30 July 2017

in

Today I met two people who approached the same problem differently.

They weren't my customers initially, my coworker was helping them out at first. He had to go to lunch, so he asked me to take over. In short, he said that we needed to reset her email password because the way her email was configured on her computer was preventing emails from populating in Outlook. He also shared that the husband was being pretty grumpy with the phone reps, and was swearing at them.

Anyway, the wife was super thankful that we were able to help her fix the problem. This is even in spite of the fact that they were on the phone for an hour. After I fixed her problem, she shared that her husband also might have needed help. He was so sour at the moment, that he didn't even respond to me or her asking if he needed anything.

I guess I would be pretty sour too, but at the same time... If I needed help, I'd take it in whatever form it came in at that time. The most ironic part about this is that one of them is a pastor at a Diamond Head church... You'd think that the message of the church would carry over, but you never know. 

29 July 2017

in

Today I met a small shop owner.

He rolled into the store looking for a new computer, and one of my new employees was helping him out. I talked to him a little about his business, and he said he owned a shop that sells groceries and other knick-knacks. As my teammate was entering his information, I learned that he's from Pohnpei in Micronesia, and was here with his daughter who's starting her second (or first) year of college.

He was really enthusiastic about technology and was excited to be in the store! 

28 July 2017

in

Today I met an photography hobbyist and her military husband. 

My mom and I headed towards Waimanalo Country Farms because she wanted to see the sunflowers. While we were there, she saw a man taking pictures of the restored Volkswagen van sitting in the field. She asked him to take a picture, and then offered to take one of him and his wife.

His wife offered to take pictures for us as well, and really that's where the fun began. She and my mom ended up taking pictures all through the sunflower fields because both of them are "the photographers in the family." 

Her husband and I talked about what he does, and he does IT for the military. We talked about how he and his wife do a lot of stuff outdoors, and that's where they spend most of their time together. He even shared that they met in Colorado Springs. We talked about being in Iceland, as he was stationed there for a year. She visited him there before they were married, and took a picture at one of the famous waterfalls on the southern coast. 

It's the picture that they have framed together in their living room as one of their first adventures together. I think that's the sweetest thing.   

27 July 2017

in

Today I met a parking attendant. 

I don't normally go to this parking structure, but even then, parking structures usually have the gate down. It forces people to take the ticket to enter and track their time. The gate was up, so I asked the attendant, "Do I need to take a ticket?"

"Do you need to take a ticket? Of course you need to take a ticket."

The woman was Filipino, and spoke with the flair and emphasis of any older Filipino woman. If you watch a lot of teleseryes, then you know. I don't know if she's been to other parking structures, but they all don't operate like hers. I was mildly entertained, since she was so serious with her response. 

26 July 2017

in

Today I met some students from Haifa, Israel.

They were attending the computer seeing conference that the professor I met previously also attended. However, they weren't as friendly, and were pretty tight-lipped when I asked about them. 

I would later learn that the conference they attended talked about the technology it takes to develop Hololens, and how it even hosted some of Microsoft's leaders in AI and virtual reality. Amazing.  

25 July 2017

in

Today, I met a waiter at Pho 777.

To be fair, I had encountered him a few times when I ate there more frequently. It's funny how you can notice someone having grown in your few interactions from them. Compared to when I last visited, he seemed more outgoing and more willing to engage people and chitchat. Previously, he wouldn't have talked much, but this time, he did.

I used to come here often, and the main cashier, Bob, always seemed to remember me. I didn't see him today, but I would have if I did.

24 July 2017

in

Today I went to Banan, I didn't meet anyone particular there today... But it reminded me of who I encountered the week before.

The cashier I met the week previously is one of the boys who own the brand. I only recognized him because his black shirt with banana and fruit print was prominently featured on the food chain's Instagram, and on the news. They were considered one of the best vegan ice cream sundaes for the year.

He seemed rather quiet, based on our interaction... And to be fair, I was kind of tired from my volunteering earlier in the day. He asked how my day was going, and I shared where I volunteered. The guy thought it was cool, and I assumed he would. The business model of the chain is based off of the idea of getting everything supplied locally and in season.

The Banan was worth it today. I haven't stopped wanting it since. 

23 July 2017

in

Today I met a commercial and business lawyer.

He came in, asking about our signature products and sharing that he loved our new hero product. It was especially important because he didn't even use it for creative things. He just ran documents and drafted diagrams on it occasionally.

When I asked him what he did for work, he shared he was a lawyer. "Yeah I don't like to brag too much, because it makes me feel weird."
"Oh, it's ok, I asked so sometimes it's good to be aware of what you've accomplished." 

He eventually shared that he passed the bar on the first try in 1985, and has been practicing law since. He said he felt fortunate to have all the success that he did. I explained the hero products we had several times, and he repeated his questions several times. I didn't mind, he was just trying to understand.

