First topic: The Older Dogs
For those of you who don't know, I am a hearing aid dispenser. Customers make appointments and normally show-up at least one hour ahead of schedule. Often, they're mad that you can't help them one hour ahead of their scheduled time. Big fun. The 10:00am appointment today showed up when? - YESTERDAY AT 1PM! Granted, he's a truck driver and is used to hanging around a town for a day if need be, but this is the earliest anyone has been.
Sometimes, people just show up without an appointment, and sometimes they travel many, many miles to get here. I would never drive 200+ miles somewhere without an appointment, but some of the oldies do. Naturally, they are upset when you can't help them.
The best one was the guy in Pennsylvania who would get worked up about his hearing aid, hop in the car, drive all the way to Illinois. He was really a nice guy, and each time would explain that he was very mad when he got in the car, but had calmed down by the time he reached Indiana. He did this approximately 3 or 4 times.
Second Topic: The L.A. Clippers
Nothing very interesting, as you basketball fans know, except that I signed up for their official updates and e-newsletters a couple years ago, and I received my first one today in quite a while. No, I'm not a big basketball fan, but I just love how they can put a positive (sideways?) spin on everything they do. Gotta love 'em.
I hope that all of you have a fantastic day.
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10 comments:
Old Dog,
I work in transplant and once we put a child on the national waiting list sometimes the parents keep calling asking, "So do we have a (liver, kidney, heart, intestine, stem cell cord blood) yet?"
Now, as organs have a very short "shelf life" when we know, the family knows to get to us NOW. The only answer can be: Nope, sorry. We'll let you know.
Poor anxious families always wanting to "come for their appointment" early. :)
That's heartbreaking! I would never complain about a parent calling. If it were my kid, I'd be camped out by the phone 24/7.
The urgency of a hearing aid is somewhat less than that of a transplant. Besides, they acknowledge that they're being goofy; and it's my job - I get to bitch!
Holy shit, Di!
I was talked to about the possibility of a heart transplant if I did not recover several years ago and I was scared shitless. I got myself all ready to die after that talk. I am not a good candidate for a heart. They like to save them for kids and people who don't have unhealthy lifestyles. I cleaned my act up thinking I'd be a better candidate for a transplant but my heart got better when I stopped drinking and smoking and did what my doctors told me. Why am I ranting? Anyway, I NEVER called my doctors. I felt that not knowing was better than knowing. I am sure you've heard the story about the man who gets to look at the book of his life and just wants to know how long it is. I didn't and still don't want to know.
Joey,
Good to know that some things at HHE never change. Did you know that there are no problems, only opportunites?
I've heard that! You can consider yourself lucky that you had the opportunity to clean up your lifestyle!
Moving to Chi PUT ten years on Michael's life. Homeboy look like Cary Grant, now.
Clippers, eh?
Technically - I signed the Old DOg up for the Clippers e-newsletter. It was the day after I signed Bill Garver up for the Spice Girls newsletter...just days after I sucessfully launched the internet rumor that Bill Garver would be replacing Gary Sharona in vanHalen. It was my most successful internet rumor because the VanHalen Newsdesk responded to it. They said:
"And there is no truth to the rumor that some unknown has been chosen to replace Gary."
If Bill Garver wasn't that "some unknown" I don't know who was.
I thought Gary WAS the unknown. William T is way more famous (infamous?) than that hack.
Mark,
You flatter me. Maybe more like Lou Grant.
I didn't mean to be heartbreaking or to sound like I was complaining. I'm honored to work in my field.
I was just trying to be funny. As usual, it didn't work.
For the record, I help organize an annual "Celebrate Life" party that all of our listed patients, transplanted patients and their parents are invited to. It's one of the most rewarding nights of the year. (Even if this year it's the night before I have to fly to San Fran at 7am for a conference.)
Dear Old Dog, did you ever consider that maybe your customers simply can't hear the time you set up for them over the phone?
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