How my day is going so far....

Zeldman

Zeldman

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Jun 13, 2014
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high desert NM
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Billy
I just spent 25 minutes on the phone with a person that wants me to spend money on him. Ok, I am looking for the service he provides, but the whole time his kids were dominating the conversation.

It started about 1 minute into the phone call..... who you talking to daddy.?? Can I sit in your lap daddy.?? Why are you on the phone daddy.?? Daddy, Roy just threw up in your shoe again..... Eeewww daddy that really stinks... Followed by no talking while daddy cleans his shoe.

Daddy, I am thirsty.... daddy can we go to MacDonalds.?? I want to play outside....followed by very loud wailing and crying.. Silence on the phone, after a few minutes the kids stop crying.

Then Roy starts up.... Daddy, Linda is hitting me....eeeewwww daddy Roy farted... I did not, you did too...etc... (which did provide me with a little entertainment) daddy, the dog needs to go outside......daddy, why are you on the phone.?? Daddy, who are you talking to.?? Daddy, why are you talking on the phone.?? When is mommy coming home.?? Daddy can we get a horse.??.....daddy, can you wipe me.??

And on, and on....

Ok, I am fine with bringing kids to work, working at home and all that, but please teach the kids that unless something is on fire or someone is bleeding when daddy is on the phone it is time to be quiet.

I finally ended the conversation with call me back when things are more under control.

I am sure there will be someone here flaming me about how I should be understanding... or what is the current word.?? Tolerance.??

Ok, I am finished..... But I never did find out who crop dusted the room...:lol::lol:

How is everyone else's day going.??
 
It can be hard - I generally agree with you, but sometimes there's the wife left, single dad for the week, kids are really out of control because of issues elsewhere kind of deal. One doesn't always know what's going on on the other end, sadly.
 
I'd have given him 5 minutes, tgen started looking for a different vendor / supplier / provider with whom I could have a real discussion.

I also don't use self-checkout lanes, because the store doesn't pay me to be my own cashier. There are cashiers employed by the store to do that. When nothing else is open, or has long lines, I take my stuff up front and leave it, taking my business to someone who cares about their customers.
 
Hank S said:
I'd have given him 5 minutes, tgen started looking for a different vendor / supplier / provider with whom I could have a real discussion.

I also don't use self-checkout lanes, because the store doesn't pay me to be my own cashier. There are cashiers employed by the store to do that. When nothing else is open, or has long lines, I take my stuff up front and leave it, taking my business to someone who cares about their customers.
Click to expand...
So you are "that guy".
 
There's something about talking on the phone that makes kids who were happily playing on their own suddenly decide "I must go interrupt mom/dad and be as much of a pain as possible." It's frustrating and I haven't figured out any solution that stops it readily.

That said, I don't know what the situation was, but if he's in sales or otherwise needs to talk to customers, that's not something to do with kids around.
 
If the guy can’t pull himself away from that mayhem to discuss the job with you, will he actually be able to get the job done and do so in a timely manner?
 
RyanShort1 said:
It can be hard - I generally agree with you, but sometimes there's the wife left, single dad for the week, kids are really out of control because of issues elsewhere kind of deal. One doesn't always know what's going on on the other end, sadly.
Click to expand...

You are right, I don't know what the situation is/was on the other end.

I just got a text from the guy apologizing for the interruptions, and we set a time to talk on the phone for this evening when mom is home. I am guessing mom has her career and dad is able to work at home while taking care of the kids. Which is not a problem for me. If I had known about that earlier I would have suggested an evening appointment.


SkyDog58 said:
If the guy can’t pull himself away from that mayhem to discuss the job with you, will he actually be able to get the job done and do so in a timely manner?
Click to expand...

A good question.

He works at home and comes highly recommended and has proof of success. Maybe he works at night when everyone else is asleep. And he is in our price range.....

And I still don't know who crop dusted...
 
Subliminal message. You don't buy what he's selling, the kids don't eat.
 
