The Department of Boneheadedness.

[Womble]

... in any case, there were a lot of people (thankfully) who wrote in their mail that they understood that it would take longer for us to respond, with the flood and all, but I did see several who would literally send us a mail one day, and the next another asking what took us so long to respond...

Oh, I don't know, genius, the fact that your mail is one of the ten thousand others we are going through right now...

I get those types by the dozen. Also people who cancelled their flight last week and they complain that they haven't received the money yet. Why oh why? Could it be that your airline's entire staff is on unpaid leave until further notice, and that includes their accountancy department?

[Annoyed]

I get those types by the dozen. Also people who cancelled their flight last week and they complain that they haven't received the money yet. Why oh why? Could it be that your airline's entire staff is on unpaid leave until further notice, and that includes their accountancy department?

Would you rather work for a US airline? Their staff is still working, being paid via federal stimulus money. Yet, the airlines are still trying to squirm out of refunding pre-purchase fares for customers whose flights where cancelled (the law requires refund over here).

Any sort of CS position where you have to interact with the customers is hell on earth. But it's even worse when you and everyone on the face of the earth knows full well that the company is in the wrong, but the CS rep. has to sit there and shovel the company line of BS anyway.

I know this first hand, as my prior position was just that. Sometimes I just gave up and told the customer "yeah, we suck, we know it, but we can't possibly change it.".

[Womble]

Would you rather work for a US airline? Their staff is still working, being paid via federal stimulus money. Yet, the airlines are still trying to squirm out of refunding pre-purchase fares for customers whose flights where cancelled (the law requires refund over here).

I would, yes. Working is always better than not working, and my agency is unlikely to get any "stimulus money". Israel doesn't have the financial might to bail out entire industries. Even the national airline can't get a 100 million dollar loan approved. Loan, not bailout. I don't know if I'll still have a job in May, but I know that United Airlines employees will.

Any sort of CS position where you have to interact with the customers is hell on earth.

Only until you understand how people think.

But it's even worse when you and everyone on the face of the earth knows full well that the company is in the wrong, but the CS rep. has to sit there and shovel the company line of BS anyway.

But the company isn't in the wrong. Customer who refuses to understand that the situation isn't normal doesn't equal it being our fault.

[Falcon Horus]

Would you rather work for a US airline? Their staff is still working, being paid via federal stimulus money. Yet, the airlines are still trying to squirm out of refunding pre-purchase fares for customers whose flights where cancelled (the law requires refund over here).

They are lucky enough to still have a job, because this crisis will crash the airline industry.

Even airline companies like Ethiad are struggling right now.
They are the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, one of the richest countries on the planet.

[mad_gater]

I would, yes. Working is always better than not working, and my agency is unlikely to get any "stimulus money". Israel doesn't have the financial might to bail out entire industries. Even the national airline can't get a 100 million dollar loan approved. Loan, not bailout. I don't know if I'll still have a job in May, but I know that United Airlines employees will.


Only until you understand how people think.


But the company isn't in the wrong. Customer who refuses to understand that the situation isn't normal doesn't equal it being our fault.

or don't think.....maybe it's different in Israel but here in the US common sense went the way of the dodo bird a long time ago

[Womble]

or don't think.....maybe it's different in Israel but here in the US common sense went the way of the dodo bird a long time ago

But that's the trick. At some point you realize that common sense isn't the way people's thinking works, and learn to use it to gain control of the conversation. And then it becomes easy.

[aretood2]

or don't think.....maybe it's different in Israel but here in the US common sense went the way of the dodo bird a long time ago

Despite what people think, human beings are very irrational. My Proof? Two words. Toilet paper.

Okay, to be fair part of the toilet paper problem is that all the toilet paper many people would be using in restaurants and schools and office buildings and so on is going unused and instead people have to increase their use of home toilet paper accordingly, however that still doesn't fully account for the shortage....>.>

[Annoyed]

Despite what people think, human beings are very irrational. My Proof? Two words. Toilet paper.

