The two jobs I've had in my life have a bit in common. Both involve working with numbers, answering the phone, and using a computer (on occasion at my past job). One more thing they have in common is dealing with shipping and receiving packages. I find that industry fascinating, and I almost entered into it. I also love shopping online and getting packages in the mail.
At my past job, I accepted many packages working behind the customer service counter. We got shipped a lot of things including displays for movies, promotional tickets, etc. We also got shipped items that we would sell such as books of stamps, Orca cards, and lottery tickets. I would then have to enter the items with monetary value into our inventory so we could keep track. The only notable thing we ever shipped out was a drug testing kit, I believe. Not always, but on occasion when a new hire would get drug tested, we would then have to ship the test via FedEx for the results. I often would be tasked to call the number 1-800 GO-FEDEX to schedule a pickup.
I have plenty of experience in my personal life involving shipping. As I said earlier, I shop online a lot. I do most of my Christmas shopping online. I have even shipped packages to people as well. Some semi-famous YouTubers will set up a PO Box, and I have shipped them items through the United States Postal Service. I even got to see one of them open the things I sent him on video. And when my girlfriend and I were long distance, I sent her a couple care packages in the mail. Recently, because of a misunderstanding, I "subscribed" to a gift set I ordered online. I only wanted one thing. So, I had to request a refund, get the address label, affix it to the package, and schedule a pickup to send it back. I don't mind dealing with shipping and the post office, but it can be a bit of a headache at times.
I did consider a career in the shipping industry when I was between jobs. I looked at jobs for both UPS and FedEx, but the one I got closest to was Amazon. I got to the point where I needed to just find something to not only make money, but to have something productive to do. I went for an Amazon delivery driver position, because I thought that would be fun leaving people's packages on their doorsteps. I applied and got hired and did a two day training session. On my first day, I was already having second thoughts because I had to report to the warehouse in the industrial district of Seattle. Because of a miscommunication, I didn't attend my first day on time, so at that point I just decided to quit. But the knowledge I gained from the training seminar was pretty helpful, and I know I lot more about how Amazon ships packages than I did before.
At my current job, we receive packages on a fairly regular basis. Having to sign for them or provide a carrier your name is something I'm definitely accustomed to doing. I am hoping to gain more experience in the matters of shipping as time goes on. I've gotten to know and recognize the guys that deliver us packages.
And to be honest, I haven't completely ruled out a career in shipping. It's a good work out for all the awesome people out there who make sure packages get from one place to another. But I'll play it by ear and just see what my heart wants.
Showing posts with label Experience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Experience. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Experiences with scam calls
Originally published November 6, 2019
My first post on here was about scam calls and how I handle them, but it was not very lengthy and I didn't really have too many examples to draw on. Now that I have worked at my current position for a month and a half now, I think I have built up a nice collection of phone calls that have not been for legitimate business purposes. Here are a few that stand out:
- The most obvious scam attempt
I would say the single most obvious scam attempt was a call I got a few weeks ago. There was a delay before they started speaking of course, but in that delay I could hear background noise (perhaps other scammers trying to scam other innocent individuals). I was just about to hang up, but decided to ask "Hello?" because I heard the background noise. Then someone with a bit of an accent said "Hello?" I then asked him how I could help him. He then shouted my boss's/our company president's name. Didn't ask to speak with him; just shouted his name. And not in the form of a question, either. The caller ID said "Out of Area" with no phone number attached to it, so I asked "May I ask what this call is regarding?" And he promptly hung up. This call may have been made from across the world for all I know, and it seems like this is a scam-baiting attempt where they probably call hundreds and hundreds of businesses a day, hoping to get a hold of a business owner and attempt to scam them.
- "Myron" and their frequent attempts to sell us stuff again
This isn't so much a scam, but more of a telemarketing call. In any case, it's an unwanted call. It seems like at least once a week a company named "Myron" calls and asks to speak to my CEO. They are a promotional materials company based in New Jersey. Apparently, my CEO and our company have done business with them before. From what I have gathered by doing research on their phone number, they are a company that will incessantly try to reach a business to try to reestablish a business relationship with them. I can tell by how she ignores their call that she has absolutely no desire to do business with them again, and I don't blame her. I've started ignoring their calls because I recognize their phone number (Their caller ID shows up as "Out of Area" but at least has a phone number). I may one time in the future just tell them that we're not interested. Apparently, the combination of Lisa and myself ignoring their calls may not be enough to get them to take a hint.
