I have a job for the first time in years

[Lyric]

Working as a customer service agent for Bank of America, through one of their contracted local companies. So if you have a BoA account and you ever have to call customer service, please be nice. It could be me on the other line!

I am working from my wheelchair. It's hard to haul myself around and my arms and chest are sore, but on the plus side, I am developing some serious arm muscles, lol.

Anyway, I thought maybe you guys would want to celebrate with me. I am making this work! I get my first paycheck on the 30th. Not in time for Christmas, but maybe in time for some post-Christmas sales! <3

Love you all.

Brandy

[CentralMass]

1. Congratulations and sn early Merry Christmas to you :-)

[Little Star]

2. I'm happy for you! Congrats. (hug)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Congratulations, my dear Lyric!

What great news!

I'm really glad and proud of you.

Love you too!

[benld74]

4. Congrats! Good Luck

[bhikkhu]

5. Good to hear, and I hope people are nice to you

If they aren't, try to remember they imagine they are talking to a massively wealthy corporatocracy, rather than a person. Nobody (including me) likes to have to call customer service for anything, but I always really appreciate when I get a person on the other end of the line rather than voice recognition software and endless menu loops.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

6. Congratulations!

[Nwgirl503]

7. Congrats!

Can I sincerely tell you...your post is one of the high points in the last month for me. Good things still do happen to good people.

[Quackers]

8. Congratulations!

This is awesome!

[mia]

9. Glad that you shared your happiness!

Congratulations!

[dixiegrrrrl]

10. What a wonderful Christmas present, eh?

Congratulations..I know how relieved you must be feeling.

[cornball 24]

11. I wish you the very best in your new position and a wonderful, joyful new year.

[GP6971]

12. Congratulations!! n/t

[Stellar]

13. Some how I feel really proud of you and...

I don't know why. But congratulations!

[sheshe2]

14. Congrats

A very Merry Christmas!

Best to you Lyric~

[babylonsister]

15. SO happy for you! Give 'em hell! nt

[Kang Colby]

16. Congrats!

[pnwmom]

17. Congratulations! And all best wishes for the new year!

[Liberal Jesus Freak]

18. Yay you!!!

[Bigredhunk]

19. Awesome!

Lyric makin' that paper

[IrishEyes]

20. Congratulations!

Wishing you the best of luck in your new job. I'm sure you are going to do great.

[a kennedy]

21. Good for you, and congrats.......

[Gidney N Cloyd]

22. Best of luck!

[pkdu]

23. Congrats to you!!! nt

[forgotmylogin]

24. Hooray!! And congratulations!

I've been in CS for 13 (egad) years. I work at home now, but when I worked in the building I was constantly gladdened and surprised by the different types of people they hired - from tattooed rebels to transgender, unassuming elderly librarians, diva girls, people in wheelchairs, elderly with walkers, fresh high-school meat, nearly blind people... The only common thread was a sense of decency on the phone, and often an extremely pleasant voice which might be natural or put-on just for work.

Oh, and tips. They're never mad at you, they're mad at the corporation you work for. Don't ever take anything they say personally.

When they get loud and angry, let them wear themselves out and talk and say everything they want. And listen to them. If you can find a way to help that nobody else will due to not listening to a rant, you can often make a customer connection that they will appreciate despite their anger. Always assume you're being recorded, and the auditors need to hear why a customer is mad.

If someone won't stop yelling and interrupting, give them the NPR radio treatment: They're loud and angry, you go mellow, soft, gentle in opposition like you're talking about warm hot chocolate soothingly to a sleeping infant. If they interrupt, let them go and then wait for them to pause before you continue your soft...gentle...sentence. Concentrating on doing this will give you a way to redirect any impulse you have to over-talk the customer.

[Ilsa]

25. Congratulations and best of luck to you!

You're right - you could be the person I talk to!

[elleng]

26. CONGRATS!!!

[eleny]

27. Hearty congratulations, Lyric!

[IronLionZion]

28. Congrats!

Good luck with the new job!

I've done the call center, cold calling work before and know how it is. I always try to be polite to workers because they have a job to do like anyone else.

You can get more for your paycheck after Christmas when things go on sale so that is great timing

[napi21]

29. MANY CONGRATS TO YOU!!!!

I'm in a wheelchair too so I do understand some of your problems. Don't knock the arm muscles! They can come in handy!

[TheDebbieDee]

30. Congrats!

[skylucy]

31. Congratulations Lyric!!

[AJT]

32. That's AWESOME

Congrats.

[mountain grammy]

33. Congratulations!

We now have a loan with Bank of A. I'll be sure to be pleasant if I need to call.

[Lithos]

34. Congrats!

Good to hear!

[Hekate]

35. Congratulations! Happy Holidays! I am so happy for you

[we can do it]

36. Yay!

[sueh]

37. Congratulations, Lyric! I'm so happy for you. I wish you the best in your new job!

[awoke_in_2003]

38. Good to hear. K&R. nt

[tavernier]

39. Congratulations and just a funny story

about my best friend who works for BoA now, but many banks over the years.

