Customer Service
Ugh: starting a new business, especially in these dire economic times, is just an on-going game of Choose Your Own Adventure (remember those books from the 1980s? No? Right, we’re all too young…cough cough) wherein even the simplest things can be incredibly frustrating.
Even as everyone talks about how necessary small businesses are to drive the engine of the economy–very true!–trying to get an office share space in NYC can make you want to give up, drop out & start an end-of-days/free-love commune in Montana. Or, anywhere outside of Queens.
Some of it of course is that once you get into being an entrepreneur, the idea of working for anyone else is bizarre and abhorrent, especially given that many of the people whom you have to interact with, in order to get services are–to use a technical term– perhaps not the brightest people in their own seats. Was that too harsh? I stand by it. Especially the bimbolina who found it difficult to arrange for me to make a reservation for an office tour and then called me, “Carlita.” My silence must have been ominous, since she said, I swear, “Yipes, I mean, Carlota, sorry, Carlota.” Grrrr. [One man I um “dated” used to call me “Carmela” which I found hilarious, since he was deliberately trying to piss me off, and it made me feel like a mobster’s moll from Staten Island…but Carlita? I also worked with someone who used to call me “Carlotita” which was silly & adorable. But Carlita?]
Finally, in near tears, I called AT&T to complain about my horrible service, the phone itself etc…and the girl on the other end just immediately took charge of the situation: she upgraded my phone, though it wasn’t due for an upgrade for another month; waived a ton of fees; got me overnight shipping…and was charming and personable! (*mind blown*) Yes, I spoke to her manager and told her that in many cultures,”Olivia” would be worshipped.
(Still cranky about being called “Carlita.” )