Jump to content

AquariusGuy

Author
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    2,336

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by AquariusGuy

  1. AquariusGuy

    Changes

    By AquariusGuy,

    Since I have last blogged… some things have happened.
     
     
     
    I no longer have to deal with my sexist co-worker. We changed teams in October and he landed on a different team. I still remain friendly towards him, but I am glad I no longer see him everyday. He did seek me out quite a bit when he had problems with customers and it felt good to tell him I could no longer help him. I didn’t land up with my favorite supervisor, but I did get and evil one, which sped up my looking for a new job.
     
     
     
    I November, I took a promotion out of Customer Service into the Business Service Center with Verizon Wireless. I now work with business customers all day and they are much easier to deal with. When I get yelled at, which happens, I get an apology later. I got a long letter of apology from a Worldwide Director from a J&J and I was really surprised and he was very sincere in his apology for how he treated me.
     
     
     
    December was uneventful… except for Christmas. Long story short, my uncle got my aunt’s kids (his sister and my mom’s sister) a gag gift. They were Obama Chia pets and the joke got blown out of this world. My Aunt is a political appointee and takes her job very seriously, while others do not. Let’s just say she’s the only Democrat of the bunch.
     
     
     
    January went by so fast; I am not sure what happened. I hurt my back while sitting on some bleachers at work for our yearly kickoff.
     
     
     
    February brought my 29th birthday. I also found out on the 8th (3 days after my birthday) that the pain I had in my back since January was because I threw out my back.
     
     
     
    So… I have been sitting at home since, trying to figure out what to do. I am pretty much a closet case and I think my mom knows. One of my friends on facebook had asked why I have so many friends that are female. When I was telling my mom about it she said that’s why everyone thinks you are gay since you have so many female friends.
     
     
     
    I know I need to make some changes and I am waiting for November when I can post again to a new position with in Verizon Wireless. I want to move out of Maryland and explore other parts of the US.
     
     
  4. AquariusGuy
    Just a bit ago I was asked by a member on a yahoo group about my favorite stories here on GA. I could have gone on forever and I probably sound like an advertisement.
     
    But it got me thinking.... of how I read ALL of these great stories and I hardly/rarely leave the author's any feedback.
     
    It got me wondering what the author's want to hear... sure they probably get a lot of "Great Chapter", "Excellent Work" or "Darn you CliffJames".
     
    I feel like I am being redundant when I mention what other people have already said. So normally don't bother saying anything.
     
    I guess author's knowing they are appreciated is a great feeling... Maybe I should just try harder to find something to say?
     
    Here is the email I sent.... to show some of author's they are greatly appreciated.
     
     
    Any mistake in grammar are because I am tired and have to be at work tomorrow at 8 am for 10 hour shift, I work 4 days 10 hours each (Wednesday-Saturday). I work in a Cell phone call center here in Maryland and commute an hour each way. I do get tons of interesting calls, but that's a whole another blog in itself.
     
    Edward
  5. AquariusGuy
    I have been recently diagnosed with have allergic reactions to just about anything/everything I eat.
     
    So since my list of what I can eat has been getting smaller and smaller, I decided to try and eat a little more healthy. Turns out I can't even do that due to darn cross reaction allergies.
     
    So I a salad, no harm there, right? Wrong.
     
    Turns out the dressing has tomato which I am allergic. I did some investigating and lettuce could be the cause too.
     
    So according to the National Institute of Health (NIH) and my Allergist I have a huge list of what I can't eat.
     
    No banana's, avocado, potato, tomato, kiwi, chestnut, walnut, passion fruit, pear, grapefruit, mushroom, bell pepper, mango, pineapple, celery, cantaloupe, apple, papaya, almond, buckwheat, fig, lettuce, peach, orange, peanut, strawberry, pepper, mustard, watermelon, bamboo shoot, carrot, coconut, apricot, loquat, peppermint, soybean, cherry, nectarine, .....
     
    List of the Suspected Tree and Weed Pollen
    ragweed, mugwort, timothy, Kentucky blue grass, .....
    AND
    List of the Suspected Medical Plants... Read More
    Condurango bark, Cannabis,
     
    So I love to eat apples, banana's, oranges, watermelon and a bunch of other fruits and when I do it isn't a pleasant result.
     
    So here I am trying to do better, when I can't because I am allergic to anything healthy.
     
    My friend said hey you'll lose weight quicker because you can't eat anything. Which is true.
     
    So it really sucks for me because I LOVE to cook and now most of things I can make I can't eat.
     
     
    So I sit here and wonder what the heck am I going to be able to eat.
     
    Just needed to vent.
     
    Edward
  6. AquariusGuy
    The last two weeks have been hectic.
     
    Last week I spend 2 days in Iowa City for work getting a Federal agency set-up on their new phone. I love working with customers and taking care of the issues that come up during the deployments.
     
