The Receptionist

When I am stressed, I use more money. Like today itself, I had lunch alone. Fish and Chips. Since I had a little time to spare, I went to the bookstore and bought the book I was talking about yesterday.

I came back, had dinner and I still feel like having something else. I got myself two slices of cake. Marble Cheese and Moist Chocolate Cake. One for tonight. One for tomorrow’s breakfast. Then, I went to buy ice cream from the petrol station while at the same time, feeling what it’s like to pump petrol at an increased price. My previous full tank is not a full tank now.

I feel so good spending today. It’s like de-stressing. Rewarding myself at the end of a tiring day.

I think I answered the highest number of call in my entire working life today. 8 more calls to go to make it 100 calls today. I’m sure I would get that number if I don’t go out for lunch. The calls today wasn’t that problematic as yesterday so every call came and went. Of course, you still couldn’t run away with some of the usual problems. Yesterday, I only managed 37 calls. Pathetic.

“Grace, I’m so lucky to get you today.”

I laughed.

“Who’s this?”

“Joanne.”

She told me what she wanted and then we chatted a little.

“Grace, how long have you been working here?”

“One year. Almost a year.”

“Is this your first job?” I like it when people ask me this because it means I sound young on the phone. Woohoo!

“Yes.”

“Then, you are very young. Graduated from uni and this is your first job.”

“Grace, you answer calls only, is it?”

“Yes, from morning till evening.”

“How is it like?”

“Sometimes when I go home, I don’t feel like talking anymore. Because I’ve been talking for the whole day. It’s okay if I talk to people like you, Joanne, but if I talk to difficult people, it’s tough.”

“Hmm..ya, those that scold you, right?”

Grace nods her head.

“Furthermore, I’m not really doing what I’ve studied.”

“What did you study?”

“IT.”

“Hmm…I think it’s still ok because it’s still a little related to IT. Look at how you just guided me to use the system.”

“Grace, is our phone conversation recorded?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

I really don’t know. Record or not, I still need to just be myself. When you always imagine that someone’s always listening, watching your every step, it’s rather pressuring. So I figured just let it be, as long as I think I’m doing the right thing then it’s fine.

The receptionist came over and told me some Arabic guy came to look for me when I was out for lunch. I knew straightaway who he was. The same guy who called me up three times, asking me the same question and I gave him the same answer, three times. He then gave me a surprise appearance in the office. I was thrown to meet him with nothing else that I could think of to tell him.

So, when I knew he came again today. I went, “Oh please, no!”

The receptionist told me that he’s coming back either tomorrow or day after to look for me again. Oh God, why can’t he just ask someone else instead when he had already come all the way to the office for help.

The receptionist then added, “Grace, saya tak faham apa dia cakap lah. Tak tahu apa dia nak.”

“Ya, saya pun tak tahu apa dia nak.”

Sometimes it makes you wonder why you don’t get to meet people you love talking to on the phone but always getting the ones you avoid meeting the most.

4 Comments

  • Siah says:

    This post should be titled the Arabian Dude instead… Never mind what the Arabian dude wants from you. 😛

  • tim says:

    Its amazing that you can work on almost 100 phone calls a day. An increase of 148% in total number of calls handled. And for all that good hard work, some self pampering is always needed. You have definately earned it!

    Don’t worry about the Arabian guy, I’m sure he has some nice presents for you. If he is there to make a complaint, it would have gone to your bosses instead. 🙂

    Sometimes I wish I get a chance to meet the many people I’ve talked to on the phone.

  • Grace says:

    Siah: I will write a post and title it Arabian Dude if he appears again in the office unexpectedly.

    tim: You actually calculated it? ;P
    It was inevitable because we were quite seriously shorthanded. The calls just kept rolling, rolling, rolling.

  • tim says:

    I couldn’t stop myself from calculating it! Thats the first thing that went through my mind when I read this post, knowing that you’ve probably done a fantastic job at work. 😀

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