OT .. Did you Know ?

This afternoon, I was faced with a slight problem in my newsreader on
Outlook Express.. The "error" that I kept getting didn't make sense so I
called Verizon tech. support for assistance.. The first call was barely
understandable and he quickly tripped me through the usual proceedures to
clear up the problem.. Sheesh.. the problem was even worse when I returned
online.. I called the second time.. when I finally got a "tech" on the
phone.. the connection was so bad that I couldn't hear him .. After
complaining about the poor quality of the telphone connection several times,
we finally became understandable to each other.. barely...

His response to the problem was that Verizon had terminated my account and
I'd need to be transferred to the Billing Dept.. Hmmm.. I was talking to
this clown .. barely.. on a Verizon line.. My computer accessed the internet
without problem.. How could a service be terminated.. Hell.. I am looking at
my bill which isn't due until the 13th of this month..

After pointing all this out to him, he then put me on hold, which he'd
already done at least four times.. I hung up and redialed .. This time I
connected clearly with a technician who had no problem communicating..He
also knew what the hell the problem was and immediately fixed the damn thing
with no excuses or delay.. While chatting with him, I detected a familiar
accent in his voice .. I asked him where he was located and he told me
Tijuana, B.C.

For those not familiar, that's Mexico.. I've called Verizon business office
to inquire about this obvious "outsourcing" from the tech support group
located in Alabama.. They, of course kept referring me to other
departments.. It seems that MY telephone company where I have been a loyal
and faithful customer for many years, is "outsourcing jobs" of my friends to
other countries.. where the wages are much cheaper.. Did you know that ? I
sure as hell didn't.. And I damn well don't like it..

Your friend in Irving
Bill Walker..

 

Bill -

I work in an industry that is full of outsourcing and
bureaucracy. I get to deal with it just about every day. Some people
(customers) are choosing to show their support by doing business with
companies that do not outsource to other countries. It just depends
on how you feel about it.



--Fullstate

Me and Mah 'Priller!

 

I work in an industry that is full of outsourcing and

How about my "All American" company where I work, where ALL of my friends
are now gone after having trained their replacements to take their jobs with
them overseas? Which of the top 3 computer companies might that be...? Oh
and by the way, the "quality does not suffer..." (wink, wink) as those of us
left carry the work of 5 until the day we too are outsourced and move from
being an asset to the country to being a liability.

 

Sorry to hear that, pard.. I wish you the best of luck.. Wish I could offer
more consolation.. Looks like we'll be blessed with all this "outsourcing"
until we get an administration in office that doesn't endorse it.. Again..
good luck..

Your friend in Irving
Bill Walker

 

Not just said, my friend.. it is disgraceful.. I'm raising hell with Verizon
and have a meeting with some of their company execs.. tomorrow.. I may not
win, but I will damn sure be letting them know that their actions are not
going unnoticed by their long time customers.. Several of them have called
and sent me e-mails.. LOL.. We may have quite a gathering in the Verixon
offices tomorrow..

Your friend in Irving
Bill Walker

 

If you make a tech call to SWB, as I have done recently, and ask
where the representative is located, they will say:

"We are not allowed to give out that information for security
reasons".

Of course, you will know from the beginning, where(generally
speaking) that the representative is located. It's just fun to ask.

Although not recently, I have had the representative answer with
names such as David, Mary, Steve, Lisa etc. I think we get the
general idea.

Gary

 

There was a discussion on this topic on another NG yesterday, someone
supplied this link from CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/lou.dobbs.tonight/popups/exporting.america/c
ontent.html

"Third, close the tax loopholes that reward companies for shipping our jobs
overseas. Instead, we will reward companies that create and keep good
paying jobs where they belong - in the good old U.S.A.
We value an America that exports products, not jobs - and we believe
American workers should never have to subsidize the loss of their own job. "
- John Kerry's Speech to the 2004 Democratic National Convention

While attempting to stay off the soapbox, I have to say I really enjoyed
that part of his speech.

T
http://www.DallasMinistries.com
Looking for a home? Get an Agent who is loyal to YOU:
www.RealEstateBuyersAgents.com

 

I knew a guy that sent his machine BACK to Dell (I think it was Dell)
because every time he called support he got some indian on the phone
that "spak english." He was fed up and returned it.


--Fullstate

Me and Mah 'Priller!

