Month: August 2003

We Have A Call Center, Well Sort Of!

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Wednesday we finally officially started taking calls at my companies new call center. I was on a conference call with AT&T while they made the first test call. It was exciting, but melodramatic. After a few small issues the Customer Service Rep’s (we call them Part-solver’s) were taking calls. Not many calls mind you. We wanted to make sure the system worked before we send lots of traffic to it. We maybe got 100 or so real calls. Now that the system is up and running, it is time to begin hiring lots of people to take calls. It will take months to get the new center fully staffed. For now I am focusing on cleaning up things, virtually and physically. Joe doesn’t yet have a desk in his office so our stuff is sprawled all over 8 call center desks. I still have lots of work to do, but it is nice to have started taking calls.

I was able to leave to go home with Dan Wednesday evening. It was nice to be home. I rode back with him and 3 Rep’s who he brought from NYC. They were there so the new hires could see how things should go.

My Personal Phone Dillema

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It survived a month. I still have (and like) the Treo 270. I totally think having the unlimited data account that actually works in allot of places makes this device good, versus just using it as a cell phone. To tell you the truth I almost never use it as a cell phone. I do when my Verizon phone runs out of batteries or if I have to call a number I don’t have in my Verizon phone’s limited speed dial. other than that I don’t use it that much. I just forward my T-Mobile calls to my Verizon number.

That brings me to another problem I am having. I am too connected. Gus mentioned that I have too many numbers to remember. It is true. I have my primary cell phone. That is Verizon right now. I also have my old AT&T number that I don’t use, but can’t cancel it because the contract is up in December. I then have the T-Mobile number that I use for data. I also have my NYC work number and now I have a Kingston work number. I have trouble routing calls places. Right now I have a message in NYC telling people I am out of the office. My T-Mobile phone is sending call’s to my Verizon phone. And the Kingston voice mail is telling people they can press 1 or 2 and get me at other numbers. I don’t have a solution though. T-Mobile kicks but on the wireless internet so I keep them. Verizon has the best cell coverage, so I keep them. And I need my work numbers. Now in december if/when cell phone number portability happens I will cancel my AT&T contract and take that number and move it to T-Mobile so I can keep the good number. I need to see how I can pull that off.

On top of all that, I have a blackberry pager from work. I hope one day for the Treo to work well enough that I can get rid of the blackberry. I will see what the new Treo 600 can do.

I Am Glad I Kept The Powerbook

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As much as Gus made sense when he said I should sell the powerbook and buy a desktop mac, I am glad I didn’t listen to him. I love this little powerbook. I don’t use it on the road much anymore, but when I do it is golden. It is light, the keyboard still is one of the best laptop keyboards I have written on, and the screen is bright. The fonts may be a bit small, but I can deal. Granted I use it plugged into my desktop monitor at home most of the time, but this type of portability is awesome. I also don’t like putting all my personal stuff on my work computer. I just got around to putting quicken on my Thinkpad. The only reason I did that was so I can sync quicken with my Treo.

The downside of this powerbook is that it gets HOT. Man this thing is charging and my legs are getting hot with it on my lap right now.

Tired And Nothing To Do

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I am sitting in a hotel room in Kingston, NY on a Tuesday evening at 8PM. Their is absolutely nothing to do. I could goto the pool, but I would have to deal with screaming and splashing kids in the hot tub. I could go eat, but I am not hungry. Joe and I ate a late lunch. I could goto the hotel bar, but the last time Dan and I did that we saw one women and a bunch of old guys. That time we were both really drunk, so I wont do that alone and sober. Not that into whatever is on TV. I am tivo’ing anything I want to watch tonight anyway so what is the point. I am catching up on this blog and then I think I may have a movie or something I can watch on the laptop. I have to check what I have. Other than that I am out of ideas. I probably will goto bed early. I have a big day tomorrow. I hope to be back in NYC tomorrow night. Lets just hope things go well.

Good Customer Service At Best Buy

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If you want to get good assistance at a Best Buy when buying something, follow these steps. Take a bunch of your friends with you. take pads and pens with you. Write down stuff while one of you looks at the back of TV’s and stuff. A training class of our Customer service reps went to the nearby bestbuy on a “field trip” today and did that. They had like 5 guys trying to help them. The supervisor who went said the guy was totally nervous about helping them. They think that they were mistaken for Best Buy corporate guys. Its worth a try if you are looking for some big ticket item and need help:)

The above steps will most likely work at any electronics retailer.

