D DID

Nocturnality….What does it mean? It was back in 2003, when I joined a BPO and was doing the night shift, a friend of mine called me and said, “howz the nocturnal creature doing? “Nocturnal Creature”, is that what she said? I definitely got offended at first, but hey she was right. I was working at odd hours and that definitely did put me in the list.

I had seen a lot of changes in me. To begin with, my life style. I was no longer a party animal. (Hey I was still up all night long.) I had become more responsible, (wink…wink ). Not to forget, I lost communication with my family and friends. It was difficult but I could not complain. I chose to work for a call center and this was a part of the game.

A lot of adjustments had to be done. Time management, was really important. It wasnt easy doing the night shift. When my people were ready to hit the sack, I was getting ready for work and waiting for the office cab. Skipping meals, forgetting important appointments, incomplete assignments, health taking its toll, the list continued. Yet, I wasnt ready to quit the job.

The call center journey that began in 2003 is still on. Of course, I no longer have to struggle with the above mentioned issues but there is a lot more. Today, I am a manager and I have a team of young people to take care of. And it has been a challenging task, to lead and set example.

I try to share my personal experience with my people. A call center is definitely a platform for most individuals who want to work on their communication skills, because these skills are required in every sphere of life. And besides being presentable, voice is all that we have got, the ultimate weapon. We definitely need to sound confident and should have a good product knowledge. The rebuttals should be ready at the tip of our tongue. We cannot afford to be rude and patience is required big time.

Getting back to the main topic, the nocturnal creatures, I think it is not everyone’s cup of tea. Not everyone can put up with the call center job. Keeping the pay aside, imagine being yelled at, hung up on or cursed at or generally despised, is the world of telemarketers, the nocturnal creatures. Even though we may be good at handling the rejections, it might sometimes take a toll on our outlook and demeanor. And yes, it’s a monotonous job. Coming to work every day and repeating the same script, may tend to bring frustration. In addition, one has to deal with the pressure of supervisors and managers to meet your daily, weekly or monthly target.  At the same time, if you are in an inbound service center, you may also garner compliments for the help and service provided.

We, the nocturnal creatures, have a world of our own. And we have the best of both worlds. Working at odd hours and doing things at our own convenience have not made us anti-social but we have raised the eyebrows for many. We work hard and party harder. There is no limit to the fun that we have. We have defined our own boundaries and anyone is welcome to the world of nocturnal. Since, the rate of attrition is high; we are comfortable with the change and welcome new faces. Everyone has a tale to tell, and it is amazing as to how people from different spree of life come together, work as a team and become a family.

We rule, dont we? The  nocturnality lies in our blood, active during the night. So if you have it in you, and want to join the world of telemarketers, oops…. the world of nocturnal creatures, as my dear friend said, you will have a lot to share, amazing stories. TRUST ME!!!!!