16.
17.
18.
18... 18... 18th... I stopped counting.
"Fuck off! Jesus, can you let us..go up!" sigaw ng isang babaeng naka-all black. May accent sya. Yung tipong authentic American accent.
Hindi naman siya black lady. She was wearing a pair of black boots with a fur na knee-length (kahit halos 5 ft lang sya) which complimented her mini black dress and a black cardigan dahil for all we know, bawal ang sleeveless sa Ops floor. To complete her graveyard OOTN, balot ng black lip stick ang buong gilagid ng babae but of course, it was a lipstick from Kylie Jenner's collections, naka-smoky eyes shadow at naka-blush on si ate na sa sobrang kapal ay mukha na syang clown. For sure, naka-two gives lahat yan sa officemate nyang nagpapautang ng mga fake na branded make-up.
Then, I noticed that everyone inside the elevator was staring at her. It was not because of those vibrant red highlights she had on her dry-looking unhealthy hair but it was because of the black lip stick na dumikit sa straw ng iniinom nyang Starbucks coffee. Yayamanin si ate.
Yung lalaking naka-red mickey mouse jacket sa likod nya ay halos maluwa ang mata habang nakatitig sa straw. Gross sabi nya, if only I could read his mind.
Then there was this white guy in white long sleeves holding his phone while trying to scan something on his phonebook. The white guy seemed distracted from what just happened. He was staring at the lady while trying to figure out if he is going to drown the woman with a glass of coffee or punch his phone inside the woman's mouth. But he trailed off, not saying anything, he put his phone inside his trousers and pretended like the world is a happy place to live in.
Kapag taga BPO ka, alam mo na kung sino ang hinayupak na foreigner nato. Kapag may Amerikano kang nakita sa office nyo, for sure client yun.
It's funny how I refer all white guys I meet each day as clients. Iyon ang perception ko always. How's your credit score, Sir...yun ang laging nasa isip ko. Nakakatawa. Nakakagago nga most of the time.
Pero ngayon, there is a reason bakit nandito sila. In short, may client visit! Kapag may client visit, maraming bawal sa office.
Bawal mag sleeveless. Bawal ang tattered jeans, bawat ang t-shirt. Dapat business casual kahit hindi ka naman mukhang businessman. Kahit mukha kang tanga tingnan sa formal attire, you have to follow the dress code policy.
Eto rin ang mga araw na bawal magdala ng food sa floor kahit patago. Kahit toothpick bawal yan. Bawal ang tumbler na hindi transparent lalo na't hindi Starbucks yan. Bawal ang papel at ballpen dahil for security confidentiality daw. Baka nakawin mo ang SSN ng mga customers mo at gamitin mo sa lotto at manalo ka pa. Dude, that is a terminable offense.
Maraming takot dyan. Marami na kasing naterminate dahil sa 'tang inang privacy policy na yan.
Gusto ko na ngang magtayo ng Unyon para dyan. Maging call center activist! Ipaglaban ang mga naaapi ng privacy policy! Para sa mga biktama ng overlunch. Pero parang walang kwenta.
Kapag may client visit bawal din ang misbehaviors. Tulad ng tardiness. Critical working day daw ito pero in reality, nagpapalapad lang ng papel ang mga managers for posterity measures, sabi pa nila. Takot tayong lahat na i-pull out ang account at mawalan ng trabaho. So be good everyone, ang laging brouhaha ni OM kapag may team huddle.
So, sa mga panahon na ganito, hindi valid ang traffic reason mo sa 2am shift mo. Ulol ka! Bawal din ang overbreak at unscheduled break dahil kapag mafail ang isang interval, papatayin ka ng Workforce. Ipapakain sayo lahat ng ACW at Defaults mo. At wala kang pull-out for the next 30 days. Lunukin mo ang Avaya hanggang kaya mo!
Syempre, bawal ang call misbehaviors. Bawal kang matulog sa call kasi hindi mo ito bahay. Bawal mag-hold ng customer para magCR lang kasi nakakatanga yun. Bawal din mag-release ng calls kasi may random audit ang clients sa lahat ng calls. If caught, maraming pwedeng gawin sayo ang clients.
Una, gawin kang isaw. Pangalawa, pakainin ka ng panis na siomai na walang shrimps na benebenta sa kanto. Pangatlo, i-rerecord ang boses mo at gagawing hold music sa lahat ng calls sa buong site. Last, ipakain sayo ng buo ang headset na gamit mo.
"Hahaha..." natawa ako.
Too late for me to realize na ako lang pala ang tumatawa. I was literally thinking out loud. Tahimik ang lahat na nakatingin lang sa'kin.
Feeling nila baliw na yata ako. Well, I can't help it. Sa trabahong ito, sino pa ba ang may matinong pag-iisip.
Zombies ang tawag sa'min sa outside world. Ang mga call center agents ay may sariling mundo, lifestyle and randomness. This industry has diversity. Your individuality matters. Yung tipong teamwork ang highest virtue dito pero, to each his own. Kasi malaya ka to be yourself.
Napatingin ako sa floors indicator. It said "19th". Bumukas ang pinto. Lumabas ang tatlong lalaki sa likod ko. Then, it closed again.
Lima na lang kami sa loob kasama sina Mr. Client at ang babaeng may black lipstick. I know some of them by faces. Maliit lang ang mundong ito kasi.
It rang. The door opened. It said "20th".
Maraming naghihintay sa labas na sasakay sa elevator. Parang MRT ang elevator. Nakikipagpatayan ang lahat lalo na kapag rush hour. Nagsisiksikan ang lahat papasok sa elevator.
I struggled to get outside.
"Dapat talaga may elevator etiquette sa building na 'to!" I whispered as I stepped outside trying to move out from the crowd.
"Golden Rule #1: Wag salubungin ang hindi mo pamilya!" someone whispered back at bigla nya akong tinapik.
Confused, I looked back to see who tapped me on my right shoulder.
There. A familiar face glaring at me in such an expected burst of sunshine.
I stood there infront of the elevator door as I watched him waved at me inside the four-cornered lift. His smile was disarming. His usual sweet smile... and I have longed for it in a while.
Accepted ang mga pabebe sa call center. Lalo na kapag chance of a lifetime. Gora na besh!
Then the elevator just closed and moved down. Haaayy
Si crush yun- ang RTW ko sa opisinang eto. The reason I breathe everyday. Ang rason kung bakit nag-au-auto in pa ako araw-araw. Haaayyy. I was on a dreamy set up when someone just pinched me in my left ear.
"5 mins..." he shouted.
Nagulat ako when I saw my terror Supervisor infront of me. Nanlilisik na mga mata ang sumalubong sa'kin. Naghihimagsik ang kanyang eyebrows. Without any words, I hurriedly ran into my locker and put all my stuffs and headed to the Ops floor.
I was about to swipe my access card to get inside the floor when I realized something.
"Where's that fuckin' headset?!" I shouted that could be heard across the floor.
All in a manic Monday's work, I muttered.
Ako nga pala si Jeremy. I am a dismantled collection of almosts. Yung almost late lagi. Yun almost pass sa AHT, nafail pa ng isang minuto. Yun almost kami na, hindi pa pala.
