Blogging Again

I has been a while folks. I hope everyone is doing great. To all mommies, Happy Mother’s Day!

Year 2017 has been alright. I would not say not perfect but all creases have been ironed-out. Mostly work related issues.  To those you have been following my blog, I mentioned I have transferred to chat from being a voice tech support agent. There was a bit of struggle at the beginning of the year, 2017. It was all about my monthly score.

To call center representatives also known as call center agents, like me.  They know what I am saying here. Passing our annual score is a must, if we want a salary increase. It also helps management to know if the agent is performing. Or, the agent needs help. Worst, if they agent needs to leave the company. I had a bit of struggle for six months, getting not a passing customer survey. Luckily, I made it towards the middle of the year until year end.  Why did I not aim for promotion? Not worth it for a lot of pressure. I would rather retire looking young and healthy.

Family and love life is great I have no complain. They are very supportive. Busy at home on my day off and vacation from work.  It is normal for me to mind my organizing my small space.  I do not want to arrive from work to a topsy turvy home.  I am not a traveller, other than team building activities at work. I do not want to spend money when not needed. I would rather spend money in buying appliances and home maintenance.  I live frugally and in the most practical way. Please do not get me wrong. I am not against travelling.  Go ahead if you need to. I am speaking for myself.

Here I am back to blogging again. Just like saying hello to my blogging buddies and readers.  This blog is still alive. I may not be consistent with my post but  I can assure everyone this blog will stay until such time I can no longer type and run out of ideas.  I will be in touch with more stories.   My pillows are now waiting for me in my bed. 

Random Thoughts

I was glad to be granted vacation leave after Christmas and until New Year. Before I went on vacation leave I already knew I will be on a training right after the first week of January 2016. What would be the training for?

Towards the 3^rd week of November our team captain got sick and was on sick leave for two weeks. Last week of November, our floor coach manned our team huddle.  Management has given each team a floor coach. The floor coach guides us whenever we encounter questions about internet and optic television when customers call in. Due to wide coverage and some intricacy on internet issues, management determined, we new trainees on this field still need assistance. 

The last week of November, tech department received an email training is underway.  At our huddle our floor coach asked if anyone from our team would like to undergo the training. He asked for volunteer, to which no one volunteered.  On my way home after work shift, I had an afterthought.  I sent the floor coach a message saying I am volunteering. He confirmed getting my message the following the day, I reported for work.

The Busy Month of May

May had been an extremely busy month for me. After my sister left I attended work related training. The training was not on schedule. I had to make some adjustments. The training was about the new scheme in our monthly score metric. Our score is measured monthly in terms of attendance, customer survey, monthly exam etc. Have I not mentioned working in Call Center is very challenging job? If you want to be part of the industry, be prepared to pass the monthly scoring or the bosses would call your attention. Worst scenario, they will advise you to try another industry. The positive way of saying, you resign. The training lasted for three weeks.

Mothers Day was allotted to my parents. I visited my parents on their resting place. My father joined the Creator May 11, 1999 mother was September 8, 2010. Mothers Day was May 13. The caretaker was just happy to see me. I gave him my monthly dues for taking care of my parents resting place. I seldom visit the place, only on special occasions. I hope father and mother could still hear me when I talk to them in my mind. We, their four children are fine, as well as their four beloved grandchildren. Hmmmm, runaway imagination, but who knows I made them happy by telling them so.

Behind the Happy Smile

I have not written for quite a long time except for some photos I had been posting in my blog. Now, let me write what I had been doing offline in those days I slackened from posting or updating my blog. The year 2011 was a great challenge to me. I wanted to post stories that connote positive ideas. I thought I should keep to myself the real issues. I had silence for a while. I want everything to pass before I blog about it.

As early as Feb 2011 I had work related issues. We were advised the account we were working is to close the Manila, Philippines call center. It was announced 1^st week of Feb 2011 the account is to close by the 15^th of Feb 2011. All my plans for 2011 were done as early as Oct 2010. My plan was to look for an apartment comes 2011 to invite the daughter of my sister to stay with me to look for a job. The announcement of the closure made me adjust every plan I started.

Off to Work Today

Speaking of Christmas shopping, my apology to the daddies and mommies who do not want to think about the occasion yet, yes some of you are correct it is too early. However, the reason why I shop early is because of pre-Christmas discounted sales. I guess some of the malls in Manila are trying to dispose some of their stocks to replenish with new ones. Manufacturers instead of taking the items back. They sell the items at discounted price. I developed the technique of scouting for items that might go on sale. I checked on the original price of the items.

During mid night madness, it is how we call it here. Malls are open until twelve midnight during the sale. That is why it was called midnight madness. When the items go on sale I tried to check how much they are being marked down. I noticed mall owners had been wiser this time. They would only get few stocks and would reorder when needed. Before, I could buy books for as low as seventy percent mark down, now not all the books go on sale. If all of them do, only up to twenty percent off. Budgeting? Count me in, folks. Well, just being wise when it comes to spending.

Today, the 30^th of August is Philippines National Heroes Day, and therefore it is a holiday. No work for those that goes to the other offices at daytime. Not me, I got work. Call Centers do not have work Holiday. We do get additional pay though when we work on Philippines Holidays. I received a text message from our team captain at work that we have to render at least one hour overtime today. I replied okay, count me in. Hush! I do not want to frustrate him in exchange of my remaining vacation leave. I want him to approve the vacation leave at the latest next week. ☺

Just another Monday

Before we ended our work shift last Friday, the 30^th of July, our team captain informed us we are to have new work station. I do not know exactly what the lowdown is. Our work stations are being interchanged anytime our bosses feel like doing so. I was fussing about the possibility of getting the not so good computer, or a mouse or a headset that may not work properly at the new work area. I got lucky the cubicle assigned to me is just what I had wanted. Looks like our IT guys had anticipated we would have tons of complains. Everything was organized, meaning my computer and its partners are working alright.

"Houston,  I have a problem."

My problem was I was delayed logging in due to some technical issues. Our computer program was made a bit complicated. I had difficulty logging in to my profile. I was an hour delayed taking in calls. This kind of problem occurs sometimes, when we transfer from one work station to another. As the saying goes be careful what you wished for. Monday is always a queuing time. We are not allowed to go on vacation leave during Mondays unless extremely necessary. Adding salt to the wounds I got so many problematic calls. Like repeat calls from customers with unresolved issues.  Some of them, of course, are irate callers. 

Our team captain was complaining about our overall high average handling time (AHT). We just smiled at him as if to say why not make Monday an exemption to average handling time? Wooo! I told myself, this is the reality of being a customer care representative.  One thing I can say is, I am lucky to have team mates who not only exemplary dedicated to their work but are endows with natural talents. As we often say, when all things failed. It is our common sense we have to make to work. Ahhh! I am glad another Monday had passed when I logged out at six in the morning, albeit I survived the night still sane. ☺

“Yard by yard, life is hard. Inch by inch it is a cinch.”

Anonymous