Computer Down!

About two weeks ago my laptop at home decided to crash on me.  This is the second time since May it has done this.  The first time it crashed, I was able to revive my laptop by taking the CD that came with my computer when I bought and re-install the operating system.  Unfortunately, I lost all my pictures (including my Europe pictures, which were by far the most heartbreaking), but at least my computer was still working.  This second time, I can't get my computer to start up enough to even use the disc to reset my computer again.  Sad.  RIP computer.  I would love to go out and get a new computer (I have my eyes on getting an Apple desktop computer), but for now I'll just have to save up our money and wait. 

I finally stopped procrastinating and went to the social security office to get my name changed.  That part was a lot easier than I thought, and the wait was relatively minimal compared to what I expected it to be.  The hard part is going to be getting my name changed on all the little things:  credit cards, insurance cards, doctor's records, work email, driver's license (I loathe going to the DMV), etc.  Guys don't realize how easy they have it on this end! 

I went last week for training in Dallas for my job.  Usually I find training to be pretty boring, the instructors to be uninteresting (and honestly not that excited to be there) and I tend to catch myself doing the head bob during the middle of the day.  I was pleasantly surprised by this training. I was engaged pretty much the entire time, I felt like the training material was relevant and informative, and the instructor was amazing!!  She's an accounting professor for the University of Texas -San Antonio.  She knew her stuff! (and she did such an awesome job of presenting the information, giving lots of relevant examples)  She has renewed my interest in one day possible becoming a college professor.  Let's just say there's more time than not that I wonder if I'm doing something that really captures my interest, if I'm doing something that I really want to be doing for the rest of my life.  I know that most of the time I find the concepts of accounting interesting, but to be in the practice of it is so much different.  I enjoy people interaction so much, which is why I sometimes feel the pull towards becoming a professor and teaching.  This isn't something I would do right now, but definitely something I plan to keep on my radar for the next few years.

I've also lately been spending a lot of time thinking about finding something (a hobby) that I find fun and am passionate about.  Anyone who knows my husband or has met him can easily tell you his passions.  These are things I knew about him within a week.  Let's just say that I have always been envious of the fact (and admire) that he knows exactly what he's passionate about and doesn't care what everyone else thinks.  On top of this, I stumbled on a friend of a friends' blog post regarding people's passions.  In her post she described that during an interview, she was asked what it was that she was passionate about.  She went on to describe that everyone should be passionate about something and should be self aware enough to know what that is.  I kind of sat and thought for a minute, I have no idea what I'm passionate about!  I enjoy a lot of things:  cooking, spending time with friends and family, playing softball; but I don't know if I would say I was passionate about any of these things.  So I had a good talk with my closest friend to get some guidance on the topic of passions.  If anyone knows about having a passion, it's her.  She's known since college, high school, as long as I've known her what she's passionate about.  She's even currently turning her life upside down right now to chase her passion.  It makes me so proud of her that she's taking those courageous steps.  She's been a good sounding board on this topic.  I don't know if I'm that much closer to an answer of what I could be passionate about, but I have been able to find a direction I feel like in getting closer to an idea.

Whoo.  Long post!  I finally got our wedding pics back from our photographer so I will post some next time!

Customer Service?

I just have to take a second to vent.

I am starting to be of the belief that the old days of quality customer service are quickly going by the wayside.  Let me explain.

When I decided to leave my old job in May, unfortunately I had to change my cell phone plan from my company's plan to a plan in my name (a.k.a. I now had to pay for my blackberry!).  When I first transferred my plan into my name, I asked the customer service rep to please add a text messaging plan so I wouldn't get charged per text message.

Fast forward one month.  I go in to pay my cell phone bill at the local Verizon store, and find out that the text messaging plan still had not been added.  I asked the store rep to please add the text plan to my overall plan so I didn't get charged per message. 

At this point we're about two weeks before the wedding.  Let's just say I didn't make the best effort to follow-up to make sure text messaging was added to my plan.  About a week after we return from the honeymoon, I find out text messaging is still not added to my plan.  At this point, I now have two bills outstanding with a ridiculous amount of extra charges for my text messages.

Over the course of the next month (right up until today), it took me two more calls to customer service to get a text messaging plan added to my overall plan (that's right, it took 4 tries just to get text messaging).  It took me three failed attempts to get a customer service supervisor on the phone (the first two times I gave up after waiting on hold for 45 minutes each time).  I actually had one customer service rep ask me if I knew how to pay my bill (I politely explained that I knew how to pay my bill while also asking if she knew how to do her job).  I let her know I'd be happy to pay my bill, as soon as they could get it right.

In all of these attempts to get my billing issue corrected with Verizon, I never once dealt with a customer service representative that was polite, sympathetic, and even wanted to do their job correctly.  By the time I got to the last rep today, I was completely at my wits end.  I understand that you don't go to school with aspirations of dealing with cranky people complaining about how you screwed up their bill; but it's still their job and you should work to do your job well.  There is a lady I work with who's job it is to keep the common areas and restrooms clean, and she is the happiest, most polite, fun person to talk to.  She has fun doing her job and she does it well.

Needless to say, I was ready to cancel my service with Verizon.  Never have I experienced such horrific customer service.  Finally, FINALLY tonight I was able to talk to two individuals who were able to help me figure out how to get my bill corrected, pay the correct balance, and do it without a bad attitude, snide remark or a response involving, "I'm sorry, my system won't let me do that."  Big thank you to the guy who stayed on the phone with me for an hour and 15 minutes tonight to make sure I could get the correct credits to my account.  He totally made my night, and maybe restored a little faith in customer service reps, just a little.