David Sparks and Casey Liss join John and I to talk about getting into comics as an adult. It's a brisk listen, despite the runtime. This is yet another new sub-thread of show types, where we help people on the show off the top of our heads.
You have no idea how sweet, sensitive, and smart a comic book called Sex Criminals can be.
Read MoreI thought I'd share some more details about my soon-to-launch little podcast network. All three shows (and two companion feeds) start the first week of February 2014, with new episodes posting weekly.
This post will be updated with info until the site launches at ESN.fm
When Screen Time went through a format overhaul, it transformed into what I'd wanted it to be all along (panel plus limited-length interview). That show about movies, TV, games, and "moving images on a glowing screen" is now Electric Shadow, which doubles as the signature branding of the new network as seen in the title of this post.
Electric Shadow is the original title I had pitched. It comes from a literal translation of the Chinese word for cinema. I wanted something evocative that bucked the trends seen in the names of other shows and publications dedicated to any of the above kinds of storytelling. Screen Time becomes the feed for the unedited, "director's cut" versions of the interviews that make up the back segment of Electric Shadow.
Episode 1
panel: Horace Dediu and Guy English
topic: TBD, but expect something about Nintendo wedged in
Episode 2
broadcasts live: Monday, 10 February 2014 at 11am CST
panel: David Loehr, Merlin Mann, and Matt Zoller Seitz
topic: Wes Anderson and Fantastic Mr. Fox (which is receiving a Blu-ray special edition release from Criterion on 18 February 2014)
Much like its most recent iteration on 5by5, this show also follows the same panel plus limited-length interview format as Electric Shadow, and will have its own "uncut interview" feed, probably called something like "Artist Edition". I have a few other ideas, but welcome suggestions.
Episode 1
panel: co-host John Gholson and Merlin Mann
topic: how to get into reading the X-Men
Episode 2
panel: co-host John Gholson, David Sparks, and Casey Liss
topic: getting in or back into comics as an adult, reading recommendations
This will be more conversational, and looser in style. Some weeks will be one-on-one, some will be panels. Addressing sub-topics within the Customer Service industry is something I think has the legs of a long, long, long-running series. People who work in customer service, whether retail, call center, chat support, or whatever else are encouraged to email or leave a voicemail [(240) 285-9623] to tell their story on future episodes of the show.
Episode 1
panel: Brent Simmons
topic: Network Solutions charging $1850 like a threat (see his blog for more updates), and supporting customers as an indie
Episode 2
panel: John Roderick, Lex Friedman, and Brent Billings
topic: airlines, why we hate them, who holds the power, and what to do
More to come later this week on a variety of fronts. Thank you so much to everyone who has been so supportive so far.
Tomorrow at 5pm Central Time (U.S.), I'm recording and broadcasting a pilot for a new show that I'm hoping can be brought to 5by5 in 2014. If you listen tomorrow and your company is interested in sponsoring the show, please get in touch. It could start as soon as next week.
Thank You For Calling is a call-in talk show where we discuss both sides of the customer service experience. Whether divided by a retail counter, phone call, or chat window, we look at how we can improve the human experience for everyone involved. From ruining Christmas to above and beyond service, we talk to real people whose stories range from all-out horror to a consumer love that will last a lifetime.
Have you had a customer from hell? Talked to a rep who just didn't care? Have you been called names or been threatened on either side of the conversation? Have you salvaged what seems like a lost cause? Even if you still work in a job under NDA, we respect your privacy, your company's privacy, and especially your customer's privacy. We can anonymize anyone's story, situation, or experience.
I want to hear from you. Leave a voicemail with your name and contact info here: (240) 285-9623. You can also send email to thankyouforcallingshow@gmail.com. Make sure to specify whether (and how) anything needs to remain anonymous.
Names can be changed to protect the innocent, but we're only interested in first-hand stories. Please do not submit stories told to you "by a friend" or someone you know second- or third-hand.
We will probably take live calls tomorrow, the number for which will be provided live on the show.
For the sake of the pilot not rolling off the rails, we might stick to pre-submitted stories and callers we have ready. If I have a New Year's wish, I hope that someone with a great deal of experience working specifically in call center escalations will call tomorrow.
I'm also tempted for some people to call and email in some "how would you (I) fix Problem X?" stories. Take real dilemmas you've encountered (customer or rep) like ruined holiday plans (gift delivery, travel, home emergencies) and tell me how they went off the rails. I'll do my best to offer some ideas that could have led to happier endings and inform your future tactics.
If the show goes forward, I'll be digging into a variety of topics, including my work in various forms of the customer service and PR "fixing" worlds. Two years ago almost to today, I got involved in a customer service disaster of epic proportions that ended up on the front page of Reddit and was extensively referenced in a book. That whole thing will come up tomorrow in some capacity, thanks to Justine Sacco.
Examples of topics the show will address include:
Who and what are people really responding to when they yell at a server/technician/phone rep?
Is the customer always right? Is "right/wrong" even the standard we should be using in customer service?
Burning out: what causes it, and what can employer and employee do to reduce the toll on call center reps, IT techs, and those in all forms of service industries?
Canned language, scripts, flow charts, and the automation of customer service: why are we doing this to ourselves?
How do and should companies (regardless of size) engage their audience and deal with public relations issues?
What separates good customer service form great customer service, and is it possible to try too hard?