I worked in high-level Unix tech support for a while and even (especially?) in big-time IT departments, there were always both decent callers and terrible assholes.

From me, the decent people got all the good support. If they worked with me and not against me, I would work their problem as hard as possible. If they said something like "take your time, I don't need the answer right away," they got a fully-researched pro answer with every possible consideration of their problem faxed to them (this WAS 1992) by the end of the day.

If they snapped at me without knowing who I was, they got the minimum necessary to complete the call. "Your problem is answered on page 56 of the administrative guide. If you need to know exactly which options to use, you should contact our consulting department for their hourly rates."

It was rare to get someone actually swearing at you, but a cow-orker of mine had a good response if they did: just hang up. Management respected the idea that someone would simply not tolerate that level of unprofessional behavior. Well, this WAS 1992.

i think it's a very good letter to send. good job!

still hoping the best for your aunt!

I got some really evil customers on the phone when I worked in a call center 2 years ago as a supervisor...the worst one I got was a guy from Seattle that wished I would have been in the World Trade Center towers on September 11...only 2 weeks after the attack.

I think I still have my response to that around here somewhere...ah here it is.

The cliche "Kill 'em with kindness" sounds so fucking corny...but you know what? It works the majority of the time.

Well, my aunt's situation has worsened considerably... because she hasn't regained consciousness, they did an MRI on her, and discovered that she has some severe brain damage. They originally thought that she had only been without oxygen for 2-3 minutes before the paramedics arrived, but now they're guessing it was longer, resulting in the evident damage.

Her kids signed a Do Not Resuscitate for her yesterday, when the doctors told them that if their mom ever does recover and wake up, which is doubtful, her quality of life will be shit. Her doctors estimate that she's got about a week to live, or without the life-support equipment, considerably less.

Her son has been awesome, spending lengthy hours at the hospital and taking care of everything, but her daughter has been a shithead... the first thing she did when she heard what happened to her mother was to go to her mother's apartment and start rifling through things, putting dibbs on what she wanted for herself. Fucking vulture.

Sounds like my family when my grandmother died...it wound up causing a schism within the family that has only recently begun to subside.

We've had some similar crap here with my Mom on her way out. I may work up a public rant about it here at some point. Usually Petes side of the family goes insane this time of year, this year its mine.

I'm really sorry to hear about this. My mother's family went through something similar when her parents passed. She just stood back and let it all go on, stating that no material object was worth her relationship with her siblings.

I feel pretty much the same way. Stuff is just stuff. People are what's important.

Not that I don't like stuff...

My mother stood back also. Her 2 brothers divided up the estate and determined that the daughter (mom) should get 10% and the 2 sons should divide 90%. 50% to the elder and 40% to the younger. That's the way it had been done in the past. Of course the past was 1900.:(

this is completely innapropriate to say, but:

can you imagine how long it would take to divide up bruce's doodads when he kicks it? I don;t know if you have any kids, brucey, but you'd better start working on the will now. today.

Forget it. When I kick my brother will back up a 40 yard Dumpster (or 2 :) ) and chuck everything. No sense of history, just current resale value.

Hot P - this is my first time here and have to say I agree with your letter and I think you did a PERFECT explanation and detail of what took place that evening. :D

The sad thing about today's society is that we have forgotten what Customer Service is all about. I think that you handled the situation a LOT better than MR. TAYLOR did. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall to this situation.... this would have been better to see than the movie itself! :boxers:

Well, my aunt lasted until Friday night, the funeral is tomorrow. Ugh. I hate funerals.

These recent deaths have my mind lingering on my own mortality. I think I'm going to stipulate in my will that my funeral should be an occasion to celebrate my life, not an unhappy, solemn gathering. I want music, drinking, laughter, lots of story-swapping, photos, my artwork, etc. I don't want a viewing, I think they're morbid. And after they remove anything useful from my body, I want to be buried in the cheapest pine box money can buy. My wife has similar wishes for her own end. We'll just add to the will that if the kids try to buy us expensive caskets and/or have a viewing, they'll forfeit their inheritance.

I knew that there was a steady decline in Customer Service over the past few years, but it seems that with the economy's sharp downturn came a similar downturn in customer service. Businesses just don't seem to give a shit about their customers, which will serve only to worsen their money problems. I have recently had several bad experiences which have required the attention of a manager (though the theater experience was the first negative-angry rather than negative-disappointed), and most managers offer nothing but a short, insincere, responsibility-skirting apology. It's disgraceful. Previously it was a rare thing for me to boycott companies out of principle, but it's proving to be an increasing trend.

Condolences on your aunt's passing.

Too few funerary services focus on the achievements of an individual's life. More often there is much mourning of the loss, but no honoring of the contributions of that individual. Of course, sometimes the deceased is an irascible son of a bitch, and there's really not much good you can come up with ...

The best services I have gone to have taken the tack of honoring the life which was. Those were Jewish and Native American. Catholic Funerals are a total downer.