I was watching the new yesterday and they were reporting about second hand smoke in CA, Basically the California Air Resources Board had announced "second-hand smoke as a toxic air contaminant that can cause or contribute to illness or death".
Two things as a shocker hearing this was
1) California is the first state to make the distinction.
2) What are they going to do with smokers in the distant future?
Personally, I am not a smoker. So, I was a little glad to hear that the state was stating second-hand smoke is toxic to the air around us. I'm allergic to smoke so when I walk out side and people are right in front of the door or close to my breathing area smoking it hurts. But placing my personal feelings aside, are not cars toxic to the air as well. So if the state is going to hit the smokers with the book to quit or be label as killers of the earth should we not fix more current issues?
The news report stated,"The ARB will look at what measures are already in place, analyze the options, and the costs associated with toughened controls on second-hand smoke”. Which in a way answers my question, but I know to do all of the controls will take about 8-10 years to put into effect. This equates more money that that the state will have to come up with to regulate this toxin, personally, could be put to better uses in the state. Now with that said, I am a huge let's protect the earth's natural resources but, who is going to foot this bill to eliminate smokers. This whole persecution is similar to prohibition, will causing tougher regulations on smokers cause a backlash. More than likely yep.
It is a nice idea to label cigarette smoke as harmful and I am glad they did but looking at it logically California Air Recourses Board could have put their time and effort into something more better like, automobiles and factories and how to make tougher regulations against them. These are our higher contributors to the issue of poor air quality. I dislike smoking but I’m not going to create a cross and pin them up for their addition, unless, it is harming children because they have no say in the air they breathe in a car or a home.
Friday, January 27, 2006
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
The last few days I have been thinking about
the work that I am doing for a paycheck. I have come to realize that I loathe people and working. Yes, that's right, loathe.
Why?!
It is that I have been doing servant type jobs since I was 15 years old. No, not a maid or food industry work but child care and customer service, which I believe is way harder than most jobs out there.
Let's start with my first job, childcare.
I started the job as a teacher's aid at the ripe 'ol age of 15. I mean, I was a kid myself and there I was telling other kids to listen and behave for my approval/attention. Moronic, yep.
How did I get this job?
Well, my dad knew the dean at a private Christian school and was able to get me the job. Now, he did not do this because I begged and pleaded to work. Hell no! He did this to relieve the burden of having less work providing for 3 kids and what is the easiest solution. Send his oldest child to work for her own stuff. Don't get me wrong, I knew I needed to work because I wanted to have what my family could not afford so I took to working like going to the doctor to get a check up , you kind of have to go.
Deep down I did not want to work. I wanted to be involved with other teens that were doing after school stuff but, I knew I had responsibilities and wants/needs which were not going to be left in my lap because I deserved it. I had to go and work for it. Honestly, I am a slacker yet I do what I need to do no more or less, unless, I am truly in love with what I am doing then I am passionate, driven, and obsessive about the task.
A personal note: I hate working for another person. I work and then when I have the fruits of my labor in my hand I have to give it away to another person. This work and billing scam going on is great. I swear you give 8+ hours of life away to give more than 1/2 to the government, give more than another 1/4 to bills and hope there is something left for yourself(this rant is for the money challenged).
Ok but back on subject.
I hated/loved those kids but the parent’s gosher the parents. They drove me up a wall with their inability to see or understand that their child was the spawn of the devil. During this time I had to be nice and calm. I had to place my self out of the daily interactions, basically shove being honest and forthright out of the window. If I wanted to say what was truly on my mind I would have to say what I really meant in a kind, considerate, monotone manor to appease the paying parent.
After I graduated from high school I keep right on working
This was a cashier at a photocopying store. While I was there I was nice and polite. I worked well with others but sometimes my kind nature by my co-workers was taken advantage of. Any case that was a breeze compared to dealing with unhappy customer who wanted to use me as the sounding board of their frustrations, anger, or just plan evilness. At times what I really wanted to say was;"Hey look! Does is it say printing specialist on my tag? No it does not. Then why are you bitching at me?" Instead I would have to smile, apologize, and then remain calm so that I could explain to the best of my abilities what was wrong and what I could do. More stuffing the truth down my throat.
Moving on to the next job which was customer service over the phone for an online travel agency.
This was my gate way to realize how dumb and rude people are over the phone. It also gave meaning to George Orwell's description of "Big Brother Is Watching" complex that many large corporations have.
I came to understand that when you work with another person over the phone they feel they are ambiguous enough to say and act as they please. But yet again I have to push aside how I really wanted to respond to the situation with the customers to appease the corporate heads.
