Customer Service?

I’m sure the majority of us can distinguish between good and bad customer service, I’m no exception. I’m sure that at one stage over the last few years that we’ve all come in contact with at least one experience of poor customer service.
I’m not been picky or fussy I just think that, may it be a can of beans or a €500 watch we should all be greeted with an appropriate level of good service.
It’s quite amusing how many employees are aware of the importance of a smile.
It really annoys me in large clothing shops like Pennys that the ‘staff’ can totally ignore us and carry on gossiping about their weekend gone by or the weekend ahead, you’d be very luck to even get a thank you for your purchases, do they not realise that without us, the customers they wouldn’t even have a job so I don’t think its unfair to ask for 30 seconds of there time.
I was in Dunnes Stores last week asking for bun cases, the member of staff simply shrugged her shoulders and told me to ask someone else! WELL, I’M SORRY LOVE but is it not in your job description to help your customers instead of pawning me on to someone else. Even just a few weeks previous in JJB’S, two female staff at the tills bitched and moaned about there assistant manager as they threw me my change.
Always one to be assertive I politely asked for there so called assistant manager and had the pleasure of telling him exactly what I thought and heard.
Although it sounds as if I’m been such a ‘moaning Michael’ I just feel that management are failing to provide their staff with adequate customer service skills but then again is customer service really that bad that we have to be educated on a few ‘Pleases’ and ‘thank yous’!

My Life at DKIT college

Good Times
Meeting friends for life
Achieving my Diploma
The endless ‘craic’
College night out
My internship in Dublin
Learning to cook/Experimenting with new foods
Working at random festivals
Learning new skills
Bad Times
College nights out (or rather the morning after)
Hours of endless work on assignments
Endless exams
Boring lectures/lecturers!
No parking!!!
Yes it’s been four long years at college. Although I’ll admit there have been a few hiccups at the end of the year and August seems like such a long way away, I’ll get there in the end and finally finish!
Of all my experiences in DKIT College, one memory that definitely beats the rest is my ignorance and stupidity that left me in hospital with a kidney infection.
It was my first year at college, in one of our first classes with the Legendary Jim Browne…. Scary I’ll admit!
On attendance of one our 1st ‘lectures’ we found out how strict this man could be, our appearance had to be second to none, de DID NOT appreciate student coming into practical classes as though they had been dragged through a ditch backwards, if you smell of alcohol don’t even bother coming into his classes, all told in a constructive way of course…well we had been told!
However, towards the end of the semester we were coming into our practical exams, serving in the college restaurant. I’d been ‘casually’ working two jobs at the weekend (us students needing the €€€’s) so there was an element of stress and pressure.
The Sunday night before my practical exam was my Christmas party. By the end of that particular weekend I was tired and not a one to miss a party I thought it would be in my best interests to take a few harmless caffeine tablets.
Six tablets + a large consumption of alcohol = A BIG DISASTER
The morning after I could hardly carry myself to college but dare I miss Mr Browne’s exam…not a chance.
"worse foe wear" was a slight understatement but of course my classmates found the scenario hilarious that I couldn’t walk, my fingers were like ribbons and that even water made me gag.
However, I think luck was on my side that day as Mr Browne assumed that I was genuinely sick. Oh yes, I got past the man that could smell alcohol a mile off!
Finally I could relax and struggle on with the rest of the day until I ended up that night in hospital, but I’ll leave that for another day.

Web Standards

The "World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), along with other groups and standards bodies, has established technologies for creating and interpreting web-based content. These technologies or "web standards" are designed to deliver the greatest benefits to the greatest number of web users.
Designing and building with these standards simplifies and lowers the cost of production, while delivering sites that are accessible to more people and Internet devices. As new Internet devices evolve in today’s market more and more sites will continue to be challenged and grow.
When building, designing and developing websites, they must comply with a set of standardised practises for doing so. This inevitably may affect the way many want or plan to develop a Website as many web standards can directly or indirectly affect its development or administration.
When a Website or Webpage complies with Web Standards, it means that the site or page consists of nearly valid HTML, CSS and Javascript. HTML itself must also meet certain specifications.

