Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Talking and talking...
I work in a customer service center. Most of the folks here spend all shift sitting under a set of headphones listening to people's complaints and troubles. I did start out doing that, but quickly realized that wasn't my thing. I went back to school, got my Masters and returned as a technical writer on the Web with minimal phone interactions.
But the point of this is the other people on the phones. I watch these folks spend all day on a phone, controlled by the second, and then watch as they hang up and log off for a break or lunch. And you know what many of them do? They grab their cell and start talking on it - after spending all day on the phone, the first thing they do when done talking on a phone is to start talking on a phone.
When I walk outside I see them dodging clouds of nicotine laden smoke, and talking on a phone. You go to the break room for a soda and chips and they're sitting there - talking on the phone. And even those without cells - there's a couple - use the outside phone lines when they're on break. And of course there's some who are answering email, looking at their cell, reading an IM and talking on their headset.
And I can remember asking the operator to get 206 for me after waiting for our party line to clear.