Okay, to be fair part of the toilet paper problem is that all the toilet paper many people would be using in restaurants and schools and office buildings and so on is going unused and instead people have to increase their use of home toilet paper accordingly, however that still doesn't fully account for the shortage....>.>

That doesn't begin to account for the hoarding. And profiteering. Did you see the post in the covid thread about bad karma?

I was rather fortunate as far as shortages go. The stores around here are very often out of very common things you wouldn't expect a store to run out of. I've ranted about the horrible retail here before. But as a result, on a normal basis, I tend to stock up when high demand (for me) items are actually in stock. Anything non-perishable that I don't want to run out of, I usually have several months supply stashed,

But even that is not even close to the papermania that descended upon us.

[aretood2]

That doesn't begin to account for the hoarding. And profiteering. Did you see the post in the covid thread about bad karma?

I was rather fortunate as far as shortages go. The stores around here are very often out of very common things you wouldn't expect a store to run out of. I've ranted about the horrible retail here before. But as a result, on a normal basis, I tend to stock up when high demand (for me) items are actually in stock. Anything non-perishable that I don't want to run out of, I usually have several months supply stashed,

But even that is not even close to the papermania that descended upon us.

And thus the unavoidable truth. People are irrational.

[Gatefan1976]

Actually the TP thing does not surprise me at all. If you were put under direct lockdown, what are the few things you would not want to run out of? Food and sanitary products. What did stores run out of first? Food and sanitary products. What did they run out of second? Things like flour and yeast that can be used as a distraction from the situation.
We had a major shortage of pads and tampons for a few weeks because the ladies, understandably, did not want to go without them for potentially months.
Was it crazy to start with?
Yep, people went batcrap crazy but the actual REASONING I can absolutely understand. Me, I'm lucky in that I know exactly what we have in stock, what we are getting delivered and how not broken the supply chain is (at least out here). I've said it before, and I'll say it again, If you have 2 weeks of an item, leave the rest for someone who doesn't. We keep a supply of perhaps a weeks worth of groceries on hand, but as I work in the field, I don't need anymore than that. Other people, sure have your 2 weeks worth, that's not hoarding, that's just sensible right now, but once you have it, no need to hoard anymore. Most of it will probably spoil anyway, so all you are really doing is wasting your money in the midst of a dual health and economic crisis.
You look at the death toll coming out of the US NOW?
Imagine what that is going to be like when the 20 million odd laid of workers loose their homes?
They have already (for the most part) lost their insurance and access to healthcare, what the hell do you think happens next?

[Annoyed]

Actually the TP thing does not surprise me at all. If you were put under direct lockdown, what are the few things you would not want to run out of? Food and sanitary products. What did stores run out of first? Food and sanitary products. What did they run out of second? Things like flour and yeast that can be used as a distraction from the situation.
We had a major shortage of pads and tampons for a few weeks because the ladies, understandably, did not want to go without them for potentially months.
Was it crazy to start with?
Yep, people went batcrap crazy but the actual REASONING I can absolutely understand. Me, I'm lucky in that I know exactly what we have in stock, what we are getting delivered and how not broken the supply chain is (at least out here). I've said it before, and I'll say it again, If you have 2 weeks of an item, leave the rest for someone who doesn't. We keep a supply of perhaps a weeks worth of groceries on hand, but as I work in the field, I don't need anymore than that. Other people, sure have your 2 weeks worth, that's not hoarding, that's just sensible right now, but once you have it, no need to hoard anymore. Most of it will probably spoil anyway, so all you are really doing is wasting your money in the midst of a dual health and economic crisis.
You look at the death toll coming out of the US NOW?
Imagine what that is going to be like when the 20 million odd laid of workers loose their homes?
They have already (for the most part) lost their insurance and access to healthcare, what the hell do you think happens next?

Ok, first, common sense tells one to be prepared. slowly, over time, build up a few weeks (or whatever you're comfortable with) Sick it somewhere and let it sit. Every few years or so, use the old and replace with new. Done slowly, over time by the whole town is not even a blip on the supply chain radar. But when something happens, and we have a crapload of unprepared folks, well....

