CALL CENTRES So, it’s been 6 months today since I moved from Australia to the US to marry Mike.. which means it’s been 6 months since I’ve legally been able to work.. Now, the first two months of that were taken up with wedding planning, followed by our honeymoon, but these last three months have been pretty boring.. I mean, sure, I keep myself entertained, I binge watched Penny Dreadful and Black Books, I got obsessed with Bar Rescue (until their formula became super obvious), I snipe campus like a silent ninja, and found myself playing other questionable games Over the last two weeks particularly, I’ve been dreaming about going back to work like a freaking weirdo.. I got offered a job via that resume/job hunting website, and got super excited, only to realise the offer was for an inbound call centre ? My last job was at a call centre, and I can’t tell you how soul-sucking and hope-destroying that job was.. But I did come out of there with some interesting stories Like that one time Anne* has a breakdown halfway through our call, and told me was in hospital for 6 weeks with a broken foot, and the doctors told her they were taking her home only to test her new walking frame. Those bastàrds tricked her into going to her OWN HOME, after 6 WEEKS recovery, and LEFT HER THERE! it took me a solid 20 minutes to calm her down, and then she tells me that this happened THREE FREAKING YEARS AGO!! Oh Anne, get the hell out of here.. Or that time I got Charlie* who is a chronic oversharer.. we just need a little info, or even a yes/no to complete an initial assessment, right? They get a comprehensive assessment in their homes once we’ve done this simple form over the phone.. Charlie is a talker.. I ask Charlie if he has any trouble moving on and off the toilet. This man goes into intricate detail about having to use 3-ply toilet paper so he doesn’t poke a hole through, explains that it’s tough to wipe after a history of haemorrhoids, and tells me how he does it.. I’ll spare you guys the details, but I’m not gonna lie, I had tears in my eyes wondering why the hell I was in that job.. There was also the time Christina* calls with both her parents, neither of whom had registered with us before, neither of whom could speak English, demanding that we do a double screening with a translator at 7:55pm on a Friday night.. that’s right Christina, you motherfluffer.. Call with a 50 minute call 5mins before my weekend starts.. ? and I can’t say no.. These are some of my favourite horror stories from working in that job, though I was there for almost a year, and there are plenty more.. Tell me I’m crazy for wanting to go back to work! Tell me your horror stories, or the worst thing you’ve seen or been through at your job k, go..
Good read and you’re not crazy for wanting to go back, if you enjoy it, then there’s no real reason to stop doing it.
I like working, not so much in a call centre I guess you don’t really miss it til you can’t do it.. and thanks dude
It sounds like you had good coworkers, which is reason enough to miss it. I remember being unemployed for a month after I moved and, while all of my friends said to enjoy it as if it were a mini vacation, I hated being idle and jumped right into to the job search, so I totally relate!
My very first legal paying job was working for USPS as a casual carrier over the summer break during my freshman/sophomore year of my undergrad. I had to shoot pepper spray at a couple full sized boxers on the loose, that had become territorial. Once it was safe, I knocked on the door to let the owners know the dogs had gotten out and to wash them, because I wasn’t sure how bad I had shot them. Although I realize it was them or I, I still feel bad about having to spray at them and wish that the owners would have made sure that they were secured. It haunts me that someone else less agile or confrontational may have gotten hurt really badly from the attack.
I feel like that now.. I know it’s gonna be another month or two before I’m authorised to work, but I’m already prepping different resumes, and researching available jobs.. it sucks so much lol
Also, you should use this time to write a book or hone your skills or smthing. Like get better at an instrument or learn smthing that would be cool for the resume
The first three seconds of the dog attack seemed like 20 minutes, but once my fight kicked in, it ended quickly. I never had to fight a dog before, and these were two simultaneously trying to end me. The owners were more embarrassed/afraid than anything. They were grateful that I wasn’t really hurt, that I didn’t report them, and thanked me for letting them know about the dogs being sprayed.
I’ve been sitting on a few book ideas for the last 18 months, I just don’t know how to approach it ? I have been reading books on writing fiction/non-fiction, which helps, but ehhh.. books too, are they dying? Is a vlog a better way to go these days?
I get you.. my neighbours used to have pitbull cross dogs that were massive and dumb.. friendly enough, but they’d go nuts when they saw my mum’s Jack Russell.. they attacked him twice, and it was one of the scariest things I’ve seen. Would hate to be on the receiving end of an attack like that ?
They're definitely not dying. Maybe among adults, i go to the bookstore all the time and most of the ppl are parents with their kids :/ altho that might be because all the adults are buying books online. If you do a vlog tho, advertise it here and we can all support your budding internet career by watching~
Books are certainly not dying! But a vlog would be neat, too- depends on what your style is! Wednesday is definitely right because you won't have as much time to do something like that once you are back at work. :x I find myself squeezing in writing time instead of reveling in it.
That’s a pretty solid idea, Wednesday.. a big part of my story began here on PIMD ? and both you and Sherily are right, there won’t be much time later probably end up in another crappy job, wishing I was back doing nothing lol
Nice thread, Ahli. I enjoyed reading it. Reminds me of some crazy customers thru the years. Thank you!