Thursday isn't my day!

I work as QA Analyst/Sales Verifier in one of the call centers here in Manila. I started as QA Analyst in a technical account but after 6 months I was transferred to a financial account. We handle one of the credit cards in the US and our agents are also based in the US. The agents offer different programs of the banks to the card holder. All the calls are recorded and we listen to all of them to avoid cases of fraud. Fraud done by the agents they also call it slamming. There are certain guidelines from the client that have to be followed. If the agent did not follow it strictly it will be kicked back and will be considered to be invalid sale. Basically we audit the calls of the agents and there is also a spotchecker who audits the QA Analysts verified calls.

One of the calls I verified yesterday was a good sale. During the presentation of the program there was no negative reaction from the customer. Even during the enrollment question and billing question (BQ) the customer answered an affirmative yes. Due to high call volume when the customer answered yes after the billing question I disposed the call. I did not wait for the agent to finish his closing spiel.

Unfortunately when the call was about to end after the agent finished the closing spiel the customer changed his mind. He refused to the offer but the agent still processed it as good sale. It was the time that I no longer have the call. Our spotchecker got it and report it to the manager. Poor me, for that case I will be suspended for 5 days. I was really confident that it was a good sale knowing that the customer immediately agreed to enroll. The lesson we learned in our team was to listen to the entire call.

To work in a financial account is really risky. Especially that from previous years United States had so many cases of fraud and identity theft. Identity theft is stealing someone's identity like personal data, social security number, bank accounts or credit card number to personally profit at his expense. It takes years and big amount of money to restore a reputation in the community and erroneous information.

Benefits of Whole Grains in our Kid's Health

Some parents are having problems with their children's eating habit. We can seldom encounter kids that enjoy eating fruits and vegetable. Kids now love to go to their favorite fast food chain or can easily buy junk foods from any convenience store. TV ads influences us so much.

I've read that whole grains have been found to be nutritionally superior in giving health benefits than refined grain. Cereals, bread, pasta contain all the healthy parts of the grain. There are also snacks that are made of whole grains which can easily be found in our favorite supermarket.

Whole grains contain all three important parts of a grain: Bran - which is rich in fiber, B vitamins, iron, zinc,copper and phytonutrients. Germ - which is rich in vitamin E, B vitamins, antioxidants, and essential fats. Endosperm - which offers carbohydrates, protein and small amounts of B vitamins.

Whole grains provide energy to support kid's growth and activities, promotes healthy digestive functions. Fiber helps clean the digestive tract to prevent constipation, promotes regular bowel movement and keep digestive tract in tiptop shape. Whole grains also encourage healthy dietary habits, by incorporating whole grains into our kid's diet at an early age we establish good lifelong dietary habits in our child.

Online Recruitment..Online Screening

Today most of us has Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace account. Normally when we sign up we fill out personal information, educational background, employment history etc. We also upload pictures like family, special occasions, officemates and company outings where our friends can leave comments. There's also an option to post shoutouts about what we feel for the day if we are sad, happy or mad at something.

But I've just read today from the newspaper that nearly half of US employers search online profiles of jobseekers using social networks. I realized that it is really possible that employers pre-screen job applicants by utilizing those sites.

Let us all be mindful of the information that we post online. I suggest never upload any scandalous pictures, never post shoutouts that will be taken against you like badmouthing someone or any discriminatory comments. Instead post information that will boost your personality especially if you are a jobseeker.

The Best Buy Online

It's a back to school season and I'm looking for best buys and this includes my younger daughter's eyeglasses. I normally spend $100 for her eyeglasess and it doesn't last, it's either she broke it or had scratches on the lens. Then I saw Zenni Optical on TV!!!

I went online to check their site and I was amazed they have $ 8 Rx eyeglasses. Designs are really fashionable at an affordable prices. This is really beneficial to us because normally our ophthalmologist would just give us the prescription then it's up to us where to order the eyeglasses. My husband would storehop to find the best that would fit on our budget. Now that I know of Zenni Optical we can just go ahead and order online.

I've heard others recommending Zenni for being high in quality and in reasonable price. Their shipping and handling costs only $4.95, what more can I ask for. High Five to Zenni Optical!

