Why do Filipinos have mirrors on their desks?
Being married to a foreigner opens up your eyes to things you never even noticed about your country or fellowmen.
For instance, Jeroen wanted to know why almost everyone at his office has a mirror on his/her desk.
Well, as soon as I moved into my new office more than a year ago, I also had this urge to put a mirror on my desk and I have no idea why.
When I first put a mirror there, I found myself looking at myself too often, so I moved it to the shelf.
The mirror is now there for when I have to go somewhere after office and reapply makeup.
So why do Filipinos put mirrors on their office tables? I don’t mean inside their kikay kits or drawers. The mirror is usually placed below the computer monitor.
To prove his point, I asked Jeroen to take pictures of all the mirrors in his office and here’s what he got:
Amazing isn’t it? I also asked my Twitter followers if they had mirrors on their desks. Here’s what I got:
L-R: Andy, Gracey Lou
Owi
Berl
Paul
Toni
Hannah, a receptionist at my office, said she needs to check in the mirror, particularly if there is a visitor. But as the person who answers the phone, Hannah has a more practical use for the mirror.
“Whenever I answer the phone, I look at it to make sure I am smiling. When I am smiling, my voice is livelier,” said Hannah.
Another girl in the office, Grace, also uses her mirror to check her face when answering the phone. It’s a matter of habit, she said. “I used to work at SM Hypermart with the accounting department and I needed to answer calls from suppliers. I would look in the mirror to check my face because my expression would reflect on my tone. I needed to be friendly and professional.”
Finally, I googled “Why do Filipinas have mirrors on their office tables?” and learned that some BPOs or call centers require their agents to talk to customers with smiles on their faces, so a mirror is very helpful.
So tell me, do you have a mirror on your desk and why? Feel free to post pics in the comments section.
