It’s been a year of using this platform from sharing our current situation with the world to writing interesting articles. It was a great ride until I realized that it only does cover a few bucks, so I decided to go back to serving the industry again.
Writing articles for the last 7 months, there were times that I would get easily tired aside from cooking food for lunch & dinner. There would be times that I would slack off, but there are times that the fire inside of me is about to light up, like firing up the stove, for me to keep continuing to write more. Until that stove goes lower when you adjust the knob to lower the heat down.
What’s worse is by being lectured, or sermoned by my sister. What she told me at that time I didn’t mind either, whatever comes in from my left ear goes out to my right ear, I simply forget it. She even brought up the issue again years ago, of me not going to Canada.
I was able to post a few articles, then I decided to apply again as an advocate. Call after call, interview after interview, until I got hired. I felt the joy of having full-time work again so I can continue to help my family. The moment I got hired again, I was about to think will I still want to write again? As I’ve mentioned before, I’ll continue to write more.
Weeks later, we received news that my grandmother was in critical condition. She’s about to die as predicted by her doctors and has only a week left to live. The whole clan was in shock, and my grandmother refused to stay longer in the hospital. So she decided to go back to her home, while I and my mother volunteered to go back to Manila to take care of her, until her last breath.
I promised myself that I will never go back because of this dispute between my mother and his brother, which my uncle who’s going to be the rightful owner of this home. So I set aside my anger, and think of the possible outcome so I can take care of my grandmother before she lays to rest. A week later, she survived the doctor’s prediction. Now, she is still going strong and happy as she sees me every day at home including her grandchildren to visit her.
Now that I’m here at our ancestral home, it brings me back all the great memories then. Now I got hired, my grandmother is still alive, the only struggle I’m facing was the distance to my new workplace, from Manila to Muntinlupa City. It’s a 2-hour ride depending on the traffic conditions. For June 2020, my shift started at 6:00 am until it ends at 3:00 pm.
That shift only lasted for 3 weeks. The only challenge was I need to wake up early by 3:00 am, by 4:00 am I have to take a jeepney ride from Quirino-Taft Avenue to EDSA. Previously, I’ll drop off at Baclaran and ride another to Alabang which was the fastest route, until there were some changes. Once I reach EDSA, so same thing, another ride to Starmall - Alabang, then again going to Alabang Town Center. When the shift ends, I’ll take the jeepney again going back to Starmall - Alabang, then take the train from Alabang to San Andres which will only take an hour to get home.
After 3 weeks, my schedule got changed from 8:00 pm to 5:00 am. Instead of taking a jeepney ride, I take the train and once the shift ends I would take either the train again or a bus ride going home. A month later, I was able to pass the Product Specifics Training. The next phase is where our skills will be put to the test, and apply everything we’ve learned during the training.
From 8:00 pm, our shift adjusted to 10:00 pm until 7:00 am. Still, I do the same routine. The only challenge for me was, it is way different from my previous programs. The main concern I usually get every phone call is regarding their billing statement. From valid charges to comparing their current bill to their previous bill from the previous months, sometimes they’re requesting compensation or minimal troubleshooting. And these calls should be done for only 20 minutes.
Until, I noticed that these guys are performance-based driven, and they’re not even appreciating our efforts of coming into work even if the weather is bad, or could get worse if someone didn’t show up at work. This is where these sanctions would come in, and in an instant, they’ll be giving you a memo, but that depends on your situation. I did everything on my end to pass the training, but it wasn’t meant for me. In our final week, I didn’t show up for 2 days because I felt the burnout again, started to apply to different companies, and showed up at the office again.
To tell you the truth, I can still do it but, there are unruly and rude customers over the phone, I need to remain calm and never fight back. Press the mute button and curse them in our language. Conversational-wise, there are still good customers out there that are being valued and appreciated the business for many years. Others are very rude, unruly, and unprofessional. What I don’t like was the workload. From making a quota like a customer satisfaction to making a sale like upgrading their plans or even their smartphones.
The moment I showed up again, my credentials were deactivated, including my badge access. So the company decided to not let me continue with the next phase. For the first time in my career, and 4 years serving as an advocate, this never happened to me. If they decided to have me re-profiled with a different program that would be acceptable. But what they did was they cut me off from the company. I already signed their Non-Disclosure Agreement declaring my separation from the company, and one of my peers encouraged me to go back after 3 months.
Well, I no longer want to go back to that company that’s for certain. At first, I thought it will be the end for me. They have high standards & hopes for their trainees expecting the whole batch would pass, and they’re only wasting their money. So I decided to apply again, and after a few weeks, I signed my contract with my new company. I was thinking this could be my second chance. The moment I got hired, I wasn’t expecting I would pass the training, from PST until Nesting. There were a lot of setbacks, but I chose to move forward and never look back.
Expectations were met, and not too much workload. No more explanations about their bill, no more upgrading their devices and their current plans. What I only focus on now, is mainly troubleshooting their modem so they can continue using their internet services. From the companies I previously applied to, I received a lot of emails, phone calls, reconsidering to re-apply for them, but I’m no longer interested since I already found my new second home.
After 1 month of training, our trainer, mentors, and even others were impressed by our batch. Aside from those, they’ll be working in the comfort of their homes, while I will continue to work on-site for only a few months. For 1 month, I was able to get along with them even if we have our differences and different point of view in life. I will surely miss them, from their wackiest jokes to dad/adult jokes, good or bad moments I will never forget that. And I will never waste this second chance they gave me.
Once the clock strucks tommorow midnight, after 2 hours. The real work begins.