Supplication

allow me to write and be lost in Your embrace
to kiss away my dreary soul, my fears and cares
where this tired heart has braved enough tears
where the only consolation now is Your saving grace

lift me and blow away the gusts of grey
that to sing would vanquish the tiniest speckle of doubt
and those marred heartaches that may seem endless
would be Yours to take away with clout

when i get to stumble and seem helpless
and  the crows of vain and darkness would seep
i beg You to come... quick and with mercy
to feel your compassion and love for me

servant as lowly as i have been
humbled, with nothing but my faith and hope
i offer you my thanks and praises of exultation
for Your moving guidance and eloquence in things

when the time will come for me to part
i beg, that may i be in my faith steadfast
when death shall be on my footsteps
allow me to fullfill my duty as i surrender to You
my borrowed life...

mac

Red Sand cum Hidden Valley (2009)

What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well. 

Antoine de Saint-Exupery 

(going back in the year 2009....)

Red Sand and Hidden Valley are just neighbors as once told by my friend Alfred. I took these photos via my lost N6500s and a Sony Cam from Bernard (i forgot the model) which left me awestruck as i've come face to face with Riyadh's most famous spot amongst Filipinos during Eid Holidays and cold seasons.

The sun was glaring at us but the breeze is one hell of an icy coldness. It's not what you think like the sands are doing a free float swooshing to the left and right; the sands were like tamed barrenness of the lost composition of epic war stories, leaving the eyes free of jagged particles of sand making the experience a delight.

This place vastly composes of an oceanic view of sands, that when you set off your both feet on its waves dissolves your footprints in an emulation of nothingness.

On top of the highest peak of the sand dunes shows off this innate magnificency of the arabian desert: arid land with no vegetation yet full of speaking character of nature.

Off we go to Hidden Valley...

It was a lifeless stature of rocks, with spattered cactus and desert shrubs, desolate and bleak on its visual aspect but magnanimous in imparting the astounding profoundness.

I have always been indulging with the sensation brought by being unto great heights. Awfully inlove esp when it comes to nature and earth trekking and mountain climbing and all. Yes! the pic above has appeased my hunger for true wide-eyed view of rocks, made me gasping to reach further for the peak, wanting more, climbing steeply to advance for a higher level; but in the end, this experience bequeathed me the courage to stay calm and focus as i descended slowly to the ground. I felt horrible,   filled with fear and apprehension in going down for i was alone (none of my friends dared to follow) when i went up, but for goodness sake, there are strangers and adventurers of my same page whom i clinged onto support and collective belongingness as i've moved downward on the slope.

This view is overlooking the exit of the Hidden Valley. It's time to go home and leave the footprints of time as the winds smoothly vanish them.





~mAc

7 Facts about Multi-tasking in a Call Center

Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one. 

Bill Gates 

One of the most wanted qualities of a call center agent is the ability to multi-task. I once heard a conversation from a seat opposite me in a jeepney going to Quiapo Manila, a couple in their mid - twenties as i perceived from their faces.

girl: swerte naman ni Florie, natanggap siya sa callcenter, alam mo kung magkano basic nia?

boy: magkano? 

girl: 24 thousand! tapos, meron pa daw mga allowances, at kung wala daw silang absent, may non taxable na 3 thou sa sweldo monthly.

boy: hah!!! anlaki ah, basic palang.. eh ang ginagawa lang naman nila yata eh mag nga-nga-ngawa sa telepono at mag inglis....

girl: oo nga eh, kung sana fluent lang ako mag english, mag-aaply din ako! Sabi nila madali lang daw mag call center.... an laki na ng sahod, madali pa ang hanap-buhay.. san kapa?

I was suddenly alerted by their flow of conversation. My nearly falling drool due to sleepiness from my shift that time was regained back in control. I nearly want to blurt out my opinion but i held back. 

For those who have never experienced having a friend, or with a family member who is a call center guy or girl, they mostly believe and imagine that belonging to that industry is a chickenfeed - an easy job that seems convenient, taskless and boring; if i may add, low-kind-of-level job.

