Definition of Customer Service: A Live person that serves customers.
Do you remember when you could pick up the phone and call any Company? Your Doctor’s assistant? Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart, and other stores? Do you recall speaking with a live person? Those were the good old days, and they ain’t comin’ back anytime soon!
What’s coming is AI customer service!
There is no good excuse for not being able to speak to a real live person. The corporations received a massive government tax cut, which they used to line their own pockets, and didn’t raise the pay of workers by one damned dime.
In fact, they furloughed many workers and replaced them with “no one”. Go ahead and try to get a product replaced because you didn’t like it or it didn’t work as advertised. I have been successful several times, but I have also sustained substantial hair loss.
On Amazon, within the first 30 days, you can usually arrange for the returned item to be picked up. Of course, after you have disassembled and repacked it. You will get credit for it as soon as it is picked up, usually. You may have to drop off small items at one of their sites. By the way, make sure to wrap it in the same size box it came in, as it may not fit in the designated slot. Many items can be “dropped off” at a UPS store, and sometimes they will package. Read the instructions!
I am an author who used to format and upload my books to Amazon. I used to call Amazon and be referred to KDP customer service to resolve a problem. Not anymore! I had to either figure it out myself, read through millions of help pages or Google results, or watch YouTube videos. If you don’t mind waiting for millennia or two, there is a number, and when and if your call goes through, you’ll be told first that the answer can be found in the help pages. Now, I self-publish through Draft2Digital, and the last time I needed help, there was a live person online to talk to four days a week. They also offer help menus and produce a weekly video series. They distribute to around 50 sites, including libraries.
In truth, just before Christmas, I had a stroke, and my business has been on hold, but I am back writing and will be publishing again soon.
With most companies, the corporate bottom line is bigger because it is easier to let us flounder, attempting to converse with Artificial Intelligence or bots. By the way, they don’t mind if you yell or swear, and they won’t get offended or hang up on you. Of course, they also don’t care if you get your question answered.
Like most of us, I want to work with Companies that have a little skin in the game, but they are few and far between.
During the Pandemic, many “essential” workers lost their jobs. Many continued to work because they had to, and as a result, many fell ill. It was great that some workers eligible for unemployment received an extra $300 a week. Wasn’t it wonderful, and aren’t you proud that the GOP voted to take it away from them to “make” them get back to work because they were getting so rich and lazy! Too bad that so many people forgot that at election time.
Many at-risk people did not leave home unless it was absolutely necessary. Some people had difficulty navigating the internet system to schedule an appointment to get a shot. Then there were lotteries, and people could win $ 1 million for getting the shot. Did anyone else think, “Where were the lotteries when I waited in my car for hours?” Many were lucky and were allowed to work from home. The rich Oil companies noticed a big reduction in gas usage. They started crying because they weren’t making enough money. I felt so bad, didn’t you?
During the pandemic, we masked up, wore gloves, and wiped down everything. We also let no one into our home during that time. I used to do sewing and repairs for my neighbors, and during the last year of the pandemic, I wouldn’t even allow my neighbors to bring items for repair.
With our new leadership, let us hope that flu and COVID-19 boosters will be available, again. I say this with tongue in cheek! If not, we will repeat the process of putting on gloves, wearing a mask, and hiding again.
This is the list of my current books:
I am working on Book 9 of the Ruby & Nolan’s Great Adventures in Space series. I do not have a title yet, but it should have a picture of a Volcano on the cover.
Maye West Mysteries Book 1 Murder on Lake Haverly
Maye West Mysteries Book 2 Options
Immortal Enemies
Spirited One Book 1 The Protector
Spirited One Book 2 James
The end of the Road
Ruby & Nolan’s Great Adventures in Space Book: 1 The Science Project
Ruby & Nolan’s Great Adventures in Space Book: 2 Dragon Flight
Ruby & Nolan’s Great Adventures in Space Book: 3 The Keep
Ruby & Nolan’s Great Adventures in Space Book: 4 The Others
Ruby & Nolan’s Great Adventures in Space Book: 5 Wormhole
Ruby & Nolan’s Great Adventures in Space Book: 6 Merpeople
Ruby & Nolan’s Great Adventures in Space Book: 7 Decisions
Ruby & Nolan’s Great Adventures in Space Book: 8 Irus
Sleep Travelers Book: 1 The Story of Ning, Dog, & Boss
Sleep Travelers Book: 2 The Amusement Park
Odilo, BorrowBox, Smashwords, Gardners, Tolino, Kobo, Vivlio, Everand, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Baker & Taylor, Palace Marketplace, OverDrive, D2D Print, Bibliotheca, Amazon, Hoopla