Let's Talk About Nostalgia

Elementary school nearly scared me away from college.

A presenter visited my fifth-grade class one day to teach us how to perform research at a library. She used terms like Dewey Decimal System, demonstrated how to use a card catalog, and promised us that when we got to college--even high school, depending on the class--we would spend endless nights with our noses crammed in books.

I imagined myself then reading through thick volumes to find one quote to use in the lengthy papers I was also promised I would have to write.

It took me probably a month to get through Harry Potter. Library research? Not. For. Me.

There's a reason N and O are next to each other in the alphabet.
Image credit: Your Dictionary

Thankfully by middle school, Google had arrived to save the day (and my future education). I never did have to sort through a card catalog like some barbarian, and with every click of the mouse I breathed a sigh of relief that I wasn't stuck in the library. The world changed--and it changed in my favor.

(Looking back, I have to appreciate the irony that I became an English major and ended up spending countless nights with my nose crammed in a book anyway. But I digress.)

A lot of things are so much easier now thanks to technology: research, communication, finding directions to that new Indian restaurant. With a tap on a screen, I can read the news, schedule a colonoscopy, and wish a friend a happy birthday.

When you sit back and think about it, the level of sorcery we've attained is truly amazing. In the old days, we would have all been burned as witches. We're truly blessed.

"It was only a Snapchat filter!"
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

But I also can't help but wonder if we've lost something. And by we, I mostly mean I--but maybe you can relate.

I've always been prone to nostalgia. Sometimes I drive certain roads just because I used to go there with my friends. I consider the Super Nintendo the pinnacle of gaming. I've loaded my Bricklink wishlist with Lego sets from the 80's and 90's.

And if the multitude of 90's nostalgia pages I've followed on Facebook is any indication, I'm not the only one. Even Wendy's got in on the action with a recent ad campaign:

Nostalgia serves a valuable purpose. J.M. Barrie said, "God gave us memories that we might have roses in December."

Whatever age one grew up in, who doesn't, on occasion, look back with a smile on what appears to have been a simpler time?

I miss late-night summer drives, letting the cool air blow in from the open window and feeling no responsibility for anyone but myself.

I miss Saturday mornings playing Donkey Kong Country in my friend's basement, on a boxy television that hummed when you turned it on.

I miss the charming, light-hearted aesthetic of 90's Lego catalogs, whose colorful backgrounds and smiling characters transported me to a happier world.

Image credit: The Brothers Brick

I can't help but smile when I think of all those things. But to entertain thoughts of the past requires balance--a delicate walk between living in the past and learning from it. And I have to recognize that the past, as beautiful as it was, isn't necessarily better than the life I have now.

The Lego sets from my childhood continue to fill me with wonder, and they feel positively different from what the company produces today. Different--not better. What I wouldn't have given to have a set like the massive Ninjago City when I was a kid!

And while a hallmark of the Super Nintendo is how its games have stood the test of time, I know my seven-year-old eyes would have gone wide with amazement at, say, Mario Kart 8.

And yeah, I have a lot more responsibility now than I did as a teenager. But I'm also married to my best friend, and we have three children who I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. They light up my whole life.

Whenever I start thinking about "the good ol' days," I try to steer those thoughts toward an internal discussion of what lessons I can use from them.

If I long for a simpler time, maybe I should make this time simpler.

If my happy memories are about people, maybe I should leave my phone in a back room while I spend quality time with my family.

Maybe I can use the Internet to access the vast stores of human knowledge instead of arguing with strangers over politics.

Maybe I can go outside a little more, or read more books, or build my own happy Lego town.

Someday I'll look back on this time of my life the same way I look back on my childhood. Right now, I get to choose what that future me will see.

Thomas S. Monson has said, "The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it." By learning from the past and truly appreciating the present, I can make memories the future me will treasure.

These are the moments I will someday get nostalgic for.

Warped Plastic #12

Click to see Warped Plastic #11 and #13.

Warped Plastic #11

Not that I'm against Black Friday shopping, but I have to appreciate the irony.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers! And may you have a safe, non-contentious Black Friday.

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Click to see Warped Plastic #10 and #12.

Warped Plastic #10

Ah, National Novel Writing Month. The most beautiful and terrible time of the year.