Two Of The Best TV Show’s, Ever, And You Probably Didn’t Know It

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I have mentioned that I got Homicide life on the streets on DVD. Or at least the first and second seasons. It sits in my waiting to be seen pile. I also just got another show on DVD that is also arguably one of the best shows every. It is Babylon 5. I do not deny the fact that I like decent Sci-Fi, and Babylon 5 is a fantastic show. I cannot think of any series that is better. The story was unbeatable and the effects rocked. I recently got Season 3 on DVD. By far the best season of the 5 years of the show. I am nearing the end of the DVD set, and just probably watched 3 or 4 of my favorite episodes. I like special effects like anyone else, but some of these stories were crazy, or so deep it makes you stop and think. A fantastic show that not that many people ended up watching. Too bad, but at least they are making it on DVD. Why is it that some of the best made stuff is not even close to popular? Both shows I mentioned in this blog entry were never popular, and always had to fight to get renewed. Then you have shows like ER, that used to be good but are way past there prime. That show needs to be put out of everyones misery. I used to like it, but now it is painful to watch.

While on the subject of my TV habits I would like to mention another new show that I have started to watch. MI-5 on A&E. It is a rebroadcast of a BBC show. It is actually really good. I also like the British filming style, not a hollywood version of a british agency. I have my Tivo set to grab it.

Buying Stuff

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For some unknown reason I feel compelled to buy useless yet cool stuff for Morgan. She is too young to understand or appreciate anything but I find myself asking my sister what toys can I buy. After much prodding they finally got a toy check that I bought them. When the baby was born I didn’t know what to get, so they originally wanted me to buy a rug or something for the baby’s room. Then it was a personalized toy chest. They finally got it, and I want to put stuff in it. That baby is so cute.

Ipod is drained

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I went to grab my trusty iPod when I booted up my powerbook so I could listen to some music while I did this blog. To my dismay I found it drained of power. Turns out I really need a case for that thing. After a drunk night getting home from the bar I lost the case while on the LIRR listening to music. Without the case the keys get pressed and the iPod runs and drains its power. I know there is that lock switch but if you forget to press it you have an iPod without power. Thankfully for now I am using the powerbook to listen to music. I found headphones that work in the bottom of my luggage. Oh, thanks apple for making the iPod headphones not work in regular headphone jacks.

I am on Amtrak right now. Like I always say I do allot of my best writing on the train. I just passed the Tapanzee bridge on the way to Kingston. This trip is always relaxing, as long as you don’t get all wound up about traveling like I do sometimes. So far this has been a restful trip. As Gus would say, I am getting rid of all my negative energy and centering my Chi. Eh, something like that.

Not sure how hot it is today, but it looks beautiful outside right now. Being so busy recently I am trying to stop and take notice of stuff like that.

Website Down

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My website is down for a few days. It has been down since at least last Thursday. I didn’t get to look at it this weekend, so it is down until I am back in town. I think it is something to do with the wifi, but I am not sure. I keep my server in a closet without a monitor so I cannot look at the screen and see what is up without moving it or getting a monitor on it. Thankfully my blog is hosted by my friend on his linux box at home so I can keep posting.

I actually had to shut off my desktop also last night. it was making funny sounds so I wanted to turn it off for a bit so I can look at it. I forgot to turn it on, so I hope I don’t need to remote in anytime this week. I think the power supply may be going. I hope not since the supply and the case are very new.

The Last Big Kingston Trip, Hopefully!

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I am off to Kingston NY again for a few days. This week we officially activate this office. Tuesday we turn on the phone system and begin taking calls. I am going up today so I can do any last minute changes. Keith got allot done for me last week, but I need to finish up any loose ends. Joe is feeling better and will also get make sure we are good to go. I am scheduling myself to be “upstate” as we NYC people call it for 3 days, but if all goes well I may be back tuesday night.

Hopefully once the call center starts taking calls I can limit my trips to one and two day stints up there. that way I can catch up on issues in NYC.