Applying to graduate school has been an educational experience in itself. Taking the required tests however leave the student of applicant with a variety of choices to be made. One of these choices is which company will administer the test? I assume like man college students needing a late night snack, the local convenient store usually wins out over the slightly longer trip to the local grocery.

I am inclined to admit that that this has been the case with my initial experience for my first attempt at this test. Much to my dismay the ID requirements for testing at Prometric exceed the requirements for acquiring a Texas State driver's license or entrance into the Federal Government's Los Alamos computer lab to check out a laptop (http://TwitPWR.com/laptop/). What gives? Has our society become so prone to 'cheating the system' that everyone is now suspect? Thankfully I scheduled the test with a good friend and fellow student, whom I was able to support through her actual taking of the GRE.

My experience has been such that a refund and a trip to the 'grocery store' so to speak is now in order. I simply cannot stomach the idea of supporting companies who have lost their ability to hire employees that have the authority to evaluate procedure when contingencies arise. I have been especially appalled with the adversarial posture many large companies now take towards their customers. I am not a 'problem' to be endured or solved, but a customer who is paying a premium for a service.

While the current economic climate has already brought hardship to many, there is also the bright side of customers regaining some semblance of service back from companies who have slashed resources too long to squeeze profits out of the bottom line. I look forward to the next wave of innovation as well as companies who revive our economy by producing products and services while keeping in mind what has been missing far too long, the 'customer' in customer service. I will be searching the web tonight to find out where the GRE test can be taken and by which companies. Sometimes, it's best to check the grocery before heading straight to convenient store.