Wednesday, August 09, 2006

I Used To Be Poor

I'm an agent in a call center. But unlike most agents, I don't speak English outside of the office on account of I believe that my English is something that they're paying for. I never paid no eighty pesos for one cup of coffee, never have and never will, I'm not that flashy, and I never used my occupation to social climb.

Yes, the income borders on the slightly lucrative, but that's never an excuse to become a totally inflated airhead. At least I never saw it that way. It does afford a comfortable lifestyle personalized with the most fantabulous accessories the income bracket can provide. But it still sucks if it's making you defy the earth's gravitational pull on your head.

I've been working in the same industry for three years now, and I have been working for three different companies all that time. Although it is a little too early to say that I've been there and I've done that, what little experience I've had in the industry tells me this much: I used to be poor.

27 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  2. good momel. i'm glad to know that you are not one of those. i hate them, those.

    im from the call center industry too and im glad that i came from it.there are just some people who give us a bad rep.

    im guilty tho, for buying 80 pesos drinks. :)

    ps: happy belated bday pala. *huggies*

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  3. thanks thanks @ ira

    I understand who you are referring to. there are people who just give us agents a bad name. I need to update this post and add some links.

    thanks for the greetings! Muah!

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  4. Anonymous3:27 PM

    wow! i salute you for that. i may have not been in the industry but i heard a lot of those kinds. seems yes, irritating... especially those braggart ones. pretending he knows everything... although all he really can is to speak a good english. making fun and criticizing newbies, social climbing and all those kinds of stuff..

    again not all... it's good you're not with them

    nakikihapi bergin esta bertdey pala. anu ba yun!heheheh!!^_*

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  5. they sometimes get on my nerves so bad @ lojika! that they inspired this post.

    ew, and they happened to be the same fakers working for the less established centers.

    ew ew.

    but hey, thanks thanks for the greetings!

    Cheers!

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  6. ako poor pa rin...

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  7. i am also working in a call center now momel, in case you didn't know. at tsr din ako. :]

    i understand what you are saying momel. some agents do act that way. but i think you and (in contrast) the people you are refering to prove that it is not so much as the job that amkes a person boast. rather, it is something deeply-rooted within them.

    sensya kung dito na rin ako partly maglalament, pero naumpisahan na rin kase. now i realize how wrong it is for people to say that the call center is an easy job. maybe it's just me, but the dynamism and the metrics involved within the line of work demands perseverance and a lot of vitamins. mahirap siya.

    anyway, just try to see the lighter side in things, if you can. and if you do, tell me how.

    have a peaceful day.

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  8. I've seen the lighter side in things @ IE, and although it's all the creamy goodness not in an Oreo cookie, it still is devilish fun to bitch.

    hello @ lexan

    cheers guys!

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  9. HBD HBD HBD HBD momel!!! mwahs!!!

    can't and wont say much about em call center-ers, i'll leave you insiders to deal on that

    meanwhile, leave me & my P120+ coffee alone :-)

    N.B. i'm still poor (i think)


    woof!

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  10. why thanks thanks @ bryfor the greetings

    good call!

    cheers!

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  11. tunay ka momel! nanggaling din ako sa call center pero not as an agent but as a Finance person. daming kaekekan ng ibang agents! feeling mataas kaysa ordinaryong employee! i'm glad ur not one of those type. at least merong mga katulad mo na di ganun ang tingin sa trabaho nila.

    luv yah! ;)

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  12. uhm... bumibili naman ako ng 80p na kape pero kapag depressed lang ako, hehe

    feeling afford ba! minsan lang naman :)

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  13. hi momel. i understand you're referring to certain groups who talk very loudly because they think their english is so hot? haha. ang dalas ko makakita ng mga ganyan, sa umaga sa MRT. ang sarap nilang i-headbutt a la zidane. haha

    i'm still poor, but i will buy P80+ caffeinated drinks. no wonder i can't save a centavo.

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  14. hello hello! @ sasha

    first off, thanks for dropping by. I liked writing this particular post since it made me realize that there are people pa rin who hates social climbing call center agents. I know there is, but I want to hear other people too.

