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Well, I figured after reading through the "best of" stories for 3 days, I figured I'd jump in with both feet. 
So, I'll give you my Customer Service background.
I started out working in retail when I was 15 (summer job cleaning out dressing rooms at an uppity-end department store), and stayed with it (at a grocery store) until my second year of college. At that point, I was hired as a secretary for a tiny ad agency. From there, I moved on to an insurance company, followed by a medical claims review company. A year later, I finished my university studies and graduated with an Bachelor's Degree in English. With that, and the secretarial and grammar-heavy editing duties backing me, I figured I could pretty much write my own contract as an Administrative Assistant.
Ah, naïveté.
After 4 months of "Thanks, but no thanks," blow-offs, I'm finally Customer Service Rep for an Expensive Day Planner Company, in their catalog sales call center, part time. I stayed there for a year, then moved to another state, where I was able to sort-of transition to one of Expensive Day Planner Company's retail stores. Stayed there for 2 years, until my son was born (my manager actually sent me home 2 days before I "popped," and told me to go have my baby
).
Fast forward 3 years, and I find myself back in customer service for College-Kid Travelers Travel Agency, in the assistance department. Whenever a customer needed to make a change in their travel itinerary, they called us - and we had some zingers. That lasted for not-quite a year, then my marriage ended and I moved back to my home state.
I attempt to break back into the secretarial/Admin Assistant fields, and end up signing with a higher-end placement agency. A series of temporary receptionist jobs come and go, until a construction/electric company bites. I end up working 45-50 hour weeks to stay on top of the mess handed down to me, and after 6 months get fired. I'm fairly certain the dept. manager was looking for a reason to fire me, although I couldn't tell you why. So, I sit for 3 weeks, and take the first job offered. That lasted 10 weeks. I hated it, they decided they didn't like me either, we parted ways. Finally, I get hired on at a construction consulting company, where (again) I tackle the huge mess handed down to me. 10 months later, after 50+ hour weeks (of which I was only compensated for 40 hours), revamping the filing system, and getting my department running like clockwork, I'm fired - again. And, about 3 weeks after the huge stock market crash (2008). Honestly, I think it was because I quit putting in 50 hours, and started leaving at 5:30 (when I supposed to), since I was only being paid for 40. So, now I'm out of a job for who-knows-how-long.
At that point, I've put in 3 years back in my home state, and have been let go from 3 jobs. I'm seeing a pattern. Home state society and I no longer see eye-to-eye, and I have no patience for the "kiss-my-ass-and-you'll-have-a-career-here" bulls**t games. Trust me, home state is famous for this, and their religious history. But, I'm being hired to *work,* not to become BFFs with office managers. I'm pretty easy to get along with, though, and have no problem with the occasional off-topic chat. I'd rather get along with my co-workers, after all.
So, enter new fiancé into the picture, and I move back to his home-state with him. I promptly resume the job search. ...17 months pass, I finally get two interviews with one company. I'm feeling really good about this, until the next week, when I get the ubiquitous "Thanks, but no thanks" e-mail. Yes, e-mail. Not even a phone call. ::sigh::
6 weeks later, I get word that the new discount store in the neighboring town will start hiring soon. I have fought, and fought, and fought with the notion that maybe I should just apply in retail again. Hated it then, don't want to return to it 9 years after walking away. But, I apply anyway.
I'm now the Assistant Manager for the discount store, and have been there since the last week of April. I'm also desperately working (hard), hoping, and pleading with higher powers to let me make it past the 10-month mark this time, and break the nasty cycle of not being able to keep hold of a job. So far, so good. And the job? Yeah, the customers suck. But, so far, so good.
Here's to looking forward.
So, I'll give you my Customer Service background.
I started out working in retail when I was 15 (summer job cleaning out dressing rooms at an uppity-end department store), and stayed with it (at a grocery store) until my second year of college. At that point, I was hired as a secretary for a tiny ad agency. From there, I moved on to an insurance company, followed by a medical claims review company. A year later, I finished my university studies and graduated with an Bachelor's Degree in English. With that, and the secretarial and grammar-heavy editing duties backing me, I figured I could pretty much write my own contract as an Administrative Assistant.
Ah, naïveté.
After 4 months of "Thanks, but no thanks," blow-offs, I'm finally Customer Service Rep for an Expensive Day Planner Company, in their catalog sales call center, part time. I stayed there for a year, then moved to another state, where I was able to sort-of transition to one of Expensive Day Planner Company's retail stores. Stayed there for 2 years, until my son was born (my manager actually sent me home 2 days before I "popped," and told me to go have my baby
).Fast forward 3 years, and I find myself back in customer service for College-Kid Travelers Travel Agency, in the assistance department. Whenever a customer needed to make a change in their travel itinerary, they called us - and we had some zingers. That lasted for not-quite a year, then my marriage ended and I moved back to my home state.
I attempt to break back into the secretarial/Admin Assistant fields, and end up signing with a higher-end placement agency. A series of temporary receptionist jobs come and go, until a construction/electric company bites. I end up working 45-50 hour weeks to stay on top of the mess handed down to me, and after 6 months get fired. I'm fairly certain the dept. manager was looking for a reason to fire me, although I couldn't tell you why. So, I sit for 3 weeks, and take the first job offered. That lasted 10 weeks. I hated it, they decided they didn't like me either, we parted ways. Finally, I get hired on at a construction consulting company, where (again) I tackle the huge mess handed down to me. 10 months later, after 50+ hour weeks (of which I was only compensated for 40 hours), revamping the filing system, and getting my department running like clockwork, I'm fired - again. And, about 3 weeks after the huge stock market crash (2008). Honestly, I think it was because I quit putting in 50 hours, and started leaving at 5:30 (when I supposed to), since I was only being paid for 40. So, now I'm out of a job for who-knows-how-long.
At that point, I've put in 3 years back in my home state, and have been let go from 3 jobs. I'm seeing a pattern. Home state society and I no longer see eye-to-eye, and I have no patience for the "kiss-my-ass-and-you'll-have-a-career-here" bulls**t games. Trust me, home state is famous for this, and their religious history. But, I'm being hired to *work,* not to become BFFs with office managers. I'm pretty easy to get along with, though, and have no problem with the occasional off-topic chat. I'd rather get along with my co-workers, after all.
So, enter new fiancé into the picture, and I move back to his home-state with him. I promptly resume the job search. ...17 months pass, I finally get two interviews with one company. I'm feeling really good about this, until the next week, when I get the ubiquitous "Thanks, but no thanks" e-mail. Yes, e-mail. Not even a phone call. ::sigh::
6 weeks later, I get word that the new discount store in the neighboring town will start hiring soon. I have fought, and fought, and fought with the notion that maybe I should just apply in retail again. Hated it then, don't want to return to it 9 years after walking away. But, I apply anyway.
I'm now the Assistant Manager for the discount store, and have been there since the last week of April. I'm also desperately working (hard), hoping, and pleading with higher powers to let me make it past the 10-month mark this time, and break the nasty cycle of not being able to keep hold of a job. So far, so good. And the job? Yeah, the customers suck. But, so far, so good.
Here's to looking forward.
to 
Some are just too good to pass up.
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