Before leaving, he shared, "You know, I like you. You're very good and you do a good job explaining things. I'm not a dumb person."
"I mean, you're a lawyer, you probably understand stuff pretty well."
"I do tons of business cases and understand the complexities of that, but I just don't computers, so thank you."

I thought it was really nice of him.

21 July 2017

in

Today I met a vendor for law software.

I attended a paralegal conference, aimed at informing them about software available for that field. Judging by the audience and other presenters, I was probably one of the younger people there. I took a seat at our partner vendor.

Next to his seat was another software representative. The way he talked to me was a little weird, maybe I look younger than I am. Sometimes that has happened. 

"Are you excited [to present]?"
"I don't know if excited is the right word."

The presentation was received warmly, so I took a seat back at the table while my partner took the stage.

"Wow, you did such a good job up there. You know, I use a Mac, but I really love..."

He continued to drone on. I didn't really pay attention because I don't like feeling like someone is talking to me like I'm a kid. Maybe he thought I was young, and I mean, I do look young sometimes... But geez. I'm an adult female, so come on!

 

20 July 2017

in

I met a gym worker today. 

I registered for 24-hour Fitness, and the guy was really nice. What I didn't know is that 24 has a fingerprint scanner. During the process he asked me to scan my fingers, and then "think of a 10 digit code that you'll remember to check it."

I kind of looked at him with a confused look, then Tam suggested, "Your phone number."

It clicked, so I gave it to him. I guess he's used to saying it, since it sounded like he said it all the time... But geez why did he say it like that? Maybe to protect my privacy, but that's so confusing! 

18 July 2017

in

Someone I met today is a big wave surfer.

His name is Robin, and so is his kid's; his kid just preferred Robbie. I attended the Hawaii Conservation Conference, and there were a lot of people who work in conservation and restoration projects throughout the state.

He is a big wave surfer, and his kid loves the ocean. Currently though, they live in North Carolina because Robbie is a gifted kid and none of the schools here can teach him at a challenging level. Robbie loves nature so much that they wanted to, or already started, an organization called Kids Speak for Parks. The purpose is to talk work towards preserving access to National Parks and monuments.

I can't find it on the internet yet, but I can't wait to see what comes of it. 

15 July 2017

in

Someone I met today is a data analyst.

He was asking me about the different laptops we have, while also admiring the design. When he asked if it came with the mouse, I said no.

"Wow, you guys just charger for everything. They don't do it over there at the Apple Store."
"I can definitely tell you that Apple sells their mice separately from their laptops."

He backtracked immediately.

"Oh, you're right. No no. These are good devices. I'm not an Apple guy. Really, I like these a lot better."

I mean, before you make snarky comments, you should probably be aware that anyone in sales knows their competition. 

14 July 2017

in

Someone I met today owns a company with her husband.

The two of them ran a company for electrical services. While talking to them, it was clear the wife wanted to have a practical solution that wasn't based on a trend. The husband, however, just wanted the coolest, latest thing. I had explained the differences between a few products already, when the husband asked, "What's the difference between the book and the laptop."

She was irritated, and responded, "Eh, the difference is that this one get one GPU and that one doesn't."

I whispered a "thank you" as I was annoyed he wasn't listening and surprised she answered that way to him.

"Don't worry, I was listening."

While she didn't buy anything yet, she definitely did crack me up.

13 July 2017

in

Someone I met today wanted to understand everything logically.

He was having problems with his phone and prefaced everything with "Is it logical to assume..." Most of the comparisons he was making had to do with something being a worse product or service that something else.

My responses generally consisted of either:

  • "I can't say, because I have no experience with it."
  • "Difficult to tell, because the experience varies depending on location."
  • "Depends, because it's dependent on the service."

Eventually, I just flat out told him no. I realized during the conversation that he framed the questions this way because he didn't understand. For this, I felt bad... But it goes back to people telling you that you're wrong when you try to help them. 

12 July 2017

in

Someone I met today runs a Korean BBQ joint.

We went here with our friends instead of going to the gym. The woman was very nice, and she even brought a fan over to us so that it wouldn't be hot. It definitely helped that one of our group members knew how to speak Korean.

The place wasn't very busy, so the woman was very accommodating. I appreciated that very much, though I'm not going to deny my friend's friendliness had much to do with it. 

11 July 2017

in

Someone I met today loves Excel.

I had only corresponded with this person via email before. Since I do work with the Special Olympics sometimes, I assumed it was a female since I literally have never seen males at the Office.

I was wrong.

I was trying to help them figure out something on a computer when he rolled by, and my friend, Mollie, introduced me to him. He was excited to meet me, and I was just really surprised. I really was expecting a female. 

"Hey! Yeah! It was really cool you told me about that stuff. I didn't mean to sound like a total nerd, but it was cool."

We chatted about Excel and visual basic for a little before he headed off to work. Funny how jumping to conclusions can get you into sometimes innocuous kinds of trouble.