The + and - of sitting with Helpdesk

You know, I think it's already 2 weeks since the two guys from Helpdesk are with me and Jy in my office. They are seated just beside and behind me so I would have to listen to all their conversation with the customers all the time.

The advantages of sitting with them
1. Though they are Helpdesk from a different section of the company, some technologies are the same throughout the whole company. I got to learn some of the internal and technical information on my company's network, hardware, software, implementation and procedures.

Sometimes different customers would call but face the same problem. I just can't help but to actually think quietly of the solution in my mind, then patiently wait for Az or Su to solve it. I would usually keep my ears open to see if I was right about the solution. Hehehe.

Az like to share his knowledge. Sometimes after he finishes a call I would ask him questions on the technology or problem that the customer faces. He would gladly explain them to me. Learnt a lot of IT and company jargons from him, learnt a lot about how some of my company's applications runs, and a lot of security and control issues too. Az can speak German! Have to get him to teach me some before he move cubicles again.

Su is a patient character. I have not heard him get annoyed or frustrated or angry with any customer before. I really need to learn how to be calm like him. He's also in charge of some company's laptop. Too bad there are policies that he have to follow...if not I would be asking permission to mess around with it whahahaha.

2. Internet access! It's so sad sometimes when I have all the time in the world at the office but really have nothing to do. Az would sometimes let me use his ID to do some surfing. Hehehe.

3. Since Jy and I (and the rest of my team) are placed out of our big 'family', we seldom get exposed to procedures of other teams. Having the Helpdesk in the same room lets me and Jy know more about the company.

4. I'll be the first person to laugh at Helpdesk jokes. WHAHAHAHAHA.

The down side of sitting when Helpdesk folks
1. When Az and Su are out, me and Jy have to tolerate the 'telephone orchestra'. I have been listening to so much of ringing that I can even differentiate which rings are for which phones. Rings are different for Helpdesk calls and office extension calls. And then there is Su's on-call handphone too!

2. Other that the ringing, it's sometimes it’s just the noise. It's quite difficult to focus on my work sometimes when Az and Su are answering calls. Its fun listening to them solve problems, but sometimes it's just really kills the brain. The atmosphere gets a little scary when either of them gets a less cooperative customer.

3. DHL customers! There would be at least 7 to 8 DHL customers calling my company’s Helpdesk every day! Az said it's a normal thing for them because DHL toll free number is similar to my company’s. The calls annoy them, me and Jy too. More calls mean more noise.

Az and Su won't be sitting with us soon though, but don't know how soon. I wonder why my office room is like a hotel. Me and Jy are like the keepers. We see people come, we see people go. Every time we adapt to our new mates, *poof* they are gone again.