    This week I was at a federal agency here in Des Moines doing the same thing. I got to spend time with a federal account rep that is from Kansas and found out she wants to kidnap me since I am very efficient and very helpful.
     
    The bomb was dropped on me yesterday though.... I was called into a meeting with my whole team. My boss was down visiting and I was asked to join her and HR. Let me tell you how nervous I was. I was like this is it... well it wasn't me. It was my new co-worker who was just hired. It was relieved it wasn't me but not sad to be losing the new guy as he has been a pain in my ass.
     
    Today my other co-worker and I spent the day with our manager. She was checking on me to make sure I was ok and to tell us about other changes that are coming.
     
    I haven't heard on my Connecticut interview and I also interviewed for a spot in Houston.
     
    Look like I might been spending more time in Iowa. Longer than I planned.
  7. AquariusGuy
    So I am part of team where it is 75% female and over 50% has tenure on the team. It can be a tough group.
     
    One thing I want to make clear is I don't care that it is a heavy female group just giving our dynamics.
     
    I joined the team 7 months ago and have been making a great contribution to our team. I have been recognized at a regional level for my work too. My bosses love me and many of teammates do too.
     
    There are 2 that absolutely do not like me and are troublemakers. Many times they have tired to seriously get me in trouble there was evidence to support either what I did was approved by management or wasn't what the situation seemed to them.
     
    We have an email queue where we answer emails from customer and the sales teams in the Great Plains region. It's a first in first out box. No exceptions unless escalated by management. We are also not supposed to go in and "cherry pick" easy request.
     
    That being said.... I am going to call this teammate of mine Double W. She and another co-work have the same first name.... so they are referred to as their first name and last initial.
     
    So our request occasionally route wrong and they have to be fixed. One morning I decided to flip about 15 or so request so they would route. While working requests I started getting tons of emails pop in while one was open. Which shouldn't happen. I looked at the request and asked Double W to stop and explained what I had done. I messaged my boss as Double W and I have the same supervisor. Apparently at that same moment she was over telling our supervisor and manager that I was cherry picking. My supervisor saw my message and look at the request really quick and told Double W and the Manager I was flipping status's as she could see that in the log. That was months ago and I stopped doing it and alert my boss when there is a back log and she does it.
     
    That being said. This past Friday our team management was out and most of our Plymouth, Minnesota office was out so we had to cover more of the request. I was talking to Double S in Plymouth and we noticed that Double W had looked at every single request we were working. Which was strange. I talked to the teammate in charge Grover and asked if Double W should be looking at the request and was told no. So after what I was accused of I couldn't let it go because its a serious offense on our team. I decided to look in Double W box and compared it to our inbox and low and behold she worked request that should not have processed yet based on the time frame of being received. I took a screen shot of our box and hers and sent them to our manager and supervisor and told them I thought it was strange that Double W had been in all our email requests.
     
    Fast forward to 3 this afternoon. Double S messages me that the manager just came and got Double W and told her they had to talk. She was gone for 45 minutes and was pissed as hell when she came back. We have a feeling that she got reamed by the manager over what happened. It was also semi confirmed when tons of people in the same office told me that Double W got slapped with Cherry picking and our manager was going to monitor her for the next 90 days.
     
    Well she probably will figure out it was me but I make sure to cross all my T's and dot my I's on our emails.
     
    Her lesson of the day: Those in glass houses should not cast stones. They should also be weary of who they are casting stones at as they maybe holding a boulder.
  8. AquariusGuy
    Today I was working with a couple of sales representative in our Minneapolis office from my office in Des Moines.
     
    I was leaving a voicemail for one when another one called me.
     
    I called her back when I was done and we were joking and laughing about a situation. I got my call waiting beep and was like hold on other rep is calling me back.
     
    She goes he's right across from me and told him to stop calling me. He walked up to her took her phone and ran into the bathroom so she couldn't follow.
     
    We talk and I get the call waiting again....I said to the rep why are you calling me while we are on the phone? He proceeded to yell crap and ran out and back to his desk because he left his work phone where the other rep found it.
     
    They were horsing around and forgot I was on the phone.
     
    So while I was waiting I said oh look your customer is calling and switch over.
     
    While talking with the customer my boss sent me a chat message....
     
    They two reps who were chasing each other around the office ran into their Associate Director and our Director. They had to explain why they were chasing each other through the office.
     
    My boss said it was hysterical because they both blamed each other and then said the one rep wouldn't let him talk to me.
     
    I think something must have been in the water....
  9. AquariusGuy

    A little humor

    By AquariusGuy,

    Friday next week I am back in the field with a sales rep who works out of our Cedar Rapids office. I emailed him this morning for the details and got his out of office. I was on a call with a co-worker and when I spun around in my chair he (the sales rep) was behind me. He said I got your email. I said that's nice you didn't have to come all the way here to tell me that, a simple reply would have worked. He laughed then proceed to tell me he was there for a training and wanted to stop in since he is rarely in our office and to tell me he didn't have an answer for my email yet.
  10. AquariusGuy

    Friends...

