Hot Chocolate

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives. Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: "Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate.. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups. Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life.

The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us. God makes the hot chocolate, man chooses the cups. The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have.

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

Leia Mais…

nuggets

heated gold becomes ornament, beaten copper become wires, depleted stones become statue, So the more challenges you get in life, the more you become valuable.

Leia Mais…

THE PERFUME

As she stood in front of her 5th grade class
on the very first day of school, she told the
children an untruth. Like most teachers, she
looked at her students and said that she loved
them all the same. However, that was impossible,
because there in the front row, slumped in his
seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.

Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year
before and noticed that he did not play well with
the other children, that his clothes were messy
and that he constantly needed a bath. In
addition, Teddy could be unpleasant.

It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would
actually take delight in marking his papers with
a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting
a big "F" at the top of his papers. At the
school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was
required to review each child's past records and
she put Teddy's off until last. However, when
she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.


Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is
a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his
work neatly and has good manners. He is a joy
to be around."

His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an
excellent student, well liked by his classmates,
but he is troubled because his mother has
terminal illness and life at home must be a
struggle!"

His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's
death has been hard on him. He tries to do his
best, but his father doesn't show much interest
and his home life will soon affect him if some
steps aren't taken."


Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is
withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in
school. He doesn't have many friends and he
sometimes sleeps in class."



By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem
and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even
worse when her students brought her Christmas
presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright
paper, except for Teddy's. His present was
clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that
he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took
pains to open it in the middle of the other
presents. Some of the children started to laugh
when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of
the stones missing, and a bottle that was
one-quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the
children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty
the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some
of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard
stayed after school that day just long to say, "
Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom
used to." After the children left, she cried for
at least an hour.

On that very day, she quit teaching reading,
writing and arithmetic. Instead, she began to
teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular
attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his
mind seemed to come alive. The more she
encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the
end of the year, Teddy had become one of the
smartest children in the class and, despite her
lie that she would love all the children the
same, Teddy became one of her "teacher's pets."

A year later, she found a note under her
door, from Teddy, telling her that she was still
the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Six years went by before she got another note
from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished
high school, third in his class, and she was
still the best teacher he ever had in his whole
life.

Four years after that, she got another
letter, saying that while things had been tough
at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with
it, and would soon graduate from college with the
highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that
she was still the best and favorite teacher he
had ever had in his whole life.

Then four more years passed and yet another
letter came. This time he explained that after
he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a
little further. The letter explained that she
was still the best and favorite teacher he ever
had. But now his name was a little longer,
the letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

The story does not end there. You see, there
was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said
he had met this girl and was going to be married.
He explained that his father had died a couple
of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs.
Thompson might agree to sit at the wedding in the
place that was usually reserved for the mother of
the groom.

Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess
what? She wore that bracelet, the one with
several rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made
sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy
remembered! his mother wearing on their last
Christmas together.

They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard
whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, Thank you Mrs.
Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much
for making me feel important and showing me that
I could make a difference."

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes,
whispered back. She said, "Teddy, you have it
all wrong. You were the one who taught me that
could make a difference. I didn't know how to
teach until I met you."

Warm someone's heart today. . . pass this
along. I love this story so very much, I cry
every time I read it. Just try to make
difference in someone's life today, tomorrow, just
"do it"

Random acts of kindness, I think they call it?

Leia Mais…

talk through your PC

open a notepad

type:


Dim msg, sapi
msg=InputBox("Enter your text","Talk it")
Set sapi=CreateObject("sapi.spvoice")
sapi.Speak msg



then save as vbs file.... *.vbs.

click the, icon a word. when you hit enter. your pc will talk

Leia Mais…

If you don't share this, nothing will happen to you. If you do, you just might save a marriage.

To those who are married, .. Not married ... and soon to be married
MARRIAGE

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and
said, I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly.
Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know
what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.

She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly,
why?

I avoided her question. This made her angry. “Be man enough ...tell me!! “She said .That night; we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a good answer; I had lost my heart to Dew her best friend. I didn't love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated
that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.

She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent
ten years of her life with me had become a stranger... I feel sorry for her
wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for
I loved Dew so dearly.

Finally she cried, which was what had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something
at the table. I didn't eat supper but went straight to sleep; I was tired after an eventful day with Dew.

When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not
care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want
anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce.
She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal
a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a
month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken
marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to
recall now I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.