Little did they know that this is no easy job at all. The little things we do like answering the phone, talking to the customer while doing the documentation, keeping the call with no dead- air while searching for tools, executing empathy despite a bad day and all, learning to digest what the customer is blabbering while your boss/sup is trying to chat with you because of an urgent matter; if you sum all these, it requires special skills, wisdom and virtues to execute it. All these are just mere ingredients of the multi-task brouhaha of a call boy/girl.

These are the  Facts that you must know about multi-tasking in the call center world:


1. Multi-tasking is a pain in the ass

- first times are really the hardest. So better get your feet wet during the calls labs or transition stage. You can't beat getting a sup call + teardown issue + and a return escalation from your sup esp on your first live call on the floor.

2. . Multi-tasking is not a birthright attitude, it takes practice to enhance and ultimately be good at it.

- i knew someone who can do Facebooking, blogging and talking to the customer and seldom he gets an escalation call, yet he has the lowest Average Handle Time (AHT) in their team.  Figure it out! he never dropped a call though. 

3. Multi-tasking can affect the quality of the call

- if you badly multi-task, your QA results are awful, if you do the reverse, you'll get high CE and high-rated QA scores.

4 . Multi-tasking increases productivity

- it's the main reason why AHT was never lost among the Need to Meet Metrics of all time. I dare say, it's always included in the top five to watch out for SLAs.

5. Multi-tasking can lower down Average Handle Time (AHT)

- if your boss has an impending failed Performance Planning for you due to high AHT, concentrate on how to multi-task the superb and high-quality way. Maybe you have to unload some of your unnecessary chats, every 5 minute refresh on facebook and twitter, or you might be playing Farnville and Mafia Wars and all, then you're doomed!

6. Multi-tasking can sharpen your memory

- it does possibly connect to short term memory, that sometimes, you get to be an Obsessive Compulsive (OC), on how you handle the call, you tend to be so suave in every detail.

7. . Multi-tasking can be a habit

- imagining the route and path you're gonna take while driving and conversing with your wife who's asking your opinion what could be the best arrangement to place the new tv in your freshly furnished house is somewhat distracting. But the mere fact that you can drive while listening to a Harry Potter Audio book and planning for a dinner date is wayyy easy - that is because, the habit of driving has been so innate with you that you act it out so automatically.


Multi-tasking therefore is a complex process that you have to acquire, it doesn't happen overnight, constant and consistent practice would lead to enormous benefits on your stats and grades as an individual.

In the long run, you may even be able to go to the restroom while on call (lol), or could even have a laugh with your seat mate while checking out some Youtube vid as you talk to the customer. It's a matter of how far you've gone to in perfecting and mastering the art of multi-tasking, without sacrificing the quality and sustaining the excellent degree of your call.




~mAc

iOS 4.2.1

All the buzz about this latest, boldest software update from Apple re iOS comes in for quite sometime after all the delays and pending availability of download. 

Fortunately, it was officially downloadable last November 22nd 10amPST. 

Qualifiers:

- iPhone (3G, 3GS, 4)

- iPod Touch (2nd, 3rd, 4th gen)

- iPad

If you haven't done so, go ahead and update your iTunes first to ver.10.1. Then connect your device with iTunes open and click check for update.

After finishing my update, i was dissat because it's as if nothing has changed on my 3GS, no kidding, there isn't a significant change that i can obviously notice. Worse, all my music were unsyncED. So i have to reconnect to iTunes and sync my music library.

Good thing my iBooks portfolio left unscathed and all my apps were kicking alive. Another injury to the damage is, when i learnt that Find my Iphone is only available for the iPhone 4.

Yep! no need for a paid subscription of MobileMe to avail this service - Find My Iphone. So, for all those who are using an Iphone 4 and the latest 4th gen iPod, you can DL the app from the APP STORE and configure your MobileMe account.

The most beneficial part for this iOS update is simply the Ipad. 

