Garth's World

You Know?

You know what? You probably, um…you know… sound like an idiot!

Now that I’m working from my guest bedroom, without the perk of a (relatively) soundproof office, it means that for the first time since Jigsaw’s inception that my conversations can be overheard.  Don’t get me wrong- my family would rather listen to Urkel sing falsetto than pay attention to my business yip-yap all day. Nevertheless my wife has caught snippets of my prattle and couldn’t help but notice that particularly when speaking formally that I say “you know” practically every other word. I’ve been trying to eradicate this amazingly sticky expression from my vocabulary (it is hard!) and unfortunately I now notice it in everyone else, too.

Y’know is one of several filler words or syllables known (to linguistics dorks only, I’m sure) as discourse markers. Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discourse_marker) – where all internet info junkies hang out - aptly defines them as “a word or phrase that is relatively syntax-independent, does not have a particular grammatical function, does not change the meaning of the utterance, and has a somewhat empty meaning.” I found other descriptions of these diction hiccups as making a connection between what you are saying and yourself or the listener, serving as a marker for emphasis, changing the topic of a conversation, serving as a pause and a few other high-brow excuses, but if you ask me they are just nervous ticks in conversation. And like all mannerisms they can at best slightly distract the observer or at worst make him want to crawl out of his skin.

Don't Pass the Buck

As many of you know I just “completed” (still living out of boxes and working through a wireless internet card on my laptop) a move to Charlotte, NC.  Between selling one house in California, arranging the transport of all our belongings and starting all the services necessary for a digital life on the other end, I have encountered enough vendors to fuel a ton of blog posts- mostly in the “what not to do” category.  Top on my list is one of the most infuriating and idiotic customer support blunders out there: when the person that is “helping” you doesn’t take ownership of your problem.

The company that moved my cars provided the most glaring (and shameless) example of “passing the buck.” I knew going in that I wasn’t going to get W hotel style service (“hello Mr. Moulton, what is your wish”) from any of these guys. That’s why I thought I was wise in choosing Company A. [I’m so tempted to call those f^ckers out by name! ] They are a small, local, very well-referred company that were up front about being the “most expensive because we don’t cut corners.”  While every other large national transport company had an advanced phone tree that landed me with a different operator from God-knows-where each time I called, this company had one location and a very friendly person (who I will call Wendy) that insisted I speak only with her through the process. Everyone else was squirrelly about when my cars would be delivered; Wendy ensured me that my cars would be delivered on or before my date of arrival in NC (I had a friend who would have taken the delivery).  I called back twice after scheduling the order to test the customer service and got my personal assistant each time. When I dropped off the cars July 21st, Wendy wasn’t around, but the two people in the office were nice as pie and again confirmed that my cars would be there on July 30th. Nothing to worry about, right?