Vasovagal Syndrome

Last Saturday I went to the gym then after, I went to the hospital to visit my Aunt who's in the ICU. We just started the conversation and immediately I feel dizzy so I went out and I found a chair in the Nurse's station. In less than 5 minutes I collapsed, when I woke up I saw the doctor getting my blood pressure. My blood pressure really went down, 100/50, it's the first time that happened to me. Also a week before this I played badminton with my officemates, it was a 2 hour play. When I went home, I feel pain from my chest through my back as if I'm going to faint.

This thursday I went to Medical City for a check up, the physician advised to have a blood test and an ECG . After an hour of waiting, I got the results. The blood test result was normal but I was reffered to the cardiologist. I discussed everything to the cardiologist and also my previous experiences. I can't stay longer in a "dawn mass" because of the crowd. There was a time that I fainted at the middle of the mass.

The cardiologist said that I may have a "vasovagal syndrome". To confirm he gave me option to have a "tilt table test ". It's funny because he said on the evaluation they will give the patient physical exercises with a certain amount of time, if he faints then it's confirmed that he has "vasovagal syndrome ". I guess no need for me to perform the evaluation. He discussed the precautionary measures which I've been doing eversince.

Normally when we are tired our heart rate would go fast and blood pressure should go up. But what's happening to me is my blood pressure goes down the result is less oxygen going to my brain then I start to feel dizzy. I cannot take the drug to let the blood pressure up because of family history for hypertension. To avoid symptoms that may trigger to fainting I was advised to have a high salt diet and stay well hydrated, avoid long exposures to sun. So far my condition is not that really scary, the doctor said that I can continue my daily activities especially going to the gym and playing badminton. We are going to continue to observe my condition and if it happens again I may have to undergo several heart examinations.

President Cory Aquino, The Best Mother

The Philippines find it really hard to say goodbye to President Cory Aquino. August 5, 2009 Wednesday, hundreds of thousands of people attended the funeral of the former president despite the heavy rain.

President Cory Aquino was the 11th President of the Philippines and was the Philippines and Asia's first female president. She is a world renowned advocate for democracy, peace, women's empowerment and religious piety.

But above all I was inspired of her being a mother. She played the role of a father and a mother at the same time to her five children when Ninoy was held in prison for his political convictions. She became widowed in 1983 when Ninoy was assassinated. Despite of all the hardships she remained strong and raised her children to be a better and responsible citizen. Her motherhood was not exclusive only for her children but for everybody, she helped a lot of people.

On the day she died the first thing that came into my mind was who will take place of her role in our society. Jaime Cardinal Sin is no longer here now President Cory as well.

As a mother President Cory will be my role model. I promised to her that I will work hard and do everything for my children, my nephews and nieces to provide them education, guide and teach them values so they'll grow up better and responsible Filipino citizens.

Take Care of Our House Items

We treasure our possessions to last. We invest money to all the things around the house to get high quality. But the price is not the only thing that matters, we should also know how to take care of those. I found simple tips that will help items around the house last for long.

Shoes - place them in an area with good ventilation. Air out your "special-occasions-only" shoes every six months. Walk in them for just a few steps. A local shoe wax and a good horsehair brush would to make shoes looking new.

Rubber shoes - don't leave your rubber shoes inside your gym bag, always put out to dry after use. To clean (1) soak in a basin of water with laundry soap for 5 minutes never use bleach (2) use an old toothbrush to remove dirt but be gentle (3) rinse thoroughly with clean water (4) Never dry them under the sun because UV rays can destroy shoe materials. Wrap the shoes with a dry towel and pop them into the dryer for a cycle then put them infront of an electric fan to dry completely.

Jeans - don't wash them after as often as you wear them unless they get extremely visibly dirty. Denims can be good 3 or 4 wears before hitting the wash. Use mild and bleach free detergent and just cold water.

Electric Fans - give your electric fan a break . If you're using the fan for a whole day, you need to give at least 30 minutes rest to give the motor a chance to cool down to prevent motor damage.

Airconditioner - cgeck the owner's manual for proper cleaning methods. Cleaning the filter ensures that air enters the machine and allergens that can cause respiratory problemsstay out. Position the unit away from the sun. Plants block vents and reduce the units ability to exhaust air.

Washing machines - empty pockets before loading clothes into the machine. Split your file into smaller loads but be sure to use enough water. The water level should not be less than half. Don't overload your washing machine it does consume more power.