Anyone who has anything to do with customer service in their organisation should read and learn from Joel Spolsky’s article on the subject. It’s not just software companies he’s talking about. Anyone who deals with customers could benefit from taking his advice. I particularly liked point 2, “Suggest blowing out the dust”. Microsoft’s Raymond Chen… Continue reading Spolsky on Customer Service
Category: work
Contract Nonsense
This is really pissing me off. My current contract ended yesterday. The clients want to extend me for another six months. I’m happy to stay there for another six months. However, since I started there in April, the clients have outsourced the running of their temporary workers HR department to a third party. And that… Continue reading Contract Nonsense
Litany Against Meetings
I was in a meeting just before lunch and I passed the time by trying to remember the Litany Against Meetings. Of course, Google found the full text easily. I must not attend meetings. Meetings are the mind killer. Meetings are the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my meeting. I will permit… Continue reading Litany Against Meetings
Agents Can’t Read
Not that anyone is going to be surprised by this, but it seems that a number of recruitment agents have problems with basic reading skills. This morning I got three emails from agents containing details of potential jobs. In two of the three cases they were actually quite good matches for my skills. But, of… Continue reading Agents Can’t Read
Huntress Group Update
Update (October 2011): Time passes and companies change. I should point out that this blog post was written a long time ago. I’m assured by Huntress that they have addressed the issues I mention below and are a much better company to work with these days. It’s certainly many years since I received an inappropriate… Continue reading Huntress Group Update
Media Organisations
My contract with Guardian Unlimited finishes at the end of the month. So I’ve been poking around looking for a new contract. And it seems that I’ll be moving from one large media to another one. I start work for the BBC out in White City in two weeks.
Recruitment Agents
Update (October 2011): Time passes and companies change. I should point out that this blog post was written a long time ago. I’m assured by Huntress that they have addressed the issues I mention below and are a much better company to work with these days. It’s certainly many years since I received an inappropriate… Continue reading Recruitment Agents
Back To Work Day
Not for me you understand. I’ve been going into work every day except the three public holidays we get over xmas[1]. But it seems that the majority of the population of London left work on Friday 20th December and didn’t return until this morning. I first realised this when I arrived at my tube station… Continue reading Back To Work Day
Redundancy
When I got back from holiday last week, I was told by my employers that due to cash-flow problems they weren’t able to pay any of the staff October’s salary. Like good little employees we all signed a form saying that we didn’t mind if they deferred our salary until more money came in. Then… Continue reading Redundancy