I've changed my mind. If we have a son I want to name him either Shazam or Captain Marvel.

I know a baby named Marvel. Marvel Jem, to be precise. Parents aren't comics fans.

if I ever had kids they'd likely get called things like India or Serendipity or Shazam

Just yesterday I was thinking how lovely Serendipity is as a girl's name.

Cool - Haunted Mansion bash (for those of you in SoCal, and those who might go for a party at the HM.

Is that a wailing and gnashing of teeth (and stamping of feet) I'm hearing from the direction of Seattle?

Morale, and customer reactions are clearly a problem.

Guh. I can't even imagine being CS for the IRS. People hate you anyway just because of where you work.

At Variable Annuity company they had a kind of incentive program. If a customer thought you were the awesomest ever since fire, they could ask to speak to a manager or supervisor and tell them "Joe's the awesomest since fire" and we'd get, like, a cookie or something.

But 99 times out of 100 that never occurs to a customer to do. You do an adequate job...or a stellar, way-above-and-beyond-the-call job...and you get "Well, thanks." *click*

And, natch, we weren't allowed to suggest to a customer that they could tell our bosses what shining examples of humanity we were. But, alternately, if they said something super swell on the recorded line, we could tell our boss "Hey, check out that phone call. They said they wanted to have my babies!"

Then the boss would actually listen to the call (because we can't be trusted. Like, every call we're saying "And then they proclaimed me their king!") and if the compliment was complimentary enough they'd give us, like, a cookie.

The warmth. The camaraderie. The incentive.

The suck.

I can't even imagine being CS for the IRS. People hate you anyway just because of where you work.

Years and years ago I worked for a company that occupied a building that had previously housed the IRS. This building faced a freeway. People would stop on the freeway and throw stuff or shoot at the building. It was loverly. What did I do for that company? Customer service. For a health insurance provider.

Caller: My insurance ran out
Me:You haven't paid your bill in over 7 months.
Caller: But I just found out I'm pregnant
Me: ...

I mentioned here a while back that an IRS rep who had been particularly helpful to me actually cried when I asked if I could say something nice about her to a supervisor. She said that she wasn't allowed (huh?) to connect me with someone on the phone for that purpose, but she gave me an address.

I've gotta say, the IRS reps I've dealt with (and I've dealt with a fair few) have been unfailingly professional, pleasant, and helpful. It makes dealing with their employer much easier.

Suzi, what time on Friday?

Caller: My insurance ran out

Me:You haven't paid your bill in over 7 months.

Caller: But I just found out I'm pregnant

Me: ...

...then I'm guessing you didn't spend your premiums on condoms.

I can't even imagine being CS for the IRS. People hate you anyway just because of where you work.

The IRS in Cincy (well, right across the river in Kentucky) has been overrun by bedbugs.

I am not making this up: [link] (note: the dateline says "Covington, Ohio, but there is no Covington in Ohio; it's Kentucky).

But 99 times out of 100 that never occurs to a customer to do.

I need to add this to my quest to instruct people on the various ways to increase the sum total of human happiness 'cuz, jeez, how easy is that.

I was motivated, because it's me, but I could see how someone who wanted to say something nice would forget to do so with the needing to write a letter part of the equation.

Interestingly, I HAVE had CS reps suggest that I tell someone I thought they were greater than fire. Usually, I'm happy to do so.

What would have been better than the proverbial cookie? Except for a rating system where you get monetary increases or bonuses, is there anything else that would reduce the suck?

The IRS in Cincy (well, right across the river in Kentucky) has been overrun by bedbugs.

Some sort of Gypsy curse?

I've gotta say, the IRS reps I've dealt with (and I've dealt with a fair few) have been unfailingly professional, pleasant, and helpful. It makes dealing with their employer much easier.

I've had the same experience with the feds.

NYS tax guys, however, are disorganized, rude, and nearly wound up costing me money. I kept (politely) telling them they someone should talk to the IRS about how to actually do this.