My student job involves a big call centre for a big company. I answer the telephone. I take orders for clients, help them pay their invoices, settle different claims they may have… I deal with customers from all over North America, USA, English Canada and French Canada. I will now go ahead and make a few generalized stereotypes about the different markets.

USA: They like the cheap products, want the free credit (don’t want to pay now) and are always happy with the free gifts they get with their purchase.

English Canada: Mostly very polite, have their orders prepared and ready for me to take. One lady today was listening to Chopin! I didn’t want her to hang up!

French Canada: Similar to English Canada. But then there is the language thing. I love French. I love Quebec French. Most customers also love Quebec French and speak a nice French.

But there was one lady today at work that really annoyed me. She wanted to order products but did not (want to) understand what I was explaining about how to get the best deal for the products. She commented on the free gift being “crissement laid” and used a lot of other typical Quebec swear words during our conversation. Swearing/joual is ok with me, it’s very common in Quebec. But it does have a time and place. When you’re talking to an agent that’s trying to help you swearing is very rude and it annoyed the hell out of me. I sighed in despair… The lady heard it and said “I heard you breathing”. I answered “Sure madame X, I breathe, I am a living human afterall!” And I got rid of her as quick as I could.

So it is this new job that’s keeping me very busy… Too busy to do things I’d like to do this Fall: visit the pumpkins exhibition at the Jardin Botanique and go photograph the fall foliage!

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1. What’s in a school name?
2. Septembre
3. Bon Cop Bad Cop
4. Zapping channels
5. Deal or No Deal Comes to Canada