# It's called "staffing levels," assholes. Look it up. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 24, 2008, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-called-staffing-levels-assholes-look-it-up/438967 "2008-02-24T17:23:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-called-staffing-levels-assholes-look-it-up/438967/1 "2008-02-24T17:23:51Z")
Goddammit, today is supposed to be the _slow_ day at work. Instead we’ve been 30 and 40 calls in queue for over an hour. Almost all of it is overflow from another call center that handles a specific client’s rebate cards. That center is chronically understaffed and right now, two months after Christmas is the start of the busy season. My center built ten extra call stations specifically to absorb this overflow with reps that take nothing but this client’s calls. How many of those positions are staffed today? Exactly zero. So of course the long hold times are a license for the callers to be rude little bitches, because yes it is me personally who’s making them sit on hold because they’re too fucking stupid to figure out that hey, if their cell phone number doesn’t activate the card, maybe they should try the other cell number. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-called-staffing-levels-assholes-look-it-up/438967/2 "2008-02-24T17:33:19Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] So of course the long hold times are a license for the callers to be rude little bitches, because yes it is me personally who’s making them sit on hold because they’re too fucking stupid to figure out that hey, if their cell phone number doesn’t activate the card, maybe they should try the other cell number. [/QUOTE] But, your the one who begged them to hold and that their call is important to you. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-called-staffing-levels-assholes-look-it-up/438967/3 "2008-02-24T17:34:20Z")
So there’s long queues and you’re posting here? Shame shame shame… 😉 Sympathizing and agreeing, but not able to contain the snark ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-called-staffing-levels-assholes-look-it-up/438967/4 "2008-02-24T17:55:27Z")
[QUOTE=Mr Bus Guy] So there’s long queues and you’re posting here? Shame shame shame… 😉 Sympathizing and agreeing, but not able to contain the snark [/QUOTE] It was my lunch period. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-called-staffing-levels-assholes-look-it-up/438967/5 "2008-02-24T18:02:03Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] It was my lunch period. [/QUOTE] That would explain my 45 minute wait on hold the last time. ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-called-staffing-levels-assholes-look-it-up/438967/6 "2008-02-24T18:04:42Z")
Why don’t you just get another job? All you ever fucking do is bitch. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-called-staffing-levels-assholes-look-it-up/438967/7 "2008-02-24T18:20:47Z")
[QUOTE=Uvula Donor] Why don’t you just get another job? All you ever fucking do is bitch. [/QUOTE] Oh yeah, I’ve started a grand total of [thirteen Pit threads](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/search.php?searchid=3231926) in the last year, nine of them being work-related. Such constant bitching, one thread every six or seven weeks on average, how _does_ the server stand up to such abuse? It’s pretty obvious from the thread title that it probably has something to do with work. If you don’t want to read my bitching about work, don’t open the fucking thread. Not really that complicated a concept. ---
**Author:** ![hopesperson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e95f7d/32.png) [@hopesperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hopesperson)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-called-staffing-levels-assholes-look-it-up/438967/8 "2008-02-24T18:37:33Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] So of course the long hold times are a license for the callers to be rude little bitches, because yes it is me personally who’s making them sit on hold because they’re too fucking stupid to figure out that hey, if their cell phone number doesn’t activate the card, maybe they should try the other cell number. [/QUOTE] Are you sure your bitter hatred for your customers isn’t coming through in your conversations with them? Not that I don’t agree with you… I mean, how dare they complain for having to sit on hold for lord-knows-how-long only to ultimately be served by someone who thinks they’re “so fucking stupid”? ---
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-called-staffing-levels-assholes-look-it-up/438967/9 "2008-02-24T18:45:38Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] Such constant bitching, one thread every six or seven weeks on average, how _does_ the server stand up to such abuse? . [/QUOTE] Nine pit threads in a year relating to your work? It’s not exactly trolling, but it’s not exactly the middle of the bell-curve either. At some point the topic of your job is bound to be less enchantingly fresh and entertaining for others. ---
