Lessons on the Floor

*This is dedicated to everyone who has been a call center agent. More posts about the call center life soon.

Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught – Oscar Wilde

Graduating with an engineering degree, I thought I was fully equipped with everything I need to embark on my journey as a full-pledge member of the working mass. But nothing, not even the fact that I spent almost half of my college life as a working student primed me for that whole new world out there. When I decided that I want to work in the flourishing call center industry, I was brimming with confidence. I thought I was ready to conquer. But I can’t be more wrong.

Curly call center agent in 2007 (don’t look at my eyebags pls)

Aside from the fact that I flunked my first interview, my first months in the call center were a real challenge. I had to work overtime for a special English training since I kept stuttering on the phone. There were times when I wanted to quit, there were those calls that I thought would never end. And there were days of pure depression.

Nothing has prepared me for it. This is life – outside of the four walls of the classroom. Most of the time there are no retakes, special projects or room for mistakes. That’s when I realized it’s true; if you thought your professor was a terror wait ‘til you meet your supervisor and when all the theories and postulates can’t help you solve the problem, look around and start picking up lessons – lessons on the floor.

 

The girls of Team Iris during Sykes Halloween Party, Nov 2006

An irate customer asking for a supervisor, a talkative grandma who refuses to put the phone down, a billing or technical issue more complicated than a differential calculus problem– every call center agent dreads these kinds of calls. But I learned that this too shall pass. Every call is bound to end; it may take ten, 20 or heaven forbid 30 minutes but it will end, just as every bad hair day, every heartache and broken period of your life will. It is just a matter of time.

One important call driver, and for me the most difficult to attain, is Average Handling Time or AHT. Seize the day – almost everyone has told me that. But not until I worked in this time-conscious industry, have I learned that every second is truly important. Every second contributes to every minute of every hour of my life that not one should be wasted in dead air or in a moment of not knowing what to do. Same in life – be dynamic, constantly seek and create defining moments.

Transcom Days with Miko, Andrea and my trench coat

Now, we sit around all day and we don’t sweat or overwork a muscle but it doesn’t mean that working in the call center is not a stressful job. There are times when it just gets to you – the complaints, the never-ending questions and technical problems, the waking up so early in the morning, the struggle of trying to stay awake when everyone else is soundly sleeping. It’s simply hard. But it is all a matter of proper mindset. Everything is.

All boys group? With my rowdy team in Siemens, April 2007

Never assume. Mistakes are mostly born out of wrong assumptions. In this industry based on facts, this is a major blunder. That is why I have learned to always ask relevant questions and practice probing skills. Everything has an answer; it is just a matter of knowing the right questions to ask.

Lastly, when in doubt – log out. Well, not literally log-out but perhaps pause for a moment, take a deep breath, ask a question or escalate to Level 2. There are times when letting go is as noble as holding on. Don’t hold too long and too much when you know that things are irreparable and it is beyond your control to take actions. Learn to let go but do it in the proper way (don’t press release, okay?).

These are just some of the lessons that helped me survive every single day on the floor. These were the same things I have been taught of all my life. Not that I didn’t listen, it’s just that the most important lessons in life can never be taught – they have to be learned.

Life’s Simple Rules

Don’t date because you are desperate.

Don’t marry because you are miserable.

Don’t have kids because you think your genes are superior.

Don’t philander because you think you are irresistible.

Don’t associate with people you can’t trust.

Don’t cheat. Don’t lie. Don’t pretend.

Don’t dictate because you are smarter.

Don’t demand because you are stronger.

Don’t sleep around because you think you are old enough & know better.

Don’t hurt your kids because loving them is harder.

Don’t sell yourself, your family, or your ideals.

Don’t stagnate! Don’t regress. Don’t live in the past.

Time can’t bring anything or anyone back.

Don’t put your life on hold for possibly Mr. Right.

Don’t throw your life away on absolutely Mr. Wrong because your biological clock is ticking.

Learn a new skill. Find a new friend. Start a new career.

Sometimes, there is no race to be won, only a price to be paid for some of life’s more hasty decisions.

To terminate your loneliness, reach out to the homeless.

To feed your nurturing instincts, care for the needy.

To fulfill your parenting fantasies, get a puppy.

Don’t bring another life into this world for all the wrong reasons.

To make yourself happy, pursue your passions & be the best of what you can be.

Simplify your life.

Take away the clutter.

Get rid of destructive elements: abusive friends, nasty habits, and dangerous liaisons.