- The robot that could respond to what I said
This call happened just to me recently. Earlier that same day that I got the call and even the day before, I had gotten a few calls from a Florida phone number with the caller ID saying "Talada Lowell". Through some research, I actually found out this phone number belongs to a Lowell Talada that lives there in Florida. Anyway, the first few times they called, it was a silent call. However, on the 3rd or 4th time, I heard an automated voice. You know how when you call a company and you hear an automated menu? It sounded a bit like that. However, this automated voice (male, by the way) asked how I was doing. I responded, "Well, how about you?" They responded by saying "Ah bless you, I'm doing well." I just thought that was interesting. They then want on a spiel to say they represented an insurance company and were going to offer me life insurance (which I already have). This voice then asked, "So to get things started, how old are you?" Obviously I am not going to tell a strange voice over the phone my age, so I said, "I'm actually not interested, I already have life insurance." They then promptly hung up without so much as a pause. So to sum up, some poor old man's phone number was hijacked by this insurance company, and it was the strangest responsive automated voice.
- The Google Listing Scam
I have gotten a few of these, and they were all over a three day span or so. After a delay (of course), an automated female voice says, "Don't hang up". Yes, that makes it sound really legit! NOT. She then goes on to say that our business is in danger of having its listing on Google removed. She then says, "Press 1 to keep your listing", then goes on to say, "If you are the owner, press 1", so in a way she contradicts herself. Then she says, "If you'd like taken off the call list, press 7." I've tried pressing 7, but they just called back again later. I also just stayed on the line, but eventually the call disconnects. Each time they called with a Washington area phone number, usually one with area code (425), which is where we are. It seems like they have stopped calling us, but it sure was weird.
-Three automated calls in six minutes from either PSE or Corix Utilities
Also recently I got a series of phone calls from an automated voice that claimed to be Puget Sound Energy, our local power provider. However, the Caller ID said "Corix Utilities" and the area code for their number is Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They said that they'd need access to our power meter basically. After some research, I've seen many other people get calls from this number claiming to be for their local power provider (Not PSE). Honestly, I cannot figure out what their angle is. I can't figure out what they are trying to accomplish with these automated calls. Also, these calls came in quick succession, and the 2nd one came in while I was listening to the first! And it was the same number, somehow. The third one came five minutes after the 2nd one, so all three were in a total of just six minutes. All said the same thing.
- How I could pocket $10,000 every two weeks
This one was while I was out of office, but it's a fairly common one from what I've gathered. It was an automated voice that had already started its spiel when it was time to leave a message. It said to press 3 if I was to find out exactly how to start putting $10,000 or more in my pocket every 10-14 days. He finishes with press 9 and I'll never hear from him again. I love how these automated systems don't know they're leaving messages that we cannot press buttons on our phones to interact with them. By the way, his voice sounded like someone crafted a salesman's voice in a lab until it was absolutely perfectly sounded like a salesman.
My first post on here was about scam calls and how I handle them, but it was not very lengthy and I didn't really have too many examples to draw on. Now that I have worked at my current position for a month and a half now, I think I have built up a nice collection of phone calls that have not been for legitimate business purposes. Here are a few that stand out:
- The most obvious scam attempt
I would say the single most obvious scam attempt was a call I got a few weeks ago. There was a delay before they started speaking of course, but in that delay I could hear background noise (perhaps other scammers trying to scam other innocent individuals). I was just about to hang up, but decided to ask "Hello?" because I heard the background noise. Then someone with a bit of an accent said "Hello?" I then asked him how I could help him. He then shouted my boss's/our company president's name. Didn't ask to speak with him; just shouted his name. And not in the form of a question, either. The caller ID said "Out of Area" with no phone number attached to it, so I asked "May I ask what this call is regarding?" And he promptly hung up. This call may have been made from across the world for all I know, and it seems like this is a scam-baiting attempt where they probably call hundreds and hundreds of businesses a day, hoping to get a hold of a business owner and attempt to scam them.