I left that job and for 4 months out of my working history I was not working per say. I still had to look for work which is just like working.
Then I got work again of all places another customer service job.
O God the insanity. Again customers and corporations are horrid. (That is the nicest word I could use so, I'll stick to that.)
Being in customer service is the battle of the mind. It is mentally draining which causes physical fatigue. Having to adhere to a clock, to a specific schedule as to how much time on and off the phone.
Being in childcare is the battle of the body and mind. It is mentally draining to deal with another person's child. Having to speak in a manor not to offend the child, to deal with the parent with child gloves, and not strangle the child in the mean times.
People ask where the customer service is.
People ask where good child care is.
I ask: How can people demand top notch service and treat the people servicing them inhumane?
I know we all pay for service and demand the level of service biased on payment. Don’t get me wrong, there have been some great people I have worked for but they are an exception to the mass growing of abuse on people who have to service a paying public. On the other hand people feel they have the right to treat the person they called in for help like trash. As if the person they are talking to is beneath them.
I am not beneath no person yet I take the abuse. Many people in my job title take this abuse and have pretty high esteem but when each person has bills to pay and the career of their dreams is not obtainable the meantime jobs pay the bill. We have been trained to not take the abuse personally, yet how can you tell a person who is being personally assaulted not to take it personally. To smile remain calm be polite don’t yell don’t respond back to the customer in the manor they are treating you. Ah the canned robotic response to frustrated customers, I'm sorry ma'm/sir to hear your situation but there are no other options available.
The paying public has such high expectations they want met yet people forget other people have to meet those unrealistic goals.
Let me go through a CSR's call
Log in take a call
Follow company protocol for the call
Great the customer
Tell them you're happy they called
Up sale
Wrap up/recap
Thank for business and time
Note the account
Hang up
Next call
All calls are to be with in 2-3.5 minutes can not keep the customer's waiting.
That is a simple call. That is the basic of all call the company wants all calls to go like this.
I could go into more of the politics of CSR but this is not why I wrote this.
I am thankful I am not in a job right now that is as stressful as my last jobs yet it is mundane. I hate routine. I need variety and I'm not getting it here. I like my job currently in medial customer service /medical sales support but I loathe dealing with people because I have been doing this for so long. I am burned out. I feel myself going to work and go through the motion but I don’t want to do this anymore. I just want to focus on finishing school and enjoy life around me for once. I don't want to be responsible and captious. I want to know what it is like to be young just for a few moments. To have a carefree moment for once with out having to think of rent, utilities, savings, groceries, insurance, medical, retirement, ect. I know I won’t have that luxury. Having to deal with the demands of other people and not being able to voice what I want to really say is taking its toll. To have your voice stiffen because whom you're speaking with basically pays your bills is wrong. Just because you pay my bills doesn’t equate that you treat me with out respect. I give respect but I am not donning to feel like people should be shot. Ah.... being an adult as they call this is hard. Then again who said life is easy. I am looking for a way to have a positive outlook on working but since I’m a college student and I for a while what a bad budgeter I have to wait till I save up enough money to stop working for 2 years which will take me 3 years to do. I just want a break,to breathe.I've been hyper ventalling for so long,my mind and body are slowly passing out. I know I will inhale soon :)
Why?!
It is that I have been doing servant type jobs since I was 15 years old. No, not a maid or food industry work but child care and customer service, which I believe is way harder than most jobs out there.
Let's start with my first job, childcare.
I started the job as a teacher's aid at the ripe 'ol age of 15. I mean, I was a kid myself and there I was telling other kids to listen and behave for my approval/attention. Moronic, yep.
How did I get this job?
Well, my dad knew the dean at a private Christian school and was able to get me the job. Now, he did not do this because I begged and pleaded to work. Hell no! He did this to relieve the burden of having less work providing for 3 kids and what is the easiest solution. Send his oldest child to work for her own stuff. Don't get me wrong, I knew I needed to work because I wanted to have what my family could not afford so I took to working like going to the doctor to get a check up , you kind of have to go.
Deep down I did not want to work. I wanted to be involved with other teens that were doing after school stuff but, I knew I had responsibilities and wants/needs which were not going to be left in my lap because I deserved it. I had to go and work for it. Honestly, I am a slacker yet I do what I need to do no more or less, unless, I am truly in love with what I am doing then I am passionate, driven, and obsessive about the task.
A personal note: I hate working for another person. I work and then when I have the fruits of my labor in my hand I have to give it away to another person. This work and billing scam going on is great. I swear you give 8+ hours of life away to give more than 1/2 to the government, give more than another 1/4 to bills and hope there is something left for yourself(this rant is for the money challenged).
