August 16, 2003

• Update

  
  I see Xanga has come back after its absence. Fortunately it was gone when I was too busy to use it anyway.
  
  I still have the job, having survived most of the first week. I still have to work Sunday from 7:00 to 16:00, but things should be pretty quiet and I'll get a day off to prepare. The early hours have been a difficult change for me. My permanent schedule shouldn't be so early, when I get past training.
  
  Training went pretty fast. The first day I just observed -- me and one other new hire. Then I spent half a day trying to pull down info with the computer while my instructor, Veronica, who is the same age as my daughter, Cathy, took the customer calls on the speaker phone. The second half of that day I did both phone and computer while Veronica watched, correcting my frequent errors and making many helpful suggestions. Two more trainees showed up but there weren't enough instructors to go around, so their schedules have been adjusted. Today I was thrown to the wolves to see what blunders I would make on my own, with Veronica and Bob, the manager, there to help or chastise, as appropriate.
  
  I survived. I have been given a device that activates the electronic locks on the doors to areas I'm permitted to enter and they gave me the passwords to sign on to the various systems by myself.
  
  Okay, it's less than a week. But not everybody lasts that long. Bob, the manager, has been there for over three years ... but he likes what he does. Veronica, second in longevity among those I've met, has been there three months. The rest have been there for a month or less.
  
  Why don't they stay? Most are promoted out. Company policy demands that everybody in any technical position spend time in Customer Service first. The company got where it is by putting the customer first and wants to impress that on the technical staff.
  
  Those who do their jobs well get pushed into better positions. Those who do their jobs poorly ... leave. Many simply dislike the work, which is stressful at times.
  
  I've run into a few customers who were unpleasant, at least at first. I've soothed a few ruffled feathers and I doubt anybody has left angrier than they arrived. They haven't yet tried my patience.

  • 02:04
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