- "Myron" and their frequent attempts to sell us stuff again
This isn't so much a scam, but more of a telemarketing call. In any case, it's an unwanted call. It seems like at least once a week a company named "Myron" calls and asks to speak to my CEO. They are a promotional materials company based in New Jersey. Apparently, my CEO and our company have done business with them before. From what I have gathered by doing research on their phone number, they are a company that will incessantly try to reach a business to try to reestablish a business relationship with them. I can tell by how she ignores their call that she has absolutely no desire to do business with them again, and I don't blame her. I've started ignoring their calls because I recognize their phone number (Their caller ID shows up as "Out of Area" but at least has a phone number). I may one time in the future just tell them that we're not interested. Apparently, the combination of Lisa and myself ignoring their calls may not be enough to get them to take a hint.
- The robot that could respond to what I said
This call happened just to me recently. Earlier that same day that I got the call and even the day before, I had gotten a few calls from a Florida phone number with the caller ID saying "Talada Lowell". Through some research, I actually found out this phone number belongs to a Lowell Talada that lives there in Florida. Anyway, the first few times they called, it was a silent call. However, on the 3rd or 4th time, I heard an automated voice. You know how when you call a company and you hear an automated menu? It sounded a bit like that. However, this automated voice (male, by the way) asked how I was doing. I responded, "Well, how about you?" They responded by saying "Ah bless you, I'm doing well." I just thought that was interesting. They then want on a spiel to say they represented an insurance company and were going to offer me life insurance (which I already have). This voice then asked, "So to get things started, how old are you?" Obviously I am not going to tell a strange voice over the phone my age, so I said, "I'm actually not interested, I already have life insurance." They then promptly hung up without so much as a pause. So to sum up, some poor old man's phone number was hijacked by this insurance company, and it was the strangest responsive automated voice.
- The Google Listing Scam
I have gotten a few of these, and they were all over a three day span or so. After a delay (of course), an automated female voice says, "Don't hang up". Yes, that makes it sound really legit! NOT. She then goes on to say that our business is in danger of having its listing on Google removed. She then says, "Press 1 to keep your listing", then goes on to say, "If you are the owner, press 1", so in a way she contradicts herself. Then she says, "If you'd like taken off the call list, press 7." I've tried pressing 7, but they just called back again later. I also just stayed on the line, but eventually the call disconnects. Each time they called with a Washington area phone number, usually one with area code (425), which is where we are. It seems like they have stopped calling us, but it sure was weird.
-Three automated calls in six minutes from either PSE or Corix Utilities
Also recently I got a series of phone calls from an automated voice that claimed to be Puget Sound Energy, our local power provider. However, the Caller ID said "Corix Utilities" and the area code for their number is Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They said that they'd need access to our power meter basically. After some research, I've seen many other people get calls from this number claiming to be for their local power provider (Not PSE). Honestly, I cannot figure out what their angle is. I can't figure out what they are trying to accomplish with these automated calls. Also, these calls came in quick succession, and the 2nd one came in while I was listening to the first! And it was the same number, somehow. The third one came five minutes after the 2nd one, so all three were in a total of just six minutes. All said the same thing.
- How I could pocket $10,000 every two weeks
This one was while I was out of office, but it's a fairly common one from what I've gathered. It was an automated voice that had already started its spiel when it was time to leave a message. It said to press 3 if I was to find out exactly how to start putting $10,000 or more in my pocket every 10-14 days. He finishes with press 9 and I'll never hear from him again. I love how these automated systems don't know they're leaving messages that we cannot press buttons on our phones to interact with them. By the way, his voice sounded like someone crafted a salesman's voice in a lab until it was absolutely perfectly sounded like a salesman.
There have been quite a few others not as memorable, most of them being silent calls. I'd say about 2/3 of all scam/spam calls are just silent calls. Sometimes the line disconnects before I can even finish my greeting. I think there are some phone systems out there that are programmed to hang up unless they hear the word "Hello". That is the standard greeting for when an individual answers a phone, but not a business. And individuals are much more susceptible to getting scammed than businesses (or people at work, for that matter).