- multi tasking

- folders

- wifi enhancement

- over-all aestethic

Those feats have all been inherited by the iPhone and iPod touch back in the release of iOS 4.1 so i was a bit disappointed, nevertheless i found it useful (but not enough) to have the Airprint and AirPlay capabilities on my device. Yet, i don't have printers that are airprint capable or appleTv to use the airPlay streaming. (but according to lifehacker, you can tweak those features if you are really into it - such as enabling AirPrint for Windows)

I'm happy to say that this sw update will enhance the speed issue (as per TUAW)  from the iPhone 3G, which was apparent in the iOS 4.1.

One more thing to add, you can now customize your SMS ringer alert (impressively, it's only available for the iPhone 4).

Seems like Apple has gotten into so much obsessiveness re marketing strategy for consumers to inevitably leave their old devices and buy the latest ones on the counter.

~mAc

The 3 Legged Stool (call center 101)

Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming. 

John Wooden 

What is the proper adjective to say when you suddenly felt the urge to do what has long gone forgotten? - long gone habit that even in your most solemn state of dreamless sleep makes you wanna say "Thank you for calling tech support, how may i help you?".

That chase-of-the-breath kind of feel has made way for this category on my blog - Call Center 101. I'd say that this Business Process Outsourcing Industry came a long way indeed, yet it has more to offer, slowly unraveling those untapped customer service related ingenuity amongst distant shores, most especially The Philippines.

I'm here to share what i've learnt during the 5-6 year journey into this realm of exciting, ever dynamic environment. Change - that is, is the only permanent catalyst to get challenged into the rat race over and over again.

This concept i'm going to impart was lifted when i was on training in handling a technical team of 15-16 persons, readying me to better my judgment in dealing with the degree of importance of who to serve with satisfaction the most.  (Makito, dude, if you're reading this, thanks for the inputs wayback).

There are three main protagonist at stake once a call comes in. They are likened to a three legged stool, that once a single leg is removed, the stool itself will collapse.

1. The Customer

2. The Company

3. You - tech support representative

(for the purpose of specifity, i chose tech support rep, although there could be variations such as customer service representative, helpdesk agent, outbound agent, etc)

These three entities are so intricately related to each other that you cannot singled out each. They must be satisfied at all times to achieve the best customer experience - i'm talking about customer satisfaction in perception of each of those three.

  

1. The Customer being served must be satisfied at all times. Despite having to break him the bad news (for example, his issue is not covered under warranty) without making him feel degraded or "unserved" properly. (it depends on how you convey it, thru your emphatetic skills and sincere approach of communication). Did i say, "customer is always right?". 

2. The Company (you are representing) must not suffer. Esp from any kind of bad feedback from the customer. The output of how "well",  you (the tech support rep) served the customer is so critical it defines you and the company itself. This leg aims to deliver customer satisfaction by all means. A mission and goal in which, is the common denominator in all the call center companies sprouted everywhere. 

3. The final one which is the Tech Support Rep plays a strong role on the three legged stool, from the opening spiel to the closing spiel, the call is being rated and Q.Ayed; which in turn will be the grade of the agent. However, it doesn't stop there, most of the time, a survey is sent to the customer - the so-called- Customer Satisfaction Survey.  It is imperative therefore to make a lasting excellent impression to the customer, to negate whatever bad experience he was previously in. 

Somehow, there's no way just to maintain or balance the three in all calls. At times, there are instances where equilibrium is unstable. Given the fact that C.E. (customer experience) is at stake, always remember to try saving the customer first. Give your best shot as a tech support rep to reverse a bad experience into a glorious satisfying one. It could hurt your metrics as you do some favor for the customer (ie) staying longer on a call just to make sure in the end that the issue is completely resolve but it will cost your AHT (average handle time); On the other hand, you may bend the rules of your company just to satisfy the customer. Remember that you will bend it, there's a significant difference between bending and breaking the rules. (hope you got my point here).

In recap, what you are aiming here is to attain or surpass the bar of customer satisfaction, never fail to forget that objective, just in case you want to sacrifice one leg of the stool. But of course, there is an instance where the customer is sacrificed as well. It boils down to your own judgement, that if you feel and heartfully believe that this certain customer won't get snapped in side the the circle of satisfaction (despite of you having given your best and despite of you having let your supervisor made a heatcheck and all) then it's time to let go of him and let the C.E. suffer.