**Author:** ![zuma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9c0ed/32.png) [@zuma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zuma)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-called-staffing-levels-assholes-look-it-up/438967/10 "2008-02-24T18:49:32Z")
I’m not even sure exactly what a “call center” is, but I’m guessing it’s customer service or some sort. So they’re being put on hold for long periods of time, and you’re being a dick to them. Nice. Also, 13 pit threads a year sounds like constant bitching to me, yo. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-called-staffing-levels-assholes-look-it-up/438967/11 "2008-02-24T19:11:51Z")
[QUOTE=zuma] So they’re being put on hold for long periods of time, and you’re being a dick to them. Nice. [/QUOTE] Want to point out for me where he’s being a dick _to_ them? ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-called-staffing-levels-assholes-look-it-up/438967/12 "2008-02-24T19:22:31Z")
[QUOTE=zuma] I’m not even sure exactly what a “call center” is, but I’m guessing it’s customer service or some sort. So they’re being put on hold for long periods of time, and you’re being a dick to them. Nice. Also, 13 pit threads a year sounds like constant bitching to me, yo. [/QUOTE] Like **Q.E.D.** said, where is he being rude TO them? And **Otto** ain’t the one putting them on hold. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-called-staffing-levels-assholes-look-it-up/438967/13 "2008-02-24T19:48:39Z")
> [@threemae](#): > > At some point the topic of your job is bound to be less enchantingly fresh and entertaining for others. I do try to make them entertaining. People seemed to enjoy [No Halloween costumes at work](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=442051) and [It’s popcorn! How fucking dumb are you?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=456359) seemed to be a crowd-pleaser. [QUOTE=zuma] Also, 13 pit threads a year sounds like constant bitching to me, yo. [/QUOTE] It’s thirteen Pit threads _total_, only nine of which were work-related. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-called-staffing-levels-assholes-look-it-up/438967/14 "2008-02-24T20:20:00Z")
I’m not going to do the research (because it’s Sunday, resting on the seventh day and all that… no really), but I’d bet that enough of a percentage of Pit threads in total are work related. Besides, like\*\* Otto\*\* says, at least they’re pretty entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-called-staffing-levels-assholes-look-it-up/438967/15 "2008-02-24T20:33:28Z")
[QUOTE=zuma] Also, 13 pit threads a year sounds like constant bitching to me, yo. [/QUOTE] As a 10-year veteran of retail, I could easily post 13 work threads a year (not that **Otto** does – those of us who pay attention know that he has only posted 9 work threads) in the Pit. That’s only one every four weeks. People on the front lines of customer service have encounters at least weekly and often daily that are just absolutely infuriating and/or ridiculous. And I might post them, but every time one of us service workers does, we get something like [QUOTE=Uvula Donor] Why don’t you just get another job? [/QUOTE] so we don’t do it often. We’re not allowed to complain about work, because serving you is supposed to bring us ecstatic satisfaction every minute of every day. I’ve worked in a call center. It can be fun, but it can also be incredibly draining. If the man needs to blow off some steam here once every six weeks, so the hell what? ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-called-staffing-levels-assholes-look-it-up/438967/16 "2008-02-24T21:23:31Z")
Bitching about our jobs is our right as Americans. Brain surgeons and pro Atheletes sometimes bitch about _their_ jobs. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-called-staffing-levels-assholes-look-it-up/438967/17 "2008-02-24T21:27:55Z")
[QUOTE=spooje] Bitching about our jobs is our right as Americans. Brain surgeons and pro Atheletes sometimes bitch about _their_ jobs. [/QUOTE] Right? I thought it was required by law! ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-called-staffing-levels-assholes-look-it-up/438967/18 "2008-02-24T23:22:33Z")
[Drew Carey] You hate your job? You know there is a support group for that? It’s called ‘everybody’. They meet down at the bar. [/DC] ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-called-staffing-levels-assholes-look-it-up/438967/19 "2008-02-25T00:33:45Z")
If the other call center is perpetually understaffed and the overflow call center has zero additional stations staffed…well, it sounds like your managers are setting you up to be abused. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2008, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-called-staffing-levels-assholes-look-it-up/438967/20 "2008-02-25T00:40:22Z")
[QUOTE=Uvula Donor] Why don’t you just get another job? All you ever fucking do is bitch. [/QUOTE] Hey chill. He’s got to eat. Besides, do you think you could stand the love-fest if we all posted ll the time about how we enjoyed our jobs? 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-called-staffing-levels-assholes-look-it-up/438967.md?page=2)