In flight experiences
As I mentioned earlier, I have flown many times, mostly to see my (then) long-distance girlfriend. We flew to see each other every 2-3 months (usually for holidays and birthdays). Also as I mentioned earlier, I usually flew Southwest Airlines. They almost always had the cheapest rate to get me from Seattle to either Sacramento (usually) or Oakland. Sometimes I'd get a round trip flight for between $150-$175!
I usually flew on a Boeing 737, I believe, so on the smaller end of commercial passenger aircraft. Just one aisle and six seats in each row, three on either side of the aisle. I would always prefer to get a window seat, but aisle seats were all right with me too, since you get out of those sooner and don't have to bother anyone if you need to use the restroom. Oddly enough, I almost always chose to sit on the left side of the plane for some reason. I just felt most comfortable there.
The worst thing about the way Southwest boards is being a late boarder and having to sit in a middle seat because all of the aisle and window seats are taken. Fortunately, that only happened to me once or twice. Pretty quickly I learned that with Southwest, they board you on the plane in the order you checked in to your flight (but business class first of course). I usually did a pretty good job about checking in as soon as I could, which was 24 hours before my flight time. I would time it to the very second and minute, and sometimes even then I wouldn't get that good of a boarding number.
On the planes themselves, I did a lot of different things to pass the time. I sometimes brought a book or magazine to read. I would use my phone (in airplane mode of course) and play an offline game. I sometimes would bring a crossword or word search to do. I would also enjoy perusing the magazines/catalogs in the seat front pocket. Of course my favorite was the SkyMall, but I also enjoyed the magazines that showed what restaurants/doctors were rated best in different cities. I even would read through the safety information and inspect the barf bags. If nothing was entertaining me, I would just rest my eyes or stare out the window if I had a window seat.
These flights to California would last only about 2 hours each time, if that. No meals would be served, but they would give us a drink and a snack; the snack being either peanuts or pretzels (they eventually would stop handing out peanuts altogether because of allergy concerns). I always liked to get something different for a drink, but my favorites were Coke Zero (for afternoon flights) and orange juice (for morning flights). I even once got sent a voucher in the mail for a free serving of liquor on a Southwest flight, and I used that on a Jack and Coke.
I have used the lavatories on planes before, but one time me and a group of friends flew to Las Vegas. On that flight, I had the urge to urinate a little over halfway through the flight. I wasn't familiar with this flight so I wasn't sure how soon we were going to get there, so I made the mistake of trying to hold it. I was also worried I would be in the bathroom when the captain turned on the "fasten seat belt" sign and didn't want a flight attendant to lecture me for being out of my seat at that time. I also thought I could perhaps hold it until we landed. I certainly underestimated the amount of time it takes to get to your destination and land and get off the plane. After the captain turned on the fasten seat belt sign I knew I had made a mistake, and by the time we were close to landing I felt like I might give myself a UTI because I was in so much discomfort and even pain. I vowed to myself never to make the same mistake again.
The longest flights I have ever taken were a flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu and a flight from Kona back to Los Angeles. Both were a bit over five hours. Again, no meals were really served, but drinks and snacks were. I guess you generally only get meals on international flights, then. But I remember from both of those flights that I had to stretch my legs a couple times so they wouldn't get too stiff.
To be honest, nothing that interesting has happened on one of my flights. I've dealt with flight delays, of course. I believe one time flying back home in December, our plane arrived to a snow-covered tarmac. That was fun to see the entire airport just covered in a blanket of snow. I have only experienced mild turbulence. I once had a flight attendant that was very funny while reading out the safety instructions, making jokes like how the life preservers are "very stylish". Made me wish I had recorded him and uploaded it to YouTube to get the views because he was quite entertaining.
Since I started flying (around when I was 20), right now is the longest I have gone without flying. I don't think I've flown for 2 or 3 years now. I have mainly been trying to save up money because unfortunately, traveling isn't cheap. I want to fly again when I can, and hopefully go somewhere I haven't been before, such as the east coast or even midwest. The furthest east I have ever been is that flight I took to Las Vegas. Furthest west would be Hawaii, and furthest south would be Los Angeles.