Ok but back on subject.
I hated/loved those kids but the parent’s gosher the parents. They drove me up a wall with their inability to see or understand that their child was the spawn of the devil. During this time I had to be nice and calm. I had to place my self out of the daily interactions, basically shove being honest and forthright out of the window. If I wanted to say what was truly on my mind I would have to say what I really meant in a kind, considerate, monotone manor to appease the paying parent.
After I graduated from high school I keep right on working
This was a cashier at a photocopying store. While I was there I was nice and polite. I worked well with others but sometimes my kind nature by my co-workers was taken advantage of. Any case that was a breeze compared to dealing with unhappy customer who wanted to use me as the sounding board of their frustrations, anger, or just plan evilness. At times what I really wanted to say was;"Hey look! Does is it say printing specialist on my tag? No it does not. Then why are you bitching at me?" Instead I would have to smile, apologize, and then remain calm so that I could explain to the best of my abilities what was wrong and what I could do. More stuffing the truth down my throat.
Moving on to the next job which was customer service over the phone for an online travel agency.
This was my gate way to realize how dumb and rude people are over the phone. It also gave meaning to George Orwell's description of "Big Brother Is Watching" complex that many large corporations have.
I came to understand that when you work with another person over the phone they feel they are ambiguous enough to say and act as they please. But yet again I have to push aside how I really wanted to respond to the situation with the customers to appease the corporate heads.
I left that job and for 4 months out of my working history I was not working per say. I still had to look for work which is just like working.
Then I got work again of all places another customer service job.
O God the insanity. Again customers and corporations are horrid. (That is the nicest word I could use so, I'll stick to that.)
Being in customer service is the battle of the mind. It is mentally draining which causes physical fatigue. Having to adhere to a clock, to a specific schedule as to how much time on and off the phone.
Being in childcare is the battle of the body and mind. It is mentally draining to deal with another person's child. Having to speak in a manor not to offend the child, to deal with the parent with child gloves, and not strangle the child in the mean times.
People ask where the customer service is.
People ask where good child care is.
I ask: How can people demand top notch service and treat the people servicing them inhumane?
I know we all pay for service and demand the level of service biased on payment. Don’t get me wrong, there have been some great people I have worked for but they are an exception to the mass growing of abuse on people who have to service a paying public. On the other hand people feel they have the right to treat the person they called in for help like trash. As if the person they are talking to is beneath them.
I am not beneath no person yet I take the abuse. Many people in my job title take this abuse and have pretty high esteem but when each person has bills to pay and the career of their dreams is not obtainable the meantime jobs pay the bill. We have been trained to not take the abuse personally, yet how can you tell a person who is being personally assaulted not to take it personally. To smile remain calm be polite don’t yell don’t respond back to the customer in the manor they are treating you. Ah the canned robotic response to frustrated customers, I'm sorry ma'm/sir to hear your situation but there are no other options available.
The paying public has such high expectations they want met yet people forget other people have to meet those unrealistic goals.
Let me go through a CSR's call
Log in take a call
Follow company protocol for the call
Great the customer
Tell them you're happy they called
Up sale
Wrap up/recap
Thank for business and time
Note the account
Hang up
Next call
All calls are to be with in 2-3.5 minutes can not keep the customer's waiting.
That is a simple call. That is the basic of all call the company wants all calls to go like this.
I could go into more of the politics of CSR but this is not why I wrote this.
I am thankful I am not in a job right now that is as stressful as my last jobs yet it is mundane. I hate routine. I need variety and I'm not getting it here. I like my job currently in medial customer service /medical sales support but I loathe dealing with people because I have been doing this for so long. I am burned out. I feel myself going to work and go through the motion but I don’t want to do this anymore. I just want to focus on finishing school and enjoy life around me for once. I don't want to be responsible and captious. I want to know what it is like to be young just for a few moments. To have a carefree moment for once with out having to think of rent, utilities, savings, groceries, insurance, medical, retirement, ect. I know I won’t have that luxury. Having to deal with the demands of other people and not being able to voice what I want to really say is taking its toll. To have your voice stiffen because whom you're speaking with basically pays your bills is wrong. Just because you pay my bills doesn’t equate that you treat me with out respect. I give respect but I am not donning to feel like people should be shot. Ah.... being an adult as they call this is hard. Then again who said life is easy. I am looking for a way to have a positive outlook on working but since I’m a college student and I for a while what a bad budgeter I have to wait till I save up enough money to stop working for 2 years which will take me 3 years to do. I just want a break,to breathe.I've been hyper ventalling for so long,my mind and body are slowly passing out. I know I will inhale soon :)
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