 

Maybe I am barking up the wrong tree here, but I don't see how or why
outsourcing is being blamed so hard on Bush. As I've always said, the
govt. needs to stay OUT of private industry and allow them to run it
the way they see fit. If that means outsourcing predominantly
low-level jobs to other countries then that is their prerogative.

If you, as a consumer, don't agree with it then don't do business with
them.

Jobs based around security or defense of our country are about the
only thing that the govt. should be stepping in and having a say in
(which they do).

Aside from all that, it's not solely up to Bush to make it happen or
break it.

I personably don't like outsourcing very much. From the perspective
that I understand why companies do it (to save $$$) doesn't mean I
appreciate it any more when I get someone that "spaks english well" on
the phone. I'd also rather see the jobs stay in American, but you
know what? Americans as a whole are spoiled rotten, lazy people that
would rather complain about someone else making the money than earn it
themselves.

Sorry.....off my soap box, now.


--Fullstate

Me and Mah 'Priller!

 

NO NO.. bubba ..you stay on that soap box.. I love it.. George Bush and his
administration have gone on record in approval of outsourcing our jobs..
They've even gone so far as to declare that it is good for America..Tax cuts
and other incentives they've provided for the countries "outsourcing of
jobs" have also been a sure sign of "government staying out of business"
support that you declare..

Damn.. right.. Bush could have stayed out of it.. Damn.. right.. he didn't
have to make public statements of approval and damn right.. Bush could have
discouraged the practice by incentives to encourage industry to keep jobs in
the US instead of exporting them to other countries with cheap slave labor..

Get real, bud.. There has been a lot that Bush could have done to prevent
all your fellow Americans from losing their jobs to outsourcing..

Your friend in Irving
Bill Walker

 

So what if he says he is in favor of it? There is a big difference
between that in passing legislation that encourages it. I wasn't
quite aware of all the tax breaks and what-not, but it's not Bush that
solely pushes legislation through. It takes other people to vote it
in, too.

BTW - you should know, that I still support he govt. staying out of
private enterprise so this would be an example of me not agreeing with
what is taking place.

I am real, Bill. I am sick and freaking tired of Bush being blamed
for everything like he's the anti-christ. Laws are created and put
into place by republicans and democrats alike. It is not solely Bush
that has caused all the problems that we faced and I, for one, am sick
of the Bush bashing just for the sake of Bush bashing.

You bastard!!! you sucked me back in again......grrrr.


--Fullstate

Me and Mah 'Priller!

 

Yeah.. I did... Good job too.. LMAO... And your old leg is still sore and I
am going to be riding my new speedometer thing all over Texas this
weekend... Let that be a lesson to your little crippled up Bush lovin'
ass... hahahaha... You can't go...

Your friend in Irving
Bill Walker

 

Toss all the bums out!

 

THAT'S what I'm talkin' .. Give 'em hell, Waco..Fullstate ain't seen shit,
till he gets you and me both wired up on his lil' ol' funky, crippled ass..
Hell.. he can't ride anyway, since he's all crippled up.. might as well make
the best of taking advantage of him..<chuckle> I don't think I am going to
let him two up with me anymore, either..

Your friend in Irving
Bill Walker

 

Now, now....I am not a Bush lover. In fact, I am in a dilemma because
I don't want to vote for either of the two primary candidates.

I'll be back in about three weeks. I am really hoping I can ride
then.


--Fullstate

Me and Mah 'Priller!

 

Me too.. Take care, pard...See you when you get back..

Your friend in Irving
Bill Walker

 

I am always sorry to hear about people I know who have hard times .. for any
reason.. Sorry I can't help..

No prosperity for me

There is a whole lot of that..

Between the two of us, we now make about one half of what I

There is a lot of that too.. Maybe it is time for you to rethink some of
those views.. Presidential policy has a tremendous effect on our economy as
well as other things we experience in our daily lives..

Being retired, I am well aware that my time allows me to pay a little more
attention than the guy who is struggling to provide.. Tax incentives have
been the tools for Bush since he campaigned for governor in Texas... That
was one of the issues he ran on to defeat Ann Richards.. He has allowed
companies like Halliburton as well as many others to offshore .. His
policies have allowed them to shift the tax buirdens to all of us.. In the
Halliburton case, as in other of his supporters like his buddy Ken Lay have
been allowed to victimize taxpayers as well as consumers.. You didn't know
all that, Stephan...??

As far as

world.

