proud to be one

May 15 was my last day as a call center agent. After one year and five months of being cursed and shouted at by my foreign customers, I am finally done. I resigned because I'm gonna pursue a different path, graduate studies.

I just like to share my experience as an agent. Contrary to popular belief, the call center industry actually has the brightest people. English is a skill. But when you are arguing about the ten cents that was missing on the customer's account, you just don't need skill, you need logic, tact and patience. they say that a call center agent's job is very easy, you just have to answer the customer's call and your work is done. I beg to disagree. It is more than just answering, you need to solve disputes and if the customer needs to vent out all their frustrations, you're gonna be the perfect person for it. I am grateful for the mute button, although we are not allowed to use it. You are very lucky if you get to have polite customers calling, and it's your lucky day if you get a call from a grandma who can't hear very well and a call from a six year old girl who keeps asking where her dad is.

I went through all that. I can also say that I was not healthy during my call center days. I dont get enough sleep even if I slept for 12 hours already during the day. I don't exercise even on my rest days because I prefer to eat and sleep. I smoke but not the type to go every break. I love beer and have one even if I have a shift later. I was in the emergency room twice because of fever and gastritis. I can't remember how many times I had tonsillitis and I really applaud these effective products: neozep, bactidol, bioflu, skyflakes. these are must have on my bag, wherever, whenever.

I thank our HR for allowing organizations in our work. They wanted agents to have a life other than calls and computers. Their aim is to learn a hobby and teach a hobby. I joined our outdoor club, we climbed mountains, traveled a lot, and attended trainings. I am happy because I just did not learn a hobby but I got friends from different accounts and from different positions. I realized that we are all the same especially if we are on top of the mountain.

I will miss my teammates. The green jokes, the food trip and the beer sessions. We are one hell of team. I learned everything from them. I learned to make calls even if your heart is practically breaking in front of you. I learned that family can mean team. I learned that you can still survive even if you only have fifty pesos in your pockets. I learned that team buildings are really to build teams. I learned that what you believe does not define who you are and what you are is not what you believe.

I will move on now. Hopefully, I am on the right direction. I will be happy, I will be positive. I will be patient and humble and I will not forget that I was a call center agent and a very proud one.