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A hodge podge of Call Center stories mixed with some of the activities amongst my peer group.

Josh is the Dispatch supervisor who shall we say sometimes uses the fleet for extra jobs. The fleet consists of six drivers rented from one of our contractorswho work for us and we can send them hither and yon to pick up the slack in areas that get too busy to meet timely service goals.

The other day Josh sent Jim out newest fleet driver down to Cincinnati (on a tow) but with the more important task of delivering a generator for a 1928 Ford Model T Josh has been fiddling with the past couple of weeks with an AAA member who has some kind of clout or hold on us because one night Josh spent an evening working on the guy's engine. Bd news Jim didn't get down there in time for the garage to still be open and Josh was fit to be tied. My survival instincts are still alive and kicking so I nodded wisely and bit my tongue. This really should have been done earlier with the service van but that's just me mind you. Traffic around 4:30 pm between Dayton and Cincy can be interesting to say the least.

About a week ago I was off for the evening unaware that the next work day would embroil me in an argument with the Call Center Night Supervisor Jeannie in our most serious confrontation ever in 10years and we have battled on and off to where there has been a respect and give and take on both our parts.

Not this time.

About 4:30 Dispatch scheduler Tami aanounces that a call is coming off hold in about an hour and have the fleet driver ready to roll. In fact why not send him NOW to Vandalia to hang out at a corner bus stop and wait for a member to arrive. The idea was to greet him and take him about a mile to the Dayton airport and unlock a car for him. A bit odd to be taking up a fleet driver's time when I had uses for him during that hour. I'm told we are being proactive "on this case."

Somethings up but I've been going throuhg a bored with life in general phase and this was day one of seven in a row and would be dispatcher Bob's problem anyway as I was baby sitting Greene county tonight.

Fleet driver Jim gets the word to head up to the meeting spot and wait for a bus and the call to glory. He waits and waits past the hour. I would like to use him as would Bob elsewhere and technically the call was still on HOLD until John Doe honored us with a phone verification that Greyhound is the way to go these days. Bob pulls Jim off the call and atleast one AAA member gets timely service as a result.

Another hour goes by. John Doe finally calls in. Jeannie wants to know why Jim isn't still in danger of getting a loitering ticket. We send driver Chris in his place and all ends well until I hear the words that lights the match for an impending explosion.

"Make sure you don't count this call on his membership." from Jeannie.

Bob and I exchange puzzled looks. Bad enough the buses don't run on time but losing a driver for over an hour on a busy night just so John Doe can't wait his proper turn let alone maintain a hold on his keys??!! WHAT's UP??!!

The member's real name brings no ray of light. No employee markings or board member identifications the usual political stuff. No special notes. Hmmmm. Bob prints the call from last night that started all this.

From the very very getogo per the documentation Mr. John Doe has the manners of a Don Rickles channeling a man with Tourettes. He was foul to evryone --the call taker and the driver from last night.

I ask Jeannie why we are being so nice to this bozo and for the first time EVER Jeannie tells me "It's none of your business."

The Bible verse I most at work is "Only by pride cometh contention" and ir stands me in good stead. I silently reiew the many times I've had to step in on an abusive mmeber and either smoth the grapes of wrath or simply but firmly deny service until a proper attitude has been adjusted.

I grumble to Bob a bit and slack off and wait a bit. One more time and the next ay I try to get out of Jeannie what makes this guy so special but she will NOT tell me. That a sure sign management was brought it into big time but I just don't see it.

Only once did I have to see the Club President over a call which details involved a hotel and a suitcase and bad phone numbers so I have a bit of contempt for what sinks ships around our place. Lord help you if you want to get ahold of your travel agent after hours. Word to the wise is sufficient.

So Bozo scores, dispatch knuckles under and Jeannie hints if I wait quite awhile she might fill me in. I've waited 30 yeas to read certain books. I can wait til winter is over.

Clairebear and boyfriend John have split up and she's taking it much better the I thought she would. Brandy still meeting guys on blind dates that never seem to get past date #3. Weird if I consider them a catch others don't. Once wanted son Dan to take her out but that boat sailed a long time ago.

NEXT: Regular AAA Stories and why keys are NOT toys