Thursday, January 8, 2009

The Superoperator

January begins and we find our team swamped with more work. Mami Athena's amazing publicity machine, which she unleashed during the holidays worked wonders, that our clients abroad transferred two more accounts from their other centers to work on before the year ended. Work has become more toxic. Imagine spending eight hours coming up with "good vibrations" just to assure the client's users that their fate for this year would be better than the one that passed.

And that's not just one user. I'm speaking of hundreds of people anxiously seeking their future with their crushes, exes or new-found boyfriends - which we all know still depends on the same people who sought their fates in the first place.

But we know also how soothing it is to hear of a possible and sincere love between a hopelessly romantic soul and the person who makes this person's heart beat. Especially if the affirmation comes from someone who plays the role of a "conjurer of the future" in this never ending quest for our one true love.

I am the one who plays the conjurer - the psychic love adviser who gives advices and fearless forecasts to all those lonely souls attracted by our mother company's promise of a better chances at love in the next movement of the stars.

So back at work, job was toxic and inquiries were overflowing. From receiving a mere 40 messages a day, it jumped to more than a hundred fifty these past few days. The boss was happy with the output. I was happy with how useful I have become. However, work has become very draining, especially when your sole partner in the account calls for an unexpected leave after her kid got sick today.

I arrived at work this afternoon in a good mood. I have a new bag, which I bragged to everyone on the floor. The male teller who assisted me at UCPB Shaw was uber-hot and El Tigre was online when I logged on at Meebo before my shift began. Everything in the account was manageable despite my solitary presence.

That was until the clock struck 3.

Suddenly messages began pouring in and there was no time to analyze every relationship situation that came up. Who cares if a Gemini and a Sagittarius ain't compatible according to the Zodiac reading of the online professional fortune tellers, when the text sender only wishes to know how to get closer to the Twins? Would it truly matter if a Leo's Horoscope reading for today spells bad luck when the client's user wants to know if there is a chance of getting back together with his two-timer 16-year old ex-boyfriend?

In such cases, spontaneity is the key to managing the flow of conversations. What truly matters is to shield the users from more heartaches by gradually making them realize that everything in love lies in their own hands.

For eight hours, I only had a three-minute cigarette break. I skipped dinner for the nth time and juggled my responsibilities to online friends who sought advice from how to execute an exercise program, to how to get a hook-up on the dance floor. It was multi-tasking at its finest and not to mention, I introduced the "what's inside your bag" activity on the Tripper's Clan Thread at Pinoyexchange. It became an instant hit until I left before my shift had ended.

My job doesn't pay much. I don't complain either. It's because I see my work as an extension of my home. The boss is my father figure; Mami Athena, the QATD Manager being my surrogate mother; and the team leaders being my big brothers and sisters in the company. Since I am one of the oldest operators still in the job, I get non-monetary perks such as getting the workstation of my choice (the farther it is from the other operators, the better) or sleeping without getting reprimanded - even if it's the boss or the supervisors who catches me.

It is because in the longest time I've been doing my job, only once did I fail the entire team. The guilt I carried almost lead to my resignation, which I only took back after Mami Athena had given me the permission to leave.

Passion pays a lot, especially if it drives your entire well-being.

Before I logged out from the system this evening, I received a short complementary IM message from my Team Leader:


[22:01] Pinksexybabe: out of 290 total msgs ng center natin today 206 ang nagawa mo dun
[22:01] Pinksexybabe: congrats
[22:01] Pinksexybabe: [insert smiley face here]
[22:01] Pinksexybabe: good job
[22:03] Mugen: huh?
[22:03] Mugen: morning na yan?
[22:04] Mugen: yup morning and pm
[22:05] Mugen: wow
[22:05] Mugen: hehehe
[22:05] Mugen: that is an achievement indeed
[22:05] Mugen: [insert smiley face here]
[22:05] Pinksexybabe: log out ka na
[22:05] Mugen: yup


After whining the whole time that I can't take my job anymore, I broke a record which puts me back on the spotlight of the entire account.

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