Web Standards

The "World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), along with other groups and standards bodies, has established technologies for creating and interpreting web-based content. These technologies or "web standards" are designed to deliver the greatest benefits to the greatest number of web users.
Designing and building with these standards simplifies and lowers the cost of production, while delivering sites that are accessible to more people and Internet devices. As new Internet devices evolve in today’s market more and more sites will continue to be challenged and grow.
When building, designing and developing websites, they must comply with a set of standardised practises for doing so. This inevitably may affect the way many want or plan to develop a Website as many web standards can directly or indirectly affect its development or administration.
When a Website or Webpage complies with Web Standards, it means that the site or page consists of nearly valid HTML, CSS and Javascript. HTML itself must also meet certain specifications.

Mobile Comuting

Just like the internet, the use of mobile comuting is increasing. Take for example the mobile phone, i don't think i know of anyone who doesn't own one. Even my Nana has one! It's evident that to co exist in this world today we must rely on the uses of technology.

Myself and my classmates were at a competition a few weeks ago, staying at the Connemara Coast and I thought it was very cool that i was still waiting for out taxi home, on my phone checking my college emails.

I work in Donegans bar and restaurant in Monasterboice which has been around for the last 80 years, some of the staff are still there since it opened. As old and ancient as the place looks you cannot fault the advances of technolgy. We all posses our own 'fobs' and 'buzzers'. The fob allows us into certain parts of the building only, therefore preventing intruders and buzzers are attached to your trousers and vibrate when the customers meal is ready. Customers are also giving vibrating disks so when we have a table ready it lights up and again, vibates to let them know! Its the crazy little gadgets that make waitresses lives so much easier, you wonder whatyou ever did without them.

Search engine optimisation

As we know, more and more people are spending time on the internet, at home the computer is never turned off. We all love and worship the powers that be on the 'net' i.e Whenever we have a query, thought or reseach we put our preference into the oogle toolbar and needless to say we are sorted. I know from my experience whenever i 'google' a sentence or a phrase i NEVER go past the first two pages unless i'm really stuck. More times than not however i never need to go further than the first search page, everything i need is right in front of me. Therefore, it got me thinking about my own blog and name, yes i 'googled' and after searching for me after the 10th page i gave up. It took alot of phrases in the search to find myself. Therefore you can understand, as Mr Colin Cooney explained the importance of "Clarity, Conciseness, Completeness and Correctness"

There are MANY chicas out there with the same name as me, i have to provide something unique, well structured and present it extremely well if i want to be top of that list.

(P.S don't you feel excited when you see so many other people with the same name as you achieving great things.... go on admit it, you know you want to!)

Magazine Madness

I was quickly scanning my weekly trashy, worthless magazine the other day in Easons. There all so hypocritical with one magazine showing off some z-list celebrity who’s lost weight, fabulous and looking for the new man in her life while the other controversial magazine has the same z-list ‘celeb’ sprawled across the cover with the title "weight gain, in despair and a born again virgin"!
What is quite humorous is that we, woman read them religiously but what for?
It drives me crazy seeing that no good Kerry Katona every week for one reason or another even though she’s no more a celebrity that my left foot. She was some little jumped up school girl playing in a one hit wonder girl band.
So why do I read them? The reason being I’m a complete sucker for that kind of material, I take pleasure I admit in the pain and misery in all those big shots that have the money and looks and yet find rehab somewhat a past time at this stage.
I could go on forever but honestly at the end of that dark day you’ll not see me with my head buried in the Sunday Independent reading the trials and tribulations of Mr Bertie Ahern (poor man).

Cows - The Truth.

