October 7, 2004 Archives

For the past few years I've been taking pictures at the Juvenile Diabetes Walk at Anthem Blue Cross in North Haven. Last year, after the walk, someone from Anthem asked if they could use one of my shots for their annual report. I thought it would be nice for JDRF so I said yes.

This weekend, Carol Pompano came up to me to show me my handiwork and how it was used. Of course I'm thrilled to be published... but they've blurred it beyond the point of recognition. She said they didn't have releases from the folks in the picture.

So, if you come across a very nice report with a fuzzy picture on the cover, please understand the original was sharp. Honest it was.

My long distance phone tsuris took on an additional wrinkle when I got a note from Sprint... welcoming me as a long distance customer! Hello? I never called Sprint or asked to be changed.

I called Sprint. All they knew was I was being charged $.40 per minute and owed around $40! Oh - they couldn't help me unravel this... but if I changed to them they'd pro-rate me to $.05 per minute (I'm paying under $.03). I'd have to commit for 90 days. Isn't that extortion?

It was getting ridiculous. Call after call after call to GTC Telecom went unanswered. I have spent at least 4 hours, maybe more, on hold to them. I have heard more Enya music on hold than any human should be subjected to.

Lucky they get a good rate on their 800 number.

I decided to give it one more try at 3:00 AM EDT. I figured it was too late for Easterners to call... and getting late for most of the West Coast. It paid off. Within ten minutes I was on the phone to India and speaking with Andrea.

As with Keith the last time, Andrea is probably not her real name. For some reason these outsourcing companies feel we'll be reassured if at least the name rings American... even if the accent and speech patterns don't.

Andrea was wonderful She was calm, polite, seemingly concerned. She was the Stepford wife of customer service agents.

I want to complain about her, about my interminable wait, about the Enya music on hold... but she was totally disarming. And, she said she'd take care of everything.

I'll report back. I'm not shy.