Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Overheard at Work-Diana's Edition

This summer Diana is doing an internship at an agency which provides various services for the disabled. God forgive me, I find it somewhat amusing when she shares her tales of aggravation. Today did seem especially challenging though. As related by Diana in one long verbal stream:

I started the morning being told there was a staff meeting so I had 5 phones, a TTY and a video relay terminal for deaf clients that I had to answer. No one trained me on the TTY so when it rang I had to TRY to figure out how it worked. It's not just picking t up and answering it, no! It's pick it up and push 17 buttons to make it work. Then someone called on the video relay and I was trying to tell them I don't know enough sign language to be of assistance to them. Then the phones started ringing and I had a 45 minute call from a woman threatening to sue the agency because her dad was made to feel inferior by one of our staff members I don't even know! She took a breath after 45 minutes and I finally told her, "Lady, I'm just a 19 yr old college sophomore working for free here and it's my second day. I don't know all the specifics of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I don't even know who in this office you need to talk to besides everyone else is in a staff meeting right now." Then she asked me why I didn't tell her that in the first place....well, because she never took a breath, duh! When she asked when would be a better time to call I told her Monday or Thursday when I am not here! After her a deaf guy came in and I was talking to him for 5 minutes before he indicated he was deaf. At the very end of the day a very proficient blind lady came in and I spent 10 minutes explaining a form to her then asked if she understood and she said yes but she was blind. I almost cried and asked her why she let me do all that before telling me she was blind. Then the woman laughed and said because she could tell I was new and that's how she likes to break in the new people. She really knows the form and she can fill it in by herself, she only needed to know where the top line was but she was testing me!

Well, kiddo. I wish I could say it's all coasting from here but your journey has just begun.

Tomorrow I intend to reveal the truths and falsehoods in my stories from yesterday. If you haven't guessed yet please feel free to add your votes in the comments. I've been highly amused by some of the rationale or thoughts regarding my realities.

10 comments:

Craig said...

(*snort*)

(*chortle*)

(*snortle*)


Poor kid. . .

Ya gotta love the blind lady 'just testing her'. . .

Jazz said...

Welcome to the wonderful world of work Diana.

Bijoux said...

She's learning quickly if she told the woman to call back on her days off!

Suldog said...

Well, God bless you, Diana! Better you than me!

S said...

Are you sure she hasnt gotten a job at your old Chiro office?

Poor kid, sounds like heck to me.

Cricket said...

Well, at least we can get a laugh out of it. and she will have the story to tell forever. Small consolation now, but still...

A story like that comes in handy at cocktail parties for a lifetime, so there's that, at least.

Craver Vii said...

If she learns to laugh at the end of the day, then she will do just fine. In the meantime, just think of the amazing material she can pick up for story telling!

I use a "crazy box" at work. The weirder an episode is, the more likely it is to be immortalized in the crazy box. Every so often, we look back at some of the oldies, and have a good laugh.

Ananda girl said...

Sounds like a great learning experience to me. You might point out that now she knows what its like to be handicapped. (wink)

Jinksy said...

I was once left in chage of an unexpalined switchboard which had me feeling just as helpless as your struggling daughter. I sympathise...

Jocelyn said...

That rundown took me back to my first day temping at Pillsbury, when I was in charge of 19 phone lines for stockbrokers who liked to be on two lines simultaneously...shudder...trying hard...completely baffled and overwhelmed...