Labor costs are only a small part of the reasons these companies are
outsourcing.. It is a small savings for those companies, but the tax
liabilities that are evaded are paid by American taxpayer while they lose
their jobs and the taxes those companies do not pay.. That is the no-brainer
and I'm surprised you haven't realized it..The total tax structure is
affected by that loss and the American taxpayer suffers the consequences..

You still don't get it..

Then the way it

We are talking about the companies in the United States which are offshoring
and outsourcing jobs.. Not China or India or Indonesia..

Companies must make a profit in order to stay in business.. The phenomenon
that we are suffering from at this time is pure corporate greed that has
destroyed the integrity of the leaders of these companies.. They've
prospered with a profit margin for decades.. and built empires at the
expense of dedicated employees .. American Airlines and Delta are two prime
examples.. Enron and Global Crossing are two more.. These companies have
existed at the expense of taxpayer as well as the dedicated employees..
Greed and lack of integrity Stephen.. That is the problem..

Most consumers do not consider how their demands for lower prices

Another prime example, Stephen.. blame the ones who are being taken
advantage of.. Bull..you know better..Or .. you used to Stephen..

Does that candidate that you are writing in, have a remote chance of being
elected..??..Any vote that you cast for any candidate without a chance of
beating George Bush is a vote for George Bush.. Again . you know better, my
friend.. Most people who have suffered under the same circumstances you
have, are determined to get Bush and his corrupt policies out of their
offices.. Voting for any candidate who you know doesn't stand a chance is as
foolish as voting for Bush.. Kerry may not be the ideal candidate.... as you
know, he was not my first choice.. but he stands the chance of beating a
president whose policies have caused you and your family so much pain..

Make up your mind.. you either want that bastard out of office, once and for
all, or you are willing to throw the vote away, that could be the one to
keep him in office..You talk about simplicity.. that is simplicity.. Think
about it..

Your friend in Irving
Bill Walker

 

You don't even realize how right you are... I went in there with two of my
good friends.. We were politely taken to a little booth.. The lady that came
in to talk with us, was more than likely Indian, but I'm not sure..

She denied that Verizon had outsourced tech support to Tijuana, then she
went to get a supervisor, when I insisted that I'd talked to a friend of
mine in TJ, just yesterday when I called Verizon tech.. support.. She went
to check something and when she returned, there was some kinda funky little
doughboy with her name Philip.. He sure did have bad body odor..

Boy.. this little dude thought he was some kinda fast talker.. Didn't like
it much when I told him the lady was lying about Tijuana.. that I speak very
good spanish and had talked to the tech long enough to develop a friendship
with him... The doughboy advised me that I had just misunderstood the
conversation and he informed me of all the spanish speaking employees on the
payroll at Verizon.. There definitely had to be some kind of mistake on my
part...

Well sir.. I informed the doughboy that I not only speak pretty good
spanish, but that I am nearly fluent in the language and the only
misunderstanding was his attempt to deny something so obvious.. I furthur
informed the little dude that Verizon had been misinformed by him, when they
hired him to bullshit people like me.. hmmm... He really didn't appreciate
my attitude and opined that I was acting very opinionated.. Now.. at this
point... bad as I hated to, I had to agree with the little feller..No doubt
... I am an opinionated old fossil...especially when some clown is telling me
that I didn't hear what I heard..

That foreign type lady had already started edging toward the door opening
and nervously looking outside.. At this point I was getting just a bit
concerned..and a bit uneasy, as well..I could tell the doughboy was about to
panic and bolt, so I excused myself.. We went to the restroom, which is a
regular required necessity when you get my age.. The guy in the next stall
looked familiar to me, so we started talking.. As it were, he was someone I
had worked around years ago on a construction project for General
Telephone.. Come to find out, he's the executive something or other for
Verizon which used to be General..

He resolved this issue with those dipsticks that had been wasting my time
and bullshitting me.. We went to his office with those two clowns..My old
friend informed me in front of them, that indeed . Verizon has contracted
the outsourced work to Tijuana.. He also made the foreign lady write up my
statement of opposition to this company policy.. He assured me that the
statements of me and my two friends would be reviewed by appropriate higher
ups.. Whatever that is worth.. Anyway .. I left.. feeling just a bit better
for getting this off my chest, rather than just accepting..

Soon as I got home .. I immediately checked to see if I still had telephone
service.. No telling what that foreign lady might resort to, for revenge...

That's it .. pard.. See you later..

Your friend in Irving
Bill Walker