All in all I really enjoy flying, especially the part in being on the plane. The worst part is the waiting. The waiting to get through security. The waiting to board. The waiting to land. The waiting to get off. But it's so much quicker and easier than driving. Here's hoping I get some more flight experiences to share with the world.
I usually flew on a Boeing 737, I believe, so on the smaller end of commercial passenger aircraft. Just one aisle and six seats in each row, three on either side of the aisle. I would always prefer to get a window seat, but aisle seats were all right with me too, since you get out of those sooner and don't have to bother anyone if you need to use the restroom. Oddly enough, I almost always chose to sit on the left side of the plane for some reason. I just felt most comfortable there.
The worst thing about the way Southwest boards is being a late boarder and having to sit in a middle seat because all of the aisle and window seats are taken. Fortunately, that only happened to me once or twice. Pretty quickly I learned that with Southwest, they board you on the plane in the order you checked in to your flight (but business class first of course). I usually did a pretty good job about checking in as soon as I could, which was 24 hours before my flight time. I would time it to the very second and minute, and sometimes even then I wouldn't get that good of a boarding number.
On the planes themselves, I did a lot of different things to pass the time. I sometimes brought a book or magazine to read. I would use my phone (in airplane mode of course) and play an offline game. I sometimes would bring a crossword or word search to do. I would also enjoy perusing the magazines/catalogs in the seat front pocket. Of course my favorite was the SkyMall, but I also enjoyed the magazines that showed what restaurants/doctors were rated best in different cities. I even would read through the safety information and inspect the barf bags. If nothing was entertaining me, I would just rest my eyes or stare out the window if I had a window seat.
These flights to California would last only about 2 hours each time, if that. No meals would be served, but they would give us a drink and a snack; the snack being either peanuts or pretzels (they eventually would stop handing out peanuts altogether because of allergy concerns). I always liked to get something different for a drink, but my favorites were Coke Zero (for afternoon flights) and orange juice (for morning flights). I even once got sent a voucher in the mail for a free serving of liquor on a Southwest flight, and I used that on a Jack and Coke.
I have used the lavatories on planes before, but one time me and a group of friends flew to Las Vegas. On that flight, I had the urge to urinate a little over halfway through the flight. I wasn't familiar with this flight so I wasn't sure how soon we were going to get there, so I made the mistake of trying to hold it. I was also worried I would be in the bathroom when the captain turned on the "fasten seat belt" sign and didn't want a flight attendant to lecture me for being out of my seat at that time. I also thought I could perhaps hold it until we landed. I certainly underestimated the amount of time it takes to get to your destination and land and get off the plane. After the captain turned on the fasten seat belt sign I knew I had made a mistake, and by the time we were close to landing I felt like I might give myself a UTI because I was in so much discomfort and even pain. I vowed to myself never to make the same mistake again.
The longest flights I have ever taken were a flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu and a flight from Kona back to Los Angeles. Both were a bit over five hours. Again, no meals were really served, but drinks and snacks were. I guess you generally only get meals on international flights, then. But I remember from both of those flights that I had to stretch my legs a couple times so they wouldn't get too stiff.
To be honest, nothing that interesting has happened on one of my flights. I've dealt with flight delays, of course. I believe one time flying back home in December, our plane arrived to a snow-covered tarmac. That was fun to see the entire airport just covered in a blanket of snow. I have only experienced mild turbulence. I once had a flight attendant that was very funny while reading out the safety instructions, making jokes like how the life preservers are "very stylish". Made me wish I had recorded him and uploaded it to YouTube to get the views because he was quite entertaining.
Since I started flying (around when I was 20), right now is the longest I have gone without flying. I don't think I've flown for 2 or 3 years now. I have mainly been trying to save up money because unfortunately, traveling isn't cheap. I want to fly again when I can, and hopefully go somewhere I haven't been before, such as the east coast or even midwest. The furthest east I have ever been is that flight I took to Las Vegas. Furthest west would be Hawaii, and furthest south would be Los Angeles.
All in all I really enjoy flying, especially the part in being on the plane. The worst part is the waiting. The waiting to get through security. The waiting to board. The waiting to land. The waiting to get off. But it's so much quicker and easier than driving. Here's hoping I get some more flight experiences to share with the world.
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