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Feb. 21st, 2008 11:31 pm
After the events of yesterday, when a dear friend I hadn't seen for three years no-showed on me on one of the saddest days in my calendar, this morning I walked around the office in a black mood. I managed on the phones for nearly two hours, then an elderly bloke met my introduction with "I don't want to do it". As it was his last time of four, I reminded him that he'd done it three times already, that this was the last time and that it would take less than ten minutes. His reply to that took the biscuit.
"Am I getting paid for it?"
I told him no and he said "I don't see why I should do it, then." I replied because he'd done it three times before and this was his last time. He just said "No thank you" and hung up. I hurled my headphones against the back wall of my workstation, drawing attention from Paula and Jane, but their attempts to tell me to just forget it were wasted. I explained to them about what had happened yesterday but all they offered me was "don't worry about it" and that was no use because I really had gone by now. I went back onto the phone and did one more interview, with an Army Colonel who was also on the irritable side, but at least he did the whole thing for him and his wife.
By then I was overdue a health and safety break. I stopped by Sue #5's desk - I'd already talked to her before the shift started, explaining about the events in London - and explained to her it wasn't going well. She accompanied me out to the coffee lounge and we talked for about ten minutes, then it was back onto the bastard phones.
Actually the rest of the shift passed peacefully, and I managed to get away from the phones for nearly half an hour, thanks to Sandi wanting me to give the once-over to her draft of her article about my Anfield trip - I had to correct a lot of factual errors - and then me re-arranging my holidays, then sorting out my Easter shifts, with Sue #5.
Went to Katherine's tonight. She, Mike and I shared a bottle of red, one of Asti and bowls of crisps, watched Ashes To Ashes and talked work, holidays, the planned merger of St Vincent and Fareham colleges (we're all against), nights out, new sofas, Mike's planned layouts for their living room, car boot sales and ebay. Cool.
"Am I getting paid for it?"
I told him no and he said "I don't see why I should do it, then." I replied because he'd done it three times before and this was his last time. He just said "No thank you" and hung up. I hurled my headphones against the back wall of my workstation, drawing attention from Paula and Jane, but their attempts to tell me to just forget it were wasted. I explained to them about what had happened yesterday but all they offered me was "don't worry about it" and that was no use because I really had gone by now. I went back onto the phone and did one more interview, with an Army Colonel who was also on the irritable side, but at least he did the whole thing for him and his wife.
By then I was overdue a health and safety break. I stopped by Sue #5's desk - I'd already talked to her before the shift started, explaining about the events in London - and explained to her it wasn't going well. She accompanied me out to the coffee lounge and we talked for about ten minutes, then it was back onto the bastard phones.
Actually the rest of the shift passed peacefully, and I managed to get away from the phones for nearly half an hour, thanks to Sandi wanting me to give the once-over to her draft of her article about my Anfield trip - I had to correct a lot of factual errors - and then me re-arranging my holidays, then sorting out my Easter shifts, with Sue #5.
Went to Katherine's tonight. She, Mike and I shared a bottle of red, one of Asti and bowls of crisps, watched Ashes To Ashes and talked work, holidays, the planned merger of St Vincent and Fareham colleges (we're all against), nights out, new sofas, Mike's planned layouts for their living room, car boot sales and ebay. Cool.
