just wait, it's coming! dddragon presents: Is Anything Truly Random?

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

Calls

I've been working at this particular call center for nearly five years. Only part-time, mind you. I don't think I could stand it full time and I don't know how my full-time co-workers manage it. Our company divides the calls between Sales and Service (at BOMC, where I worked at previously, we were all Full Service).

So, it is easier to just answer questions about products and take orders than dealing with customers' problems with products and orders. But it can get pretty boring. At least we are allowed to have real conversations. At BOMC we were strictly scripted and could not encourage any conversation (it got so bad we couldn't even ask if there was anything else we could help them with at the end of the call).

Some of these conversations get really long - I've been on the phone with a customer for 45 minutes and longer without making a sale. Have heard way too much about their health problems, what a Monster-in-Law they have, etc.

But sometimes these conversations are real bright spots.

Once I talked to a woman who had married a guy who had been dumped by a woman that I went to school with. (didja get that?) Mind you, I'm in PA and this school is in CA ~ I had simply remarked that I had gone to the school in her town and the conversation went off from there. I was glad to hear that the jilted fiance's story had a happy ending.

Today I had a call from a woman calling from North Carolina. I confirmed the address and said, "Advance, North Carolina?" She said yes, then laughed and said, "or, as they say here, adVANCE!" She and her family were fairly newly transplanted from the Washington, D.C. area and she was determined not to get a southern accent. So she said. I bet her two year old picks it up really quickly. I didn't tell her that I still say nekkid, and I haven't lived in TN since I was about four.

Addresses are sometimes funny. I posted yesterday about Bobo Newsom Highway. My favorite street names are Skunk's Misery Road and Jackass Annie Road (Minote, Maine). E-mail addresses are sometimes quite creative and funny. It's especially funny when the man selects the woman's email address. Or not, for the woman.

Another caller today was a woman named Tommie. I asked if that was her given name and it was (she also told me her middle name, since as a southerner that is requirement). I told her that I had a great aunt named Johntie. Tommie LOVED that name! What a hoot! I bet mom has Aunt Johntie stories, too. And a few weeks ago I spoke with a woman whose name is Shaharazod (I'm not sure that I've got the spelling right). I was dying to ask if she had a nickname.

Here is a blog of another call center employee who doesn't have as much fun as I do: http://worstcall.blogspot.com/ (thanks to doug for the link)

11 Comments:

At 6:48 PM, Blogger Doug The Una said...

I'm glad you liked that site, it breaks me up. I like to go there when I'm frustrated at work and console myself that at least what's pissing me off today isn't what pissed me off yesterday. Speaking of sites, I think your daughters are both brilliant and Kiddie A really writes in your style.

Oh, and it's usually spelled Sheherezade.

 
At 7:02 PM, Blogger dddragon said...

thx, I thought that I got it wrong. And her last name was so ordinary, too!

 
At 7:04 PM, Blogger BarbaraFromCalifornia said...

skunk's misey road, how original, and I can identify.
I truly loved those names yesterday.

I posted a link for some pictures on my blog. (this is the best I can do, as I am still unable to download anything, or create links.)

 
At 7:22 PM, Blogger TLP said...

Yeah, I love that site Doug cited. And I love your call stories too.
Of course, Kiddie A and Kiddie B are brilliant. Runs in the family.

 
At 9:22 PM, Blogger Fred said...

You must have real patience to stay on the line with a customer for 45 minutes. Where I used to work, they had standards on the number of callls that you had to take per hour. I think it was 12 or 13.

You're right, I don't know how people can do it full-time.

 
At 9:53 PM, Blogger GodlessMom said...

In Arizona there is a Burnt Bacon Rd. I've always wondered why in the heck they named it that.

Thanks for the link, that blog is great!

 
At 11:25 PM, Blogger A Little Bar of Soap said...

Has anyone ever shared with you their personal journey to faith in Jesus, our Lord and Savior?

 
At 11:32 PM, Blogger Goa'uld said...

Aw, thanks Doug and Tan :D! lol, speaking of a woman named Tommie, I remember that during exploratory French, I picked the name Claude because it was on the girl name list and I thought it was cool. When we had a substitute, and she was calling off the list of names, she questioned me about the name I had chosen because it was masculine (and she questioned another girl that had chosen the name Paule)...she was quite bothered by it...but I think Tommie would be a cool name for a girl :). Johntie sounds cool, too...:P

 
At 11:35 PM, Blogger Goa'uld said...

Oh, and by questioning, I mean she kept on asking, "Don’t you know your name is masculine?" or "You're teacher allowed you to pick a masculine name?", etc. lol, she was funny :P.

 
At 11:58 PM, Blogger Doug The Una said...

Goa'uld, you should tell her next time that she won't like the natural order of things any better. Any experienced sub should understand that.

 
At 12:22 AM, Blogger thc said...

You must be able to have some fun at whatever you're doing. You have a great attitude, it really shows.

 

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