The Art of the Hustle 2 (Complete)

Chapter Forty-Five

Showing up at the call centre brought back a lot of memories for Trevor. It was the exact same call centre that he worked at, now under different ownership. The National Bank closed it down several years ago to relocate to Toronto, and Trevor stepped in and kept everyone employed. Even his old manager remained there.

"Mr. Morrison, so nice to see you," Charlie said.

"Please, call me Trevor. This is Deon, the one I was telling you about."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Deon. I'm Charlie, Trevor's old manager, and your new manager. I've heard a lot about you and I'm sure you're going to be very happy working here."

Deon was like a sponge. He watched Trevor's every move and was beginning to talk like him, dress like him, and mimic his mannerisms. Even in their short time together, Deon was learning so much.

"Thank you so much for the opportunity, Charlie," Deon said with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well."

"You're certainly welcome."

"Why don't we do a tour of the office," Trevor said. "You can let me know what's been happening here, introduce me to the stars, and show Deon where he'll be sitting."

"Can I sit in Trevor's old desk?" Deon asked.

"We'll see," Charlie said. "There's someone sitting there now, but I'll ask them if they would like to move."

The three began to walk and talk.

"How have you been holding up?" Charlie asked.

"Each day is a challenge, but I feel like I'm in a good place now."

"I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. You look well though."

"Thanks, I appreciate that, Charlie."

The call centre looked just as Trevor had remembered it. Seeing how it was his first time back since he worked there, it was a trip down memory lane. He was reminded of a time where he was much more angry and bitter about the world and his circumstances.

He recalled the soul sucking monotony of answering call after call from seemingly ungrateful and moronic customers who complained endlessly day in and day out. Many of whom harboured feelings of entitlement as if their business were the linchpin holding the entire company together.

His patience wore thin and his anger was fueled even further by his ever-growing frustration with management who would enforce archaic policies and belittle the staff, making them feel like children.

Eventually this frustration started to take its toll on Trevor's psyche and affect his outlook on life and how he interacted with people. It was an unhealthy environment for him and if he didn't get out when he did, it may have had an irrevocable change on his personality.

Walking around, making eye contact with all the staff, he sympathized with them a great deal. He vowed to make a change that would make them feel valued, all the while growing his business.

Trevor made his visit known so they could prepare for him. They set aside some time to go offline and funnel all the calls to another call centre.

Nearly a hundred employees gathered in the cafeteria to hear the words of their leader. Some of the people working there were around when Trevor was still there. As for the rest, they were star struck, seeing him in person for the first time.

None other than Charlie, his old manager, took centre stage to introduce him.

"What can I say about Trevor that won't embarrass him?" Charlie started out. He looked over at Trevor and smiled.

"As many of you know, and for those who don't, I was Trevor's manager back when he worked at this very call centre. Back then it was owned by the National Group Bank and many of us would have been out of a job if it weren't for him. Trevor is also responsible for the complete renovation, the new computers and ergonomic chairs, the free snacks, the cool bean bag chairs that you all seem to love, the gym, and many other changes that have made this place a lot more enjoyable for you all.

"When I first met Trevor, he was a young, optimistic kid with a lot of drive and passion to make a difference in the world. I'm not going to lie, he wasn't the best employee, but he united people in a very unique way. It only makes sense that many years later he runs Unity Inc., one of the largest and most successful companies in the world.

"He has been gracious enough to pay us a visit today so please put your hands together and give a warm welcome to the one and only, Trevor Morrison."

Trevor walked up on stage and hugged Charlie. With a microphone in hand, he thanked everyone for the ovation. Taking a few moments to absorb the situation and gather his thoughts, Trevor delivered an impromptu speech from the heart.

"Being here and seeing so many familiar faces has brought back a lot of memories and joy for me. Some of you are long-time employees, some are students, and others are in a transitionary phase of your life. Whichever category you fall into, I will try to address each one of you.

"I started working here when I was a student at UBC. I figured it was a relatively easy job for me with decent pay, which allowed me to pay my bills so that I could focus on my studies. After a while though, I found certain aspects of the job challenging. Dealing with customers. Meeting certain targets. Sitting all day. Having certain restrictions in the way you communicate and spend your time off the phone.

"When I took this place over, I wanted to make all the changes that I would have hoped for back when I worked here. The office is now bright and the atmosphere is pleasant. There's a games room, a full gym, free drinks and snacks, comfortable places to sit and hangout. And open internet on all computers.

"Today I will spend some time with you all either in small groups or one on one. I want to get to know as many of you as possible and what you like and don't like about this place. Using your feedback, I hope to make this a happy place for you all."

A round of applause overpowered the room. Trevor remained on stage until it died down.

"There are a few more things I want to address. By a show of hands, who here wants to make more money?" Trevor said with a smile. The entire audience, including the managers raised their hands.

"I know, it's a bit of a stupid question, but I just wanted to make sure. So this year, I'm feeling extra generous. I want to announce a new annual five percent bonus that you will all receive regardless of tenure or performance."

The entire audience erupted in cheers and applause.

"In addition..." Trevor said, competing with a few lingering claps. "...there will be extra bonuses given based on tenure and performance."

Again, this news made a lot of people very happy. It was followed with more clapping and cheering.

"In addition... at the end of the year, everyone who meets their targets will be put into a draw and the winner will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Hawaii."