    By AquariusGuy,

    So over the last couple of days I had been corresponding with this guy through my tumblr page. Turns out he lives about 20 - 30 minutes west of me, not far at all. We were writing back and forth via tumblr and last night and today it has turned into text message city. We have sent countless text and the strange thing is how much in common we have. It feels like we are long lost friends. He is very easy to converse with and we have been joking back and forth. We've traded picture's and he is all around a good guy. We have talked about meeting up for lunch and he has agreed. Now we just need to narrow it down and see how things go.
     
    My other friend and I were due to hang out this coming Saturday. He sent pictures of his new car and got mad that I didn't respond. I told him its difficult to text and work out... little did he know I was actually text the above new friend. When I got home I texted him back and we talked for 45 minutes. Turns out he needs to work next weekend due to a new government project. He seemed upset that we were not able to get together but promised to come visit me soon. I've heard this before so it will be a wait and see.
     
    Saturday night I am supposed to meet some former and current co-workers for dinner. Some of them are known to stand me up and they are committing to coming since I am doing it on a Saturday instead of a Friday like usual. I will believe them when I see them. I just hope it doesn't turn into a whole conversation about Verizon. I could really do without that.
     
    As for my home search... it is still on going. My agent doesn't know why the estate lawyer is taking forever to make show the offer to his client. I am still looking and haven't found any thing worth looking at.
  11. AquariusGuy
    I have this friend I've known for about 19 years met him when we were in 6th grade (man it was that long ago?). Any how.... a few weekends ago I met up with him and another friend of mine (she's 21). We spent a majority of the day together and had a fun time. Towards the end of the visit at his house I noticed this jacket and helmet in his closet. I asked him what it was for, but I knew it was a motorcycle jacket and helmet. He didn't want to discuss it inside where his parents would hear. We went outside and he hands me his license and sure enough it has class C (car) and Class M (motorcycle). I asked him when he became interested in motorcycles and he was said forever ago. I was surprised and asked him if he had purchased one yet and said NO and added just so you know my parents don't know. I looked at him and said seriously.... your mom does your laundry and the jacket hangs it in your closet surely she’s seen it and your dad probably has too. He said to his knowledge they don't and didn't want me to say anything. I then asked him if he had looked at bikes since my cousin is Harley mechanic and might know someone selling a bike. He didn't want a Harley but a rice rocket bike, as he called it. I told him to tell his parents at some point just incase something happens.
     
    So... the whole point to this little rambling you probably are wondering. Ever since we had this conversation he has been ignoring my text messages. We talked about going to DC over the summer to do a day the museum’s since they have this video game exhibit I wanted to check out; even mentioned meeting his mom for lunch like we do when we go downtown. She works at the Library of Congress and there is this cool little Mexican Resaurant around the corner. Since we discussed needing to put in time to be off, I have texted him numerous times and sent and email and no response about the date.
     
    Now for a different subject, my boss and I were talking on Tuesday. She said to me.... Did you know that you have applied for over 70 jobs since you became eligible in November to post out? I told her I did and we discussed how I had interviewed for quite a few of them and have gotten no where. Thursday I got scheduled to take Supervisor assessment so I could apply to be a Call Center Supervisor. It was mostly a personality test and asked some really dumb questions. It also had a scenario section and I thought I did well. Apparently not since they said I failed and have to wait 6 months to retake the exam. They don't tell you right away where you can improve and said my supervisor will get the results to assist me in improving. Hopefully she has them for our meeting this Tuesday.
     
    I have started looking outside of Big Red for a new position. I have a applied for a few jobs and have yet to hear. Hopefully I will find something soon. Working in a call center is stressful, especially when you find out common sense is not so common.
  12. AquariusGuy
    So I have had more than my fair share of interviews over the past couple of months.
    I have been told I have no relavent expereince or being in customer service doesn't count.
     
    The jobs I interviewed for have been all over the country. I really wanted the job in Colorado Springs, but it fell through. I found a job that looked interesting and was like hey I could do that... and I think I finally might have gotten some where. I have a 4th and final interview with a Staff Vice President of National Distribution on the 21st in New Jersey.
     
    The job is located there at the corporate headquarters in Basking Ridge and I am beyond excited. Down side is its expensive to live there.
     
    I can not wait to get out of this crazy house.
     
    Looking forward to going up to Jersey to interview.
  13. AquariusGuy
    Customer: My emails not coming in.
    Me: Can you browse the web?
    Customer: I don't know let me check.... It says my radio is turned off.
    Me: Ok... It's a simple fix all we have to do is turn the radio on.
    Customer: No that won't work I'm not in my car.
    Me: (self control) No the radio in your phone.
     
    Talking to customer's you would never believe what they say.
×
×
  • Create New...