Community Forum Archive
The Epilepsy Community Forums are closed, and the information is archived. The content in this section may not be current or apply to all situations. In addition, forum questions and responses include information and content that has been generated by epilepsy community members. This content is not moderated. The information on these pages should not be substituted for medical advice from a healthcare provider. Experiences with epilepsy can vary greatly on an individual basis. Please contact your doctor or medical team if you have any questions about your situation. For more information, learn about epilepsy or visit our resources section.
Come Together
Thu, 11/07/2013 - 13:28I work I call center for Verizon Wireless. I received a call from a gentleman whose phone wasn't working and he needed to keep entertained during his hospital stay. We're supposed to connect with our customers and being less business minded and more conversational is something my boss and I are trying to work on, so I decided that I would connect with this person by letting him know I understand where he's coming from because I've had my fair share of hospital visits due to my epilepsy. He then told me he was actually hospitalized for his epilepsy and having multiple brain surgeries to help him. After a long drawn out phone call (in which I couldn't actually fix his phone) we talked about family and friends, medications (his doctor had the same feelings I do about Topamax, ick), auras and everything under the sun to do with our conditions. By the end of the call we were both saying what an inspiration we were to each other, me for working everyday, and him for going through these procedures for his family as well as the rest of us. Just remember not to be ashamed of your condition and share with others, you may be very surprised what comes of it. No one can fully understand unless they have been there, but we are a strong community that is able to bring some light to those who think seizures only happen to others or think we're fragile because of it. Just remember to support each other and that our conditions make us that much stronger.
Kelly
Re: Come Together
Submitted by just_joe on Thu, 2013-11-07 - 17:44
Cool I like that.
I too worked in a call center but I worked for the old AT&T. I had moved up thru the ladder and I had been moved into almost everysection of the residential 800# project. Well some of the moves were due to me laying my hand down in the skillet while frying pork chop. Well my other half and said they wanted finger food I guess the weird part of me too her serious. I litterally and I had fingers with third degree burns. Whith everything I had learned throughout the project I was given the task of handing the Executive appeals. Which means that the only things I handled were coming directly from one of the 2 offices. After a period of time I was on the phone with one of the officers in NY and She had another agent from Atlanta and I was to find a way to solve the customers problem. Needless to say I was having a seizure but in that seizure I heard everything and knew what was going on. I asked them to give me a minute because I had had a seizure and I couldn't use my right hand at that time. Well the agent from Atlanta called the project manager who talked to him and the next thing I knew was he was by me watching me. He saw that I was doing what needed to be donebut I was doing it with one hand. He went back to his office. I guess he went back to talk to the agent that had called him. Oh and another thing all of my called were monitered and the IT person had heard me explain what had happened. I found out that the officer in NY had a relitive who was epilepstic and had been having some problems. I finished typing everything and even tho there were errors in a system I could not get into I explained I would make the number work even tho I would need assistance from another group of people. Which was not difficult since I had learned how to provision the numbers so they would work. I did that and I told the Agent in Atlanta to call the customer because his number would work. I expalined what the problem was and that it would have to go thru a sustem to clear the error but while it went thru the number would work and I gave him the number to my desk telling him to have the customer call when he got his bill and I would be making adjustments to his 800's since he had 4 different numbers on 4 different llines with 2 different prices. After the agent in Atalanta had gotten off the line Linda and I talked a few minutes. She asked some pertanent questions which in some peoples views would have shut them up. I told her about the seizures I had now compared to the seizures I had had years ago. We talked about different medications and which I thought was better. She knew the meds her relation used and asked questions about them. We were on the call for some time. The IT tech and a nephew who had epilepsy so he copied the tape and took it to his nephew for him to listen to. Jim knew some of the hings I went thru from time to time. He had to ask for my permission before he could take it out of the office. Once I had told him it was fine with me he still had to the the presidents approval. He saked me if he had any trouble when talking to Mark if I would discuss the issue with him. I was fine with that. I was called into the presidents office There was Jim,Mark and Brian ( projet director. I took a seat and Mark asked a few questions. He wanted to know about the call and could I remember it and who I had spoken with. I told him who in NY andAtlanta I was talking to and what the call was aboout. I explaind about the seizure I had had and thatI heard the agent quetions and I answered his I explained I could not move my hand at that time but I was talking care of everything. He listened to whatI had to say and he glanced over at Brian and noddedBrian then called the agents name in Atlanta and NY and I heard them on a speaker phone. Needless to sayI had no idea they were listening. Mark asked them if everything had been taken care of like I said it had been and if they had anything to say. He wanted their permission to have the call taken to Jims nephew. They both said everything had been done the customer was pleased and I was already working on his other lines they gave their permission. Mark was the new president since the company had been bought by a company in India. He had ordered lunch for all of us and he questions everybody. He asked if I minded if the recording he had made while we were talking was sent to India. Hey you don't trun down the president of the company your working for. He has relitives there in India he wants to hear because he thinks more people should be talking and explaining and doing more. Needless to saw it was a very interresting week. All in all there were 6 different people who had epilepsy who listened to the tape and they learned a few things. Jims nephew got out of school and started working there and he was a riot when we worked together. You see I have always talked about epilepsy and if asked I will tell people what has been done in the past and what they are trying to accomplish.
