Poetry and Stuff

I'm not really one for poetry. I still don't think I'm particularly good with words, either. But wife says me good word guy, so I pretend and type stuff.

ANYWAY, I was looking through some assignments on the Yahoo! Contributor Network over the summer and decided to take on a simple "summertime" poem. I've never attempted to write a poem on my own outside of school, so I thought it might be fun. Since summer is now ending, and it is my least popular submission to Y!CN, I thought I'd drag it out here and increase my embarrassment.

If you don't know me or don't know me well enough, I'll unequivocally state it here: I really fuckin hate the summer. I hate beaches, I hate the heat, I hate sweating without doing any work, I hate mowing my lawn in the heat every week. If I'm in the sun for too long (15 minutes is usually too long) then I burn, and that burn itches for days, weeks. I hate being itchy more than I hate sweating. Summer combines both of those; it's an eternity of perpetual damp, itchy misery.

"What Good Is Summer, Anyway?" is my tribute to how much I really hate the summer. It may have some redeeming qualities, but you're going to have to read the poem to find out.

On a side-note: please overlook the page layout. I don't have any control over that, so my content is partially wrapped around advertising space. You may see an ad, maybe you won't. But that's why it might look funny.

Why Is It Necessary to Demystify the Mystical?

Let me begin by stating that this is a very incomplete thought. I typed the following words one night after staying awake much longer than I should have (a habit I have held longer than I can remember). Tonight, pain in my back makes comfort and sleep difficult, so I am currently awake at a time much later than I should be (I'm supposed to be waking up in about 4 hours).

But I've got a few things running through the back of my head - in an area of my mind of which I am conscious, but can not pull into consciousness. Somewhere behind the constant hum and chatter of my thoughts lie the machinery that creates those thoughts and its operator. When I attempt to pull the operator out of his work station - so that he may better discuss his work and the equipment at his disposal, to explain the inner workings and the mystery of it all - all I get are the hum and chatter which are the result of his operations. He speaks only when I am not awake, yet I can not share his words while I am asleep.

Be a Good Customer, Get Better Customer Service

My last post discussed the do-it-yourself attitude and an article that I published addressing some of the issues that occur regarding cable television service. Hopefully, that information will help you to determine when a problem is beyond your own abilities and when to call for a professional. But what should you do after you make that appointment?

In my experience as a cable guy, I found myself working through other problems created by customers that didn't really have anything to do with their cable service. So I published another article to show cable service customers how to Get Great Service by Being a Great Customer. The cable guy has his own etiquette for dealing with customers, but the customer should also have his or her own rules for dealing with professionals.

Most of this advice is applicable regardless of what type of professional you call - cable guy, electrician, landscaper - so my advice can and should be adapted for each type of appointment.

You may or may not know this, but many companies keep records of their customer interactions. If you are rude to a professional, he may make a notation on your account and the company may take any of your future complaints less seriously. If you have that technician's direct phone number, he will probably take longer to call you back. If the technician really did do something wrong, the company will defend him or her with more effort.

However, if you make a minimal effort to make a professional's job at your home easier, then he or she may be more willing to go the extra mile for you. This stuff is common sense for most folks - most people would probably consider it common courtesy. But too many folks expect too much from the professionals who work inside customer homes, and that's why I wrote this article.

Above all else, remember that even though you have (and deserve) certain expectations as a customer, the money you pay to a company for a service does not buy a person's dignity. A person may provide a service, but that does not make that person a servant. Sometimes a customer's frustrations get the better of them, and that's OK. It's just human nature. But if you find yourself in such a situation, and you still get great service from a professional - make sure that you pass that information on to the professional, his supervisor, or his company.