Tempermental Tuesday

It has been a day people. Bare with me as I go on a few tangents, that are too lengthy for Facebook statuses...

1. Email Subject Lines: Today, a customer sent me an email as she does every week on Tuesday. Usually, her emails have an attached PDF for her advertising. Today, she made a mistake and didnt attach the PDF. Something she has done, a handful of times in the past; which is fine. I kindly replied to her email that she had forgotten the attachment. Loosely quoted, she replies, "We will not be running this weekend, because of the holiday. Please, read the message again". I wanted to say, "look lady, I was on loopy pain meds LAST week. There is no message, just a blank email!" But I opened, closed, and reopened the email a few times, as if something may appear. Then I noticed that her subject line didnt look right. What the heck?! This lady wrote me an entire message in the subject line! "Good Morning ladies. We will not be running this weekend because of the holiday. Have a great long weekend!" Again, I have to bite my tongue, or fingers. I wanted to say "Oh. I am sorry I missed your message in the subject line, because it was not in the message field, where messages go, *explicit*." But, unfortunately honesty is not acceptable in sales. So, I simply replied, "Ok, thank you."

2. Websites With "Contact Us By Email": Today I started to fill out the necessary paperwork to submit the liability claims for Corey's football injury. (See prior post) One of the fields required the address of our insurance provider. I look at the member card- no address. BUT! There is a website. I enter the www. and proceed to the "Contact Us" page. No addresses listed, but there are about 7 different 800-numbers to call...AND an email address! I instantly felt comfort in the email address listed. I just KNEW that this email address was going to save me from multiple dials, transfers and lengthy periods of elevator music. So, I enthusiastically opened my email and informed the mystery recipient about my task at hand. About 15 minutes later I hear my email alert. It was the insurance people. Woo hoo, speedy! "Ms. Groves. Please call 888......." Seriously? The email response team gave me one of the 7 phone numbers listed on the same page I obtained the email address?! The following emails were sent and received...

Me: With all due respect... What is the purpose of listing an email address in the contact section of the website, when your reply is a phone number that I am trying to avoid in the first place?

"Debbie": In order for us to give you information, we will need you to call with more specific information. This will help you avoid calling several different phone numbers and the possibility for long periods of hold times as well as calling multiple phone numbers.

Me: That being the case, a reply with request for said specific information would have sufficed. You have now taken the time to reply to my expression of discontent. Why not take the initiative to request the information that you need to answer my question via email?

If necessary, I would have gladly provided you with my son's assigned number; with the expectation that you, the recipient of the "contact us" email inbox, have the capability to give me the address that I need. I am not asking for an explanation of benefits, medical records/history, anything of confidential matter. I have asked for an address. If an address can not be provided via email; what content CAN be provided? Please inform me of the functions of the "contact us" email address, so that I may avoid future confusion or unreasonable expectations.

"Debbie" hasnt replied.

Excuse me while I kick myself for not applying for the job that merely requires me to reply to emails with an 800 number.

3. Black and White Facebook: This evening I had to take Corey to get 2 root canals on the teeth that were injured during the previously stated football fiasco. While I was in the lobby, I caught an announcement that the president was to address the nation this evening. I knew I was not going to be home for the program. And, the fact that I dont have DVR meant that I would have to rely on the internet to get myself up to speed. Once dinner and homework time was done, and the boys went off to bed, I satisfied my Family Feud obsession and refreshed my Facebook homepage to see a link from Youtube or Yahoo, that covered the address. So, I proceed to the verbiage listed, because for some reason this laptop hates videos. Then, I noticed that there were a ton of comments below the article. I was intrigued by how America felt, so I started reading through some of them. I am gravely disappointed to report that the comments grew hateful, and full of bigot remarks. Black people - we get it, Obama is black. White people - shut up, he is half white too. What part of the man's race effects his decision to withdraw from a war? Half of those commentators could have saved those keystrokes for their last. OR, to type something in an effort to effect our country in a positive light. I'm just saying...

There you have it. My day, and tangents, in a nutshell.

Goodnight.