Last post you made like this involved you heading to the hospital, so a couple of bratty kids on the phone doesn’t seem so bad. :)
 
Kenny Phillips said:
So you are "that guy".
Click to expand...

Yes, I am the guy who wants employees of businesses where I spend money to actually work. Passing their jobs to me only increases the bottom line of the business and makes me an unpaid worker. My employer pays me to work; stores pay their employees to stock shelves and run cash registers. If I do their job for free, some of them don't have a job any more.

But I now understand (thank you!) that this is only a problem when new Commercial Pilots fly for food stamps and make other commercial pilots too expensive to employ. It's not a problem with cashiers at Walmart, Home Depot, Kroger, etc., whose free competition is their customers not other wannabe cashiers.
 
Hank S said:
Yes, I am the guy who wants employees of businesses where I spend money to actually work. Passing their jobs to me only increases the bottom line of the business and makes me an unpaid worker. My employer pays me to work; stores pay their employees to stock shelves and run cash registers. If I do their job for free, some of them don't have a job any more.

But I now understand (thank you!) that this is only a problem when new Commercial Pilots fly for food stamps and make other commercial pilots too expensive to employ. It's not a problem with cashiers at Walmart, Home Depot, Kroger, etc., whose free competition is their customers not other wannabe cashiers.
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So do you dial numbers on the phone or ask the operator to connect you?

Sent from my SM-J737T using Tapatalk
 
Hank S said:
I also don't use self-checkout lanes, because the store doesn't pay me to be my own cashier. There are cashiers employed by the store to do that. When nothing else is open, or has long lines, I take my stuff up front and leave it, taking my business to someone who cares about their customers.
Click to expand...

So when you have 5 items you'd rather stand in line 5-10 minutes than being gone in 2? Just to prove a point?
It's not like all 10 self checkout lanes having an idle employee is the alternative.
 
ja_user said:
So when you have 5 items you'd rather stand in line 5-10 minutes than being gone in 2? Just to prove a point?
It's not like all 10 self checkout lanes having an idle employee is the alternative.
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No. Sometimes I leave and buy my stuff elsewhere.
 
ja_user said:
So when you have 5 items you'd rather stand in line 5-10 minutes than being gone in 2? Just to prove a point?
It's not like all 10 self checkout lanes having an idle employee is the alternative.
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I do wish that self-checkout would give me a small discount for the labor saved... but nobody will do that, of course.
 
That's your choice, Murica :)


I think the discount you get, is that you don't have to stand and wait, and watch them screw something up.

I'll only do self checkout with small orders, and of course prefer a fast efficient cashier... But, do I want to pay 10-15% more for every item?
Maybe, sometimes.
 
mkosmo said:
I do wish that self-checkout would give me a small discount for the labor saved... but nobody will do that, of course.
Click to expand...

No, the store keeps the cost saving and doesn't lower their prices. When it's the only choice, I'll buy everything online . . . Guess I'll have to pay Amazon's free shipping surcharge then, too. :(
 
Hank S said:
Do you cook your own meals at restaurants?
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At Melting Pot yes.
And a few others also. :)

But I do not subscribe to the belief that the employee is there to ring up my bill.

Sent from my SM-J737T using Tapatalk
 
Hank S said:
No, the store keeps the cost saving and doesn't lower their prices. When it's the only choice, I'll buy everything online . . . Guess I'll have to pay Amazon's free shipping surcharge then, too. :(
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Not really. People go where it is cheaper rather quickly. So a store that saves a few bucks with self checkout and does not pass on the savings will lose to the store that does.

Same thing happened to the telephone operator.

Sent from my SM-J737T using Tapatalk
 
tspear said:
Not really. People go where it is cheaper rather quickly. So a store that saves a few bucks with self checkout and does not pass on the savings will lose to the store that does.
Click to expand...

Tell that to walmart, Home Depot, etc. Sometimes they have one (1) cashier with 6 people in line, and 8 self-serve things with 3-4 people at each one, with 5-8 registers closed. So I take my stuff to a closed register, set it down and walk out. Makes me mad! No, I ain't doing my job all day, then work free for them in the evening or on weekends.
 
