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Thread: ? For Those Who Can Work Remotely?

  1. #11
    Senior Member iris lilies's Avatar
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    Work? What is that…?

  2. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by jp1 View Post
    There are surely systems that automate that by having queues for the different levels/types of support which then automatically send the call to someone who is available that has the ability to handle that type of situation instead of the employee having to find someone who happens to be available and capable. Over time I expect that companies who went full, or at least majority, remote on such short notice 18 months ago will purchase these systems and that problem will become a lot less frequent.
    It was so much easier when you just called your local office and talked to a real person instead of being in a queue.

  3. #13
    Senior Member jp1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by frugal-one View Post
    It was so much easier when you just called your local office and talked to a real person instead of being in a queue.
    Like it or not, just as we outsourced much of our manufacturing because it was/is cheaper, so too are we going to continue to outsource support of all sorts, if not to a cheaper country, at least to a cheaper part of the US. My previous megacorp employer got rid of all the expensive underwriting assistants located in expensive cities around the US and replaced them with a service center full of people in Kuala Lumpur. Their work quality was fine. They worked US hours and only took US holidays so they were always able to turn around tasks at the SLA dictated time frame. However, they were simply not as good as having a good local UA because a good local UA who had been on the job awhile was able to expand the job duties above and beyond what was officially their job and be a bigger help to the people they supported. There was no way for the service center to go beyond doing whatever task showed up in the queue.

  4. #14
    Senior Member Rogar's Avatar
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    It seems odd to me that a person could work full or most of the time with just a computer and a telephone, at home or otherwise. I can't imagine any of my career type jobs that would fit into that profile, and the lack of real life workplace diversity might bother me. I never had much of a commute and only traveled occasionally, but those could be deal breakers. Maybe I've been out of the work force for too long (if that's possible).

  5. #15
    Senior Member JaneV2.0's Avatar
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    As an on-line course editor, I could and did work from home with no trouble at all. But having employees out of the office apparently made my boss nervous, even though we rarely saw him, so we didn't get to work remotely full time. My immediate supervisor was from China by way of Israel, so diversity was definitely happening. We have video-conferencing now, so I really don't get the point of going to an office if it isn't absolutely necessary. The life energy lost in preparation, commuting, office gossip, clock watching and thumb-twiddling, not to mention various associated costs, is not a minor consideration.
    Last edited by JaneV2.0; 10-10-21 at 12:17pm.

  6. #16
    Senior Member jp1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rogar View Post
    It seems odd to me that a person could work full or most of the time with just a computer and a telephone, at home or otherwise. I can't imagine any of my career type jobs that would fit into that profile, and the lack of real life workplace diversity might bother me. I never had much of a commute and only traveled occasionally, but those could be deal breakers. Maybe I've been out of the work force for too long (if that's possible).
    I’m curious what you did for a living? My experience has been the opposite. Every job I’ve had since college is probably now done with just a computer and phone.

  7. #17
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    Hardly even use the phone, work is doing stuff on a computer, stuff can be done on a computer at home too.
    Trees don't grow on money

  8. #18
    Senior Member Rogar's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jp1 View Post
    I’m curious what you did for a living? My experience has been the opposite. Every job I’ve had since college is probably now done with just a computer and phone.
    I did field and laboratory work in fisheries and aquaculture and also process and quality control in the food and beverage industry. Many of my friends were or are in the natural sciences and involved in lab or did field work at least some of the time, although later in their careers they tended to be stuck at a desk more often. My brother and a relative are/were in social work and my father and an uncle were funeral directors. I really don't know of many people where the computer/phone type of realm is the bulk or exclusive nature of their jobs.

  9. #19
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    Well if one doesn't even know any office workers, it's office work that lends itself to working at home.

    And offices are stultifying, it's visceral for me. People used to mock cubicals. Then much of the world went to open offices, and I'm so so sorry we ever said anything bad about cubicals, they were just scapegoats for the overall stultifying nature of offices and office work, they were GOOD actually ....

    But working at home is better still.
    Trees don't grow on money

  10. #20
    Simpleton Alan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jp1 View Post
    I’m curious what you did for a living? My experience has been the opposite. Every job I’ve had since college is probably now done with just a computer and phone.
    Good for you! Luckily you've never worked in Hospitality, Maintenance, Construction, Law Enforcement, Medical Care, IT Systems, Warehousing, Delivery, Retail Sales, Food & Beverage, Manufacturing, Research & Development, Firefighting, Quality Assurance, Transportation, Child Care, Entertainment, Military, etc., although everyone who does is still available to support you in one way or another, but seldom from the privileged luxury of their own homes.
    "Things should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler." ~ Albert Einstein

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