Recently in the last year I’ve noticed a strange lure, if you will call it that….to cows.
I’ve bought slippers, numerous pyjamas, a mug set, cow teddies for the car, a hot water bottle, and ornaments for the house, I even nicknamed the dog, Moo Moo. This is not a love that some weird randy guy has for sheep or goats. The only explanation I can give is after years of repressed anger for our farmer’s friends, I’ve unknown to myself giving up and expressed much more of a gentle, kinder nature to them.
The story goes back to when I was 10 years old. It was just your typical Sunday afternoon picking blackberries, daffodils’, snowdrops or wild mushrooms. Being the season that it was we decided on that day to pick mushrooms. I happily went along with my sisters, brother, cousin, aunt and uncle on that day.
On arrival at one of our local farmer’s fields, I noticed a strange, hefty figure lurking at the bottom of the field, no other than a bull. His eyes were fixated on me, sensing my fear, how vulnerable I was. Both he and I knew that he could easily throw me around like some cheap rag doll. I froze, my limbs locked. The rest of the group had walked on, totally unaware of the potential danger and like any stupid person I ran. Running NEVER helps the situation, we all know it only makes it worst. Fortunately my uncle heard my tears of fear and of course the fact that a mammoth of a bull was running for me. He grabbed me, flung me back over the gate and out of harms way.
Understandably, it’s obvious to say why I never ‘felt the love’ but as they say “times a healer” and after 12 years I’ve let the past be the past and have welcomed cows into my lives once again.

Virtual Communities – A perfect place to escape from reality.

At what stage in our lives did social interaction become so 3D?
I decided to do some investigation into our virtual communities (on the internet, no surprises there!), to discover why people are no longer ‘doing lunch’ or going for that good old cup of coffee and a chin wag.
There are so many virtual communities both educational and social I have discovered and to begin listing them all would be pointless. What I found most interesting is that once we enter the ‘virtual’ we no longer exist as human beings anymore….we are now known as avatars - online a movable three-dimensional image used to represent somebody in cyberspace.
I think that people forget that definition and find it difficult to distinguish themselves between fantasy and the real world. Are people so fed up and bored with their monotonous lives that they only way to escape the daily drudgery is online? Or has the majority of society so obsessed in being a new and improved you?
Personally I can see the attraction and thrill, if you will in being someone else, getting out there meeting new people, being more boisterous and over the top than I usually would but at the end of the day I still remember who I am, and its not 34GG Candice necking Tequilas at the bar!
To finish up I came across a site when doing a little bit of research and found it both very funny and interesting for internet addiction recovery. It makes me feel cruel for finding humour when lives have been shattered by such an addiction but have a look all the same at the link below and please don’t be one of those people it’s just not worth it.
INTERNET ADDICTION

Archangel Michael, My Angel

The mission of angelic beings is to protect, nurture and guide Humanity.
The Great Archangels represent the seven primary feelings, or Aspects and Attributes of The Creator that must be developed within the nature of Humankind in order to attain Masterhood. They bring forth the fuel (love energy) of God.

Archangel Michael

Archangel Michael is referred to as the greatest of all angels in writings throughout the world, including Jewish, Christian and Islamic.

I always have my angel friend beside me to give me guidance, wisdom and comfort.

Your Guardian Angel will always patiently wait for everyone when you need someone to turn too. They are there on our shoulders to offer us love, radiance and their service, whatever the call of duty may be. Other Angels include;

Archangel
Divine Counterpart
1
Michael
Faith
2
Jophiel
Christine
3
Chamuel
Charity
4
Gabriel
Hope
5
Raphael
Mother Mary
6
Uriel
Aurora
7
Zadekiel
Amethyst

Below is a link to Archangel Michael:

My New Shoes

Every woman uses any excuse to go shopping. Don't they? We, as woman love nothing more than a bit of retail therapy, flashing the cash or just burning a huge hole in the purse!
This weekend i used my mothers 50th Birthday a great excuse to hit the streets. It was in New Look at approximately 9:45am, that i spotted the perfect pair of shoes. Unfortunately they didn't have my size, needless to say, i was distraught. I ventured to two other shops across the county until i found my size. I was delighted. It was like taking that first sip of cold, crisp cider on a hot summers day. These are my shoes, they cost €40. On a night out, they murder my feet!

what substitutes a man!!!

The Question i ask is, what substitutes a man?
It's a very simple answer. The answer being... your four legged friend, a dog! Why come home to a beer belly, football loving lunatic when you can be greeted by a fluffy pooch who, on the other hand is ACTUALLY excited to see you. We, as humans can't contain our excitement as they jump up on you, lick your face, follow your around the bedroom, stuck to your heels and whats more they don't expect anything in return. It's the hormonal men that usually spring to mind here! Your not greeted after a long stressful day with "wheres my dinner?" Instead our furry friends will happily AND patiently wait for their next feed. The debate does indeed continue...