Hank S said:
No, the store keeps the cost saving and doesn't lower their prices. When it's the only choice, I'll buy everything online . . . Guess I'll have to pay Amazon's free shipping surcharge then, too. :(
Click to expand...

I'll pay a couple of extra bucks if somebody else is shopping for me. On top of the price of the product, I have to pay the time of the added value (the shopper). That being said, I'm cheap when it comes to some things like that, and I don't think I get enough value out of somebody choosing the worst produce and meat for me...

Maybe if I win the lottery, I can get find a shopper who cares at least a little bit ;-)
 
Hank S said:
No, the store keeps the cost saving and doesn't lower their prices. When it's the only choice, I'll buy everything online . . . Guess I'll have to pay Amazon's free shipping surcharge then, too. :(
Click to expand...
I’m not so very sure on the cost savings for the company... how much do those machines cost to buy, they still need babysitters, etc. What they do is eliminate customer service stuff in my opinion - harder to get in an argument with a machine, the machine can’t be blamed for being too slow, etc.
 
I'd much rather do a self-checkout than make awkward small talk with people that are judging my purchases.
 
Mtns2Skies said:
I'd much rather do a self-checkout than make awkward small talk with people that are judging my purchases.
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Lol! Whatcha buying that you worry about that?
Here in Texas I often find that the cashiers appreciate a little “how’s your day going” friendliness. I don’t care what they think about what I’m buying and I’ve never felt judged for what I bought.
 
Mtns2Skies said:
I'd much rather do a self-checkout than make awkward small talk with people that are judging my purchases.
Click to expand...
Yeah, it sucks when you have to buy Depends and Preparation H for your elderly father.
 
My bank took out 6 teller windows and put in ATMs. I use them unless I am depositing rolled coins.

I do not use self checkouts. EXCEPT I will scan and pay with my phone at Sam's Club. Unless I want cash back.
 
Zeldman said:
I just spent 25 minutes on the phone with a person that wants me to spend money on him. Ok, I am looking for the service he provides, but the whole time his kids were dominating the conversation.

It started about 1 minute into the phone call..... who you talking to daddy.?? Can I sit in your lap daddy.?? Why are you on the phone daddy.?? Daddy, Roy just threw up in your shoe again..... Eeewww daddy that really stinks... Followed by no talking while daddy cleans his shoe.

Daddy, I am thirsty.... daddy can we go to MacDonalds.?? I want to play outside....followed by very loud wailing and crying.. Silence on the phone, after a few minutes the kids stop crying.

Then Roy starts up.... Daddy, Linda is hitting me....eeeewwww daddy Roy farted... I did not, you did too...etc... (which did provide me with a little entertainment) daddy, the dog needs to go outside......daddy, why are you on the phone.?? Daddy, who are you talking to.?? Daddy, why are you talking on the phone.?? When is mommy coming home.?? Daddy can we get a horse.??.....daddy, can you wipe me.??

And on, and on....

Ok, I am fine with bringing kids to work, working at home and all that, but please teach the kids that unless something is on fire or someone is bleeding when daddy is on the phone it is time to be quiet.

I finally ended the conversation with call me back when things are more under control.

I am sure there will be someone here flaming me about how I should be understanding... or what is the current word.?? Tolerance.??

Ok, I am finished..... But I never did find out who crop dusted the room...:lol::lol:

How is everyone else's day going.??
Click to expand...

Was this like VATSIM or Pilots Edge?
 
Mtns2Skies said:
I'd much rather do a self-checkout than make awkward small talk with people that are judging my purchases.
Click to expand...

Sometimes I buy weird combinations of items just to make them wonder "what the heck is that guy going do with that stuff?!" Especially when you make a comment about a party you're having this weekend and needed some last minute things.
 
I work from home, when I’m not traveling on business. I have almost zero tolerance for non-work related interuptions and noise in a call or conf call. No kids, no dogs barking, no background noise unless it’s at a worksite.

