Sunday Morning Post (V.1, #40): Back to Work
My surgeon
has cleared me to start driving again. I
have called my supervisor and advised her that I can return to work tomorrow,
11/18. It may prove to be a hellish
week.
The months
of October and November have always been our busy season when we take phone
calls about open enrollment from what seems to be every company and business
concern on the planet. We have to go
live for phone calls usually as early as 8a until our shift ends. For most of us that is 5p, unless we volunteer
for overtime beyond our usual quitting time.
The problem
is that a new call comes into the queue as soon as the old call is
finished. We barely have enough time to
breath between calls in the months of October and November, let alone try to solve
the problems of advising callers about their health insurance choices for (again,
what seems to be) everyone on the planet.
Breathing? Let’s pencil that activity in for the first
week of January, but we can’t guarantee that.
The callers
expect us to know every single detail about their plans. We do have some training about some of the
plans, but most of the time we are learning the plan details cold. The average time we have to review the plans which
enables us to give an intelligent-sounding answer to the caller’s question is
the same amount of time between answering the call and saying “Hello, how may I
help you,” to the caller. In other words,
no time at all.
Many times,
we can advise the caller that we will need to research our various resources to
answer their question. Many are okay
with our promise of researching and calling them back in a few days. Unfortunately, it only takes one nightmare
call to ruin the day. Invariably we all
get this one call where the caller demands his/her answer NOW and it cannot wait,
and suddenly it’s OUR fault that he/she procrastinated until the last day of
their open enrollment.
Such are the
perils of customer service in our modern, capitalist system.
At the end
of the day, we are all mentally exhausted.
My employer does several things to relieve some of the stress. They usually provide dinner from any of the
local fast food outlets in the area for those who stay beyond 5p. Occasionally they will do other things for
the day shift who have to endure a hellish situation.
My employer
also tries their best to ensure that they hire more people for the open enrollment
season. They were constantly hiring and
training new employees throughout this year which, it was hoped, would be
enough for the annual rush. Unfortunately,
there never seems to be enough people and resources to meet the demand which
seems to be increasing year after year.
This is the situation
which I am returning to tomorrow. I hope
that I am coming back at the tail end of the open enrollment season. The greatest demand usually winds down before
Thanksgiving, so I am hoping I will only have to endure one week of hell.
So yes, the good
news is I am well enough to return to work.
The bad news is I am well enough to return to work. It’s enough to make one start believing in organized
religion again!
(Thank you
for reading. Yea, though I walk through
the valley of office cubicles I will fear no evil. Or something like that.)
posted by todd gunther | 10:22 AM
9 Comments:
After I had major surgery, I was off work for two months and then attempted to return to work full time right away. I couldn't do it -- by the end of the first couple of days I was grey with fatigue and ready to drop with exhaustion. So then HR put a graduated return schedule into place -- part time which gradually increased over three weeks until I was full time again. And my job was not as stressful sounding as yours! Good luck!
After breaking my hip (at age 42), I was allowed to go back to work part time after six weeks. I had to be carried out at the end of the four hours. It is amazing how fast muscle strength declines. Good luck!
First the surgery and now dealing with people who have, or need, insurance and have a billion questions?
I'd have asked my doctor to keep me off work until the January Breather.
"I am hoping I will only have to endure one week of hell." And I hope for your sake your right, and for that, I guessing, you will be truly thankful for at this time of year.
I couldn't deal with the public and callers. It's why I do what I do. My hat is off to you.
I know what customers can be like when you don't tell them what it is they want to hear, though I usually have to deal with those monsters face to face.
I am sure your supervisor is pleased that you are pitching in during the busy season. I hope you have a good (or at least tolerable) week back.
I too !
Breathing is good.
Thank you, Debra. I had not thought about muscle fatigue when I decided to return to work. I made it through today...so far, so good.
Thank you for the warm wishes, Jimmy.
Actually, Bob, my disability was approved up to January 2, but I was getting bored sitting at home, and the benefits from my disability would not cover all of my expenses.
Thank you, Mistress. We all have our missions to fulfill.
I used to work in a home center of a third or fourth rate department store chain (no longer in business.) I have had those same experiences Dave.
Thank you, Old Lurker. One down, four to go.
Thank you, Spo. Yes, I am hooked on oxygen.
Congratulations on being well enough to return to work, take it easy. Dancing with the stars here you come.
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