Automation Nation

            Remember the days when an actual person answered a phone? You know, back when you called a business and a hopefully pleasant voice greeted you. What happened to those days? Where have those voices gone? I know there is still a person there at that desk, why can’t they pick up the phone and talk when it rings? Have the workloads of the people sitting next to that phone actually grown so much that we need a computerized system to answer inbound calls from impending customers? What happened to the human factor?

            Am I full of questions today, or what? Maybe. But I am curious. Have you run into this more often lately? It has almost come to the point that when I do call a business and an actual human answers the phone I want to yell THANK YOU!

            If you've read my last couple of rants I told you about a back issue I have been having. I’m doing my best to keep myself upright. That includes a strict regimen of ice, heat, stretching, more ice, more heat, and chiropractic visits every other day. You read that right, every other day. I have muscles in knots, and muscles in spasm. It feels like I have very little blood running down my left arm. All of this has been going on for a couple of weeks now and I’m starting to get real, real grumpy.

Not at Massage Envy, Rivergate, Charlotte.

            My chiropractor recommended that I see a massage therapist to try and work out some of my muscle issues. Now, in a former life I was a licensed massage therapist, so I know how beneficial they are. Unfortunately I don’t get massages very often, so I don’t have one set massage therapist that I see. There is a Massage Envy in the same complex as my chiropractor. Tuesday I tried calling to set up an appointment for after my chiro visit on Wednesday. The first time I tried I got the automated answering machine. The voice mailbox was full. -___- I had no chance to leave a message or talk with a human. So I jumped on the internet and searched their website. I found I could schedule an appointment right there on their site. Nice. That’s what I like. I put in my information and hit send. A short time later I received an email stating they got my request and an agent would be calling me shortly to confirm my appointment and ask some questions. After waiting a few more hours without hearing from them I tried calling again. I got the same message, “We’re sorry, but the voice mailbox is full.”

            I did mention that my condition is making me… irritable, right? After that last message I hung up my phone and shook my head. Okay, yes, maybe I whispered some choice words under my breath. I am a red head remember! Later on I tried calling the Charmed One. I got the voice mail message. Lo and behold, wouldn’t you figure the Charmed One’s voice mailbox was full too. That was it. I broke right then and there. I have not fully recovered yet. As you can probably tell.

Have you noticed more businesses are using automated machines? Do you miss the human interaction? Do you get massages? Ever been to Massage Envy? (After this fiasco they will not get my business.)

W.P.I.- There's truth in the adage "you are what you eat." It's especially relevant when managing inflammation and reducing swelling in your joints. There are plenty of tasty anti-inflammatory foods that can ease swollen joints and ankles, finger pain, and even symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Olive oil, fish (snapper, tuna, salmon, and cod,) nuts and fruits, and garlic all will aid in reducing swelling. Herbs such as ginger, turmeric, rosemary, thyme, and basil are good at fighting the fight as well. Green tea works like liquid vegetables, and stages an anti-inflammatory fight inside your body.