Owls, Dalmations, and Customer Service

[firefightermichelle]

The most recent animal craze I can remember over here in the States 
was the rush on Dalmation puppies after 101 Dalmations came out in '96
(?).  Shortly after it came out, I started working at the Disney-MGM 
Studios int he Backstage Pass atraction, which was currently 
featuring ... 101 Dalmations.  I heard all the stories about how 
during the Christmas holidays they had puppies and trainers in the 
lobby of the attraction.  Oh how cute they were ... but oh how the 
trainers passed out the "Why you really don't want one of these 
puppies, even though they are the cutest thing on the planet right 
now" fliers.  People would ignore them, and go and buy a Dalmation 
puppy, only to discover they are the most hyper dogs and tear 
everything up.  Then the pounds and Humane Societies were inundated 
with them.  <sigh>  poor puppies.  poor, stupid humans :)


ANd now, my views on Customer Service. :)

I have been int he customer service industry my entire workign 
career ... ok, so that's 8 years, but hey.  And in that time, I have 
run across some customers that would make you want to bring a gun to 
work, just in case you saw them again.  And I have worked with some 
people that made you homicidal.  Now I am in the Ultimate Customer 
Service job.  Yes, being a firefighter is ALL about customer 
service.  Sure, you get to have all kinds of fun, squirting water, 
cutting up cars ... and occasionally, people thank you for saving 
their lives.  But more often than not, people bitch about how you 
ruined their carpet.  Well, *I* wasn't the moron who left the chicken 
frying on the stove while I ran to the store to get more lard!!   But 
what do you say?  Oh, I'm sorry.  Or you get the person that is drunk 
off their arse and falls down and cracks his head ... yet he yells at 
you when you stick a needle in his arm to replace the fluid he's bled 
out 'cause it hurts.

Seriously, I really do love my job ... it's the moments when a little 
kid coems to the fire station and we let him sit in the drivers seat 
and turn on the lights that makes it all worth it.  Well, that and 
squirting water and cutting up cars :)

Ok, I'm done.  Oh, and when I set the alarm off at Wally World (I 
LOVE Wally World, but will forever laugh when I think of WaldeMart) I 
stop and find the nearest Wally World person.  AM I the only one?

Michelle :) <---who would love to contribute to the Hermione/Barty 
jr/Winky/Moody/Pigwidgeon storyline, but can't cause she has to go 
change her undies cause she peed herself laughing!!! :)