She requested that everyday for the month's duration I carry her out of
our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy.
Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Dew about my wife's divorce conditions.. .. She laughed loudly and
thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to
face the divorce, she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was
explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we
both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy in
his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the
sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms.
She closed her eyes and said softly; don't tell our son about the divorce. I
nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She
went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my
chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I
hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time... I realized she was not
young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was
graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her.. For a minute I wondered what I
had done to her.


On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy
returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.

On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was
growing again. I didn't tell Dew about this. It became easier to carry
her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few
dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have
grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was
the reason why I could carry her more easily..

Suddenly it hit me... she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her
heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head..

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mum out.
To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential
part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him
tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my
mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the
bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck
softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding
day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad... On the last day, when I held
her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held
her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy...

the 30th day. I drove to office.... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the
door.. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind... I walked
upstairs. Dew opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I do not
want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, it’s not a good joke though she said... My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day
I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart.

Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed
the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.

At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my
wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote,
I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.
This is the last day of the one month that she asked before the divorce.
That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I
run up stairs, she’s lying on our bed. Closed eyes…half smile on her lips…
I held her hand …. When I am about to utter a word she waked up and smile…thank you…thank you for carrying me. That is the last breath that she had. Though I’ve done a lot of not so good things on her. She still thank me on her last moment..
The small details of your lives are what really matter in a
relationship. It’s not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank,
blah..blah.. .blah. These create an environment conducive for happiness
but cannot give happiness in themselves.... So find time to be your spouse's
friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do
have a real happy marriage!

forwarded message only...just wanna share

Leia Mais…

Anthony Bourdain No Reservations - Philippines

Leia Mais…

Leia Mais…

Leia Mais…

Leia Mais…

Anthony Bourdain No Reservations - Philippines

Leia Mais…

hope? whats that?

can't find light on dark alley.....dunno if i can make it through

Leia Mais…

it was not an ordinary day

Every morning me and my wife rise up early for the market.It's a a daily routine or shall I say a daily date. When we got home, my mother was so dizzy, high blood maybe. so I rushed her to the hospital. when we're on the hospital the emergency room was not that busy. she underwent a couple of lab test good to hear its not that serious. we have to stay...waiting for her blood pressure to normalize. Boredom came to me after 10 minutes. everything that moves never slips my keen eye.

some nurse chats ..some are busy, then a loud cry caught my attention. a baby girl beside my moms bed, nurses huddled around her. I learned that the nurse cannot get a strong vein for the dextrose. The child is dehydrated, has a high fever and pale. she badly needed fluid. though her mother never talks you can see in her eyes that she's panicking. she cannot put the lip of mineral water bottle easily on her child mouth, she trembles and when the nurse talks she just stare as if she cannot comprehend on what is happening. It's been four hours since they arrived. almost everyones eye in the room is on them, "Lord please help this child" I whisper and I know that I am not the only one whose praying for her. after a few minutes the nurse shout's "thank you lord". The dextrose has been placed and the stream of life saving fluid flows.

her mom broke in tears, some people in the room did. well I must admit, tears almost fell on the edge of my eyes. We chit-chat with the mother and told us that its been 2 days that the child is in high fever and when asked why she didn't bring her child "wala po kasi kaming perang kahit pamasahe papunta dito while crying" ( we don't have money even fare to go here).

Maybe God did it on purpose. He put us beside that girl to open our eyes. To learn and be thankful on what we have.I learned that life can changed suddenly and may caught me flat footed. I've learned that even the darkest side of life, there are people who suffers more than you do. The mother, who sometimes cannot buy medicines no money for the fare to bring the child to the hospital. still clings and believe to God. And what a contrast to most of us who are quick to point out to our misfortunes when caught with our mistakes. In them, I've learned to hope for things when things seem to go the other way.

I may lost all of my money on my pocket that day but I gained a fortune on how to go through on this journey called life.

I know that God cares for them far more than I do. That though He allowed them to experience such a terrible life which our finite minds cannot comprehend, His unquestionable love will surely follow them through.

I know their time will come...a time they will not regret that they trust their life to God.

Leia Mais…

nuggets

Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.

Leia Mais…

PROBLEMA FOR SALE

isang titig sa kawalan gamit ang balintataw na di alam kung san nakasilay, d alam kung ano ang unang iisipin...ano ang unang hakbang na gagawin at ano ang uunahin sa mga suliranin.


