Work Cycle

The sun was shining bright, the parking lot already beginning to fill. I work in a call center, helping customers with orders. When the door slams closed behind you every morning, you feel as though you've just entered a prison. They had you for at least eight hours.

Sliding into your swiveled, office chair, you set down your coffee cup, grab your headset and place it on your head. The computer whizzes to life and the magic begins. You punch in, and settle in to bring up your many, many screens you know you'll be using a million times that day.

The best part of the whole thing though is the coworkers. The people you spend that eight hours of prison with. From the Management to the janitors you never meet better people than co workers. They are locked there with you for at least eight hours, and sometimes more.

They know every problem in your life, and you know theirs. It's like a huge family, only better because you have such support. The best part of the job. The customers of course are always a joy. Even when they are upset they are people from all over the world. They had their lives and need my help for whatever question or problem has befallen them.

Their are at least 500 of us in this building at any one time. Sometimes it gets really slow, then busy, but the phones never stop ringing and the time creeps by no matter how fast or slow you have to work.

I myself don't take a lunch break because then I'm out half an hour earlier, and can pick my daughter up from school and have the rest of the day to do what I need to get done, have time to myself, cook, clean. There is always something to do.

Working in a call center is an interesting job at least. The people you meet on the phones are incredible. Even when they are complaining, angry, rude, they are still interesting people with interesting stories. They are usually in a bad mood for a reason.

You have to learn to hear what that reason is without having them actually tell you. I listen for hints about why they may be angry, Did they have to wait on hold long? Were they overcharged? (because people tend to get upset when money is concerned.) Sometimes they were having to call back twice for something, it all depended on what the situation was, then I first apologize and let them know what I can do for them to resolve the situation.

Usually the customer will be satisfied at this point but sometimes they are lonely, sad, confused, I hear that in the stories they tell, the questions they ask. I try to ask questions or give responses to them that let them know they are being heard. I think that is important for people. To feel as though they are being heard.

The thing with me and the customers, they like to tell me their life stories, all about their families, pets, health problems, I attract people and they like to tell me things, I think it's my aura. I'm an empath or so I've been told. I believe I am but I don't know because this is just how I've always been. So I hear stories.

I've spoken with Vets, who told me war stories that could make me cry, nurses that have already had a long, hard day at ten in the morning. They are tired, they are hurried, and they still have another 6 hours to go at work, because they are just taking a break to get some things done they need to do. I've spoken with frazzled moms, screaming babies, and toddlers under foot as they look for the information you are requesting to fulfill their request. You hear how the baby's been up all night with colic and the toddler wouldn't sleep because they have a fever, so the mom is angry at life, or the Dad is trying to get the order taken care of while the kids were taking a nap so he's whispering so he doesn't wake them up.

I've heard some pretty good stories from all kinds of people all over the country. I love it sometimes, other times it's so monotonous that I feel as though I may slam my head against a brick wall. When two Oclock, hits that clock though, I am punched out, my computer shut down, and chair tucked in and still swaying around by the time I hit the door, then door number two and yes, sweet fresh air, the sun on my face, the warmth of a summer day.

Until tomorrow when I do it all again. When I do though, I know I'll park in the same parking space, I'll settle in with my coffee and I'll greet my friends, and co workers with a smile as best I can. I'll tell them how my night went and ask about their kids, how their husbands are doing, what the Grand kids said?

One by one we will pop on to the phones and begin our days talking, listening, helping, working, solving, and doing the best we can under the stress we each have, because we, just like the customer have our own back stories. Each one just as important as theirs.

No matter your job, their is always coworkers. They are their for us whenever we need them and then we all head out into the world and lead the other life. It's an endless circle. Round and Round.