Herbert Thiel

Inventory Control Specialist, Retail Salesperson, Claims Rep, Writer, Web-Developer, Proofreader, Editor

Jack-of-all-trades-master-of-some
"...I've been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn and a king..."


What Can I Do For You?

* PLEASE NOTE: I am NOT looking for commission-based income or cold-calling of any type, thanks. *

Click here for a Bare Bones Work History

Some Things About Me or Why Hire Herb?

Please allow me to introduce myself to you in my own style. I've written a few paragraphs about myself and a few of the traits I think could be the answer to the two most infamous interview questions of all time, "What do you feel are your weak points?" and "What do you feel are your strengths."

One thing I can do is pick nits. Well, not the head lice kind so much, although after 4 kids and 9 grandkids, I do know about that a little bit too. I don't know if that's a skill you want to pay for, though. Fastidious nit-picking, when used properly, however, can be a valuable tool. I can problem solve, especially where hunting down discrepancies is concerned, which is something akin to an art form. Things must be aligned just so and pictures must be hung straight. If the numbers in two different columns are supposed to match or zero out, they better. One time I worked for a guy who said my register was off by $22.83 and he docked my pay for it. I searched through three days of register tapes, transaction by transaction until I found it. And it turned out to have been his error, not mine. I ended up leaving there as he couldn't meet payroll a couple of times and didn't give me a check because he didn't want it to bounce. The point of the story being that whether I am proofreading your homework paper, looking for an error in a bit of code or anything else, I will thoroughly, fastidiously go through it with a fine-toothed comb.

Related to that statement but separate, is another talent I have. I know how to spell and whether their weather is there yet and what they're thinking about it. I can even tell who's using whose phrase correctly. Commas, for example, can be a matter of life and death, as the cover of one of my favorite books, Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss, illustrates. Bad grammar and punctuation annoy me and I am sometimes too vocal about it. That's part of how I got the job running the media projector at our church.
"Brother, that word was spelled wrong/That apostrophe doesn't go there/There's a comma in the original song, etc." I only did it because I was afraid our church would look like a bunch of dummies if we made such egregious spelling errors and could even miscommunicate our entire message. After a while the brother said, "Would you like to do this job? I really don't want it any more."
I wasn't really trying to nag him out of his job, but I did really feel that strongly about it.

Another thing I can do is take care of customers. Customers, of course, are the only reason to have any kind of business and they need to be treated well. I have over 15 years of retail experience alone, not counting dealing with internal customers at several other jobs. I understand that the customer may not always be right, but should always be respected. Customers are the only people who do not have to "earn respect." Whether it's an angry person on the phone or a confused elderly person trying to understand a complicated transaction, I have the key. I'm a good and patient listener, which often is the thing that's needed the most. I think everyone has seen bad customer service and if you only go a notch above you are already ahead, but if you get a guy like me, who has outstanding customer service skills, you are a couple more notches ahead.

Skills and Miscellany

Here are some skills and other miscellaneous information that you might find helpful in deciding to choose me:

  • Superior communication skills including a clear phone voice
  • Able to resolve conflicts diplomatically
  • Creative problem solver.
  • 15 years retail experience
  • Accurate Inventory Control skills
  • Eager student of software and software suites including languages like HTML5, CSS3 and Javascript
  • Can operate a Clark Order Picker
  • Authorized to work in the US for any employer
  • Served in the Army 3 yrs from 21 Aug 87 to 20 Aug 90 and received honorable discharge and good conduct ribbon. Eligible for 5 pt. Veterans' preference.
  • Passed Dean Vaughn Medical Terminology 350
  • Sunday School teacher and Head Sunday School teacher from 11/89 - present.
  • Boy Scout leader for 6 years in various positions including Cubmaster, Committee Chairman and Scoutmaster.

I've been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn and a king,
I've been up and down and over and out and I know one thing,
Each time I find myself flat on my face,
I pick myself up and get back in the race.