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Click to see Warped Plastic #9 and #11.

Calling Customer Service? 5 Things to Consider

I love working in customer service. I get to talk to lots of people all around the country every single day, and I've made some great connections. I feel like I'm doing something truly meaningful by serving my customers, and I love to help them.

But not everyone loves calling customer service. And sometimes, the experience leaves much to be desired--for both the customer and the service representative.

You can make it easier, though. For those moments when you have to make that call, here are five tips to help you have a better customer service experience:

Image credit: yobobie on Imgflip

1. Listen, Listen, Listen

I had a customer call in upset because she placed her order on a Friday, paid for 1-3 business day shipping, and didn't receive her package before Monday.

I promised her free shipping on her next order, because losing a customer over shipping is just stupid, and it was the best I could do to smooth things over.

Here's the thing, though: I know we gave her a realistic delivery date when she ordered over the phone, because that's a key element of every sales offer my company makes. And Monday is only the first business day after Friday. If she ordered on a Friday and had listened to the sales representative, she wouldn't have expected her package over the weekend. But she ended up disappointed.

Unfortunately, this kind of thing happens all the time.

If you're calling customer service, please listen to what they tell you. Chances are you'll save yourself a bad experience and another phone call.

2. Don't Let Your Issue Become an Emergency

In general, the customers I encounter who get the most upset over things like shipping and service times are the ones who procrastinated in the first place.

I get it. Sometimes things break. Sometimes the people you count on--yes, even the companies you pay for services--under-deliver. And you can't really plan on that happening. Legitimate emergencies happen.

But often, planning ahead is entirely possible. Know when you're moving? Don't wait to call the cable company. Don't know how to fix that leaky pipe? Call the plumber as soon as you notice it. Need your contact lenses in order to tell your child apart from a cactus? Order them before you run out.

Save yourself the stress. And save the service associate your stress, too.

3. We Don't Make the Prices

I didn't think there were so many of this kind of person out there, but every single day when I quote a price, I have more than one customer say, "Nope, I'm not gonna pay that," "I want free shipping," or "Wow, that's really expensive. Can I get a discount?"

And of course I say, "Oh, I'm sorry. Let me just change the price for you."

Except, wait, I don't.

If it were up to me, everything would be affordable to everyone, and the moment you ordered something it would poof onto your doorstep. Really. I'm on your side, here.

But this is not a perfect world, and I don't make the prices.

And I know you're used to getting free shipping with your Amazon Prime or whatever (which still costs money, by the way). But here in real life, you have to pay the people who bring you your package. Just like how decent people tip their waiter.

Trust me--I've worked for both UPS and a restaurant. If you don't pay those blessed souls, they will cut you.

Sure, discounts happen now and then. Coupons are a thing. My company even price matches. And under some conditions, you might even get free shipping.

But you'll be happier if you understand those are exceptions--not the rule.

I'll be the first to admit I cave in sometimes. Because, again, losing a sale over something like shipping? Stupid. But it just makes you sound like a spoiled child, and I guarantee I'm judging you while we're on the phone.

Image credit: QuickMeme

4. We Don't Possess Godlike Powers

Remember what I said about things poofing onto your doorstep?

Yeah. Some customers think I can do that.

As nice as it would be, I cannot make the Postal Service get to your house faster.

I cannot change my company's policies because they inconvenience you.

I cannot magically create a better rebate or promotion.

I wish I could, because I want to help you. I wish I could just say the words and whatever you needed would be done.

But customer service isn't God. As much as we dislike to say it, we have limits. If you're nice, though, we'll try to make it up to you.

5. We're People, Just Like You

Imagine your day. Your week. What are your passions? What are you going through? What do you want out of life? What have you done, and who do you love?

Your life is complex. You are more than just a voice on the phone.

So is the customer service representative.

One of my coworkers is expecting her first child. Another is an agented author, waiting for a publisher to buy her book.

We have lives outside the call center. We have sick kids at home, cars that need repairs, big plans for the weekend.

You may be frustrated. You may be in a hurry. But please, remember you're speaking to a person.

So be personable.

Image credit: Meme Guy

Most customers are a pleasure to help. Remember these tips, and you'll undoubtedly be one of them--every single time.

You may even get better service.