What is the Meaning of Friendship on USMB?

[PoliticalChic]

Yeah, that's what I'm doing. Until it starts getting busy, then I'll get around to paying for internet at home, and you all can enjoy my occasional drunken late night rants

I've yet to hold a job that allowed me the luxury.

It would interesting to see both of us with our drunken late night rants.

 

[Zoom-boing]

I think I'm taking this Friendship Requests way too seriously, but please humor me for a moment.

If you're "friends" with someone, does that mean that you would be that person's friend in real life?

What if you get a request from someone that you agree with only half the time?

I wasn't too discriminating before, but I'm beginning to think maybe I should be.

What are your thoughts? Are you thinking I'm spending way too much time on USMB?

I think it's just something fun, like collecting friends on Facebook. I'd likely be friends IRL with some folks on here and would probably accept most anyone's friends request. I rarely send out friend requests mostly because I never really think about it! It doesn't much matter to me one way or another.

I am glad to read different view points and opinions on such a wide variety of topics. Very, very interesting.

 

[Battleborne]

I mostly post from work and when I'm waiting for my bf to come get me at home. When I'm at work I have people screaming at me in my headset as I type here, it's pretty funny to think about. The madder they get the less I listen. At home I don't watch TV or anything, so I listen to music and post here.

Some nights I'm still at work, like right now, and it's even easier to post because our phones go really quiet but we still run a 24/7 call center. But I'm outta here in about 20 minutes and you won't here another peep out of me until tomorrow.

I never really thought about how much time I spend on here. If I wasn't doing this I'd just be updating a Facebook or MySpace page all day. I also spend a lot of time at church, so you won't see me much on Saturdays or Sundays or some week nights if we have an activity that I'm involved in.

Wow...a very smart young lady...you see boards as entertainment...

 

[Battleborne]

I've yet to hold a job that allowed me the luxury.

It would interesting to see both of us with our drunken late night rants.

Say what!...you told me you surf the net(and other thingees) while in bed...

 

[driveby]

I mostly post from work and when I'm waiting for my bf to come get me at home. When I'm at work I have people screaming at me in my headset as I type here, it's pretty funny to think about. The madder they get the less I listen. At home I don't watch TV or anything, so I listen to music and post here.

Some nights I'm still at work, like right now, and it's even easier to post because our phones go really quiet but we still run a 24/7 call center. But I'm outta here in about 20 minutes and you won't here another peep out of me until tomorrow.

I never really thought about how much time I spend on here. If I wasn't doing this I'd just be updating a Facebook or MySpace page all day. I also spend a lot of time at church, so you won't see me much on Saturdays or Sundays or some week nights if we have an activity that I'm involved in.

Posting from work seems to be a common theme .....

 

[Missourian]

Ahhh, the joys of being self-employed.

When I get sick and tired catching myself goofing off and wasting valuable company time, I simply call myself into the office and fire me.

I get even with me though, I just sit back and collect unemployment until I realize I can't run this company without me.

 

[Amanda]

Posting from work seems to be a common theme .....

I don't feel bad about it because it doesn't keep me from doing my job. All I have to do is take calls and keep sounding sweet no matter how much they yell. Sometimes it's tempting to transfer calls back to myself and answer with an Indian accent... that would make some people's head explode.

 

[Dis]

I don't feel bad about it because it doesn't keep me from doing my job. All I have to do is take calls and keep sounding sweet no matter how much they yell. Sometimes it's tempting to transfer calls back to myself and answer with an Indian accent... that would make some people's head explode.

Actually it does.. It sounds like you're a customer service rep of some sort. If you're here, you're not giving your customers the service they're looking for. You pretty much already admitted that you tune them out.. Is that you actually giving your boss what they're paying you for?

And how would you like it if you were someones boss, and they were cheating you?

 

[indago]

See you later. I have a bad headache and I'm going to bed.

Take a couple of aspirin before going to bed. Aspirin works well when you are asleep.

 

[PoliticalChic]

Say what!...you told me you surf the net(and other thingees) while in bed...

One roll in the hay and now you have to give away all my secrets???

 

[Ravi]

Ahhh, the joys of being self-employed.

When I get sick and tired catching myself goofing off and wasting valuable company time, I simply call myself into the office and fire me.

I get even with me though, I just sit back and collect unemployment until I realize I can't run this company without me.

I like it, too, though I really get annoyed with myself on a daily basis...especially when I refuse to make myself a coffee.

But the bonus is that I almost never, ever have to go to the office unless I'm meeting a client.