Regarding loss of homes, etc.. I don't know about PA, but NY has suspended all evictions, utility shutoffs and such.

[Gatefan1976]

Ok, first, common sense tells one to be prepared. slowly, over time, build up a few weeks (or whatever you're comfortable with) Sick it somewhere and let it sit.

Yes, but that knowledge is built over time. I suspect you have a good supply of motor oil, Coolant, brake fluid, transmission fluid and a good supply of tools because that is your background. All I'm saying is my background is different to yours.
We all learn from our work, there is no denying it.

Every few years or so, use the old and replace with new. Done slowly, over time by the whole town is not even a blip on the supply chain radar. But when something happens, and we have a crapload of unprepared folks, well....

No argument from me here, but I do want to stress that when things like Christmas and Easter roll around we have essentially a month or more to keep that supply chain functional. Right now, we had very little time to adjust to the current "normal", and it's taken time to get it back togeather. I don't know why it has taken so long for your supply chains to get back in shape, if they even are at all.

Regarding loss of homes, etc.. I don't know about PA, but NY has suspended all evictions, utility shutoffs and such.

We did that a month ago.
Some forms of "socialism" are not that bad when you actually need them, are they?

[epg20]

Some of you know that I am a teacher, and the state I work in has closed schools about a month ago so that means we have been doing online classes since and it's been difficult to say the least. I teach in two disciplines, Spanish and Social Studies, so they both look very different especially when the former is an interpersonal type thing. Schools here didn't really have anything prepared for this, we were never training using technology and online resources has been focused on the concept of physical classrooms and normal school days...and the platform we use was wholly unprepared. Until the last few days, it's been crashing and glitching. On top of my own personal concerns and worries, I mean I have people to worry about too.

So that means that I have had to field questions and tech issues for over 80 students and 160 plus parents/guardians, changing guidelines and all the while finding, planing, and implementing online lessons to carry out learning especially something as teaching kids to speak another language when they have no one to actually speak with....then I have to grade everything quick enough to provide feedback and give kids a chance to redo things that they mess up with (which takes time).

I had one student who had some tech issue with an assignment and I told them that'd I'd get back to them, however I didn't because I also had to get back to many other individuals and it simply slipped through the cracks, a simple mistake. In any event, the kid actually did the assignment and other assignments previously and afterwords. He missed two assignments though and it was the second time I needed to check in with his parents (I checked in once before at the beginning because he wasn't doing any assignments and was one of the kids who didn't contact me about any issues).

So the email response I get from this kid's parent, who shall be called Karen, began complaining about the school having lack of communication and having failed her expectations and that different teachers (high school by the way) have widely different expectations and then proceeds to mention how I didn't get back to her kid about that one tech issue which was apparently resolved anyway and then said she didn't want her kid (referenced Karen used the word child as if this was elementary school) to be penalized for it.

Now, to be fair, Karen is a nurse and it's entirely possible that the stress is getting to her, but to make up crap about her kid not being able to do their work and bring up other teachers as if I am being lazy or something is downright insulting when I know for a fact that there are some teachers doing the bare minimum. And then this person has no idea what my experience could be like. No idea if I have to care for my older parents, no idea if I am concerned about relatives, no idea of what anything on my end might possibly look like. Just a "How dare you miss one reply to my little tiny super young helpless child even though he ended up not needing said replay" added with "here is how I think you all suck at your job".

The thing is, I've sent out class wide messages telling parents that for the first few weeks due dates are soft dates, and that I am very flexible with them due to the issues I've mentioned.

The real kicker is that her kid isn't a Karen at all, they are actually rather reasonable and understanding. And if she is so stressed, why not let her husband deal with it? I emailed him too, he could have easily said "I'll handle the school stuff". I have other parents who also are in the medical field, and their spouses are handling school stuff and there have been zero complaints. I did get a frustrated, but not insulting, email from a parent who is a nurse and I simply called the spouse and it really seemed okay. In the end of the day I still am better off than many others and I do count my blessings for it. But I have to ask, how many grocers, pharmacists, first responders, and so on has this Karen gone off on? If a simple message about two missing assignments triggered her, I can't imagine what else triggered her.

