Hello there, how you doing?
Welcome to Portals, home to mini snapshots from my life of helping to bring people together. It’s a cosy nook in the newsletter, a chance to get to know each other. So grab a cuppa, sit back, and let’s dive in.
Some jobs teach you more about life than you ever expect.
One of my first was at a small parcel delivery company, in west London, where I spent my days on the phone with people who, without any exception, were angry, upset, or a bit stressed.
Why were they upset? Because every single one of them had missed their parcel deliveries. Our drivers worked round the clock, delivering between 8am and 5pm, but if a recipient wasn’t home, the parcel would be brought back to the depot, and a card left behind. The card let recipients know to come collect their parcels in person—a process that was, understandably, inconvenient for many.
When callers phoned in, they were furious! Why couldn’t we redeliver? Why did they have to come to the depot, especially if they didn’t drive? Why couldn’t we store their parcel indefinitely until it was convenient for them? All fair questions, sure, but our policies were firm. As a small operation with just seven drivers and limited storage space, we couldn’t accommodate everyone’s requests.
I quickly realised—in my first week, actually—that people just needed someone to hear them, to validate their frustration. So, I made a point of listening, even when it sounded like a tornado in progress on the other end of the line. I’d let them vent, calmly acknowledging how inconvenient or stressful the situation was. I’d empathise with their predicament, drawing on my own experiences of missing parcel deliveries myself in the past. I commiserated with them, too, the chore of taking the bus to reach the depot (which I had to do every morning).
By the end of most calls, the anger would fade, replaced by something softer: relief that someone had listened, gratitude for a simple explanation, or even a laugh when I cracked a joke to ease the tension.
Some interactions stood out more than others. I remember a woman once accusing me of making up my name, Thomas Wong, because it “didn’t sound real.” Another caller demanded to speak to my boss, dismissing me as “his underling.” There were moments when people’s words stung, but I always tried to remind myself that their frustration wasn’t about me. Always tried.
Interestingly, many of those same callers would later ask for me by name when they came to collect their parcels. “Thomas, can you come down to the front desk and handle this customer for us, they only want to work with you,” my manager would sometimes ask me. Meeting them in person was a rewarding part of the job. I remembered their names, even their previous frustrations. Seeing their relief when I handed over their parcels—and occasionally hearing an apology for their earlier tone—was nice.
One woman, after yelling at me on the phone, showed up with her baby in tow. She smiled shyly and said, “Sorry about before. I was just stressed, and the baby wouldn’t stop crying.” I could’ve hugged her, but I refrained. Moments like that reminded me that behind every angry voice was a person with their own pressures.
What could have been a draining job turned into something I enjoyed doing. I got to speak with people from all walks of life, hear about the excitement for their parcels—new clothes, toys, office gear, even food—and help ease their worries, even if just a bit.
My office was perched at the top of a scaffold tower overlooking the depot floor, giving me a bird’s-eye view of the comings and goings of our vans. It wasn’t glamorous, especially when I had to climb down every time I needed the bathroom, but it gave me a different perspective, quite literally!
I also learned a lot about myself during that time, such as my ability to stay calm under pressure, and being able to listen without judgment. My manager gave me some helpful tools as well: I could warn rude callers before hanging up, and I had the option to pass repeat harassers or racists directly to my manager. These safeguards allowed me to handle challenging interactions with grace.
I often wonder about the people I spoke to during those days and the small role I played in their lives. Whether they were collecting something special or just trying to deal with a frustrating situation, I was glad to be there to help.
What’s the funniest customer phone call you’ve ever had?
Reply and let me know—I’d love to share your story in a future edition!
And that’s it! Thank you for reading today’s Portals.
If you know someone who’d appreciate this piece of text, please share it with them. Until next time, be good, be strong, and calm.