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My So Call-ed (Center) Life
I am a Team Manager for a well-known call center. Apart from the two-page job requirements that I am supposed to meet, there are also additional duties that fill up my usual workday. From meetings, formulating action plans to drawing up documents, there are some parts of my job that I would gladly relinquish to the next person; but there are also some features of my trade that I would gladly do.
PREPARING TO GO TO WORK: A lot of industries are very particular with the way their employees look. In the call center, we are not very strict when it comes to this but we have to make sure that we are not offending anyone. Also, if you have clothes that you think are not fit to be worn in a tropical country, now is the time to take them out from their moth-infested hiding place and become an instant fashionista. It's not just about fashion sense – those thick woolen jackets and cardigans would surely be a welcome addition to your wardrobe once you experience below-zero temperature – it's to ensure the machines you use don't go haywire on you.
BREAK: I know this is not part of the job description but who doesn't want to do this? Call center people will live longer than any other work group because we are coffee addicts in principle and according to that ad by a known "fairy", coffee is good for the heart and is five times more effective as an anti-oxidant than green tea or red wine.
TAKING CALLS: I usually take calls when the need arises or in call center jargon, when we are "queuing". I belong to a line of business that is fully integrated in America's culture: Directory Assistance. We get calls from the moment they wake up -- to ask for the time or the date until they feel that hunger pain they usually have before going to bed, and they ask for Krispy Kreme or PF Changs's number for that “oh, so good” midnight snack. We witness moments in their lives from the mundane (asking for Wal-Mart's number) to the out-of-the-ordinary (they just found out that they are adopted and they are looking for their natural parents with the last name... Smith). We know if it's Spring Break, Football Season or snowing incessantly based on their listing requests. Working in this line of business gives a new meaning to living life vicariously. This is most welcome to those people who actually want to live in the US of A. Sort of like a dress rehearsal if you may.
MEETING AND COACHING AGENTS: Communicating with different agents from different walks of life further your understanding of what makes us tick and makes "networking" a breeze.
Working here for the past four years has been one of the most informative experiences I have ever had. It made me know myself more, my likes and dislikes, what makes me wildly happy or what makes me seethingly mad. It may be a lot of things to a lot of people but to me, it is my LIFE.
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