Back to the drawing board

Oops - I did it again!

Well, I did it again! As you may or may not remember, I had started training at what I thought was going to be a different experience with TeleTech: Order Support. After 3 weeks and several y-cording sessions (that's when you connect to an agent and listen in on a few calls) I realized that most calls are from "very" unhappy (grumpy?) customers who hate everything or just like to complain. I can handle myself on the phone and I can handle a computer but I cannot handle 8 hours of a cubicle/pod listening to complaints. I have rationalized it all out - sure I don't know these people and yes, I only may talk/listen to them once in a lifetime (similar to shuttle work) but I asked myself if I could handle that 8 hours of every day of a work week. My gut said NOPE!

Working has to be a happy thing - you have to feel relaxed and glad to get up and do your duty for your employer or yourself for that matter. At my age I just want to get up, put in my 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week, get paid every two weeks and not be so stressed out that work becomes the morning 4-letter word. I KNOW I must work. I KNOW there are not that many jobs you can go to. I KNOW that I have a responsibility to myself and my family (kids in particular) to provide for them, but I also KNOW it has to be a job that entails work I can handle and that would fulfill that responsibility without undue stress.

Don't get be totally wrong - TeleTech was okay - it had benefits and all that, but the environment just was not condusive to a stress-free relaxed experience. If it wasn't for the luggage I'd still be hammering away at shuttle driving but I know my limits and that was testing the physical ones. TeleTech would stress my mental ones.

So, where to from here? I told my sister yesterday that I had a few irons in the fire. She said, "they better be hot!!" and laughed. My father (oops - do-it-for-daddy syndrome surfaces) says I am the person he would want as a customer service person - steady, knowledgeable, mature, and all that, so he feels I should stay put (but he has NEVER worked a call centre job).

So here is my list of hot pokers: Hilton Garden Inn still has me as part-time on-call, R. Forbes Delivery Courier work has my resume, Ambassatours Gray Line is always a seasonal option. I have even sent out resumes to CFB Halifax, a couple of trucking firms (using my Class 2), and even a training association for truckers (that satisfies my Class 1 trucking fantasy I suppose). I have no idea where those resumes are in a process.

My Next Step: talk to them! (Well, actually get outta TeleTech is the first major one), but not before I have a job to walk into this Monday (and it's already Saturday by-the-way).

My first stop already arranged is with R Forbes. I had applied several months ago but when he asked me if Hilton was keeping me busy that must have backed him up. When I called early morning Friday (yesterday) to touch base, he offered to meet me today at noon. He told me a guy was going out the door early this week. Sounds promising to be sure and here is what it satisfies: it is paid work, my car is my office (driving), my bills will be paid and I will be employed (self-employed?). It will be a job based in my home village where I know the owner. Work will be Monday to Friday and stops each day when businesses close. No shift work! (details forthcoming from todays visit).

Next I need to get my name taken off the roster at TeleTech should the courier job materialize. I want to leave there on good terms - never burn a bridge I was told.

If the courier job seems risky I will have to regroup and continue sending out resumes and suffer through A-Bay at TeleTech I guess. (sadly)

So, I am back to the drawing board! One benefit that TeleTech offers at the get-go is EAP support. I will be calling an EAP specialist to find out why I am stuck on this satisfy Daddy kick! I'm 52, for goodness sake.

This could be the day I satisfy a self-employment status as a contractor with a reputable company. I'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, have a safe weekend - and remember February is almost over and March starts to usher in spring.

Stay happy - work @home or at least from-home.

Paul