Happy Labor Day everyone.
Hopefully you've got it a little better at your job than bank teller #30303. Just outside his window was this placard indicating that his "Service Level" was one (of five) stars (five being best), and asking you for your "valuable opinions" by rating your interaction with the teller, in real time, on a scale of "Satisfied", "Average" and "Dissatisfied".
I got drenched yesterday -- a persistent rain all day long and a Gortex jacket that has somehow become porous, left almost everything I was wearing or carrying absolutely sopping wet. (The old but originally spendy Gortex jacket has now been replaced by a $1.25 umbrella.) My travel books now have the waffle-paged appearance of that favorite book you just couldn't help but read in the tub, until...
At least now they look used (and are no less readable). I spent the evening last night with my roommates here at the hostel. They are vacationing and looking for work here in Hangzhou, and were fabulous teachers of Chinese. We traded language lessons (their English is already so impressive, so my assistance was primarily in unpacking some idioms) for the whole evening, and hatched a plan to visit West Lake together today. I think we are going to rent a row boat and paddle ourselves, which should be a good adventure. The rain is slated to continue through Thursday, so I'm not sure that I will see Hangzhou in the sunshine.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Labor Pains
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Sorry about the rain, babe! But it sounds as if you have it better than Mr. One Star. (Yikes.)
ReplyDeleteWow - thinking about an instant service poll - is it possible to have zero stars, or do you get 1 star automatically to boost your confidence? Does it reset every day, or is it like a "12 days accident free" work site stat? Does the rating system really have an impact on performance, instantly, or would you let your stars stay low at the beginning of the month then really turn on the charm towards the end to boost your average? Who thought it could be so provocative? :-) Eric, I'm really enjoying keeping up with your travels through your posts!
ReplyDeleteGood to read that you're doing well. I love your writings. I give them 5 stars and an expensive cricket.
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