members via email as well. The forum.mattfast1.com domain points to this post as of October 13.)
I know I’ve been lazy ever since Target fired me. However, now I will be working at Echostar Communications, based in Englewood, CO at their Riverfront Call Center in Littleton, CO. The building used to be the worldwide headquarters for Echostar, and before that it was a mall, the Riverfront Festival Center. My official job title is Technical Service Representative (TSR), whose job it is to help those who call with a problem with their service, billing, or hardware.
I will be starting training on Monday, October 21, 2007, and progressing to the call center itself a few weeks after that.
Target Corporation, who I have worked for since June 1, 2005, finally decided to bring that employment relationship to a close. As the exact details of my termination are confidential company property (technically, I shouldn’t even have access to that information), I cannot disclose them. However, let’s just say that the new management that has taken over in the last few months never really liked me, and they took their opportunity now, while they could.
It’s just as well. I was planning on putting in my 2 week notice today anyway.