Spence often watches Anderson Cooper's 360 show on the news and during his show at the end he gives the RidicuList of the day. It is basically ridiculous things people say and do.
Many of my family and friends have asked what my full time job has entailed this fall. First I'll describe my job:
I am an employee at Artco here in Rexburg. Artco is paper and stationery company. Artco has contracts with many other companies who have websites and catalogs selling cards, announcements, invitations, and many other products. Artco prints and carries all of their products. I work in their call center above the production lines representing two companies.
One - The National Wildlife Federation.
and
Two - Pear Tree Greetings.
The National Wildlife Federation puts out catalogs selling Christmas cards, ornaments and lots of other products where 85% of the money goes towards the wildlife. These customers I deal with are nature lovin', tree huggin', granola eatin' type people, who are mostly over the age of 65.
Pear Tree Greetings has a website selling TONS of different cards to choose from where you can personalize them and add photos. These customers are mostly wives and mothers getting their Christmas cards ready to send out to relatives. Usually around the age of 30 and 40. There is one important thing you need to know about Pear Tree. It is an online order only, which means the customers have to place the orders online, we can't create orders for them, we're only there for customer service problems. There are two different boxes they have to check before they can submit their orders stating that the cards will print EXACTLY how they appear on the screen. But, they just seem to want to blame someone else for those mistakes made on their card. Which becomes me! Hooray!
I work full time taking orders, dealing with customer service problems, and assisting people in any other way.
But, this job is no walk in the park. From 8am to 5pm I am talking constantly (besides my break) with people on the phone. While most of the calls are pleasant, there are certain calls that DRIVE ME CRAZY!!!!!
Now, you may be wondering why I started out talking about Anderson Coopers RidicuList. Well this is why:
I have made my own RidicuList. It is a RidicuList for my Artco job. There have been a few special people who have made it onto my RidicuList, and they will never know. Here are their famous words.
My RidicuList
1. A Pear Tree customer received her cards and the photo had the date printed on it. You know, those ghetto orange dates printed on the photos from non-digital cameras. "I assumed that you would take the photo date off the picture! I need new cards printed!"
-How could we magically take off that date when it is printed on the photo?
2. Pear Tree Greetings: "I assumed you would fix the blurry photo I added onto the Christmas card! I need new cards printed!"
-Well, the photo that you added was taken blurry!
3. Regarding a 40% internet deal for the first 1000 Pear Tree customers who ordered online on Cyber Monday. "But I would have been one of the 1st 1000 customers to get 40% off! I would have been on my computer right at 8am to order my cards! But I got busy doing something. I need the 40 percent off!"
- Um...no ma'am...you can not have the discount because you WERE NOT ONE OF THE FIRST 1000 CUSTOMERS!
4. A National Wildlife customer trying to print out her confirmation email: "My printer only printed the 1st page of the order confirmation. But there were two pages to the confirmation. What do I do?"
-Um...print the second page too. What do you want me to do? Come and press the print button for you?
5. A grumpy Pear Tree customer: "Your website is HOR-I-BLE! H-O-R-I-B-L-E. I'm WILL NOT BE ORDERING FROM YOU!"
-Well that's fine, it doesn't bother me that you're incredibly rude self won't be dealing with me. Bye!
6. A National Wildlife Customer who thought she placed an order with us over the phone, but we didn't have an order under her name: "You are stealing from me! I'm calling the police!"
-Um...ok, but I'm not sure how the police is magically going to make an order appear in our order system.
7. A National Wildlife customer who simply wanted to stop receiving the catalogs in the mail: "Over the past 2 years I have collected 10 lbs of mail from you...TEN POUNDS! Do you know how many trees you are cutting down and do you know how many animals lives you could be saving by taking my name off the mailing list!" He goes on for a good 10 minutes lecturing me about trees and animals.
- Do you know sir that you wasted two years of your life when you could have simply called the first time you received a catalog and gotten your name removed from the mailing list?
8. A National Wildlife customer: "I need to know what your federation is doing to help the tragedy in Ohio, because obviously you haven't done enough or these animals wouldn't have died. I want you to personally do something to help these animals because you are the National Wildlife Federation." 20 minute lecture about the politicians and how they don't help animals. And all the animals are dying!
-Luckily I had watched the news the day before and heard about the man who let out all his exotic animals and then commited suicide.
-Well ma'am, I just work for the catalog. But I will let my boss know you are concerned...NOT! What am I suppose to do about these animals in Ohio???
9. A National Wildlife customer: "I was wondering if you could take away the shipping charge from my order?" Me, "No, I cannot take off the shipping charge." Her, "Well if you aren't going to do that, then I'm cancelling this order, goodbye!"
-Ya, because we are personally gonna pay for UPS to personally deliver your order to you. HOLY COW PEOPLE!"
As you can see, my job is full of characters! Some just simply feel entitled, others are clue-less. But it can be a little ridiculous. Sometimes it is hard to keep my calm, but I just have to take a deep breath and deal with these characters in a professional way. But what I really want to do is stick my hands through the phone and shake them up a little.
Well, now you know what I deal with everyday. Customer service jobs...gotta love it!!!!!
All I can say is......only 13 more days until this job is OVER!
