Chris DeLine

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

I Hate This Job

Published in Strays.

I’m sitting at a desk with my headset on and the caller is asking me if this is what we do. I’m sorry, what we do? Yeah, he says, work like this. He asks why I shipped him something in a bucket, suggesting that the lack of packaging damaged the product, and I tell him I’ve never seen products shipped in buckets here, sir, feeling sarcastic but reeling it in. I ask him if he has a purchase order number or something else like that so I can look this up because I’m still not understanding, and he reads something off and I try searching for it. First time through, nothing. I try again and think I find an account. In determining that the problem exists in the system I fear that the problem has now become mine. I can’t hear what he’s saying to me. I can’t read the screen. I hate this job.