Why I Love My Account, Otherwise Known As “Is It All About the Money?"

1. First call resolution isn't part of our metrics. If it takes forever and a half to do the required task at hand (i.e. downloading, backing-up, etc.), it's even highly encouraged to have the customer call back.

2. We are not required to de-escalate an irate caller. In fact, the moment we hear the magic words, "I want to talk to a supervisor," or "I'm not happy," or when we (the customer and I) can't even agree about the issue within 5 minutes of the call's onset, then it's an automatic escalation to Tier 2.

Are You a Gay?

Nakakaloka minsan pakinggan ang mga utaw sa opisina pag nasa telepono sila. Ok lang sana kung mga minor mix-up ng vowel pronounciation kagaya ng confeerm (IPA i) vs. confirm (IPA ɜ). O kaya mga nagsasabing "Is it i-snowing there?" O meron ding "Thankz for calling (insert account name). Kalokah! Naka-liason pa talaga yung "s" sa "f"?!

Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 7: Director's Cut (Huling Yugto)

Borne Out of Tears and Darkness

"O paano yan, mag-eempake na ako ang mga gamit ko," sabi ni Pedro Penduko na may halong buntong hininga.

Mabigat ang damdamin ni Eternal Wanderer. Tahimik lang siyang nakahiga sa kama habang pinapanood si Pedro ilagay ang mga natiklop na damit sa loob ng maleta. 

Paalis na kasi Pedro the next day. Uuwi na ng probinsya para makasama ang kanyang anak.

Office Vignettes 3

I finally made the move from our QC office to the Shaw one. To be honest about it, I really wasn't  looking forward to the change. It meant being stuck in a permanent day shift. I know some people prefer that. I actually don't. I'm a nocturnal creature by habit, and like any good or bad habits, it's hard to get it out of my system. Besides, we're not even talking about the morning and evening traffic rush, nor the fact that it's goodbye to night differential, and that...

Gawd, I'm such a whiner, am I not?

Random Thoughts at 5 A.M.

1. I just finished special project # 2 for the office yesterday.  At my level, only two of us are being pulled out to handle projects for the entire account and not just our line of business.  So far, everything I've been involved with has been very successful. Mabangong-mabango ako sa ExeCom of the account. They know me even if we haven't been formally introduced. Hmmm, can I smell the promotion just around the corner? Teehee

Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 6: Ang Pagpapalit Anyo ni Julie Vega

 Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 5

Ang mga sumunod na linggo ay parang isang blurry dream kay Eternal Wanderer. Panaginip kasi alam nya na kailangan din yang magising sa katotohanan na biláng ang mga araw ng pagsasama nila ni Pedro. Alam din nya na basically straight ang orientation ni Pedro. Maghahanap at maghahanap din ito ng pechay. In fact may, girlfriend nga ito sa probinsya.  Not to mention may pinopormahan pa syang babaeng officemate.

Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 5: Ngisi = Tumbling sa Bangin

 Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 4

May ilang araw na rin ang nakaraan simula nung nagsasama sila sa iisang bubong.  It turned out, ang mang-aalaa ay naging alagain. Nadiscover kasi ni Eternal Wanderer na maasikaso si Pedro Penduko. Tuwing kumakain sila, e inalagyan nya muna ng kaninin at ulam ang plato ni Eternal Wanderer. Kapag gumagala naman sila, kusang binibitbit ni Pedro an mga dala-dala ung isa.  At kahit na 2.5 hrs na nauuna matapos sa trabaho si Pedro at marunong naman ito mag-commute pauwi, e inaantay nya si Eternal Wanderer para sabay silang umuwi sa bahay.

Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 4: Si Pedro Penduko at si Imelda Marcos

Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 3

"''Pre, magre-resign na ako sa trabaho.  Uuwi na ako sa probinsya. Hindi ko na kaya dito sa Maynila. At saka, miss ko na rin anak ko," sabi ni Pedro Penduko kay Eternal Wanderer habang nagyoyosi sila sa labas ng building.

May ilang buwan na rin ang nakalipas simula nung nakilala ni Eternal Wanderer si Pedro Penduko. Ang pinagsimulan ng paghingi ng yosi ay umusbong sa pagiging magkaibigan. Madalas sila magsama pag-break time, nagkwekwentutan nagkwekwentuhan habang naninigarilyo. Minsan, sabay sila mag-lunch. Pero sa totoo lang, deliberately ginagawa ni Eternal Wanderer na mag-coincide ang lunches nila. Kiver sa schedule adherance. Kaya hayun, dumating ang panahon na nagkataon sila lang dalawa ang kumain sa pantry.  Kilig naman si Eternal Wanderer. Date kung date ang pakiramdam nya.

Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 3

Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 2

Na-obssess ng husto ang mga mata ni Anghelita kay Lalaki sa CR. Di nya ito tinantanan. Kapag nakikita nya ito sa pantry, hallway o yosihan, e may I bring out ang abaniko with matching coy na pasulyap-sulyap  and kolehiyala giggle ang drama ni Eternal Wanderer. Yiz, mga ineng, very Maria Clara ang arrive, dabah?

Numbers 3

Numbers 2

I always discussed with the guy I was mentoring what he did good and what he could improve on.  I also let him listen in to my calls, and made sure I got feedback from him.  One of the regular coaches and I even gave him a pep talk, of which he responded to very enthusiastically.  That was all I wanted, that he be willing to learn, both in the technical and the communication aspects.

His enthusiasm was infectious. I found another purpose in my work. I swore I'd never give up on the guy I was mentoring.

Sad to say, it was the system that gave up on him.

Numbers 2

Numbers 1

Part of the responsibilities of being a trainer apprentice was to mentor someone who was getting numerous dissatisfaction surveys from the callers.  It took a few days before our schedules coincided, but once they matched up, I grabbed the chance to listen in to his call.

How I wished I didn't.

Numbers 1

"I heard people are being let go," I whispered to Immediate Boss as I approached him. He got his Visine, put a few drops onto his right eye, and was about to reply when Big Boss arrived in our area.

"Ternie, could I have a word with.."

I interrupted him even before he could finish.

Office Vignettes 2

Office Vignettes 1

The call was mercifully short and sweet.  It was a matter of re-directing towards the e-mail support page of a department in our company.  Before the call, I was experiencing something akin to stage fright; I was a tight bundle of nerves right before the call.  But the moment I opened my mouth, I fell into a light and confident banter with the caller.  The flow of words had an easy feel to my tongue.  Everything dissolved into a blurred background.  There was no coach, no department head, no on-going activity in my surroundings.  It was just me, and the caller, and his issue on hand.

Office Vignettes 1

From an internal office memo dated August 16, 2010:

Please note that if you are filing a leave or swapping your shifts, submit the request three weeks before the schedules are released.

Immediate Boss

Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 2

Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 1

Salamat sa mga mata ni Anghelita, na-fluster tuloy ng husto si Eternal Wanderer sa kanyang nakita. Kung di lang sya nagmamadaling bumalik sa kanyang work station, e baka napaluhod sya ng di oras ng walang belo. E paano ba naman, byaheng Dakota-Harrison abot hanggang Lerma ang katabi nya.  At take note, pinkish-pinkish pa itish!

Sawaaaaaap!!! ahihihihihi

Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 1

Alam naman ng lahat na si Eternal Wanderer ay dalisay, busilak, and mayumi. Kung maari, e ayaw nyang makaulayaw ang mga katrabaho nya.  Mahirap na.  Alam nyo naman, baka maging sticky ang situation - no pun intetnded.  Nakakalurkey lang kasi kapag it's complicated ang status tapos araw-araw nakikita , dabah?

Pero that doesn't stop Eternal Wanderer na tumingin-tingin around.  Buti na lang, tyempo na meron na syang office building na pinapasukan. Good call pala ang naiisipan nyang mag-corporate life. Dahil dito, nadiskubre nya na may benefits pala ang nagtratrabaho sa isang opisina.

Numero uno na ang nakaka-sight ng mga hottie boys! :P

Marooned on the Isle of Lesbos

The yosi group and I found ourselves in a whole-in-the-wall inuman place.  It was small and bordered on being dingy; the music was so pumped up I that could barely hear the small talk of my seatmate. I ended up wondering: what in the world am I doing here?  Fact of the matter is, I don't drink.  I also abhor extremely noisy places.  But against my judgment, I still stuck out with the company.  It wouldn't hurt to get to know the people that I'm working with.

As I let my attention wander about, I overheard pretty Boss Lady recounting the state of her love life.  I couldn't quite make out the whole conversation because of the ambient noise.  All I could pick out were "boyfriend" and "girl."  I assumed it was another typical third-party sob story.

Then there was a sudden lull in the music, and I realized I assumed wrong.

Channeling Maricel Soriano

Ayoko ng madumi.

Ayoko ng masikip.

Ayoko ng mabaho.


AYOKO NG MAG-COMMUTE SA MRT!!!

*taena, define siksikan dahil sa ulan grrrrrrr*

Eternal Wanderer Experiences Failure

"This is Ternie," the Big Boss said as he introduced me to the Department Head. "He got the highest score in the first part of the training."

"Oh, so you're Ternie.  I've heard a lot about you. Do good ha. I'm expecting a lot from you."

One Hundred Fifty Pesos

It was past noon.  I was tired and light-headed from pulling an all-nighter.  If I had my way, I'd rather be in bed, sleeping away. But I had no other time to do it.  I had three days to compile my  documents out of thin air.  Time was running against me as there was a holiday looming.  It was now or never.