Serious Unsalesmanlike Conduct

 Last October I bought a house. I'm very proud of my accomplishment and worked hard to get to this point in my life. And when I say I worked hard, I mean it. I've worked since I was fifteen years old, with the exception of a few years when I was a stay-at-home mom, and after my boss died when I couldn't find work right away. But at every job I worked I was expected to be professional, to treat customers, associates, and anyone I interacted with on the job with complete respect. Even if I didn't want to, because rudeness was being spewed my way, I was directed to with the threat of consequences if I was anything but professional. My current position as a garbage truck driver requires the same from me.

That doesn't seem to be the way most businesses are run these days, though, and the reason I know this is that, since I've bought my house, I have been hounded by unwanted salesmen coming to my door to bully me into purchasing crap I don't want or need. When I politely tell these people that I am not interested in whatever it is they're selling they amp up the sales pitch. They lie about their services, won't be direct about costs and charges, and when I tell them I'll do research and call if I change my mind, I get excuses about why the deal is only good for the one day, which most times isn't true.

I've had the same security company come to my door not once, but twice, without invitation to try to talk me into getting their system. Both times the guy who came to the door, different dudes each time, told me that numerous neighbors - 10 the first time, 17 the second - utilized their security system. LIE! The first guy gave me the price when I asked but claimed it was a special deal for that day only. The second guy wanted to use my house "for display purposes only at no cost" for prospective sales. I pressed and he finally admitted it would end up costing me whatever their monthly service fee was. And guess what! It was a special deal for that day only! Each of the two times I told them I would research their services and asked for a business card. Both were conveniently out of cards, both were conveniently the managers of their crew that day and were the only ones allowed to offer me the deal, and both claimed they wouldn't be able to come back as they were only in the area for the day. GEEZ! Pressure much? I politely told them I'd pass on the deal and then went to do my research. Imagine my surprise when I found out their regular monthly service fee, the one listed on the website, was the same "special deal" they were offering me. Yawn!

Then I had a pest control guy come to my door, again uninvited. He tried to talk me into their pest control services going over all their positives and the we're-better-than-everyone because of this, that and the other thing. I told him I already have a service and, without knowing the name of the company I use, he told me that his company was better because they had licenses to do more. "I bet you they don't cover all the way to the sidewalk like we do." Um, yeah, they do, but whatever. He went on to tell me their price and when I mentioned that my company was cheaper he claimed it was because it was an inferior service. I disagreed and he still told me I needed to cancel my service and go with theirs because, and I kid you not, "Why go with shit service when you can have the best with us?" This is how businesses get new customers? Seriously? I ended up telling him he was free to go because I wasn't going to listen to him anymore and that I was not changing companies. He was not happy but he left.

The worst I had, though, was of my own doing, sort of. I was looking for a reliable and decent home warranty company so I went online. Doesn't everyone? The problem is that when you go online you can't just get a price without filling out their little form - name, address, phone, email - and then they email you their price list. Not only that, but they follow it up with a phone call. An unwanted and unrequested phone call. I had been recommended three companies. One was nixed right away, one was kind enough to just email me the pricing, but the third? The third is the one that made my teeth itch. I'm still upset that I didn't call and complain. Not 15 minutes after I received the email with the pricing I got a phone call from their local sales rep trying to get me to take their services. I politely explained that I was still doing research on the companies and that if I was interested in that one I'd call him, or someone else, to discuss it. He was not having that. He was downright rude, telling me how his company was the best and that no other company compares to his and that I'd be stupid for going with any other company - yes, he said stupid. He also claimed that other companies hire morons and don't offer any sort of coverage like his company did. Not only did he speak using those words he was practically shouting at me to make his point. I simply told him I wasn't interested, wished him a nice day and hung up. When their call center rep called me a week later I told the lady I'd already gone with another company and she said she would take me off their call list. YAY!

If I had spoken to any of my customers at any of my jobs the way these people spoke to me while trying to get me to hire their companies I'd have been fired on the spot. I can't believe these people still have jobs with the way they lie to, harass and bully people. I know sales is not an easy job, that's exactly why I don't do it. I'm the type of person who would smile, say "thanks anyway" and walk away if someone declined my sales pitch. I would not go to the same houses repeatedly in an attempt to wear people down and I certainly would not put down my competitors the way these people did. The minute you do that while talking to me I've lost all interest and I will never give you the time of day. So people, work on your salesmanship skills. Nobody wants to deal with you if you can't be professional.

P.S. To those of you who buy houses as a business...when a new address pops up on your call list, please understand that most of those are of people who just bought their home and they don't need you sending a postcard a week asking to buy their house, and they certainly don't need a phone call. I know you have a business to run but let me enjoy my new home for a few years. Please and thanks.

Until next time...peace to all.

