There has to come a time in our lives when we decide we’re worth better and poke the bear. This could mean anything from doing that survey on the U.S. Post Office receipt because the person was rude or applying for better jobs because you need to move on. Anything that lets us express our angst and get it out or over with is healthy for us. We can’t keep stress inside. It will only fester and come out in ways we don’t want, like an illness (physical or mental).

We can develop the courage to express our voices. When we speak the truth, we feel better. Sure, the truth can hurt at times, but it’s necessary to live a better life. For example, I haven’t been the most assertive person who spoke my truth, and I took a lot of pain on my shoulders instead of placing it where it belonged. However, I can write a fantastic letter that is assertive and to the point and, most times, has gotten me favorable results. It’s the speaking in person where I have gotten sidelined. This is something I am working on and getting better at. If I can change, so can you.

I’ve been poking the bear with letters for a long time. There hasn’t been a lot, but enough that I see a pattern that is unsettling with poor customer service/business practices, poor patient care, and defective products. The latest letter was to the Pennsylvania Attorney General and Allstate Roadside Assistance, where we canceled the service but got charged two auto payments for the same month.

I called Allstate to address it and was told they only saw one payment on their end. We have the bank statement that shows two deductions from Allstate, yet they insisted there was only one. So, I wrote to the Attorney General. I received a response that Allstate will not refund the extra payment done in error, and the Attorney General cannot make them. Our option was to go to Small Claims court. Thankfully, our bank refunded the money, so we are good. I realized the mistake of going with Allstate instead of AAA.

Anyway, the point is I don’t let unfair practices or poor service go unaddressed. I can’t pretend it’s okay. I don’t see it as a waste of my time addressing it. I like to think I make changes for the better. I know I did with a hospital. When I was in the hospital, I got called by my middle name, Maria. I kept telling different staff and nurses my name was Francesca. I didn’t understand why they kept doing it. I even got a thank you card from the nurses addressed to Maria. Wow, right?

I wrote a letter to the hospital about my experience. A few years later, my daughter had surgery, and the first thing the nurse asked her was, “What do you like to be called?” Then, the nurse wrote it down on a whiteboard in the room. I know I did that. I poked the bear, woke it up, and created a change.

Could you imagine a world where people poke the bear with businesses and health organizations about something that troubled them, and those entities listened and cared and did something about it?

Today, more than ever, we’re bombarded by choices regarding how we spend our money. The busier we get, the less we pay attention to what’s going on because we don’t have time for it. As a result, the quality that most of us appreciate is replaced with half ass customer service and products that are too replaceable. The abused person or employee who is taken advantage of and not paid what they deserve needs to poke the bear, get someone’s attention that this is not okay, or get out of the situation.

I know not everyone is like me and thinks about these things. I wish I had a quieter mind that could just focus on what I need to do instead of worrying about the fate of our humanity. Could you imagine the weight I place on myself? It gets really heavy at times. But I do think about how to make things better. That’s why I poke the bear and write the letters or speak what I’m thinking. I see where we are headed. And I know we can fix things, but we have to pay attention first – and, if necessary – poke the bear.

Don’t settle for poor customer service, even if it’s at a convenience store and you’re rushing to get to work. Let the cashier know it’s not okay to speak like that or to not thank you for spending your hard-earned money there. We have to hold people and entities accountable for their actions, or their actions will go off like wild animals with no limits.

We will complain the water bill is going up again, but how many of us will poke the bear and write to them to let them know it’s not okay? Not many. I have never done that. You’d think I would, but I have to pick my battles.

I’m not suggesting going around fighting with everyone. Just be aware of how people and businesses treat you and see if it’s okay with you. If it is, then you don’t have to do anything, but if you are affected negatively by it, then please poke the bear. Write a letter, do a survey from the receipt, call the company or person, and let them know what is not okay. And don’t be a crabapple complaining about everything, either. There’s a balance. You know that.

I am just letting you know you have a choice, and you can poke the bear if you choose to get the yuck out of you or to get justice. The kid at the convenience store may not have learned to say thank you by their parents. But if we tell the convenience store about our experience and how we’d like to be thanked for spending our money there, the owner or manager will then know to train their employees to do that. When you poke the bear, positive change can occur.

Thank you for reading this, and I hope I offered something to think about. Let’s all do our part to make the world a better place.

To poking the bear,

Francesca

 

 

 

***************

T

Could you imagine a world where people poke the bear with businesses and health organizations about how they were treated or cost issues or whatever, and they listened and cared and had to do something about it?

Today, more than ever, we’re bombarded by choices regarding how we spend our money. The busier we get, the less we pay attention to what’s going on because we don’t have time for it. As a result, the quality that most of us appreciate is replaced with half ass customer service and products that are too replaceable. How about the woman who is battered? When is she going to poke the bear and get out? Or the employee who is taken advantage of and not paid what they deserve? They need to poke the bear, too and get someone’s attention that this is not okay.

I know not everyone is like me and thinks about these things. I wish I had a quieter mind that could just focus on what I need to do instead of worrying about the fate of our humanity. Could you imagine that weight I place on myself? It gets real heavy at times. But I do think about how to make things better. That’s why I poke the bear and write the letters or speak what I’m thinking. I see where we are headed as a species. I predicted the pandemic in 2001. And I know we have the ability to fix things, but we have to pay attention first.

Don’t settle for poor customer service, even if it’s at a convenience store and you’re rushing to get to work. Let the cashier know it’s not okay to speak like that or not thank the customer for spending their hard-earned money there. We have to hold people and entities accountable for their actions or their actions will go off like wild animals with no limits. We will complain the water bill is going up again, but how many of us will poke the bear and write to them to let them know it’s not okay? Not many. I have never done that. You’d think I would but I have to pick my battles.

I’m not suggesting to go around fighting with everyone, just be aware of how people and businesses treat you and see if it’s okay with you. If it is, then you don’t have to do anything, but if you are affected negatively by it, then please poke the bear. Write a letter, do a survey from the receipt, call the company or person and let them know what is not okay. And don’t be a crab apple complaining about everything either. There’s a balance. You know that.

I am just letting you know you have a choice and you can poke the bear if you choose to get the yuck out of you or to get justice. The kid at the convenience store may not have been taught to say thank you by parents. But if we tell the convenience store about our experience and how we’d like to be thanked for spending our money there, the owner or manager will then know to train their employees to do that. When you poke the bear, positive change can occur.

Thank you for reading this and I hope I offered something to think about. Let’s all do our part to make the world a better place.

To poking the bear,

Francesca