Overlord of Templand
Welcome to my job. I work for a public opinion research firm in Salt Lake City. Today we have 15 temps in house to help us finish up a couple of jobs where we ask people their opinions about organic food products. (The chemistry teacher in me wants to say that all food is organic by definition, but I'll forbear.)
Temps are a special challenge for us. Our normal training period for interviewers is 3-4 hours, with a quiz afterward to ensure that they're up to speed. Temps, on the other hand, normally have to be trained in about 30-45 minutes; if the training goes any longer than that, the trainer has to compete with the noise of a fully functioning call center to get the message across. It's a quick-and-dirty sort of introduction to the fascinating world of market research.
Whenever we have temps in house, I always get to deal with them (unless I have the day off, and sometimes even then). That's because I seem to have the most patience for dealing with people who need to be spoon-fed with regard to their jobs. The rest of the staff is fascinated with my ability to do this; I just tell them that it's not all that different than teaching high schoolers.
We usually set aside a part of the call center, like the back row or one of the side rooms, for our temps. This keeps them all in one place so that I can answer any of their questions and deal quickly with any performance and/or behavior issues. This designated area, wherever it is, becomes known as Templand, and I am its ruler, so to speak.
The other supervisors eventually started calling me "The Mayor of Templand". I told them I preferred "Overlord".
Things are going well so far today in my little province. One of the temps opted out about half an hour ago because she didn't like the job. I've got three more I'm probably going to have to send home soon if their numbers don't improve. The rest seem to be doing okay.
--
{later}
I only had to send one of them home, and she was a little cranky about it, saying things like, "Why do you keep giving me jobs I can't do?" and such like. I assured her that we would ask the agency not to send her here again.
I also had two of the temps tell me at 6:25 that they needed to leave by 6:30 to get to as doctor's appointment. What doctor sees patients at 6:30 at night? Nobody in my old HMO, I'll guarantee you that! I asked them in a rather direct sort of way why they hadn't bothered to give me a little notice and then told them to go. With any luck they won't show up again tomorrow. I need that kind of employee like I need a poke in the eye.
We're in the home stretch now, only about 10 minuites until I send them all home. I'll probably spend about 15 minutes helping them sign out for the day and cleaning up the mess they inevitably leave behind. Then I get to go through their time cards (which are kept by our computer) and fix any discrepancies that may exist. Then I'll fill out the form we fax to the agency and leave it on the field director's desk for him to sign and fax in the morning. I'm making a few notes now so that he knows what's gone on tonight.
Then I get to go home. After a long bus ride, probably shared with Thoreau, I'll check my e-mail and turn in early. Thus ends a not-so-typical evening in the life of the Overlord.
Temps are a special challenge for us. Our normal training period for interviewers is 3-4 hours, with a quiz afterward to ensure that they're up to speed. Temps, on the other hand, normally have to be trained in about 30-45 minutes; if the training goes any longer than that, the trainer has to compete with the noise of a fully functioning call center to get the message across. It's a quick-and-dirty sort of introduction to the fascinating world of market research.
Whenever we have temps in house, I always get to deal with them (unless I have the day off, and sometimes even then). That's because I seem to have the most patience for dealing with people who need to be spoon-fed with regard to their jobs. The rest of the staff is fascinated with my ability to do this; I just tell them that it's not all that different than teaching high schoolers.
We usually set aside a part of the call center, like the back row or one of the side rooms, for our temps. This keeps them all in one place so that I can answer any of their questions and deal quickly with any performance and/or behavior issues. This designated area, wherever it is, becomes known as Templand, and I am its ruler, so to speak.
The other supervisors eventually started calling me "The Mayor of Templand". I told them I preferred "Overlord".
Things are going well so far today in my little province. One of the temps opted out about half an hour ago because she didn't like the job. I've got three more I'm probably going to have to send home soon if their numbers don't improve. The rest seem to be doing okay.
--
{later}
I only had to send one of them home, and she was a little cranky about it, saying things like, "Why do you keep giving me jobs I can't do?" and such like. I assured her that we would ask the agency not to send her here again.
I also had two of the temps tell me at 6:25 that they needed to leave by 6:30 to get to as doctor's appointment. What doctor sees patients at 6:30 at night? Nobody in my old HMO, I'll guarantee you that! I asked them in a rather direct sort of way why they hadn't bothered to give me a little notice and then told them to go. With any luck they won't show up again tomorrow. I need that kind of employee like I need a poke in the eye.
We're in the home stretch now, only about 10 minuites until I send them all home. I'll probably spend about 15 minutes helping them sign out for the day and cleaning up the mess they inevitably leave behind. Then I get to go through their time cards (which are kept by our computer) and fix any discrepancies that may exist. Then I'll fill out the form we fax to the agency and leave it on the field director's desk for him to sign and fax in the morning. I'm making a few notes now so that he knows what's gone on tonight.
Then I get to go home. After a long bus ride, probably shared with Thoreau, I'll check my e-mail and turn in early. Thus ends a not-so-typical evening in the life of the Overlord.
posted by Michael at
7:10 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home