Saturday, September 18, 2010

Get the door... it's Dominoes.

It's been awhile since I've been asked to cover the phones at work. I am not in a position that has to worry about that responsibility, but I have been in previous jobs.

I was the person who "got the paper stuck out of the copier" and "changed the toner" because nothing would print, and worried about who got what message. I was secretary, or clerk.... or administrative executive. It's all the same except for the pay. I was the person who had to plan my entire day around phone coverage.

That's why I love my current job. No secretary or clerical issues.... except for having to help cover the phones occasionally.

I've covered several times now, but there was never a call. Until a few months ago.

I agreed to "watch" the phones for a coworker while she "ran down the hall" and ended up talking to her the entire time until the phone rang.

I answered with the appropriate center name and the woman on the other end asked me a question that I had no clue how to answer. I told my coworker (who was still standing in my door) and she told me how to answer it.

After the call, I decided to write down the number to the answer (another FSU center) in case another call ever came in.

Fast forward several months and I'm cleaning my office. I come across the number to that center and decide that I really don't need it. So I toss it.

Fast forward to last week. I had to cover the phones again.... from 1 to 3pm. I didn't receive a single call until about 2:30. The woman wanted to know how to contact that VERY same center.

I stuttered for a bit then walked down to Gina's office (the main phone answerer) and sure enough found the number I needed.

Note to self: Never forget your roots.

2 comments:

Sayre said...

Gee... I was all set for a story about pizza...

That's a good lesson. There's a reason people work their way up from the bottom - because they will still need the skills they acquired while down there. Maybe not every day, but they're there when called upon!

Liane Michel said...

Yeah, I try to tell my son that if he doesn't acquire any "skills" now, he will be know a hell-of-a-lot about pizza.