the other at a call center where you will do anything you can possibly think of to get some levity
This was my call center experience too. We weren't allowed to have writing implements, but we could have paper, so I used to read most of the time. One of my co-workers tried to teach me to knit between calls, and there were a few people learning origami. One guy had two Game Boys and people used to fight over who got to sit next to him and borrow one of them. My favorite people to watch were the ones who brought hand weights in and worked out during their shift.
Yeah, we had a 'paperless environment' too, which I detested. Some of the girls on my team knitted too. I wish I would have gotten into that. We technically weren't allowed to do anything except research policies while we were off calls, but after bitchy boss lady left at 8 pm (I worked evenings) we could basically do what we wanted. That's funny how you guys fought over the Game Boy Guy. Somebody should have thought of that. I can imagine people hooking them together and having Pokemon battles and getting calls right before pwning the other person. What I remember most is making fun of callers with my friend Michael (who had a habit of joking, 'you're gonna make me like the vage!') and having to listen to somebody play "Billie Jean" ad infinitum:)
We didn't really have policies or anything like that to go over while we were working, so anything we wanted to do was fair play as long as we could get on a call quickly. I worked night and day shifts, and it was fun to see the difference between the schedules. The overnight people in particular (we were open 24 hours) were fun. They'd all come in pajamas and bring blankets. They slept during their shift, which the bosses didn't mind.
Making fun of callers wouldn't have been cool at our place, but that's only because we had really strict privacy rules and weren't allowed to discuss our callers with anyone. It wasn't exactly a business... It was a relay center, helping place calls for people with difficulty hearing and/or speaking on the phone, so you'd end up on the line listening to some really private conversations.
You worked at a relay center? That's so cool. My mom's friend works at one and, yeah, with you having to translate any call somebody makes the subject matter can be really personal. I always liked getting relay calls. The interpreters were really friendly and patient, and I always wanted to ask them if they liked their job. It seemed to be a lot more fulfilling than mine
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This was my call center experience too. We weren't allowed to have writing implements, but we could have paper, so I used to read most of the time. One of my co-workers tried to teach me to knit between calls, and there were a few people learning origami. One guy had two Game Boys and people used to fight over who got to sit next to him and borrow one of them. My favorite people to watch were the ones who brought hand weights in and worked out during their shift.
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Making fun of callers wouldn't have been cool at our place, but that's only because we had really strict privacy rules and weren't allowed to discuss our callers with anyone. It wasn't exactly a business... It was a relay center, helping place calls for people with difficulty hearing and/or speaking on the phone, so you'd end up on the line listening to some really private conversations.
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