Just a few years back, the world of the "grown ups" seemed so alien to me. Yes, probably I have been blinded by 'false consciousness' all the while, to me, all adults seemed right and powerful. Like they don't make any mistakes and the only mistakes are my fault. The inexperienced kid's FAULT. I didn't understand how normal it was to make phonecalls to strangers; either for a reservation/ enquiry/ job interview. I always imagined the person picking up the phone to be of a police-like character. Hence I always trembled at making phonecalls.
Till I had my first job working at Hang Ten..... the damn-ness of the world was exposed to me. How customers can get to your nerves, how co-workers can be such a *beep*, and how I had to work like a slave. How the customers treated me, I learnt something out of them. CUSTOMER SERVICE. Meaning: You don't have to feel obliged or even fear sales personnel (yes I feared ALL people who were not students in the past) You are entitled to mistreat them, emotionally, verbally. Of course I don't. But I realised that is what customer service is about, to take in the grunts of irritated, moody people who get the kick out of being treated like royalty.
Then I proceeded on to working in the Office of Corporate Relations in NUS... and it was there I was drilled to make phonecalls... not only to lay people but to big, big shots.... professors, directors of companies etc.. of course I had to go through their secretaries, of which some of them were pleasant, others sounded like I owed them a living. But the experience was traumatising. I remember stammering and stuttering in the initial stages... So scared, I felt so powerless.. so meek ... like i will be put on a death sentence anytime...
But as time went on and I learnt about all the ills of society and its people in my course, as I got more comfortable in dealing with personnels over the phones, meeting foreign delegates and providing them with service, my fear of people subsided. I became one of them. Those in the world of the adults, where politics and backstabbing reigned, there are many sides to a person, and so there are the sides of me developing as well.... I exchanged my fear and naiveity of the world to a more confident, cautious side of me.
I made a phonecall recently to enquire about my registration at the driving school. And I was talking to the person on the phone like some old friend. Huahahaa... I became one of them, understanding why the man was talking to me on the phone, understanding that it was HIS job to keep me politely informed of any aspects regarding the driving school, and that he is just a mere man doing his job, that HE should fear me, lest I make any complaints about him providing bad CUSTOMER SERVICE....nah.. I'm not that unreasonable, but in any case if he was paid to sound like a grumpy person....
Welcome to the workforce....
