Redeem the Callcenter Boys and Girls!

A callcenter that mainly supports U.S. customers starts on either 8 P.M. (if it's daylight saving time) or 9 PM and closes variably between 10 A.M. and 2 P.M. if it's not a 24-hour support. So it was basically a complete 360-degree turnaround for someone who's a day person like me especially when I was still starting. I even at one point, started calling myself a "vampire" because I was always wearing shades during daylight whenever there's a dire need to go out to buy or do something out of the dark comforts of my bedroom. <LOL>. With these struggles and then some, I have been thinking about how it feels to carry the "callcenter boy/girl" tag on our foreheads. Not that the big eyebags or stressed/distressed faces are enough to justify the stresses this kind of job brings, but there are a lot more things that we in this field, should be more concerned about.

1. Fewer quality time with family members and/or loved ones could really take a toll on the relationships. I have known people in the business who have had been happy at some point, but got separated; among any other reasons for the break-up, but I believe HAVING TIME for each other is basically the most important factor in any relationship.

2. Then there's this larger risk of getting held-up by criminals while on the way to work, especially at night. And it is a fact that callcenter boys and girls are a significant percentage of victims of these good-for-nothings. We can read all that in the papers. The "Callcenter rep" or "callcenter agent" moniker seems to be equated with lots of money. 

3. And very importantly it's also very sad to note that callcenter agents, according to studies done by authorities, are also prone to promiscuity and Sexually Transmited Diseases which in a way degrades the profession and seem to demote it on the level of low-lifes and deemed dirty and not desirable. I guess being away physically from a loved one or the lack of intimate human touch almost everyday might be one of the factors for it.

What does this tell us?

That the callcenter people can be considered abnormal, not in the clinical way of course, but it's about like getting a bit more consideration and compassion from those people who lead "normal lives." And of course, we who are in this field should also be considerate enough to at least show to people the good side in us, that being one doesn't mean we have to be what other people deem us to be, with all those negative aspects. For me who have had the opportunity to start working in the callcenter business when it was not as saturated as it is now or hyped up, when the "callcenter boy" or "callcenter girl" was held in due respect, without tarnish on its name, I feel sorry for us. But it is not too late to redeem ourselves from all this bad publicity.

<signed>

The Callcenter Boy