I work at a call center. I talk to lots of people on the phone - all day long. Many of my calls are from people in really bad places emotionally. Today I had a new experience.

My last call, today, was from a man who got a whole lot more out of it than I did. I just tried to be nice and he was all hot and bothered by my voice or my niceness.

It was so gross when I figured out what was going on. The clue that something was wrong was when he said he "appreciated my kindness more than you(meaning me) wanted to know." <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="images/icons/shocked.gif" />

Where is the throw up icon?

I don't want to go back to the phone on Monday. I'm so glad I am off for 3 days.

I feel violated.

One of my friends saw me - I had to tell someone about what had happened - and said I was white as a sheet.

I don't know how to deal with it the next time it happens. I don't know if I should tell my supervisor - a man who won't think anything of it.

You guys are lucky. This probably doesn't happen to you if you get to be an 'operator standing by' but it does happen to women. Thankfully, though, no one has 'hit on me' in months.

They're just busy with the fly of their pants unzipped.

He may have had good phone s-- but I was just trying to process his claim.


I

Fair Princess,

First, I ask that you don't take my words the wrong way, but I'm going to share my perspective.

I do understand how offensive what this man did is, and I do understand how you feel violated and used.

However, what I fail to understand is how or why you allow the actions of others to have such control over your emotions. That's probably what most men feel as well. While what this man did is not right, you really don't have to let his actions make you feel bad.

That makes his problem your problem.

I don't want to diminish how you feel, but rather I simply want to encourage you to have the strength to accept what is truly yours, and reject a problem that is not yours.

Don't give this man the control of your emotions, but take control of them yourself.

HTH,

Tony

Icky and bizarre! I mean, if you'd known you could just hang up on him right?

Tell your supervisor, and tell the HR person as an FYI. That way if your supervisor makes light of it, the HR person can step in with those dreaded words... "Hostile Environment." And how much more hostile can it get than a caller who masterbates while you are askign for his name, age, address?

But, Cinders, you must have one hell of a voice!

And I thought phone sex went away with Internet porn.

Some people can be pretty sick, but then maybe you just have an uncontrollable affect on people.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial"> I don't know how to deal with it the next time it happens. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial"> </font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial"> Icky and bizarre! I mean, if you'd known you could just hang up on him right?
</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Hanging up is the way to go if you know to, however, you need to pick the right moment to hang up and leave him frustrated <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" />

I've done call ctr - cust service rep work before, and it never ceases to amaze me the kind of people walking around free. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="images/icons/rolleyes.gif" />

The worst job experience I can ever remember was when I worked for the electric company. If there was a storm and the power was out all the supervisors would be asked to stay (sometimes till 3am) to take phone calls. We'd be exhausted, and then have to take all sorts of weird calls.

People can get awfully lonely and bored when the power is out and they're stuck inside.

As for your lovely call... EWWWWW! Do you have a screen where you log contact that other reps can see when they get a call from this creep? I'd make a note that let the next rep know to keep the conversation short and not so sweet.

Of course your supervisor won't care - he's not the one who felt like a really long hot shower with a bleach rinse after taking the call. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="images/icons/rolleyes.gif" /> I'd mention it anyway though. Are you his case manager? Can you have him transferred to a male co-worker?

Try and shake it off.... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="images/icons/wink.gif" /> don't let it ruin your weekend.

I have a ?, are your phone calls monitored? This call needs to be turned into your supervisor. And if nothing happens, then you have the evidence, that could lead to the police being involved. This sex obscene caller may be a predator. And if so, this man needs to be off in jail.

I see where you were being kind, sympathetic, and the man used you. Don't let this slide, do something about it. Also, do you have caller ID?

Idiots are all over the world.

The good thing is that the man does not have my name or extension number. Names are almost never given out unless they get it from our voice mail which could happen if we have to have someone call us back directly for something. And that practice is discouraged.

I don't think the calls are monitored regularly. I think there is sporadic monitoring but I haven't noticed anything that sounded like that since the management weirdness started in our office in February. BTW, after nearly 3 months, we have a new Director of Call Center operations. No new manager yet, but the old manager's boss has been replaced.

My supervisor will not care at all about what happened. The new director will. He's new and he will care.

It is luck of the draw as to which claimant we take calls from. But, fortunately, I am not a case worker - we function on the concept of the 'operator standing by' - you get the interviewer to whom your call is routed - the next available interviewer. I do know which claimant he is.

Yeah, I get told I have a good voice. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="images/icons/rolleyes.gif" /> The first time that happened, I was working in a church office and a salesperson called in and told me I had 'an alluring voice". I guess I don't sound like the little old ladies you expect to find working in church offices. Fortunately, I haven't been hit on over the phone in a while.

My standard line for overly flirtatious men is that that topic is not very professional and I would prefer not to continue it as I could get in trouble. If they persist, I tell them they can stop or I can transfer them to my supervisor so that he can have someone else finish their claim.

But I didn't think fast enough Thursday afternoon.

Yuck, it was creepy but I think I can go back in and be fine. I think I will report the incident. Supervisor will just blow it off. His supervisor won't, though.

Talked to my supervisor. He said that, unless the claimant was lewd or obscene, I had to finish the call. Of course, an emergency could arise where I needed to put the claimant on hold - say, for 10 minutes - and let them listen to our classical music that we have on the telephone lines.

The reason I would have to finish the call is that we would have no way to prove why we had refused to process the claim.

Feeling that this was not fair to the interviewers, I went to the new director of the center and told him what the situation had been and what the recommendations had been. He was surprised. He is new to call center operations and had not considered this as a possible occupational hazard.

He concurred with most of what the supervisor said with one major addition. If the interviewer is sufficiently uncomfortable with the situation, an emergency could arise where you could tell the claimant you could not finish the claim right now - computer problems arise at all sorts of moments - and you could tell claimant someone would get back to them later in the day. Then you could turn claimant info over to supervisor so that someone else could call the claimant back.

He also suggested that I create an incident file starting with this claimant so that I will have documentation of what happened.