Saturday, September 23, 2006

Ask and you shall receive

Ever been frustrated by something.  And then kept being frustrated after you did absolutely nothing to try to fix it?  I've definetly done that.  But there's good news.  Most of the time I've found that if you ask for something you'll get it.
 
Here's some examples:
* Bank of America started charging me monthly fees on a savings account.  It was $5 a month.  Not so much, but it adds up.  Originally I had opened the account as a student, and they had changed it's status at some point (while I was still a student...).  So for a couple months I got frustrated and told my friends how i was pissed at BoA  and all that.  And magically, they kept charging me.  So I called and asked, and they removed it.  Just like that.  Unfortunetly in this case they have started recharging me several other times.
 
* At GW I started running a computer security research lab.  The tasks included maintaining the servers and helping students setup projects and what not.  It was a pretty cool job actually, with alot of control over how the lab was setup and run.  BUT, at the same time I wanted to make more money.  So I asked them if they'd hire me to do what I was already doing.  I went in to my boss and explained why I was important, and they started paying me as a research aide.  Just like that.  A year later they wanted to stop paying me (the grant was running out) so I asked for credits instead.  I worked with a professor and got a bunch of independant study credits that helped me finish my masters at the same time as my bachlors degree! 
 
The moral is that you should ask for things.  Really the worst that will happen is that you won't get them.

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