Hanging Over My Head

Little Cuter and I discussed that which neither of us had touched for a while.  It was a painful subject, one laced with joy and consternation in equal proportions.  There were others involved.  We had been excited about the initial planning, but life changed in unexpected ways and our plans needed some adjustment.  Neither of us wanted to face it.  We'd danced away from it several times until the phone call where she said, Should we just do it now?

We did. There were no repercussions of any significance, though we had been prepared for a discomfited reception. Good friends are good friends and you're stuck with us they said.  We hung up smiling.

With that in mind, today I tackled the Projects to be Dealt With Eventually pile.  My stomach was in a knot.  My hands were sweaty on the keyboard.  My head was saying DON"T DO THIS while my inner sense of something or other kept plucking away at the tasks.

I called. I spoke to agents. I was rewarded with smiles, helpful answers to befuddling questions, solutions that met my immediate and long term needs, and delightful conversation.  That was at First Republic which is now part of JPMorgan/Chase.  I stayed on the line for a while so that I could compliment the men who helped me.  Their supervisor thanked me for my patience and assured me that they would be properly rewarded.

A handshake?  A smoothie?  A bonus?  The details didn't matter.  I finished my (first) project and moved on to the next bundle of aggravation.

Once again, I was pleasantly surprised.  The woman who answered my phone told me a quick and simple way to solve a problem that has lingered for many years.  It will take about 6 months for a final resolution, but a final resolution is now in hand.  As she said, It's been coded in. Don't worry about anything else.

I marked my calendar for six months, and the points in between she mentioned, and I moved on.

Guess where I am right now?  Waiting in the chat for Comcast/Xfinity to resolve my issue.  I received another text message reminding me to order my new boxes.  My Account still said they'd be arriving May 24th.  Despite knowing better, I decided to try and contact them again.

The chat box was unresponsive on the main website.  The link to send an email didn't work, either.  I did manage to send an email, but who knows to whom that went (customer service @ comcast doesn't seem very personal) or when attention will be paid.  

Through a Google search, I found a number I hadn't tried before.  I clicked into the chat.  There was a quick response: Please don't worry, you are connected to the right team. We are a team of experts and a one-stop solution for all your Xfinity-related concerns. I will be more than happy to help.

I typed in my relevant information.  

I'm still waiting for a response.  It's been twenty minutes.  

There's a lot to be said for fixing a problem when it arises instead of allowing it to lie heavily in your brain, on your heart.  The anxiety of facing a distasteful situation goes away once the situation is addressed.  

That feels quite obvious, seeing it written down like that.  I think I'll print it out and tape it to my desktop, to my car's dashboard, to my bathroom mirror.  Perhaps I can save myself future anxious moments.

On the other hand, trying to fix it and getting a response like this, after 20 minutes of nothingness, makes me question my desire to engage with anyone, anywhere, anytime.

Thank you for the details that you provided, Susan. I apologize for any delay in responses. Due to the nature of working via social media and how we interact with customers here, we can not always respond instantly. We understand your time is valuable, and we sincerely appreciate your time and patience while we work to get back to you.