 

[PoliticalChic]

Actually it does.. It sounds like you're a customer service rep of some sort. If you're here, you're not giving your customers the service they're looking for. You pretty much already admitted that you tune them out.. Is that you actually giving your boss what they're paying you for?

And how would you like it if you were someones boss, and they were cheating you?

While exhausting and nerve-racking at times, customer service doesn't require your full undivided attention. I think posting a few messages on the board may soothe Amanda enough to make other people's customer service experience more pleasurable.

I am greatful anytime I can speak to someone in the U.S.A. instead of someone overseas.

 

[PoliticalChic]

Take a couple of aspirin before going to bed. Aspirin works well when you are asleep.

Thanks for your concern. I had a couple glasses of red wine and I got a headache, but the sleep overnight cured it!

 

[Ravi]

I don't feel bad about it because it doesn't keep me from doing my job. All I have to do is take calls and keep sounding sweet no matter how much they yell. Sometimes it's tempting to transfer calls back to myself and answer with an Indian accent... that would make some people's head explode.

lol, do you work for Amex? That fake Indian accent had me fooled for awhile, but I'm on to you now missy.

 

[Amanda]

Actually it does.. It sounds like you're a customer service rep of some sort. If you're here, you're not giving your customers the service they're looking for. You pretty much already admitted that you tune them out.. Is that you actually giving your boss what they're paying you for?

I guess you don't know what it's like to be a CSR.

I'm a level 2 rep which means I take regular incoming calls and I get the escalated "Lemme talk to your boss!" calls. In both cases I have things I can do for them (that I might add they could do for themselves if they would just use a computer) and things I can tell them, and other than that all I can say is, "I'm sorry you're disappointed with the service" or whatever. They yell and scream and cuss and carry on but that's all I can do. Oh, and I take notes about anything special they say so the next CSR knows what they're getting. It's not a hard job. In my office I am a hard worker, I take calls non-stop, and I never let them get to me, and I get them off the phone fast. That's why I'm a level 2 after so short a time.

And how would you like it if you were someones boss, and they were cheating you?

If I were cheating anyone I would feel bad about it, but since I'm not I feel fine. Everyone surfs the net. My boss has come up to me while I was posting and asked what I was doing. "Giving someone both barrels on the interwez", "Oh, ok... when you get a chance can you review the blah blah blah case?" "Sure" "Ok, thanks"

PoliticalChic got it right. Posting here prolly does make me do my job better.

 

[Amanda]

lol, do you work for Amex? That fake Indian accent had me fooled for awhile, but I'm on to you now missy.

No. It's a financial services company but not Amex.

 

[Amanda]

While exhausting and nerve-racking at times, customer service doesn't require your full undivided attention. I think posting a few messages on the board may soothe Amanda enough to make other people's customer service experience more pleasurable.

I am greatful anytime I can speak to someone in the U.S.A. instead of someone overseas.

Aw, that's so sweet of you to say. I don't think it's a hard job tho. I can't believe they pay me as much as they do to just listen to people rant. It's kinda funny really. I do get some people that are grateful for native English speakers. And I have to admit if it seems like they're enjoying the American-ness of it, I ham it up a little and let my country twang out to play. I find it can even sooth people that are angry to go a little southern on them.

 

[PoliticalChic]

Aw, that's so sweet of you to say. I don't think it's a hard job tho. I can't believe they pay me as much as they do to just listen to people rant. It's kinda funny really. I do get some people that are grateful for native English speakers. And I have to admit if it seems like they're enjoying the American-ness of it, I ham it up a little and let my country twang out to play. I find it can even sooth people that are angry to go a little southern on them.

Oh, I love regional accents too! Lot of those regional accents have been disappearing. Sometimes I get a person that's especially charming and we chat for a while.

 

[Amanda]

Oh, I love regional accents too! Lot of those regional accents have been disappearing. Sometimes I get a person that's especially charming and we chat for a while.

We have some pretty strict time limits but sometimes if I've helped someone quickly and they want to talk for a minute I will, but there are also the dreaded lonely grandmothers... I feel for them but I can't chat for 2 hours about what their cat is doing "right now".

 

[alan1]

You make an interesting point. If I didn't talk about politics, I would be friends with a lot people on this board. Yes, making friends does broaden your horizons.

I've been pretty successful in the past of transitioning some virtual friendships into real friendships. But some people are very suspicious toward friendly people. They think that everybody is out to do them harm.

Amanda, please don't take this the wrong way. I'm just curious. Why would a young, attractive, intelligent girl would want to spend time on a message board when you are free to do as you please? I'm sure you have friends and you must get hit on a lot with your pretty looks.

You must think it's ok for me to post on the internet because I'm old and ugly, despite what my avatar and screen name indicate.