Popularity: 81% [?]

Everybody at one point in time has had the need to contact customer service. Sometimes you wind up talking to somebody that just refuses to help you out, or you dont get the outcome you wanted. Here are some tips that I’ve noticed I do that help me get the result I need.

1. If you’re an American, you typically want to talk to an American. No offense to those who arent, but we Americans appreciate our language and like to talk to those who can speak it very well. All too often we call customer service and talk to a foreigner who cant understand you. If this happens, just hang up. Call back. True, you may have waited an hour to talk to a rep but rather than be pissed off because you just spent the last hour waiting, and the next 30 minutes trying to get the rep to understand what you’re saying. You’ll be better off just spending the time calling them back. No offense to Dell, but they are terrible with overseas representatives. So it’s better to just call back and talk to somebody who can understand you.

2. If you call and you get somebody who you think speaks english correctly, but they sound like they were weened on a pickle hang up and try again. I really hate dealing with people who hate their job and dont give a darn if I get what I want. My tip here is call back until you get somebody nice. If you encounter a female, the best I’ve come across are those who are peppy and sound like they are kind. If you get a guy, you can tell by how he answers. If he’s like… Thanks for calling… how can I help you.. in a droning tone.. try again.. but if he’s all Hey, thanks for calling! My name’s Dave how can I help you today!? If they are all “peppy” and seems like they are full of energy, you typically have a better chance of getting your issue resolved.

3. If you call and you get this far, but they cant do what you want them to, keep insisting that they give you the service you need. If you’ve got documentation that says you are entitled to something quote it to them. Say something like, “In section 5, paragraph two it says here that I get a free replacement.” there is little they can say. If you continue to give you hassle, ask to speak to their supervisor. But the important thing is to remain calm. Try very hard to not raise your voice or start sounding like a jerk. Rudeness is only met with rudeness. You win more bees with honey than vinegar. When talking to the supervisor, be to the point. Dont tell your whole story all over again. Just say something to the effect of this “Hi Mark, my phone stopped working a week after I got it. I really need this phone for work and I need you to replace it as soon as you can.” Sometimes they will try to get you to pay for it, but if you’ve not done anything to break it (aka not your fault) tell them that the phone is dysfunctional and that you should be entitled to a free replacement. You should never have to pay for anything that wasnt broken by any fault of yours.

4. If all else fails, yell at them. Just kidding. I would just say “You know what, dont worry about it. Just forget I ever called.” and hang up. If you’re really pissed off, wait an hour or two and call them back. Just because you spoke to Mark the supervisor does not mean you will get him again. Often times if you call back there will be a new shift and you’ll get somebody else. You can tell them that you had a terrible experience with a representative earlier today and you need to talk to somebody who actually cares about what’s going on. Sometimes they will say “I’m sorry about that, what seems to be going on.” Play the sympathy card!! If you can get them to feel sorry for you because you’ve had a terrible time there is a chance they will waive any charges or credit your account.

I hope this helps get you better results. It works for me, and can take some patience but I think it’s worth it in the long run.

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Popularity: 24% [?]

So, I was browsing around on freecycle and this guy named Ron was giving away some pallets. Now I was thinking standard pallets with that 1/4 by 4in wood planks. Well I got to his house to pick em up and they were 2×6x8’s instead! So we loaded em up on his truck and got em home. I took apart the pallets and was like… well now what!? I thought about it for a minute and decided to build myself a workbench that I can abuse instead of my deck or my kitchen table. After some minor trial and error, I was able to come up with a great design. The table is very heavy and sturdy. Definitely going to be able to stand up to some work to be done! When I get a chance, I will post some pictures here. I am eager for your comments and ideas on maybe how to improve on my design.

Pictures: Workbench - Straight on - Workbench - From the side. - Workbench - From underneath.

Popularity: 22% [?]

Well, there are no new updates really. I just have not had the time to get outside and finish it up. Maybe sometime this week I will be able to. I did however fill in alot of holes using Elmers Woodputty. That stuff works great and dries really quickly. I will have to go get some more of it. Good stuff to have around.

Popularity: 16% [?]

So I was browsing over some cool projects at www.instructables.com, and came across this project to create a bookshelf. The original designer used plywood and a nailgun. I used the wood from a box spring my neighbor was going to throw away.

I managed to get some good pieces from the box spring, but unfortunately most of the wood was old and very very dry so it split in a few places. But nothing some wood putty won’t fix. The photos you see are of the “after” pictures, after I tore the padding and fabric off the box spring, separated the wood and removed all 2 billion staples from the wood, assembled the pieces and am now waiting for the putty to dry so I can sand it down tomorrow, and on friday stain it/airbrush it. I’m not so good at airbrushing, but then again I’m not very good at woodworking either.

If you want to see the original project, head on over to here

Pictures: Bookshelf 1, Bookshelf 2, Bookshelf 3

Popularity: 18% [?]