In my seemingly never-ending quest to find employment, I was pursuing the want ads Sunday when I came across an ad that caught my eye--do customer service during the holidays to earn some extra money. I've done customer service and so I called the number around 9 a.m. Monday morning. I was told that applications were accepted on Tuesday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at their 0ffice on West End Avenue. I asked for directions from Smyrna (just in case there's some tricky turn in there) and thanked the woman on the phone for the information.
Fast forward to Tuesday. I am up at their office around 9:30 or so (if I have to drive into Nashville, I try to let traffic clear out a bit). I go inside and find out--oh yeah, by the way, we filled that job yesterday. And there are other things that can consider me for--it's a temp agency--but I need to fill out an application. If I didn't want to stay and do it there, I could go on-line and do it. At this point, I lose it. I politely but firmly tell the woman speaking to me that I was told yesterday that applications were accepted on Tuesday through Thursday. I called early enough that I could have made it in before the deadline on Monday for new applications or if I'd been told they had a web site, I could have done it at home, on-line and been considered for the position I came in for. I then went on to say, I would be happy to fill out the application, leave my resume and contact information with them and when they saw it, they were going to be upset that I hadn't been in the running for this job since I know I'm better qualfied for this job than 90% of the people who probably were finalists for it. At this point, I figure, what can it hurt? They don't have to hire me for anything and if they say--well, glad you think so, see ya, I've only wasted my time and gas getting up there...which I'd already wasted to begin with!
Well, this sparked something. Because when I left, I was given the number of every agency they had in town and the woman who was helping me said while they might not help me, she could see how qualified I was and determined and that she would try to network me. Now, I don't know if they were saying this because they meant it or to get me out of the office but I'm going to take the positive approach and figure they might actually help me out.
Then, I come home and stopped in for a haircut. I was by the discount bread outlet in Smyrna, so I stopped in for some bread. I saw some chips that I wanted so I figured I'd get both. So, I walk up to the register to pay for my goods. The nice woman (who I think lives at the bread store because she's always there!) rang up my purchases and said, "OK, your bread is free today." At first, I'm thinking--man, that's nice. And then, it hits me. It's Tuesday. It's "Senior Citizen Day." If you're a "Senior Citizen" you get free bread with any purchase. Well, apparently being 31 qualified as a "senior citizen."
Now, some of you who have read my blog for a while now know that if anything I'm usually accused of looking younger than I am. I've got some posts about it
here and
here. Needless to say I will NEVER (or for at least two weeks) complain about that EVE R again...
My family thought my free bread was a riot, though.
posted by Michael Hickerson at 11/17/2004 08:12:00 AM |
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