Current mood:	disappointed
Current music:	Tricky - Excess

A tribute to DirecTV
I do not understand.

We're in tough economic times, of which there is increasing proof every week. It's not like it's just centralized towards one industry, like this time last year with the writer's strike (albeit some were more hurt than others, like yours truly who lived with a camera operator...so yeah, tough times). But no, this is spanning many diverse industries- DHL, Circuit City, Macy's, Fazolis, about one hundred banks, etc. So the tough times are no secret nor are they limited to specific markets. Everyone is in jeopardy job cuts, hour cuts, and hell, even their company being cut.

That being said, I don't see why now of all times there is such a lack of customer service and overall product satisfaction.

I wrote a long explanation of the transactions between DirecTV and me, but it angered me so I'll write the abridged synopsis in that: 1) Cable man missed our appointment, after a scheduling nightmare to get the appointment 2) Scheduling people tell me there are only so many time periods the cable men can come, while I was told that Saturdays were an option because hey, some people work M-F, 9-5 and can't be there 3) I arrange for a man to come while I'm at work, though this was quite the struggle for them somehow 4) he comes and forgets to install internet 5) I spend a grand total of about 5 hours, no exaggeration, on the phone scheduling, being transferred, and trying to get them to see how unacceptable this is to do to new (or any) clients.
-edit - 6) They totally missed the appointment today to install the internet, without any explanation. ARE YOU FRIGGIN KIDDING ME!

This whole time, I keep thinking, do these people just not give a shit? And how is that possible? In such a time where companies are making huge cutbacks, wouldn't you want to be the one who does the best he can to retain customer satisfaction? Wouldn't you work just a smidge harder to make someone else's life a little easier? Yes, it might involve doing 5 minutes of extra research or pushing schedules around, but why wouldn't you go the extra inch?

Fuck you people, I have an unpaid internship and a paying part time job. And I still work probably 20 times harder without even thinking about it. Yeah, it does upset me that I should already have a respectable job that doesn't require a name tag or apron that pays decently because I've earned it, but honestly, I know that it'll pay off, I'm doing a lot of interesting things, learning a lot, and I will get there because I'm a hard worker. So ok, another year of declining frequent bar nights and not shopping at the stores I enjoyed when money grew on trees. But I can tough it out, because I know it will turn around and my work will eventually be able to be channeled into a career when spots become available again. So what's your excuse, sub-par customer relations representative?

I remember hearing something at school about the integrity of students and teachers during the depression. No, the other one. So the story goes, teachers took IOU's from students to remain teaching. Or the students brought them food in turn for classroom time, things like that. And most of the teachers stayed there working and eventually received their owed money as soon as the students were capable to pay them back.

Though an inspirational tale, this has been on my mind a lot because it seems so removed from what we are used to today. I don't believe people at large have such a work ethic. If our great-grandparents were around today O'm sure we would get such a lashing for how self-centered we are and how, in the face of an ugly economic nightmare, we become even more stingy instead of powering through and being decent to each other.

You know, I kinda hope that a lot of these businesses do get wiped out. Much like wild brush fires- destructive, harmful, but a pavement for new and diverse life. Call me a cynic, call me an asshole, whatever. Maybe then it would create such a competition for employment that people would be amazing and willing to succeed in their mind-numbingly boring cubicle job.

Or maybe that's a horrible thought and no good would come from it. So is this the best that we can have?