I'm so tired. I work helpdesk at a rather large company. I've complained about this on other subreddits, but leadership has implemented a “take calls and chats at the same time” policy. This policy was made permanent right around the time I was hired.
So we're working tickets in the first place, cuz you gotta squeeze every last bit of productivity from your wage slaves, while we are waiting for the phone to ring or a chat to come in. So let's say I get a chat first. Cool, answer their questions, put the ticket on hold, start a remote session with the chatter's computer, do the job as it was advertised, all good.
Then another chat comes in. If you're able (and you're supposed to be able) you take the second chat too, and continue working with both customers at the same time.
Then a third chat comes in. Then a call. Now thankfully, nothing else can come in while you're on a call, but you've still got the three other chats going on, oh yeah and that ticket you were in the middle of, and someone talking in your ear, demanding real time interaction, all at once.
I've (cautiously) complained about this to my manager. She says if you're not able to keep working them all at once, then put the chats on hold while you work with the phone user. Of course, you're supposed to communicate with the chat users that you are putting them on hold, with a polite little message like, “Just a moment”. Can't just leave them cold.
I get I overwhelmed if I'm working more than 3 things at a time, so I move myself to unavailable if I'm really busy. Well, I've noticed that I'm the only one putting myself as unavailable. In a team of 20+ people, they all seem still be available, all the time. In fact, earlier today one of the eager new trainees reached out to me to “let me know” I'm “still” unavailable. (I was working with a crazy lady and it was a hour and a half long call.)
I guess what pisses me off is that I seem to be the only one struggling???? One of the guys, an older guy, looks like he should be retired, will reject calls on occasion. But he's doing it less and less, and I suspect leadership talked to him. But everyone else just goes along with this. I've (cautiously) complained to several coworkers about this, and I hear, “You'll get used to it.” One of my coworkers even started giving me tips, like going from one screen, doing an action, then going to the next screen, and doing an action. She talked like it was reasonable. No one else is speaking out. Meanwhile my boss tells me, “You'll get better with practice,” subtly setting up the expectation that I need to get over this handicap.
Am I insane? Is this not absolutely unreasonable? Why am I the only one struggling? What the fuck is going on?