It’s true.
After writing my last post, where I linked to Online Support (OLS), I tested the links to make sure they were all pimp-tight.
I started combing through the OLS page and giggled when I saw the link “OLS is about people“.
I giggled further when I saw “Our Front Line” after that.
I turned bright purple when I saw who’s “I’m quitting on good terms and I might want a reference later” email was quoted.
ols = bastards…
me: will I get my job back for the summer when’s school is finished?
them: sure! just call us a few days before you get back and we’ll work out your schedule
me (later): ok, I’m set to work now
them: we’re not hiring anyone just for the summer
me: &@$#%@#$
Hey.. at least they sent me a ‘Good Luck in the Future’ card.. right?
I really didn’t have any issues with OLS. I got a nice letter too. It was nice of them. But working there was much better before they had to impose all those rules.
People were chatting on ICQ while on calls and ignoring customers totally and people were messing thier desks with food so those rights were waived. It was cute that all the ‘OLS is about people’ quotes were all from the better days.
The food rule was dumb. And then they expected us to drink only from the designated online support mugs? I mean, what the fuck was that?
I started with OLS when there was about 20 people in total and 8-10 in tech support. It was still part of Cycor/PEInet. We worked in the “hallway”, 8 cubicles side by side in that old house downtown. Favourite memories include the night when it was decided that for kicks we would try to install Win95 on the new powermac because it had Virtual PC software on it. (It worked, barely).
Another personal highlight was the night I got to supervise the new call center (honda building) by myself. It was 9:30 PM and the one supervisor on duty screamed at his machine, kicked his chair across the room and drove away in his car. He returned a couple hours later asking, “Uh, did anything bad happen?”
I’m enjoying people’s stories about the rules and how things changed because I saw the place from the beginning. I remember lunch being one tech walking to MacDonalds and bringing back food for everyone to eat between calls. I remember trying to explain to someone on the phone, every day at 12:30, what that horn was in the background. I remember an e-mail being sent around to all employees explaining that it was no longer acceptable to openly browse porn while working because we were now sharing space with the girls in customer service. (There was only one guy doing that. He was aloud to keep his mail order bride catalogues though.)
I also remember one of my favorite nights at the honda center when, at about 10PM, a fierce lightning storm took out all electricity to the building. No lights, no computers, no techlog. The only thing that still worked was the phones. So we sat in the dark, taking calls without being able to see our hands in front of our faces, except when the lightning would flash. The power was out for well over an hour.
One call stands out from all the calls I took in my time at OLS. I was working an overnight shift from 11PM-8AM. At that time only two people worked an overnight shift. From 3AM-5AM was dead time when we almost never got a call. You and your partner would alternate jobs, one would sleep/listen for the phone and the other would vacuum. At around 4AM my phone rang. The call went something like this:
Charlie: Thank you for calling (ISP), all of our technicians are currently at home sleeping. To use our automated support line press 1 now.
Caller: *beep*
Charlie: Thank you for calling our automated support line, for help with your web browser press 1
Caller: …
Charlie: For help with your e-mail, press two now
Caller: *beep*
It took 10-15 minutes but I managed to work him through the prompts in his e-mail and it turned out he had mis-typed his password.
Regardless of what I thought of OLS at the end, I will always have some fond memories of the early days on my first job.
I have been working at OLS for about 2 years now and I came in right when they started taking all the privalages away.I have a lot of amusing stories about the place and including one tech streaking threw the call center and the midnight crew beating each other up with wrist supports.Even though OLS is currently Fu*ked up the buthole royally they are still trying to keep jobs which is rare in this province where the trendy thing to do is to lay people off.I am just glad that you Rob are one of the few people who have left OLS that arent pissy towards the company.You Rock d00d.
Long time Lurker, first time poster… and so on.
I am currently on staff at OLS and just received my $0.25 raise for enduring 2 years in the office. Hooray. I rushed out to the Smartie machine as soon as I got the news. Ok, so I suppose I shouldn’t be bitter. A raise is a raise is a raise. The thing is, for 22 of my 24 monthes of employment I had watched people get their 2 year raises. Always 50 cents. That was a given. Now, after dealing with the same issues as everyone else for the same length of time, I feel a little jaded. Don’t we deserve the raise we were lead to believe we would be receiving? It’s a petty issue I suppose, but it still manages to bother me. Not only me of course – all of my peers, it’s another NEW OLS policy. I think they have a tickle trunk full of new policies – they snagged it on E-Bay.
OLS policies have always been questionable to say the least. The rules are designed to accomidate a select few while the majority suffers. A scheduling “task force” (tee hee), comprised of employees on set schedules??? – I mean c’mon.
OLS IS about people, that is the only reason I am still here. I work with good people and have made some of my closest friends here. It’s just too bad that we (techs) aren’t appreciated a little more.
I of course appreciate the fact that I have a full time job in a field where I have no formal education. I mean this is P.E.I., and jobs aren’t jumping out of the bushes at people, but I do remember brighter days here. I remember when I could come to work without fear of being laid off or having my hours cut back…again. I remember not having to wonder which supervisor is going to be cranky today. Guess the fun days are gone. I am finished whining now… as you were.
Pickled Beats
Found this on The Register. Reminded me of Charlie’s previous post, leading the user through the help with prompts, that’s pure gold. Bravo Charlie.