Kind of a rant with a happy ending.
So, I work full time as a receptionist for a large, busy car dealership. I answer phones calls for the salesmen, the service writers, the general managers, the finance department, and the parts department (I also answer calls for the sister dealership's service department). So, what I have to do is basically just take messages all day because everyone has their phones turned down in their offices.
“I URGENTLY NEED THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT!!!!” “I'll have someone call you as soon as they are available.”
That is the lie I tell for 9 hours straight. I take messages for each department, and two hours later, the same person calls back furious because they haven't heard from anyone. I simply explain that I'm just a messenger, and I do not have the authority to force them away from their current task to pick up the phone.
Y'know, except when they toss the messages I bring in the trash right in front of me.
The owner of the dealership hides up in his tinted office all day, closely monitoring all the phone calls, and has made it exceedingly clear that I am being watched on camera at all times, and everything I say over the phone is recorded. Now, that's not an issue because I don't even try to pick fights over the phones, but if I get a particularly nasty customer who keeps blowing up our phones, and I don't answer it because the department they want isn't available, I simply don't answer so I have time to speak to actual productive customers.
I'm expected to help the hundreds of people who call every day even though I am not cross trained, and no one else picks up. Even the owner has told them to turn up their phones, but they still ignore calls and instead get pissy with me if phones start blowing up.
I'm not allowed over time, I don't qualify for vacation days until I've worked there for 1 full year (up to 5 days total for the second year), we only get Thanksgiving and Christmas day off, and I'm only earning 11 dollars an hour.
9 hours of dumb customers verbally abusing me for stuff I can't control for less than what a Walmart cashier makes. I have no free time, can't take time off because I am the ONLY one working that position, and it's starting to wear down on me. I have no time to try and apply at other jobs or work on my dream career of coding/software engineering because Saturdays I frantically scramble to do laundry (it's a shared house, so it's first come first serve), get food, clean the space I have, fuel up my car and clean it, and then drink without worrying about a hangover screwing up my job.
So, Sunday is really my only down time. I spend it applying for jobs that only pay a dollar more, but no one responds because I got a big gap in my resume thanks to the pandemic shutting down two places of work I was at during that time.
But, on a positive note, this subreddit has made me see that it's not worth it! My current job, I mean. I see posts of you guys being offended by fast food paying 16 an hour, while that is unheard of for where I live! It's inspired me to give less of a shit at my pathetic job, save my energy for packing up my shit and moving out of this dump for a less economically depressed place to live.
I'm going to go into part time work with pay closer to what I see in other areas. My parents have a couch for me to crash on a few states away, so that covers shelter. I can save up a little more and have more time to focus on coding boot camp and growing some real, valuable skills instead of job hopping to stay alive.
I feel like I have purpose and hope again, like there's a light at the end of the tunnel for the first time in half a decade. You guys have shown me that it's NOT ok to live like a rodent and work like a slave, and that there IS opportunity out there, and that I am not alone in that mindset at all. It's reassuring and inspiring.
TLDR: Thank you guys for opening my eyes!