Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Observations on Life
I'm sick again, I'm assuming mono, but my dr. won't let me get tested because it always shows that I've had an infection. I don't know when he became all born again about lab tests. I had a colonoscopy on the heels of a diverticulitis attack and now I'm limping around feeling crappy. Story of my life. Discouraging to the max.
But I'm still going to work and last night, I was listening to a conversation a couple of other agents were having. This guy was telling his friend about his medical symptoms and how he manages his illness. I only heard a bit of the conversation, but it struck me how call center agents are so much alike in temperament.
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Seriously, a lot of us are sickly and we love to talk about our symptoms. We listen to others talk about their symptoms, with interest and concern. Other ways we're alike: we're all readers. You walk into the break room at lunch time and there are a bunch of agents, eating their healthy food lunches (seriously, you wouldn't believe the salads and carefully prepared meals!) with their noses in a book. Always, always, of course, people are on their cell phones, checking in with kids and spouses and texting busily. So, we also are great multi-taskers. I'd bet many of us are ADD.
I'm always amazed when I meet another agent and we start talking, at the similarities in our personalities. Very few dummies in our crowd, they get weeded out right away. If you can't cut it, you don't last. That being said, I'm always worried I'll walk in and be fired, but you know what I mean.
So, next time you call customer care for your cell phone, know that the person you're speaking with is probably 1. a reader with a very good awareness of the world 2. sickly in some chronic way, diabetes, chronic fatigue, heart trouble, etc., 3. doing 3 things at once, not including TALKING TO YOU! 4. concerned about others, I forgot to put that. We're givers, servers, for the most part. Many of my co-workers volunteer in the community or give back, even when they have very little to give.
Once again, I encourage you to see the people around you, really see them. If you can make a human connection with that faceless voice when you call in upset and angry or stymied, you're going to get a lot better service. We're always encouraged to do that with our customers and almost all of us do---of course, it's something I'm a genius at---well, not a genius, gifted from God. But not too many of us go in to work every day with an apathetic attitude toward our fellow man.
Just think about it.
But I'm still going to work and last night, I was listening to a conversation a couple of other agents were having. This guy was telling his friend about his medical symptoms and how he manages his illness. I only heard a bit of the conversation, but it struck me how call center agents are so much alike in temperament.
\
Seriously, a lot of us are sickly and we love to talk about our symptoms. We listen to others talk about their symptoms, with interest and concern. Other ways we're alike: we're all readers. You walk into the break room at lunch time and there are a bunch of agents, eating their healthy food lunches (seriously, you wouldn't believe the salads and carefully prepared meals!) with their noses in a book. Always, always, of course, people are on their cell phones, checking in with kids and spouses and texting busily. So, we also are great multi-taskers. I'd bet many of us are ADD.
I'm always amazed when I meet another agent and we start talking, at the similarities in our personalities. Very few dummies in our crowd, they get weeded out right away. If you can't cut it, you don't last. That being said, I'm always worried I'll walk in and be fired, but you know what I mean.
So, next time you call customer care for your cell phone, know that the person you're speaking with is probably 1. a reader with a very good awareness of the world 2. sickly in some chronic way, diabetes, chronic fatigue, heart trouble, etc., 3. doing 3 things at once, not including TALKING TO YOU! 4. concerned about others, I forgot to put that. We're givers, servers, for the most part. Many of my co-workers volunteer in the community or give back, even when they have very little to give.
Once again, I encourage you to see the people around you, really see them. If you can make a human connection with that faceless voice when you call in upset and angry or stymied, you're going to get a lot better service. We're always encouraged to do that with our customers and almost all of us do---of course, it's something I'm a genius at---well, not a genius, gifted from God. But not too many of us go in to work every day with an apathetic attitude toward our fellow man.
Just think about it.
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