I don’t know why I am so viciously intolerant. Maybe it’s because I try do hard to make sure my end of the call is professional; I don’t want anyone questioning whether work-from-home is appropriate. It’s a unique privilege and I don’t want to screw it up for myself or anyone else. So don’t screw it up for me.
 
455 Bravo Uniform said:
I work from home, when I’m not traveling on business. I have almost zero tolerance for non-work related interuptions and noise in a call or conf call. No kids, no dogs barking, no background noise unless it’s at a worksite.

I don’t know why I am so viciously intolerant. Maybe it’s because I try do hard to make sure my end of the call is professional; I don’t want anyone questioning whether work-from-home is appropriate. It’s a unique privilege and I don’t want to screw it up for myself or anyone else. So don’t screw it up for me.
Click to expand...

I worked for a consulting company in about 2000, all of our internal meetings were conference calls since we were all on-site at various clients. The first rule of conference calls was you're on mute unless you're talking, the second rule was see rule #1. Worked great even with 30-40 people on a call. Sadly people these days don't understand that no one wants to hear them typing away on their keyboard when others are trying to talk.
 
To follow up, the call last night was much better. More business like.

And as suspected, mom works during the day and dad takes care of the kids then does his stuff at night. Now I know so anymore calls will be after mom gets home. It sounded to me as if they are following moms career and dad does grant writing on the side.
 
RyanShort1 said:
I’m not so very sure on the cost savings for the company... how much do those machines cost to buy, they still need babysitters, etc. What they do is eliminate customer service stuff in my opinion - harder to get in an argument with a machine, the machine can’t be blamed for being too slow, etc.
Click to expand...

Buying a scanner is a one-time cost. Payroll isma continuing expense with vacation, insurance, attendance issues, payroll taxes (your employer pays about as much in taxes for you as are withheld from your earnings), etc. Not counting taxes, benefits paid by the company are generally ~40% of employee gross pay. So stores save A LOT by replacing human cashiers with scanners used by the customers.
 
Hank S said:
Buying a scanner is a one-time cost. Payroll isma continuing expense with vacation, insurance, attendance issues, payroll taxes (your employer pays about as much in taxes for you as are withheld from your earnings), etc. Not counting taxes, benefits paid by the company are generally ~40% of employee gross pay. So stores save A LOT by replacing human cashiers with scanners used by the customers.
Click to expand...
That seems like a misconception. Basically you are spending a ton of money for the extra machines, still paying 1-2 supervisors to watch the machines whenever they are running, and you end up I'm sure paying people to monitor, maintain, and debug the electrical systems and such. Also someone or something is watching the video cameras they all have. I think it’s trading less-reliable lower paid employees for more-reliable higher-paid employees for a net gain in general efficiency.
 
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RyanShort1 said:
That seems like a misconception. Basically you are spending a ton of money for the extra machines, still paying 1-2 supervisors to watch the machines whenever they are running, and you end up I'm sure paying people to monitor, maintain, and debug the electrical systems and such. Also someone or something is watching the video cameras they all have. I think it’s trading less-reliable lower paid employees for more-reliable higher-paid employees for a net gain in general efficiency.
Click to expand...

Someone is already watching the cameras all the time. There seems to be one employee available per 4 self scanners around here, to help with problems. So they eliminate three paid positions and three sets of benefits, plus however many people are not running most of the remaining registers that are frequently closed.

I stopped at Sam's at 5:30 pm Monday, going home from work. Eight (8) self scanners and one (1) register open; the remaining five (5) registers were closed, withnsigns and chains. So many cashiers not working, Sam's saving money, me getting grumpy paying the same prices as with real cashiers. So they are forcing people to choose between long lines or working for Sam's without pay, doing the cashier's job.

Sometimes I just walk away from my loaded buggy; that night I only fussed at the employees who walked by and weren't running registers or being productive (because my wife was fussing at me). But if no one ever complains, the store will think we all like it. So I make sure they know. I also speak positively to every cashier, and manage to insult the many unmanned self-checkouts and remind them that those things are taking their jobs.
 
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