A Glitch in the Matrix, or Two?

A lot of interesting and unexplainable things have happened to me over my lifetime so far, but what happened on Monday, May 30th completely blew my mind.

I woke up about 7:30am and got out of bed a few minutes later. I put on grey capris and a bright pink t-shirt, went through my morning routine, and sat on the sofa to read while my kids were still sleeping. Dolly wasn't here but Ty was and so were Zach and his girlfriend Kylee. I was hungry and wanted a smoothie but figured I'd wait until they were up so the blender didn't wake anyone.

Around 9:00 I heard the basement door open and close. Zach and Kylee have a room down there so I knew one of them was coming upstairs. The basement is through the garage so they enter the house through a door that leads to the garage. It was Kylee and their dog. Kylee let the dog out the back door and used the bathroom off the kitchen. She brought the dog back in and took him downstairs. A few minutes later Zach came up to use the larger bathroom which is through the living room and down the hall. Not that the size of either bathroom matters in this, it just explains that I knew which direction each of them went when they came up to the main level of the house. Anyway, Zach went back downstairs and that was that. or so I thought.

Maybe five minutes later both Zach and Kylee came upstairs. Kylee had her keys in her hand and I remember this because her keys are attached to a key ring on a lanyard which also contains a small wallet that holds her ID, money, or whatever, and the wallet is pink. It's not just a couple of keys that can be hidden in her hand and when she moves her little bundle of keys/lanyard/wallet make noise, and I saw them in her hand. She and Zach walked into the living room, straight across my visual path, and out the front door - together.

I actually thought it was kind of rude of them because Zach usually says something to me about where they're going and/or when they'll be back. Neither of them uttered a word or even looked at me. Just came in one door and went out the other. Whatever. I figured it would be a good time to make my smoothie since obviously they weren't going to get woken up by any noise and I figured Ty was already awake even though he hadn't come out of his room at that point. This was about 9:20 or so.

I went to the kitchen, washed an empty tea mug, made my smoothie and returned to the sofa to continue reading. The entire process in the kitchen took me maybe 5-7 minutes at most. Right then Ty came out of his room and sat on the other sofa. He was discussing his outfit with me because we were going to get our pool set up but I told him that it didn't matter right then since he and I were the only two home. We were still waiting for Dolly and her friends to get home, and for Zach and Kylee to return. I told Ty that I figured Zach and Kylee had gone out for breakfast.

About 90 minutes later, approximately 11:00, give or take, Ty asked me how long it takes to eat breakfast and I told him I wasn't even sure that Zach and Kylee went out for breakfast, that I had just guessed since they didn't say anything to me when they left. Maybe a minute or two later I heard the basement door open and close, and Kylee walked into the living room. I sat there stunned and asked her when they had gotten home because I'd been sitting on the sofa the entire time with the exception of my short run to the kitchen. She said she had never left, that Zach had taken their dog to a walking trail for a walk.

NO! I saw them leave together. I had literally watched them walk in through the garage door and out the front door. Kylee laughed and disagreed. So I walked her through what I'd seen when she made her trip up to the bathroom and to let the dog out, and then Zach's trip upstairs. She agreed those had happened but that when she went back downstairs she stayed there. No, just no. That couldn't be right. She said it was but I continued to disagree.

You might be thinking that perhaps they went out and came back while I was in the kitchen but that would have been impossible since the garage door is located in plain view of the kitchen and the living room. I would have seen them come back or at least heard them if my back was to the door. So I texted Zach since he still wasn't home and asked him where I was when he left. He said I was in the kitchen. That couldn't be but he came home a few minutes later so we discussed it.

He told me that when he left I was in the kitchen "doing something in the sink" and he figured I wouldn't hear him over the sound of the running water if he said goodbye so he just left. Again, impossible because I would have heard the garage door open and close. He said I was standing with my back to him and I was wearing grey capris - true - but that I had on a black t-shirt with white writing on the back. I said earlier that I put on a pink shirt when I got up. I hadn't changed clothes and still had on the pink shirt when he was talking to me.

Zach insisted that what he saw was true. He said he came up with the dog - and the dog I definitely would have heard since he's a big lab/retriever mix and his collar jangles - saw me at the sink in my black t-shirt and left without disturbing me. I went to my bedroom to look at my black tees and I have three of them but not one of them has any writing on the back at all, and I was wearing a pink shirt! Zach just shook his head and said he knows what he saw. I said the same thing about seeing Kylee and him leave together with no dog in sight. I know what I saw. Zach also mentioned to me later that when I was at the sink my hair was in a ponytail. I know for a fact that wasn't true because I'd left my hair down when I got dressed and didn't put it up until we went outside to work on the pool. He still insists I had it up.