Don’t abandon your responsibilities but don’t overdose on duty.

Don’t live life recklessly without thought and feeling for your family.

Be true to yourself.

Don’t commit when you are not ready.

Don’t keep others waiting needlessly.

Go on that trip.

Don’t postpone it.

Say those words. Don’t let the moment pass.

Do what you have to, even at society’s scorn.

Write poetry.

Love Deeply.

Walk barefoot. Dance with wild abandon. Cry at the movies.

Take care of yourself. Don’t wait for someone to take care of you. You light up your life.

You drive yourself to your destination. No one completes you – except YOU.

It isn’t true that life does not get easier with age.

It only gets more challenging.

Don’t be afraid. Don’t lose your capacity to love.

Pursue your passions. Live your dreams. Don’t lose faith in God.

Don’t grow old. Just grow YOU!

When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you’ll never get back. Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give to someone is your time. Relationships take time and effort, and the best way to spell love is T-I-M-E because the essence of love is not what we think or do or provide or others, but how much we give of ourselves.

I am Grow Up!

Warning: If you think I am referring to you, I probably am. So please, spare yourself the humiliation.

Note: I wrote this in my journal and reading it now, made me laugh like crazy so I just thought I would share. This is how bitchy I can get (sometimes ^__^). Forgive my arrogance.

Aaminin ko, hindi ako super ganda. Siguro minsan, kapag tipong pinalantsa yung buhok ko, nagmake up at nagdamit ng medyo sexy, I can make heads turn. But on an average day – buhaghag na buhok, namamagang eyebags at haggardness na, I doubt kung kahit magbobote eh papansinin ako.

Pero more than physical beauty, I take pride in knowing that I am smart. I was accelerated in elementary, studied in a science school in the metro, a lady engineer, freelance writer and sige na nga tama na at baka sabihin niyo nagyayabang ako.

At siyempre, the first thing I look for in a partner is yung may utak din. Hindi lahat ng naging boyfriend ko gwapo, pero lahat sila matalino. From the history of China to Coloumb’s law of Electromagnetics – I learned it all from my exes. Kaya naman ng nakilala ko si Jon, nawindang ang lola niyo.

“Hmm, baka naman sa English lang siya bobo? Malay mo magaling sa Math?

Let’s just put it this way. Mahina yung pick up niya. Like I have to explain everything. Kahit na tagalog pa.

“Well, siguro mahina lang siya sa logic. Pabayaan mo na, gwapo naman eh.”

Yun lang. Super gwapo niya; maputi, may dimples sa magkabilang pisngi, matangos ang ilong, maganda ang katawan. A total eyecandy. At sabi nga nila – the best accessory is a gorgeous boyfriend. Kaso lang, just like what his other girlfriend said, “Pwede nang pangdisplay, wag mo lang pagsasalitain.”

And yup, bobo na siya babaero pa. But, we’ll get to that later.

I remember, nagulat na lang ako at may mga picture comments ako sa friendster. Wow, it nice post!

Nung una hindi ko magets. Poste ba? Wala namang poste sa picture ah. Or yung picture caption na pinost ko sa taas?

Hi. Thanks for your comments. Not sure what you mean though.

YOUR so pretty and POST is perfect. You can be a model.

Ah ok. Pose pala. I didn’t attempt to correct him kasi hindi pa naman kami close at mukhang hindi naman siya masyado mahilig magenglish. Nung first time naming magusap sa phone, thank heavens at hindi niya ko pinakitaan ng kanyang eloquence.

Days went by. We dated hanggang sa sinagot ko na siya. Overall, he is nice naman; marunong makisama, masipag sa bahay, matiyaga, maasikaso. And our conversations progressed naman kahit paano. Kung dati puro what is your favorite color lang, napagusapan na din namin yung family issues, friendship, work, etc. Though it’s not as educational or as profound, at least we can share each other’s POVs.

Kaso may mga times talaga na sablay siya eh. And I was able to prove na hindi lang talaga siya mentally ungifted sa English, mababa talaga ang kanyang I.Q.

Isang araw, nanood kami ng sine – I forgot na what the movie was. All the time, he was checking my phone for text messages, I wasn’t checking his. And it’s not because hindi ako selosa.

“Teka bakit ba kanina ka pa check ng check ng phone ko ha. Patingin nga ng phone mo!”

“Lowbat nga eh tignan mo o ayaw mag on.”

At dinemonstrate niya pa. He pressed on power and totoo nga ayaw mag on. But I snatched his phone away from his hands.

