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Well, I had a customer call in recently so I said, "Thank you for calling ________ __________; my name is laura and I'll be assisting you today, but first can I get your 10 digit wireless number?"



My obviously brilliant customer replies, "Would you like my account number?"



Now, the ACCEPTABLE answer was obviously, "No ma'am. Can I please get the wireless number? It's easier to look up that way." What I wanted to say, however, was, "If I had wanted your account number rather than your wireless number, don't you think I would have asked for it?"



Obviously I can't do this - I need my job. Especially if I want to get back to school. Euphoric says maybe I should be a teacher. I think, ' what, with my mouth?' Maybe - who knows. Perhaps one day I will have my life together enough to know. Okay! Enough about me!



So, my very next call, I open with the exact same phrase (yeah, fairly standard) and this guy says, "you want my what? What's that?"



Listen folks...it isn't rocket science. When you call your mobile service provider - pay attention!! And know your damn mobile number!

Today, I think I would like to address greed - we can deny it in ourselves all we want, but it's there. In all of us. Even as I say this, I'd also like to state that greed is silly; especially when it's over something like $3.07. I mean seriously, are you hurting for money badly enough that you're willing to show a complete stranger what an ass you can be?



Now, you can hem and you can haw around the truth - you can tell me it's the "principle of the matter", but let's be honest; not only am I not writing for the fundamental Christian right on the seven deadly "sins", even if I were, that's pride and we would save that discussion for another day. But when you strip away all the bullshit, there you are - naked and alone with only your greed (and you pride...hehehe).



So, where does this greed start? Does it start young, with our parents? They instill in us, from birth, the need to be the best, to have the best. Sure, striving for our personal best is a good goal, but when it is driven into you from a young age that you must go above and beyond and at ALL COSTS, BE THE BEST or be nothing...isn't that a bit above and beyond? This smacks of parental greed; those children out go be taught to set and achieve personal goals, but a more valuable lesson, and one too often overlooked these days? Childhood is for fun and laughter. When you steal that from your child, especially to live vicariously, that is greed.



Or does the fault lie with the big corporations? We've all heard of corporate greed. I'm sure some of us even work for some of these companies. I know I do. When the hurricanse ripped apart the coast a few years ago, my employers set up an emergency hotline - they tried to tell us that it was mandatory for us to call in with our status in case of an emergency and that there would also be a message to let the call center employees know if the buildings would be open or closed. So, I called the hotline during the blizzard this yeard (February, 2007) only to receive a message that YES, my call center would be open on 2 December, 2006. Gosh. Way to drop the ball with MANDATORY call in procedure. If you don't have do use it; neither do I! But what amazed me was the fact that while they were handing out "points" (instead of just secretly keeping track of your absences and firing you all willy nilly, they use a point system so you know where you stand...I approve, frankly) to the employees who opted for staying home in the middle of the BLIZZARD (whether due to safety reasons or inability to actually get to work), do you think our call center director bothered showing up? Nope. Not a chance. In fact, I don't believe I saw her the entire week. I'd like to know - was this put in HER permanent file?



Which brings us back to that minute credit. Now, I understand you're upset, but does logic fail you when you're upset or just when you're upset and dealing with a customer service representative? So, if I tell you the account was sent to the finance department for processing, which takes 7 to 10 business days and then you want to allow 30 to 60 days to receive the check, why are you going to yell? What logic makes you think acting like an ass will make this process faster? IT CAN'T!!



Unfortunately, there's another type of greed. Perhaps the most unexplored, ignored type of all; relationship greed. This is when your partner wants you to devote all of you to him or her. It's a slippery slope into relationship greed because sometimes it's a subtle slide there. It might start slowly and it might be instantaneous. Maybe your significant other is jealous of the time you spend away from the relationship, whether in real life or online...maybe they're jealous of the things you have that they don't have. Whatever form relationship greed takes, it can be a serious problem if you don't tackle it head on and work it out. It can strangle your relationship and leave you dead; inside, and possibly out.



So, we could blame it on our parents or we could blame it on the corporate world - heck we could blame it on education or the lack there of...but the simple fact is, we as humans are greedy. Damn greedy. I still say it's silly; stupid even.



Why do you think we're greedy? What do you think of greed?

I guess I got some shiny in the mail today and Euphoric Death got a real hard on to open it, so I told him to go ahead. It won't affect me; I'm at work. He says, "it's a Chase card; with your old name on it." (Yes, he means my maiden name folks - I haven't actually taken a different name for nefarious purposes.)



I find this fascinating. I recently called Chase's automated system to check my account balance and they'd switched over to the voice response system we all know and love so well. Obviously I ended up talking to Pakistani "Bob" (NO dig about foreign employment here - that's a different rant and probably not for the same reasons as others rant about it) and I had him update my mailing address. You know, like I've been doing since Euphoric Death and I moved into this apartment last March. Unfortunately, even though EVERY time I speak to a person they verify the correct address, I cannot use the card online because the zip codes don't match and now, with this system, I can't check my balance. Wow. Yet here I am, giving "Bob" another try. Why? Because that's the kind of person I am. Luckily for "Bob", he ACTUALLY managed to do what he said he would do; update my address AND give me my balance!!



But take note here - I only called to check the balance on my account and decided to take another stab at the address since I had a live person at the last minute - why was I sent a new card? Even more fascinating? The new expiration date that is 1 month later than the card I have now!



So no, I haven't received a statement for this card for just about 11 months now - I don't use those anyway. It's a debit card - I deposit 15% of my check there...if I don't have the money, the card doesn't work. I have considered completely canceling my account with Chase. I wonder how long it would take them to do it, though?



And do you really wonder why I haven't attempted to change my last name yet? Neither do I?



It does make me wonder though; since I'm only a debit card customer and not a regular account customer...is that why I get the second rate treatment of the International Call center and not someone in the United States? It isn't a matter of them being an "Equal Opportunity Employer" and hiring people of various ethnic backgrounds locally; no, they outsource to India or Pakistan or somewhere else equally cheap. Why? Do Americans think they are too good for this job? I don't...I have this job. I LOVE this job.



One thing I do know? They won't have my business too much longer - not only can I not call my local Chase branch for assistance, I can't even deposit money into OWN account - only my employer can. Well, at least they don't charge me, LOL!



As always, I'm interested in your comments. Have a good night! You know how to reach me!