Take a deep breath, focus and press "auto-in". The next call comes in, take control and aim for  a high C.E.

~mAc

PS: (4th Thursday for the month of November is approaching so fast, well, I just hope the trend is still the same, low call volumes during Thanksgiving Day, have a great one! Û )

Digital Clock Screen Saver

Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted. 

John Lennon 

(updated as of January 7, 2022)

Rejoice! This Fliqlo digital screensaver is actually available too for iOS and MacOS platforms.

Here's the link where you can download 'em: https://fliqlo.com/

Take note, the app is Free for Macbooks (macOS), while it's $0.99 for iOS devices. To see it in action, here's a 35 second movieclip i made, notice how it flips at the end. There's also a sound effect while flipping (it wasn't captured in the video because of the rain-windy noise).

Enjoy!!!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

After a long hiatus of setting my window's screensaver  settings to none, i've finally fallen inlove once again to customize and tweak this innate mise en scène of windows 7.

I normally leave my laptop on idle mode 24/7 (ofcourse with the battery pulled out) with my desktop black solid background on view, so i decided to plug in a digital clock screensaver. 

I didn't get a hard time fishing those free apps that render minimalist output esp with a digital clock (thanks to Lifehacker and 9031.com). We know for sure that clicking those google results that links to free screensavers are just usable in a certain period of time unless you're going to buy the full version later. 

With this free download from 9031, the Fliqlo clock (click the link to download) will give you a deadset satisfaction esp if you believe in the concept and benefits of being a minimalist style.

The DL is available for Mac and Windows only. Go check it out here.




~mAc

Facebook for iPhone update (3.3.2)

If you haven't updated yet your Apple gizmos app - Facebook for iPhone/iPod/iPad,  then hit up the App Store on your device and it should give you a badge telling that Facebook app needs to be updated.

Facebook for Iphone 3.3.2

You need not to log-in anymore to facebook.com just to access your Account Settings & Privacy Settings because it's now all in the convinience convenience of your favorite iPhone app - Facebook for iPhone. This for sure is a great leap update for the app, i myself has been constantly eager to tinker settings whenever i'm using my smartphone - saving me the need to open a browser and manipulate the list of privacy settings.

I was foiled though given the fact that this update has nothing to do with the "Gmail Killer"- the imminent integration release of facebook's Project Titan: solved to conquer and battle with Google's gmail product.

Suffice to say, i'm happy with this update!

No bend her

All our knowledge has its origins in our perceptions. 

Leonardo da Vinci 

Year 2010, alone i my room, trying to contemplate how to ensure the new words i encountered today will be carved in my neural network, so here am i, scribing these words of the English language - - hopefully it will help me to discern the world in a more clear manner.

Words I learnt today, gotta jot it down, review and publish.

DEPARTED, November 1 2010

(noun) someone who is no longer alive

(adj) former; well in the past; dead

GORY, November 2 2010

(adj) accompanied by bloodshed;

covered with blood

DIRE, November 3 2010

(adj fraught with extreme danger;

causing fear or dread or terror

SKITTISH, November 4 2010

(adj) unpredictably excitable, especially of horses

PELT, November 5 2010

(verb) cast, hurl or throw; attack and bombard with [like missiles]

(noun) the dressed hairy coat of a mammal; body covering of a living animal

FORTITUDE, November 6 2010

(noun) Strength of mind that enables one to endure adversity with courage

FEIGN, November 7 2010

(verb) make believe with the intent to deceive; make pretense of

~mAc

Kenny Rogers

Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither. 

C. S. Lewis 

I know there's no way to go by posting this without me sounding emo or mushy (no pun intended), but really it isn't my intention and resolve. It's just that it feels good in listening to this song. 

It's a beautiful song for your heart. Ain't it?




~mAc

How to run the Blackberry Self Test?

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. 

Walt Disney 

For those who belong to the BB Team, here's a hidden app on your smartphone that you'll find useful esp when you're at  wits end in sorting out if the problem is a hardware or software.

There's actually a self test feat of this sleek and beautiful phone, whatever model you've got, as long as you're running a software version of 4.something or later, then you can run this hidden app from your phone.

