THE GREATEST OLDIES OF ALL TIME ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- keeping your eyes open at work by interacting with humans: how to I work in an outbound call centre, and riding the autodialer can be painfully boring at times, as you sit waiting for a call to connect, staring ahead at your computer screen. Up until recently we were not allowed to do anything at our desks between calls other than hang around; we couldn't read, or draw intricate pictures (we could, however, "doodle"), or knit, or do crossword puzzles or bloody anything at all that might keep us awake, with the drone of the autodialer in our ears. The reasoning behind all this was that any task, no matter how uninvolved, would likely distract us from sounding perky and alert for the intro. Oddly, we were allowed to chit chat with our next door carrel neighbours, which in my opinion is a far greater distractor than say, knitting, but I'm a mere minion, so what do I know? Except people had been quitting in droves after only days of working, so they suddenly relented, to the shock and delight of us all. It was like the overthrow of a totalitarian regime. The joy of being able to read!!! At work!! For fun! Even if it is only in 30-second increments, it's nourishing all the same. However, there are the odd moments on calls that make the experience worthwhile. I was once on a call with a woman whose little kid picked up the extension mid-conversation to say fretfully, "Mummy, I want to get into my pajamas now!� like she had been waiting all day for the moment when she could ease back into the comfort of her jammies (I know *I* do). Mummy replied in a voice coloured with reason turning to exasperation, "Well, then go ahead!" and turned her attention back to me, all businesslike. I had to try really, really hard not to snicker into the phone. After the call was over I surreptitiously chronicled the exchange in a little notebook. But, lamentably, the thrill is gone now that we can read and write openly. 2:07 p.m. - 2006-05-06 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOW PLAYING.......&&&&&&&&&&&& andsometimeswhy75 &&&&&&&&........... | |||
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