2 steps forward, 3 steps back...

At least, that's what it *feels* like at work. I know that it's not, and I know that I'm doing ok - it's just that I'm doing 2 jobs and neither of them are really clear at times... A lot of what we end up doing is work-arounds for the software, because it was designed to do things in a "perfect" world, and it doesn't always work out that way.

I've been trying to work on building a training manual, which is difficult if not impossible because of all the different nuances within the software that the hospitals use - and the different things which may occur that would cause us to do adjustments... It's incredible that they have all of this documentation, but none of it is really set up properly into a manual, and they don't have a training class or plan of action for it...

In talking with a co-worker of mine (the gal who trained me, actually) I learned that she and I think about the same way - that the call center should really be divided into three separate parts: Client Service, Hospital Service, and Collections Service. Further, everyone needs to have Client Service under their belt before they move to Hospital Service. Collections is kind of an entity unto themselves - they should have training on the other two, but only in an emergency, as they only do overflow.

In addition to changing the way the call center has worked from when Donna started, the powers that be also decided to change the wellness plans and what was and was not included... not everyone in the hospitals has gotten that little memo - or if they have, they blanked out the new information and end up getting upset about the change. Grr.

I'm going to re-design the whole training manual, and base it on the two separate parts that I normally deal with... Then I'm going to present them to the call center heads and ask that they look them over as a proposed training aid. If they like it, perhaps that will mean that I get off the phones faster...

Yes, I'm getting burned out of working at call centers. Hey, it was bound to happen after 8 years. *sigh* I wasn't every really looking to make being an inbound rep a life career goal. I'm just hoping and praying that I will do some really fabulous things with this manual so that I can get people excited and interested.

In other news... I haven't gotten anyone able to help me out on Thursday, which sucks ass... So, I will be transporting everything a little at a time so that I can be here with everything by the time Thursday rolls around. I'm going to be baking as well as selling jewelry. The baked goods will most likely be puff pastries filled with cream - I'm going to flavor them with a bit of orange and honey. Num.

BTW, if you would like something special for your loved one for the holidays, and you know he or she likes jewelry, keep me in mind. I do custom orders, and can send pics of what I have made as examples of what I do. Seed bead jewelry is delicate and looks rather like lace...

I have one hour left here at work, and then I get to go grocery shopping for necessities for the house. We really need bread, so that's pretty much first on the list. LOL. Got a pretty decent paycheck today, so that's good too.

I *DID* get a phone call from Sallie Mae again - apparently the deferral payment that they were supposed to process today declined... WTF? I got paid today - I checked this morning when I woke up. So, I called them back, and they tried to tell me that yes, it had declined. I said it was impossible, as I got paid today and had over $600 in my bank account at that moment - unless, of course, they'd run the payment PRIOR to me getting paid. And as it's a direct deposit, that would mean they'd run it YESTERDAY. There was a pause, and then they asked for my card # again. They ran it and - lo and behold - it went through just fine. Asshats.

So, all in all not a bad day - just not stellar. I'm going to have to have a stellar weekend, just to make up for it. LOL.

~M