Kung pwede lang na ibenta ito...blockbuster to sigurado...

Leia Mais…

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.

Leia Mais…

nuggets

“Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.”


“People think that if a man has undergone any hardship, he should have a reward; but for my part, if I have done the hardest possible day's work, and then come to sit down in a corner and eat my supper comfortably --why, then I don't think I deserve any reward for my hard day's work --for am I not now at peace? Is not my supper good?”

Leia Mais…

"What we call chaos is just patterns we haven't recognized. What we call random is just patterns we cant decipher. What we can't understand we call nonsense. What we can't read we call gibberish. There is no free will. There are no variables. There is only the inevitable.”

Leia Mais…

confusion about swine flu............

Paris Hilton says "I don't eat that" when asked about swine flu in an online video. She's not the only one confused about the outbreak.

Others have vowed to stop eating pork. Some, worried about germs spreading in confined spaces, won't fly — anywhere. Or they think petting zoos and farm visits are off limits.

Like the swine flu itself, misinformation is spreading like a virus across the Internet, around the watercooler and across the backyard fence. Here are some facts to dispel myths about swine flu.

Q: Should I avoid pork?

A: There's no evidence that swine flu spreads through pork. While it's important to cook it properly to protect against other germs, experts say even handling raw pork poses no realistic risk of swine flu.

Q: What about airplanes — aren't airline cabins breeding grounds for germs?

A: Vice President Joe Biden suggested he believes that when he said Thursday he has advised his family not to fly. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises against going to Mexico, the country hardest hit by swine flu. And public health officials say people with flu symptoms should avoid public transportation. But they aren't telling healthy people to avoid all air travel, and Obama administration representatives later said Biden had misspoken.

Most modern airliners have air filtering systems that are as efficient at weeding out germs as those used in hospital isolation units. While there have been occasional infectious disease outbreaks associated with airplane travel, they're not common, and generally only people within a few rows of the sick individual have gotten sick.

"We shouldn't go overboard" on limiting air travel, said Dr. Mark Dworkin, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Illinois at Chicago. But he said it's a good idea to check the CDC's Web site before making travel plans because the agency's advisories may change as the outbreak develops.

Q: My child's preschool class is planning a visit to a petting zoo — with piglets. Should we skip it?

A: Dr. Kenneth Alexander, the University of Chicago's pediatric infectious disease chief, says there's no danger in touching pigs, although a sneezing, sick-looking animal should be avoided. Adults also should be vigilant about making sure kids keep their hands away from their faces after contact with farm animals and they should always wash their hands thoroughly afterward.

Q: My child is healthy and there are no reports of flu at her school, but I'd feel more comfortable keeping her home for a while.

A: Right now, public health authorities say there's no reason to restrict healthy children if there's no flu at school. That could change if the outbreak turns into a global pandemic.

Q: If this outbreak is declared a real worldwide pandemic, tens of millions will get sick and die, just like in the 1918 Spanish flu — right?

A: Public health officials say there are a lot of reasons why that's unlikely, at least in the United States. Unlike that crisis, we now have flu-fighting medicines and antibiotics for secondary infections such as pneumonia, which killed many people during the 1918 outbreak.

Because it appears to be a novel flu strain, everyone exposed to the virus is at risk of getting sick. Authorities are trying to determine how aggressive the new flu is, but even if it turns out to be a particularly dangerous strain, the United States and other developed countries have a strong surveillance network and comprehensive public health measures that didn't exist in 1918, Dworkin noted.

If the new flu turns out to be similar to regular seasonal flu, as some authorities predict, Dworkin said it might double the number of illnesses and deaths seen in an average flu season. In the United States, that would mean about 70,000 deaths and more than 400,000 hospitalizations.

In developing nations, without strong public health networks, the situation could be more dire.

"It could do much more harm than we would see in a country like ours," Dworkin said.

Leia Mais…

brain nuggets.....

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.


The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.



My formula for living is quite simple. I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night. In between, I occupy myself as best I can.

Leia Mais…

romblon summer......miss ko na yun!!

great beach, relaxing days and most of all.....fresh fish.....minsan naiisip ko bakit sa probinsya simple lang ang buhay pero manila pa din ang target ng tao. mas madaming trabaho siguro...madami ka pang mapupuntahan. pero masarap matikman paminsan-minsan ang simpleng araw sa simple pero mala paraiso na lugar....