I asked her years ago if she ever got robbed. Many times, was her answer, and the first few were scary, but she got used to them over the years, she said.

"They always get caught because of the cameras and other sophisticated equipment, and I always follow the rules and give the the money so I don't place myself in jeopardy. But they don't know how much money I have in my till. When I look down and see that they are wearing expensive shoes and gold jewelry, I only give them a couple hundred. It's not like they are desperate to feed their family. Doesn't matter though, because they all get caught."

Of course I was dying because chickenshit that I am, I would be peeling off my junk jewelry and giving them anything they asked for!

Anyway, good for you and I hope it is a wonderful match!!

[Txbluedog]

40. CONGRATULATIONS

You have been given the best piece of advise a few times over in this thread: never take it personally, it's not about you-- they're mad at the company you represent

[radical noodle]

41. Aw, congratulations!

What great news. Post Christmas is the best time to buy something you need at more reasonable prices. I'm thrilled for you!

[Trust Buster]

42. Good for you Lyric. This could be the start of a beautiful holiday season for you.

[2naSalit]

43. Congrats!

And good luck! I hope you have a pleasant and prosperous experience with this new adventure.

[DFW]

44. Timely holiday good news!

From the sound of your post, it seems like this is some light at the end of a long tunnel.

[EricMaundry]

45. Good news!

All the best!

[C Moon]

46. Cheers! ...cling!

[WillowTree]

47. I know the feeling of 'finally' going back to work, and it's great. So happy for you!!

[zippythepinhead]

48. It's nice to hear good news in the morning

It brightens my day.
God luck and keep on truckin, brother.

[handmade34]

49. Congratulations!!

[SlimJimmy]

50. Congrats. Getting a paycheck is always awesome.

[malaise]

51. How lovely

Seasons Greetings!

[mnhtnbb]

52. I'm so happy for you!

Hope that you find your work interesting and enjoy getting those paychecks!

[gademocrat7]

53. Good news!

[Yo_Mama]

54. Very happy for you, and thanks for the good news. n/t

[mercuryblues]

55. As if this day couldn't get any better

My daughter is coming home today for the holidays. I was worried because her flight landed at the same time that I needed to pick up my youngest son. He is volunteering today to lay wreaths on soldier's graves. My 23 year old offered to pick her up. She is planning to go a Christmas banquet tonight with her brother. Which means I won't have to stay up until midnight to pick him up.

Now the 1st thread I see is this one. A big hearty congratulations! I don't have a BoA account, but when you ask if "there is anything else I can help you with" and the person replies can you come wash my kitchen floor or do a load of wash for me -I started that.

Now relax, enjoy your holidays knowing you get to start the new year happier and with less worries.

[livetohike]

56. Congratulations! Hope it will be the best job you

ever had!

[grantcart]

57. Good luck!!

[yuiyoshida]

58. congrats--Omedetou gozaimasu

You know, five years ago I could not find a job in San Francisco. Nothing that paid the bills was available, and I mentioned it to my Japanese teacher. She had this insight that maybe I could work for this company that is in Japan. My job at first was to work on subtitles of various anime videos. And so I did, but eventually they found someone who was better at it, but instead of firing me, they offered me another job, which was to work at home, on my computer and help with distribution of Anime and Manga (comic books) to various stores and shops in the USA and Europe. So I ended up with a client list .. and could contact my clients via email, and help them fill the bill, of stocking the Anime and manga they wished to carry and sell.

Imagine that, Here I was in my own country, and couldn't find a job and a Japanese company hired me and I been working for them ever since. I feel like my own country let me down, by not having a job I could do, without it being demeaning, and a Japanese company was happy to allow me to work for them. I still do and I make my own hours...I can work the hours I want at home and can take time off If I want to.

[JudyM]

59. Fabulous to hear, Lyric! And the buff bod isn't a bad perk, eh?

Here's to continued success!

[niyad]

60. that is excellent news. a very happy holiday season to you.

[MarianJack]

61. Mazel Tov!

PEACE!

[Liberal_in_LA]

62. congrats! 🎉🎇🎊🎉🎆😁

[Betty88]

63. Congratz!!

[ailsagirl]

64. That's FABULOUS!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!

[hfojvt]

65. What's with the wheelchair?

Actually BOA is my primary credit card. Hope I don't have to call customer service.

I am afraid I was kinda nasty when I had to call Obamacare, the website had really pissed me off, as had the whole bureaucratic nonsense that had me calling them in the first place. The girl on the line was a saint though.

Just saying, be patient with customers too. They might otherwise be decent people that you are not catching at their best. They've probably been talking to robots for ten minutes and had to enter their account number twice and don't really want to hear the sales pitch that you are perhaps required to give them.

[bettyellen]

66. Awesome! So happy for you!!

[democrank]

67. So happy for you.

Best of luck with your new job.

[ileus]

68. Awesome....congrats.

[Lyric]

69. Thank you all for the well wishes!

My first 3 days went great! I am sore and recovering, but I am making it! I get paid on the 30th, so yay for making money!

Much love to you all.

Brandy

[Wiseman32218]

70. Congrats, I wish more companies would hire those that are limited with their mobility!!!!