In one of my earlier posts entitled "Class Warfare in the Call Center", I introduced you to a gentleman who works for our customer relations department. Well, I had another encounter with this person again recently.

Since the last time this person cruelly put me in my place, I have practiced what I call "practical invisibility". That means that I do not look at them or speak to them unless I have to, or if it would be rude not to speak. I still say good morning if I pass them in the hall or at the coffee maker, etc. This does not mean I am giving them the cold shoulder, it means that I know that nothing good will come of being chummy with them, and so I should not relate to them outside of required business interaction. The difference between that and the cold shoulder is I am not consumed with anger. I don't cry my eyes out wondering when they will be my friend again, or how we can make it alright again. I'm just resigned to the fact it would not be profitable to be their friend again. Anyway, enough psycho-babble-self-justification, the bottom line is, "they not nice-we no play together anymore".

Back to the story. I was in a certain part of the office to get help with a certain matter(I'm being vague, that's part of the anonymous thing) and as I walked into the area I heard this gentlemen talking to another co-worker. "I will not be spoken to in that manner!", the customer relations worker said, referring to one of my coworkers on the call center floor. "The next time that person gives me any kind of attitude at all, he WILL be wrote up by the supervisor on duty, you can count on that!" Then the customer relations fellow stamped out the door. I didn't get the full beginning, but from what I can tell, this person was spoken to roughly by one of my coworkers-maybe even said the sort of things I should have said earlier.

I wish I had known who told this guy off and what they said, there are just some days I am not in the loop. What amazes me about this person is that though they have a higher position than us, they have no real authority. They make some decisions regarding our customers, and are important to the company. But they actually have to go through our supervisor if they have any issues with our work. They have 2 employees that work under them, and that is it. This person worked on the floor at one time, and now does not. They have influence in the company, but we could care less about their games, and so could our supervisor.

What is it about some people that determines how they will be spoken to? I know we don't deserve to be abused, but aren't there instances when people will speak short to us. People being people, someone is going to get pissy with each one of us from time to time. What makes me angry is that people with a perceived social status have this idea that they must be spoken to with a certain decorum and respect due to them at all times and during all situations. Wouldn't it make you the bigger person, the person deserving of respect if you did not return evil for evil, if you just turned and walked away? When did this person receive that social information telling him what sort of speech he can accept and what he cant. He has some other issues going on I cant tell you about, but the long and the short is we do not know where this person got this attitude from. We normally have been told who is in command above and below us, but this person is just seen as another worker like to rest of us. I'll try to find out who put the bee in this guy's bonnet.

AC