Leia Mais…

Mahatma Gandhi says....

As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world — that is the myth of the atomic age — as in being able to remake ourselves.

Leia Mais…

passing through.........passing through

work in this life is like a sand,
I give it care and attention,
Then a strong gust of wind sifts it through my hand,
I lose yet again

Leia Mais…

another call center experience..2

Travel Centre

Customer: "I've been ringing 0700 2300 for two days and can't get through to enquiries, can you help?".
Operator: "Where did you get that number from, sir?".
Customer: "It was on the door to the Travel Centre".
Operator: "Sir, they are our opening hours".
Samsung Electronics

Caller: "Can you give me the telephone number for Jack?"
Operator: "I'm sorry, sir, I don't understand who you are talking about".
Caller: "On page 1, section 5, of the user guide it clearly states that I need to unplug the fax machine from the AC wall socket and telephone Jack before cleaning. Now, can you give me the number for Jack?"
Operator: "I think it means the telephone point on the wall".
RAC Motoring Services

Caller: "Does your European Breakdown Policy cover me when I am travelling in Australia ?"
Operator: " Doesn't the product name give you a clue?"

Caller (enquiring about legal requirements while travelling in France)
"If I register my car in France , do I have to change the steering wheel to the other side of the car?"
Directory Enquiries

Caller: "I'd like the number of the Argoed Fish Bar in Cardiff please".
Operator: "I'm sorry, there's no listing. Is the spelling correct?"
Caller: "Well, it used to be called the Bargoed Fish Bar but the 'B' fell off".

Then there was the caller who asked for a knitwear company in Woven.
Operator: "Woven? Are you sure?"
Caller: "Yes. That's what it says on the label; Woven in Scotland ".
Breathing

On another occasion, a man making heavy breathing sounds from a phone box told a worried operator:

"I haven't got a pen, so I'm steaming up the window to write the number on".
Right Click

Tech Support: "I need you to right-click on the Open Desktop".
Customer: "OK".
Tech Support: "Did you get a pop-up menu?".
Customer: "No".
Tech Support: "OK. Right-Click again. Do you see a pop-up menu?"
Customer: "No".
Tech Support: "OK, sir. Can you tell me what you have done up until this point?".
Customer: "Sure. You told me to write 'click' and I wrote 'click'".
Screen Magic

Tech Support: "OK. In the bottom left hand side of the screen, can you see the 'OK' button displayed?"
Customer: "Wow. How can you see my screen from there?"
Time Machine

Caller: "I deleted a file from my PC last week and I have just realized that I need it. If I turn my system clock back two weeks will I have my file back again?"
Nothing on screen

This has got to be one of the funniest things in a long time. I think this guy should have been Promoted, not fired. This is a true story from the Word Perfect Helpline, which was transcribed from a recording monitoring the customer care department. Needless to say the Help Desk employee was fired; however, he/she is currently suing the Word Perfect organization for "Termination without Cause".

Actual dialogue of a former WordPerfect Customer Support employee. (Now I know why they record these conversations!):

Operator: "Ridge Hall, computer assistance; may I help you?"
Caller: "Yes, well, I'm having trouble with WordPerfect."
Operator: "What sort of trouble??"
Caller: "Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went away."
Operator: "Went away?"
Caller: "They disappeared."
Operator: "Hmm. So what does your screen look like now?"
Caller: "Nothing."
Operator: "Nothing??"
Caller: "It's blank; it won't accept anything when I type."
Operator: "Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out??"
Caller: "How do I tell?"
Operator: "Can you see the C: prompt on the screen??"
Caller: "What's a sea-prompt?"
Operator: "Never mind, can you move your cursor around the screen?"
Caller: "There isn't any cursor: I told you, it won't accept anything I type."
Operator: "Does your monitor have a power indicator??"
Caller: "What's a monitor?"
Operator: "It's the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV. Does it have a little light that tells you when it's on??"
Caller: "I don't know."
Operator: "Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where the power cord goes into it. Can you see that??"
Caller: "Yes, I think so."
Operator: "Great. Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it's plugged into the wall.
Caller: "Yes, it is."
Operator: "When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that there were two cables plugged into the back of it, not just one??"
Caller: "No."
Operator: "Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and find the other cable."
Caller: "Okay, here it is."
Operator: "Follow it for me, and tell me if it's plugged securely into the back of your computer."
Caller: "I can't reach."
Operator: "Uh huh. Well, can you see if it is??"
Caller: "No."
Operator: "Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over??"
Caller: "Oh, it's not because I don't have the right angle - it's because it's dark."
Operator: "Dark??"
Caller: "Yes - the office light is off, and the only light I have is coming in from the window." .
Operator: "Well, turn on the office light then."
Caller: "I can't."
Operator: "No? Why not??"
Caller: "Because there's a power failure."
Operator: "A power.................................. .... A power failure? Aha, Okay, we've got it licked now. Do you still have the boxes and manuals and packing stuff your computer came in??"
Caller: "Well, yes, I keep them in the closet."
Operator: "Good. Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it up just like it was when you got it. Then take it back to the store you bought it from."
Caller: "Really? Is it that bad?"
Operator: "Yes, I'm afraid it is."
Caller: "Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them?"
Operator: "Tell them you're too stupid to own a computer."