So it seems like what we have here is some kind of double glitch in the matrix - is a double glitch even possible? - where I saw one thing and a few minutes later Zach saw something completely different, in the same house, not more than 20 feet apart. Unless, of course, they both happened at the same time - I was on the sofa watching them leave together and Zach was leaving with the dog but saw me in the kitchen and somehow dimensions got crossed.

I don't think we'll ever figure out how or why whatever happened, happened but it was definitely interesting. I'd actually love to do it again, if I had a way to make it happen. I'm going to have to do a lot of research on it and, in the meantime, I'll wallow in amazement.

Until next time...peace to all.

New Year, Happier Me

WOW! It's been almost a year since I've been here. I've missed it but am trying to get back to it regularly. I have the time, just never have any ideas. For now I'll just catch you up on the past year. Lot's of exciting things have happened for my family and I'm so grateful for all of it.

Dolly is now a sophomore in high school and, while she wasn't doing very well last year, she's turned it all around and is doing much better this year. Ty was already in college this time last year and finished his first year in May 2021. He's in his second year now and doing great. He even has a job with a work-study program through his school that relates to his film-making major. He loves it. YAY! Zach graduated from high school last May and started college in August.

While Ty is going locally, Zach decided that Mizzou would be the place for him. It's only an hour and a half away but I miss him. Dropping him off on sign-in day was one of the hardest things I've ever done. My baby boy was leaving home. There were lots of laughs and even more tears - mostly from me. Zach comes home some weekends and we text and talk during the week but it's not the same as him being home all the time. I just have to face the fact that my kid has flown the coop. I'm sure he'll be back at some point but he insists that he'll only be home on vacations. We'll see about that. 😉

Just before school started this year I decided that I needed a new job. Driving a school bus was awesome, and I desperately miss my bus kids, but there were many drawbacks to it, too. If we didn't work we didn't get paid. So vacations, professional development days for the teachers, holidays, snow days, etc. were non-paid days. I was literally struggling to pay my bills every month. And then COVID hit last year and things got even worse when the schools were shut down. Not to mention the fact that I was less than thrilled with the way the district was treating us drivers. I had no choice but to move on; it was best for me and mine.

This past August I'd heard about a local sanitation company that was hiring truck drivers for a lot more money than I was making driving a school bus. The work is also more steady - five days a week, 52 weeks a year. I applied for and got a job with them all within a 45-minute time period. I WAS SO EXCITED! I couldn't wait to get started. I finished up with the school district over the following two weeks and then started on my new adventure on September 1st. So far, it's been pretty great even though there were some bumps in the road.

I love driving the truck. I've made new friends. I've had a regular thrower for the past three months and we make a great team. He works his ass off and I get out of the truck to help him throw garbage cans when it's needed. Lots of exercise for both of us. Our routes are local and relatively short and easy. Our days start at 5:00am but we're also done by 1:00pm. There are still ups and downs with this company but we - all of us employees - are making the best of it, and succeeding.

The best thing to come of this new job was that, less than two months after starting with the company, I was able to afford to buy a house. I BOUGHT A HOUSE! We moved into it the third week of October and no longer live in affordable housing. I'm grateful for where we lived for almost 12 years because the programs available to me through them allowed me to save money to be able to buy the house. But I'm even more grateful for the fact that owning my own house got me out from under the rules we had to live by there.

I don't have to report any extra income to any management office, or have my income checked and my rent adjusted every year. I don't have to worry about not having a parking place, or having neighbors who share a wall and make a shit-ton of noise without caring who they disturb. I can have pets without getting a lease violation. Yes, we still have our cats and they love having our own home, too. I don't have to worry about occasional inspections from management or the government. We can paint our rooms any colors we want - Zach and Ty have already done that with their rooms and I'm working on getting Dolly's room and my room done.

WAIT! Did you read what I just said? I'm working on getting MY ROOM painted. I HAVE MY OWN ROOM AGAIN! It's the smallest bedroom in the house; I gave Ty the master since he has a lot more stuff than I do, but I have privacy again. No more sleeping on the sofa and having to stay up late because kids are walking up and down stairs to the kitchen for late-night snacks. I have a bed, a TV, a small plastic chest of drawers and a door - that opens and closes and opens and closes. I can shut out the world or invite it in. I have that choice now. YAY ME! I'm doing a happy dance as I write this.

Some days I just sit on my brand new sofa - new house, new furniture, because I wanted it - and marvel over all the great things that happened in the past seven months. Two kids in college, my last baby only two years from graduating high school, a new job, and a new house. I. Am. So. Happy. I know Abby (the universe, for those of you who may have forgotten) has so many wonderful things planned for my little family coming up this year and I can't wait to see what they are. In the meantime I'm going to sit here and be grateful for everything I've got right now and anticipate what's to come. And I'll be a happy me while I wait.

Until next time...peace to all.