Here's how:

1. Click on OPTIONS icon from the homescreen

2. Scroll down all the way to STATUS, then click it

3. Once you're on the status screen, just type TEST from your keypad and it should bring up the menu for the self-test application.

4. Select Start, and you're good to go, you must see something like this:

It's kinda helpful and could provide insights to better judgment from current issues you're experiencing at hand.

One of the downside though that pisses me off, the test is INTERACTIVE, all i thought before was, it could run on its own, however, you must need to attend to it and answer with a yes or no for the tests that you selected to run, this of course is based on your perception whether the output was satisfied as desired by the instructions given.

Go see it for yourself!!!

Let me know your thoughts if you found it useful thru the comments.

~mAc

Decoy

Even when I'm old and grey, I won't be able to play it, but I'll still love the game. 

Michael Jordan 

... i'd love to enter in your stargazing scape,
feel... get enthralled, with utmost excitement
would savor the finite bliss of ignorance
but then you're giving me this lil chance...

i could let my imagination imbibe your presence
and let go of my anxiety, as if no one's to blame.
yet i certainly know, that it isn't right or makes sense,
to indulge further, deeper in your game

i must stop now, or must i not?
should i suffer needlessly, or be the nonesuch as i was?
you blurted, "must come now" or "never"
i said, "why would i care?"

your idea seem minute at first
then it grew! so real, i got amazed!
i wanted to kill it but you made the seance as you were
entrapping me twisted, coiled and unremembered

now you read this, and you got appalled
but your smile is unchanging, cuz deep inside you know
how to unravel, solve and then kill the puzzle:
to break into pieces, to bequeath and say farewell.

yet i knew enough, and damaged is yet to come
lamentation feels like forever
drawing in, engulfing my home
must i stir up or beguiled of what it has to offer.

come, and be closer
open my eyes to your decoy
but leave my mind shut
so as not to feel the revolting physics of your choice...





~mAc
(i'm literally smiling as im done composing this, let's take it to the next level just like inception, lol !!!)

TableConnect for iPhone

It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver. 

Niccolo Machiavelli 

I just dunno if this has gone viral on the internet lately. Yet, you can imagine the possibilities, what it has to offer, and the awesome complications of owning such one.

Check this blog if your curiousity and genial thinking was not gorged enough by the video:

http://iphonetable.blogspot.com/









~mAc

Mental Lexicon: crisis undelivered

Don't change on me. Don't extort me unless you intend to do it forever. 

Tupac Shakur 

As part of my never-ending quest to append the list in my vocabulary, i'm starting a new series in my blog called Mental Lexicon. As you've noticed on the left side column last week, i've been posting words with their meanings beside their word class. I cannot deny the fact that i have some grammatical lapses at times but what is most important is to strive for progress, and that is one of the reasons why i'm going to religiously post words everyday thru the mental lexicon sidebar; a word a day, 7 words a week and this will be posted as a weekly entry to this blog.

I can't think of any more creative scheme in the enrichment of my vocabulary of the english language other than this, it helps to improve my retention of words. If you're going to ask how do i pick my word of the day, it prolly depends on my mood and mental ability to remember the most striking word i've met during the whole day that passed. As long i my internet is up, i'd do my best to post the word of the day.

If you're generous enough, you may want to drop a WORD of the DAY in the comments section, lucky you if the word you said is a stranger in my vocabulary, i'd be happy to post it and add it up the next night. AND OR if the word you want me to add is something you may want to ponder on later. MY BIG REQUEST though is to leave your codename along with the word, so i can attribute it to you in my blog post.

Here's the first batch of the 7 day adventure of word encounters. I have called the bunch "CRISIS UNDELIVERED", so the title says it. Try to internalize the common denominator of 'em all.