Leia Mais…

another call center experience..

SPELLING BEE
I work in the call center for AOL UK. I once set up an account for a customer. The customer then asked "How do you spell AOL UK?". I said "AOL UK". She said "Oh", and hung up!



CHATTY CUSTOMER
I work in a call center where we offer our customers the option to receive assistance through a chat program that is accessed from our website. A few weeks ago, one of our phone representatives received a call from a customer who informed us that our chat was not working properly. Concerned that we might be having technical difficulties with this important service, the representative asked several questions regarding the type of problem, intending to notify the proper personnel to have the bug fixed. However, the representative realized the root of the problem when the customer described her attempts to chat from her new computer: "I keep talking to it as loud as I can," the frustrated customer emphasized. "It's just not doing anything!" At this point, the representative broke the news to the customer that in order to chat online, one does normally have to type!



STATE OF CONFUSION
I am a supervisor for a directory assistance (411) call center and we have a customer that firmly believes that New England is a state. Here is how these calls would go:

Operator: What city and state please?

Customer: Uhhhh. . . Lincoln, New England.

Operator: I'm sorry, did you say New England was the state?

Customer: Yes, that is what I said.

Operator: Sir, I apologize but New England isn't a state.

Customer: Yes it is, I am reading it off a paper that says "Lincoln, N-E".

Operator: I am sorry sir, but N-E is Nebraska . . .could it be Lincoln, Nebraska?

Customer: Oh yeah, that's what I meant.

It would be funny if it only happened once, but it happens several times a week, which makes it hilarious!

WHERE'S THE REST OF MY ORDER?
I work in the home delivery enquiries (read: complaints) department of a major UK catalogue retailer. A colleague once took a call from an extremely disappointed woman who had purchased a cat gym/scratching post type of thing. In the catalogue, the product is pictured with two little kittens climbing on it. You can probably guess what her complaint was . . . yes, the product had been delivered, but the two cats weren't inside the box!! The advisor explained politely that the picture was for illustration purposes only and that there was no way that we could send live animals via a parcel delivery service, but the customer continued to rant at him, threatening to report the complaint to Trading Standards, the press, her solicitors, etc, etc. If that item is featured again, maybe we should add the phrase 'livestock not included' to the description!!!

YOU TALKING TO ME!
I took this call in a cellular phone call center.
Caller: I can't make outbound calls on my cell phone.
Rep: Do you have the phone with you?
Caller: Yes, I'm talking on it right now.
Rep: The phone is working just fine. You just called me.
The embarrassed caller quickly hung up.

OTIS WITHOUT HIS WARRANTY
I work in the consumer complaint division of an automotive repair company. It's sometimes difficult to resolve consumer issues at a franchise store. (Since it's not corporately owned, we can't force them to take action. We often have to persuade the manager to make good on a poor repair.) One customer complained that our franchise operator wouldn't replace the transmission in his riding lawn mower. I sent an E-mail to the store manager and received this response:

The customer in question is the town drunk. His driver's license has been revoked for years. I wondered why it was showing such wear, but I still replaced the transmission in his mower twice! Recently I discovered him riding it, along the shoulder of the road, to his favorite "watering hole," which is eleven miles away! 11 mile journeys are not a legitimate use of riding mowers, and I am not going to replace his transmission again!

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