“Anong lowbat? Eh tinanggal mo ata ang battery nito eh!” I took the battery cover off and guess what – wala ngang battery.

“Please lang wag mo kong gagawin tanga dahil mataas ang IQ ko.” Sabay walk out sa sinehan.

That night sorry siya ng sorry at kesyo magpapakamatay daw siya and other stupid pananakot. Okay, another chance then. After all, pinapasaya niya naman ako.

Babe, nagPERTO na ko ng PISH.

Oo na, 29 na ko. MADANDAN na ko.

*after a few minutes…

Ay, matanda pala.

Sige na HAPOY na ko, ashhole, gago, DECKHEAD.

Babe, tignan mo ‘tong picture. Jan yung pinuntahan namin na RESORTS.

I don’t wanna BUDTHER you anymore. Sorry if I BUDTHERED you. I’ll let you go… but you’ll always be TATTOO on my mind.

I used to be a cheater but NOT NOW ANYMORE.

Bat ba hindi ka nagttext? Don’t EGNORE me naman. Basta sundo kita sa GREENHELS mamya.

Babe, hindi ako nakapagtext sau kanina. Hinimatay kc ako at dinala sa ospital

O__O’

I once told him, “Please, stop making stupid excuses. It’s either intelligent excuses or no excuses at all.”

To which he answered, “Huh anong excuse me? Wala naman akong sinabing excuse me ah.”

Minsan, gusto ko na talagang tumumbling but nahawa na ata ako ng kabobohan sa kanya. I couldn’t let him go. Sayang, super gwapo kasi niya (kung gusto niyo ng pic para patunay just PM me).

So, I offered to tutor him. Absolutely for free! Sagot ko pa merienda. Hayyy. Nagbabakasali ako na baka may pagasa pang magimprove ang kanyang mental capacity. After all, he’s just 29 at siguro naman may humihinga pa siyang mga brain cells somewhere in between his ears.

Pero wala ding kwenta.

At wala talaga siyang kwenta because I found out that he cheated on me. And he cheated on me the week before Christmas. He spent Christmas with the girl. I knew because I saw the pics in his phone. And todo deny pa siya sa obvious. Andun na nga yung hard-core evidence. Kesyo nagpose lang daw sila in front of the Christmas tree sa Trinoma at nagloloko yung phone niya kaya Dec 25 ang date.

After all I did to him – kahit na lagi akong nagnonose bleed. Aarrrghhhh!

But he came back to me (as expected).

He called me one day saying that he was sorry and that he wanted to make it up to me. He realized that he really loved me at nadala lang daw siya ng selos.

I do admit, I was tempted to take him back. After all, I was used to being with him. In the three months that we were together, araw araw kami magkasama – we would jog in the morning, then he would take me to work, we’d text nonstop in those few hours we’re not together, then he would pick me up from work everyday kahit na 5 AM ang out ko at imbiyerna ang mga best friends ko sa kanya. But I felt like I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Jon, those few days we were apart – I realized a lot of things. I never cheated on you, I tried so hard to be a good girlfriend. May pagkukulang din ako, I was childish and I was a brat but you can never justify what you did. And this is not the first time it happened. Lagi na lang kitang pinapatawad.”

“Babe mahal na mahal kita. Gagawin ko lahat…”

By this time, todo emote na talaga ko…”I don’t know. Maybe I need to grow up, you need to grow up… We both need to grow up…”

“I AM GROW UP!”

Toinks! That was exactly what I needed. Then, I started laughing as in yung tawa na parang bruha.

“Bat ka tumatawa?”

“Mali yung English mo eh.”

“I am grown… I grow… I have g-gro… I am matured, babe! Matured na ko!!!”

But I wasn’t. I started laughing more.

“Ayan, sige pagtawanan mo ko. Akala mo ba hindi ko alam na lagi mo kong minamata? Oo na, bobo na ko. Hindi ako kasing talino mo eh.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh.”

Teka lang at bakit ako ang nagsosorry sa kanya?

“You know what? Aaminin ko you are not that mentally endowed. And maybe I am at fault dahil pinagtatawanan kita sometimes. Most of the time, pinipigilan ko naman eh. I never compared your intelligence with mine. There’s no use at all. And it’s not just because of your grammar or the way you pronounce words like the way you say pish instead of fish. Alam mo kung anong pinakabobong ginawa mo – yung saktan at lokohin ako.”

And ironically, that’s when the tears started to flow while I whispered to myself… pero mas bobo ako dahil minahal kita…