FLUTTER, October 25 2010

(verb) Move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart

(noun) The act of moving back and forth

CHASM, October 26 2010

(noun) A deep opening in the earth's surface

ESCHEW, October 27 2010

(verb) Avoid and stay away from deliberately

HAMPER, October 28 2010

(verb) prevent the progress or free movement of;

put at a disadvantage

(noun) a restraint that confines or restricts freedom ;

a basket usually with a cover

ROGUE, October 29 2010

(noun) A deceitful and unreliable scoundrel;

A pleasantly mischievous person

WEAN, October 30 2010

(verb) detach the affections of

(noun) a young person of either sex

GORGE, October 31 2010

(noun)

deep ravine (usually with river passing thru it;

a narrow pass (especially one between mountains);

the passage between the pharynx and the stomach

(verb)

overeat or eat immodestly;

make a pig of oneself

~mAc

Pagnanasa

itikom mo ang 'yong bibig

sa pagpanaw ng dilim

upang 'di mamutawi

sa labi mo ang panaghili

itiklop mo ang 'yong mga mata

sa liwanag ika'y 'wag masilaw

bagkus ika'y lumakas

sa dulot nitong pag-asa

yakapin mo ako

sa gitna ng hinaing

pawiin mo ang dusa

at maparam itong pagluha

hawakan mo ako

sa aking kanang kamay

ikaw ay 'wag nang bumitaw

upang ako'y di na mawalay

liwanag mo'y huwag alisin

sa daan ko'y tanglawan

lagi na'y sumama ka

at 'wag nang lumisan pa

This is my first "tula" after a soooooooo long hiatus of composing Tagalog poems. Prior to this was back in my high school days. I'm yearning that creating this tagalog version would enrich the POEMS101 category on my blog. So expect more, as i squeeze juices from my tagalog vocabulary in my succeeding posts.

~mAc

How to create a US iTunes account? (credit card not required)

The best things in life are free

- Janet Jackson & Luther Vandross

Remember i blogged apps that could tickle the wild side of imagination? and i put a notice at the end of the article that although these apps are free, they are selective to which country you're in, that is, the app may be available for download Only in the U.S. and not possible to download anywhere else amongst the countries that are supported.

When i was new to iTunes, i originally set up my account to my default country which was Philippines, but when i try purchasing FREE apps, i couldn't buy it unless i have to configure my credit card info (which i don't wanna do ). So with the help of blogs, google and Chester, i decided to undo my jailbreak to my iPhone (right after the advent of iOS 4.0.2) and now enjoying the benefits of having a US Itunes account

The two most gorgeous benefits of having a US iTunes account are:

1. More and more and more free applications are available

2. Credit card is optional! meaning, you can buy those free apps without being asked for a credit card. (say your iTunes account was created in a country other than U.S. and you wanna download those free applications for your iPad or iPhone or iPod, it requires you to have a credit card, this is insane right? - the app is free, how come it's asking for a credit card?. Relax, cuz  all these strains on the neck are bypassed when you have a US iTunes account. Read on to know more...)

What you will need:

1. Gmail email address (it's a must, click here to get one)

2. You must have your latest iTunes software downloaded (ready to fire up)

How to do it:

1. Open up iTunes. (make sure to sign out if you have an existing account signed it alreay)

2. If your current location is other than United States, (say, you are in Stockholm Sweden). Scroll down all the way down to the bottom of iTunes and you will see a flag at the bottom right corner, make sure that United States is selected.

3. Now, click on the AppStore (all the way up, along the headings tab) and select one free application of your choice. (make sure it's the free one)

4. After you clicked on the FREE link, it will take you to the sign in dialog box. Click the Create New Account.

5. Fill in the necessary info until you get into this page (the critical part, so that it will not ask you to enter credit card info later):

- make sure to put a +1 from your email address you have entered (this works only with gmail)

on the example below, the original email is john.doe@gmail.com; but i added a +1 after the john.doe, so it now appears as john.doe+1@gmail.com

- don't forget to plug in your year of birth.

(click image to view larger)

6. The next screen should look like the one below. Hooray!, there is an option for NONE beside the Credit Card info.

Tick on None and fill in the address slots. Make sure to use a U.S. address. If you don't know any address from the US. Check google :)

(click image to view larger)

7. Click Continue and you're almost done. The wizard will send the verification email to your inputted email. Make sure to verify it by clicking the link and you're set.

8. After verifying, log in to iTunes and you can now purchase apps from the US iTunes Store.

Happy shopping.

~mAc