Joe
Cool I like that.
I too worked in a call center but I worked for the old AT&T. I had moved up thru the ladder and I had been moved into almost everysection of the residential 800# project. Well some of the moves were due to me laying my hand down in the skillet while frying pork chop. Well my other half and said they wanted finger food I guess the weird part of me too her serious. I litterally and I had fingers with third degree burns. Whith everything I had learned throughout the project I was given the task of handing the Executive appeals. Which means that the only things I handled were coming directly from one of the 2 offices. After a period of time I was on the phone with one of the officers in NY and She had another agent from Atlanta and I was to find a way to solve the customers problem. Needless to say I was having a seizure but in that seizure I heard everything and knew what was going on. I asked them to give me a minute because I had had a seizure and I couldn't use my right hand at that time. Well the agent from Atlanta called the project manager who talked to him and the next thing I knew was he was by me watching me. He saw that I was doing what needed to be donebut I was doing it with one hand. He went back to his office. I guess he went back to talk to the agent that had called him. Oh and another thing all of my called were monitered and the IT person had heard me explain what had happened. I found out that the officer in NY had a relitive who was epilepstic and had been having some problems. I finished typing everything and even tho there were errors in a system I could not get into I explained I would make the number work even tho I would need assistance from another group of people. Which was not difficult since I had learned how to provision the numbers so they would work. I did that and I told the Agent in Atlanta to call the customer because his number would work. I expalined what the problem was and that it would have to go thru a sustem to clear the error but while it went thru the number would work and I gave him the number to my desk telling him to have the customer call when he got his bill and I would be making adjustments to his 800's since he had 4 different numbers on 4 different llines with 2 different prices. After the agent in Atalanta had gotten off the line Linda and I talked a few minutes. She asked some pertanent questions which in some peoples views would have shut them up. I told her about the seizures I had now compared to the seizures I had had years ago. We talked about different medications and which I thought was better. She knew the meds her relation used and asked questions about them. We were on the call for some time. The IT tech and a nephew who had epilepsy so he copied the tape and took it to his nephew for him to listen to. Jim knew some of the hings I went thru from time to time. He had to ask for my permission before he could take it out of the office. Once I had told him it was fine with me he still had to the the presidents approval. He saked me if he had any trouble when talking to Mark if I would discuss the issue with him. I was fine with that. I was called into the presidents office There was Jim,Mark and Brian ( projet director. I took a seat and Mark asked a few questions. He wanted to know about the call and could I remember it and who I had spoken with. I told him who in NY andAtlanta I was talking to and what the call was aboout. I explaind about the seizure I had had and thatI heard the agent quetions and I answered his I explained I could not move my hand at that time but I was talking care of everything. He listened to whatI had to say and he glanced over at Brian and noddedBrian then called the agents name in Atlanta and NY and I heard them on a speaker phone. Needless to sayI had no idea they were listening. Mark asked them if everything had been taken care of like I said it had been and if they had anything to say. He wanted their permission to have the call taken to Jims nephew. They both said everything had been done the customer was pleased and I was already working on his other lines they gave their permission. Mark was the new president since the company had been bought by a company in India. He had ordered lunch for all of us and he questions everybody. He asked if I minded if the recording he had made while we were talking was sent to India. Hey you don't trun down the president of the company your working for. He has relitives there in India he wants to hear because he thinks more people should be talking and explaining and doing more. Needless to saw it was a very interresting week. All in all there were 6 different people who had epilepsy who listened to the tape and they learned a few things. Jims nephew got out of school and started working there and he was a riot when we worked together. You see I have always talked about epilepsy and if asked I will tell people what has been done in the past and what they are trying to accomplish.
Joe