Punctuality

Timekeeping is something I've never been able to get the hang of. I
have this feeling one of my ancestors was cursed. Perhaps he/she failed
to get out of bed at a crucial juncture in time and space, and so
didn't get to a place where he/she was desperately needed; so the Gods
cursed him/her for the incompetence, and somehow through some freak of
nature, by some incompetence on the God's part, that cursed gene ended
up with me. I really hope it stays with me, and I haven't passed it
onto my kid. You see the reason I think I might be cursed is because no
matter how hard I try, no matter what sort of effort I put into it, I
just seem to find it impossible to be punctual.

I remember in another job, a manager telling me during my first verbal
warning, that there was no excuse for being late. He explained that he
had never been late for work in his life. Had never had problems with
being stuck in traffic, never had trouble waking up in the morning,
always allowed himself enough time to get to a place on time. He said
timekeeping had never been an issue for him. (Lucky b****rd.) And he
couldn't understand why mine was so atrocious. So he took it upon
himself to be my mentor and teach me the art of punctuality, he took me
under his wing, determined to make timekeeping my strength - Two
written warnings later, he took me into his office to hand me my
termination of employment notice for persistent lateness, I always feel
guilty about that one.

Yesterday I got a warning from my team manager. He was real cross,
because I was ten minutes late for work in the morning, and then twenty
minutes late coming back from my lunch break. So I got what is known as
a PIN : Personal Improvement Notification. And was told I am getting
very close to losing my job; I have already had a verbal warning for
persistent lateness, if I am late one more time, I will have to attend
a disciplinary hearing, and will be issued with a written warning. If I
continue to be late after being issued with this, I will be likely to
lose my job.

This is serious vibes, I really got to pull it together and work on my
timekeeping. What's wrong with me man. I'm gonna be a Dad soon, need to
get this sorted.

I have decided to take my inline skating practise seriously; for it is
in these, I hope, will be the key to my success as a punctual person.
I'm not good enough to skate to work on them yet, as am still a wee bit
wobbly and there are hills on the route to work, which look good for
going sledging down, but not really safe for someone who is just
beginning to learn skating; so need to get proficient before I risk
attempting some of those hills. Though I think I'm getting a bit
better, as when I practised last night I was able to stop, which is
cool. Hopefully in a few weeks I'll be able to take the phrase : "Come
on, get your skates on!" literally.

But in the meantime there I am running up the hill, I had set off from
the house on time I'm sure of it; but only on five hours sleep, can't
really be sure of anything in my bleary eyed state of mind. It wasn't
that I didn't get to bed on time, is just I couldn't sleep too good
last night. Haven't been able to sleep well for the past few nights.
Even though I am real tired, for some frustrating reason, I can't seem
to get to sleep until around two in the morning. I am suffering from
some wierd insomnia, that not even chamomile tea can cure. So when the
alarm goes off at seven fifteen in the morning, I feel this intense
physical and mental torment and have to really struggle to drag myself
out of bed and into the bathroom. I look in the mirror at my face and
feel despair, it looks like someone who is coming down off a heavy
night on drugs. I walk about the flat like a zombie, somehow manage to
get ready, then have to run, in that bedaddled state; because time
seems to have gone faster than it should have done.

Anyway I finally got into work panting and staggering. Everyone was
already logged in and taking calls. This was bad. I got to my
callmaster and saw that it was two minutes past eight. I accidently
swore in the frustration of the moment and threw my bag on the floor,
which made a loud crashing banging noise.

"Sorry." I said sheepishly.

Some people were in the middle of calls, and I had interrupted them,
they gave me a funny look. I felt real embarrassed, hoped I hadn't
broke my mug. Logged into my callmaster and booted up my computer which
made a loud electronic belching noise like it is going to explode. Then
I sat there in frustration, waiting for the darn thing to load up. It
took 13 minutes. Finally I logged into the computer database and went
out of idle mode into live mode, ready to take calls at 08.15.

The first call came through straight away : "Good afternoon, you're
through to S********** Can I take your account or mobile number
please."

"Afternoon? It is 08.15 a.m. son."

"Oh yeah sorry, meant to say good morning."

"Well that's ok, wishful thinking on your part I should expect. Right,
account number is 1000008343."

I check the number, but it isn't on my database, this means I will have
to give him another number to dial, customers hate this.

"That number is actually on our other database." I say. "I need to give
you another number to dial. Do you have a pen and paper to hand?"

"What do you mean I'm on your other database? Isn't this S**********
customer care?"

"Yes, but you have come through to the wrong S********** number. This
is the old database, you are actually on the new one."

"What the Hell are you talking about son?"

"Well you're not on this computer system, you're on a different one.
And there is a different number you need to dial for this, which I will
give you now. Do you have a pen and paper?"

"Oh for f***s sake. What's the number?"

"0870 9*** 7**"

"But that's the number I just dialled!! What the Hell is wrong with you
people! Get me a f***king manager now!"

I hit the transfer button and just transfer him to the right
number.

I have thirty minutes of these type of calls, and start to get worried.
All the calls are for the other database and the customers inform me
they have dialled the right number. I go to tell my team manager about
it. He says he will call the IT department at 9 oclock when they open
and inform them of the problem I am having.

After a further ten minutes of this I start to realize something is
definately wrong, I notice I am taking more calls than everyone else,
as my calls are constant, whilst their's have breaks inbetween. I go to
tell my team manager that there is definately something wrong. He goes
to check on the screen.

"You're not logged in!" He says

"I am logged in."

He shows me the screen of agents currently logged in and my name isn't
on there. I gulp, "Oh no..." I say.

I realize what I've done wrong. I've managed somehow by accident, to
log in as another operator on the other customer care number."

"How the f*ck did you do that?"

I shrug. "Must have keyed in a wrong number in my login code by
accident."

"Logoff and log back in again under your proper log in code!" He
says.

I go back to my callmaster and log off then log back in. I check to see
I have logged in under my own login name this time, and I have. But by
now it is 08.40 and because I logged in under the wrong name at the
start of my shift, it now shows up on the computer I was forty minutes
late for work.

Bad news brown man...

better get myself a decent tie for my disciplinary hearing... sh*t.