And I think that's the issue, some people are too wrapped up in their own crap that they forget...everyone else is also dealing with their own crap. This is a crises, no one was prepared (even though everyone was warned way back when but no one remembers those warnings, and I don't mean this past December). Schools were caught of guard, hospitals were not equipped for this nothing and no one outside some very specialized fields had any system nor plan in place to deal with this and that we all have people to worry about.

Then you have these idiots who are going around licking and coughing on things...words can't begin to express what I feel about that. Personally, I want real and hard jail time for those people.

In case you're wondering, I didn't reply with any sarcasm or anything. I made a very conciliatory reply and reminded her that is was two old assignments and that her kid was getting everything else done. But maybe before any of us hit the "send" or "reply" button we can stop and think how will this message impact the other person? Am I adding something? Helping? Or am I just tearing down? Take Mrs Womble for example, how many times has she had Chinese epithets thrown at her as a result of Coronavirus, wouldn't calling it the "Chinese virus" just bring that up to surface and encourage that? Does it build anyone up using that? No, so why do it? It's the age old golden rule of "If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all". In any event there's been many viruses from China so it's not a very accurate name to begin with. What is helped by saying things like "here's rona" or by trying to troll people into thinking that you're spreading the disease at stores?

But that's my point in all of this, there is no good to be done by saying things right now that will only rile people up if it can be avoided? Anyway, that's my rant.

well then maybe you need to go back to the stone ages of the 1980's, , well maybe the mid to late to 90's, simplify everything, no more streaming video, no more streaming audio, no more real time anything, you make jpegs which they can print out, even send scans from a text book, you can also put out audio files in wma audio files and send them out in an e mail and let that be that, and tell them to send them back to you in the same format, that way you can get things done easier, just a thought.

p.s. for those who can't print out , then just have them use the paint function on their os, what ever they have to change pics on windows 10 to fill out what was sent to them and send them back to you to grade.

[Wraithworshipper]

Of course, these days everyone seems to assume that everyone else has the best internet there is to offer. There are still folks who cannot afford the net to go with the computer handed out. I do most of my internet using the data allotment of my phone. If I actually use my laptop, the connection often drops or is so slow it hangs up, and I have to turn off the net to restart the system. Believe it or not, there are still a great number of us who don't have enough spare money to have your 1st world problems that can be solved by saying, "Well, just do this instead of that." The basic fact is that many systems we take for granted, like our schools, still have 20th century issues because they have not been designed to be self-sustaining in times of emergency. They don't have the appropriate resources, personnel or trained support staff. Worse, we have far too many chidren whose parents have dumped them on the school system to raise them rather than take any responsibility upon themselves. I commend the teachers and their support staff for managing to do the job they've done after being shackled to a proverbial anchor and being tossed into the deep end. By the way, I'm using a cellphone to be on this site. My net decided not to connect, a not unusual occurance. All of this is incredibly tiny.

[Annoyed]

well then maybe you need to go back to the stone ages of the 1980's, , well maybe the mid to late to 90's, simplify everything, no more streaming video, no more streaming audio, no more real time anything, you make jpegs which they can print out, even send scans from a text book, you can also put out audio files in wma audio files and send them out in an e mail and let that be that, and tell them to send them back to you in the same format, that way you can get things done easier, just a thought.

p.s. for those who can't print out , then just have them use the paint function on their os, what ever they have to change pics on windows 10 to fill out what was sent to them and send them back to you to grade.

How about continuing to use the net for streaming/yakking at each other/games and whatever other recreational use you want to and can make work, but NOT depending or expecting people to use it for essential activities such as school, paying taxes, billing, and such?

Make it an optional, recreational tool that a person can choose to use if they wish, but do not expect that everyone wants to use it.