2018 Fall November 15 Thursday

28 degrees this morning (feels like 21), no walk, humidity 69%

Got up planning to walk this morning, decided not to, primarily due to the temperature and a busy schedule today. 

Listening to a discussion about the company “Sales Force”.  Nothing against the company as such, but I really get irritated at the concept that has led to the idea of “cross-selling” etc., where if I call into a company, no matter what the reason, I am inundated with sales pitches for products or services I have no interest in.  Of course I can just say “no”, but it wastes my time.  

Nothing is more irritating than to call in for assistance and then get ten sales pitches for junk products or services (and usually high commissions!) from sales people who are more interested in selling you something instead of resolving the issue at hand.  

Of course credit card companies and banks are notorious for this, but it has even extended to the pest control company where some of the pest control people are really sales people in disguise who are more interested is selling “extended services” than doing their job.  

My first (or at least my first conscious) contact with this was Capital One and “cross selling” to any customer who called in.  

I have made a point of avoiding any Capital One product, but the “customer as target” concept has even gotten more out of hand.  As I mentioned, even pest control companies are more interested in selling “enhanced” services than providing a service. 

Of course my defense is I never buy an “enhanced” service when I call in with a problem or question.  I “just say not”.  

A related irritant is the phone calls from people who seem to think I am stupid (or too careless with my money) that I will “give money” to someone who thinks so little of my time they will call me up at any time of the day. Again, I always say “no” as the defense.

E-mail has also gotten out of hand.  I need to keep track, but I don’t want to waste the time, but I expect only about 1 of 25 e-mails is really anything I want or need.  The rest are spam, sales pitches etc.  

I have learned never to fill out a survey or questionnaire unless I use a “junk mail” address that I might check every two weeks.  Again, another example of companies that mis-use your information and are really stealing your e-mail address under the false pretenses that they really care what you say on the survey.  

This morning I even got an e-mail  that had some kind of loud ad on it.  They really think I will buy from someone that does something like that?

Anyway, on a more positive note, it is Thursday and warmer weather is forecast!  I am definitely  really to get back to walking, but the last thing I want to do is trigger something that would start my coughing again.  

I am participating in a study about a new medicine for asthma etc., so it will be interesting to see how that goes!  If nothing else it is interesting to see how such a study works and what all is involved in it.

That’s it for now, Thursday, November 15, 2018.