Hours: afternoons, evenings, weekends
Places: Montreal
Training: one evening
Type of phone: manual
Bonus: pay levels rise as sales accumulate
Legit or illegit: honourable
Security: excellent, credit card records are shredded
Pressure: some, it's worth it
Feeling So Happy I Was Doing This Work
Sandra, 46, housewife
I work at a children's hospital, guess which one, hah.
It has been a rich and positive experience. We are happy to be associated with
it. The stresses are just raising enough money, and then raising more money, and also trying to get enough funds on
credit card, because those who give on card may be more committed and not just trying to get you off the telephone.
We have prizes at work, because we work out of an office in a large shopping mall,
and the merchants contribute to the charity for giving small shopping vouchers. On the weekends we have a pizza
day with soft drinks, which is welcomed, as our families wonder where we are. It is the lure to get us to come to work.
You can talk for a long time to the donors, and tell them all they will get from being
a donor, at various levels. I think they are good citizens, and would give anyway. Everyone so cares about this
so much.
One thing I do not get a thrill ouf ot is calling some of the high society women.
They seem to think their name is so precious and the tone of voice is like I was a Filipino cleaning lady. My family
has been in this country for over a hundred years, and if we wanted to play that snobby game on whose family has done what
for Montreal or Canada, I could get right in there too.
I am not. I prefer the men of upper classes, though some of the woman
are good, too. Or working women who know how hard you are working and trying to do a good job for the team.
I like my employers, all the of the people I work with. I respect this type
of work, and I respect the type of people who do this work.
I am good at this work, though not good at other office and sales work, frankly.
I really care about raising money for the hospital, and other socially minded endeavours. One thing is very sad
here, you just can't know how many people have terrific illnesses through the children in their families - autistic, retarded,
cancer, you name it.
I remember one night coming out of work, and it was snowing, and I walked along Sherbrooke
Street with the wind blowing in my face, counting up all my check and card donors in my mind, feeling so happy that I was
doing this type of work.