    Luv yah back! And I'll link you, too. Cheers!

    why there you are! @john

    believe me, their english ain't hot. not even close. my english is...

    HAR! Cheers!

    oh @ sasha, john, ira, bry

    I have a confession to make. I DO indulge myself in a tall cup of hot chocolate sa Figaro's. I hate Starbucks kasi eh (or as Cofibean refers to it in his blog, I hate Starbs).

    Cheers!

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  15. Anonymous12:21 PM

    Hahaha.. and all the while i thought.. ako lang ang hayblad sa mga agents na feeling!!!

    yeah.. i used to be one myself.. dko lang kinaya.. mashado kc maigsi pisi ko sa pkikisalamuha sa mga feeling na ex-officemates ko dati!

    lamoyun... asa jeep lang nman todo ingles pa!

    masabi lang.. na call center agents sila. ???

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  16. Welcome back! @ Devilish

    Di ko talaga ma-gets ang totoong glamour behind this industry. I've been here for this much time, there are specifically lovable factors about it, pero it never caused me to become mayabang.

    Seryoso.

    Hugs hugs, mwuah and Cheers!

    Missed you!

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  17. Anonymous6:31 AM

    Momel, I totally agree with your post. I work in a call center too and hindi rason iyon para mamuhay ng mayaman.

    Yes, I spend more than what I did before, pero not to the extent na bibili ako ng coffee for P80. Haaaay...

    Wala lang. :)

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  18. aha! @ momel

    hate starbs too. 'cept for their melted white tobelerone drink. forgot what it was called.

    anyhoo. cheers. happy weekend!

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  19. Your just like my cousin. He also works for a call center company but he is still the down to earth guy we know. He is not at all brainwashed about the money he earns.

    Its good to hear na there are still some people who constantly glance back from where they came and remain humble. :)

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  20. ayun! @ Ira

    hmmm, Heaven in a Grande? Har, Cheers! And you have a great weekend yourself!

    thanks thanks @ Jigs. I'll take that as a compliment. Ay, I need to update na pala my link list. He hee, peace and cheers!

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  21. hala, andyan ka pala! @jhed

    he hee, peace ulit!

    okay lang mamuhay ng mayaman, pero what makes it bad is when it goes to your head.

    Cheers ulit! I really need to update my link list talaga!

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  22. hello.. bloghopped to your blog.

    I'm intrigued by the Call Center Universe. May mga friends ako who work at call centers and parang may hidden lingo kayo na d ko maintindihan. Coaches, inbound.. etc etc.. hehe...

    Cool Ink BTW.

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  23. hello hello! @ Alternati

    Thanks for dropping by ha! Hidden lingo ba? Har, I think every industry has one naman that's specific to them eh.

    Cheers!

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  24. I don't work in a call center but agents bother me so much. they are everywhere, and they occupy so much space. most of them reek a certain air that is irritating. most of my co-workers have families and could not care less about clothes, restaurants, coffee and all that.

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  25. Good post. Good. Good.

    I've been a callcenter agent for more than two years now but I never felt that I've been rich. My salary may be higher than other people out there but Starbucks is never my place for worship. I only get a taste of those expensive coffees when I get GC's as a prize for my good performance. I always think that these kinds of establishments are one of the biggest capitalists in this planet.

    And for the e-Reps who give us a bad image, polluting the atmosphere with those cigarette smoke fumed everywhere and leaving those butts scattered on the floor, it's such a big shame.

    Again, I might have a higher salary but I still need to remember where I used to be. I also used to be poor, not just broke.

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  26. hello @ abssss

    I understand if you make them sound like the flies that move up and down my blog. I totally do, but call center agents are people too.

    He hee, cheers!

    Thanks thanks @ third

    For some reason, I also hate Starbucks with an unquenching passion.

    Cheers guys!

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  27. hello @ abssss

    I understand if you make them sound like the flies that move up and down my blog. I totally do, but call center agents are people too.

    He hee, cheers!

    Thanks thanks @ third

    For some reason, I also hate Starbucks with an unquenching passion.

    Cheers guys!

    ReplyDelete

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