Prisoners as relay operator?

diehardbiker65 said:
Wonder do you have trouble keeping cool when deaf caller were pissed off at the person, for example customer reps. How do you handle em? Sometimes I go overhead, and when the call is complete and hangs up, I wonder how this poor operator handle the stress that I throw on? I never meant to throw shits on the operator, everything is meant for that person I call in the end not in the middle.
Im sure it is NOT that easy being "neutral meditator" and do NOTHING but exchange the anger if fight is going on.
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Are you kidding? Thats one of my favorite things to do! :D I love getting to express anger over incompetant people. One of the few enjoyments I do get out of my job. Some people will try to dumb it down and wont riase their voice, but I'm glad to do it. It actually helps to relieve stress. The stress I'm talking about it the abuse and how I feel management couldn't care less about us.

However, there have been several times where I didn't think I can continue the call on actual calls.
 
Guess your in right place!

Abuses in management places is not uncommon! That is one reason why I got fired from last job. Its totally management havoc! I now care less about them anymore. Glad Im out of them.

cental34 said:
Are you kidding? Thats one of my favorite things to do! :D I love getting to express anger over incompetant people. One of the few enjoyments I do get out of my job. Some people will try to dumb it down and wont riase their voice, but I'm glad to do it. It actually helps to relieve stress. The stress I'm talking about it the abuse and how I feel management couldn't care less about us.
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Well, its getting to the point where I desparately want to quit or be fired. I enjoy this job, when I'm doing what is in my titled job description. Not when I am playing phone sex operator or commiting credit card fraud, or playing cell phone for some lazy ass little punk.
 
Phone sex bores you?
I just can't stand conning anyone! I had one of my friend who is former con-artist. I asked him why, or how he could do that. He care less for anyone and just wanted to get high, period. He had no feelings with somebody when con them. Wow!

I never thought of making phone sex! In fact I had some people asking me for phone sex. I told them I ain't interestedin fakoes!
Yea, I know the feeling of wanting to walk off. Been there and done that, I decided not to walk, and rather stay til they fire me. That way, I could and done that explained to next potential employer why I left them. I tried to solve the problem, and they just simply refused to do anything until I get kicked out. They would view me as not quitter and persistist to get problem solved, and that my former boss quit on me.

cental34 said:
Well, its getting to the point where I desparately want to quit or be fired. I enjoy this job, when I'm doing what is in my titled job description. Not when I am playing phone sex operator or commiting credit card fraud, or playing cell phone for some lazy ass little punk.
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Wow, there is NO hard proof, and this guy who wrote this post definetly have grudge against this Utah company that runs VRS. I think he is doing to stabatoge this Utah based VRS intentionally to steer deafies away from them.
Number one, I do NOT believe any relay company would want to deal with ex-convicts.
Anyway, his post to me is rather bizzare anyway. He even mentioned 17 million hits on his deaf advocate website. Do you believe he actually get 17 million hits? This AD site isn't anywhere close to 17 mil a month, only adult websites can achieve this number. So, you can decide wheather to believe him or not.

Reba said:
:repost:
http://alldeaf.com/showpost.php?p=308508&postcount=1
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After few minutes of thinking... I realize this letter has nothing to do with VRS or any kind of relay service.

:doh:

So the question remain unanswered, sorry.
 
I can understand this, but remember that because of sensitive of information being carried over the relay, I am sure FCC made sure that information STAYS confidential. To do so to remain confidential, Ex-Convicts can NOT be trusted and can NOT offer position which confidential rules can be compromised. If one of relay operator center breaks FCC regulation, they stand to lose millions of dollars and they can't afford this risk, so the chance of having ex con on the XRS is remote.

I have used both VRS and TRS with credit card transaction and have NOT get hit by fraud as of yet. Been doing that for years, include online transaction. So far, not one tweety problem at all.

Tostitos said:
After few minutes of thinking... I realize this letter has nothing to do with VRS or any kind of relay service.

:doh:

So the question remain unanswered, sorry.
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Bingo. Relay companies would not risk losing their contracts like that by compromising confidentiality. They are very serious about this issue. As I said earlier. They terminated by friend because they SUSPECTED she broke confidentiality.
 
Sorry, I shouldn't have made it a "repost". It was more like a "related" topic to link to. I was in a hurry. :) It was just FYI.
 
No legitimate business will hire anyone they feel will have the remote possibility of breaking the law. In this case, YES, no matter what you feel about relay companies, hiring someone who pretty much WILL break the law again is STUPID. Not "cheap" or "easy" or 'convenient" it's STUPID because relay services have to maintain a good reputation or else their business goes down the tubes.

If people were really being hired for relay and identify theft starting happening through relay you bet you'd know about it and you bet no one would use relay ever again.
 
diehardbiker65 said:
Phone sex bores you?
I just can't stand conning anyone! I had one of my friend who is former con-artist. I asked him why, or how he could do that. He care less for anyone and just wanted to get high, period. He had no feelings with somebody when con them. Wow!

I never thought of making phone sex! In fact I had some people asking me for phone sex. I told them I ain't interestedin fakoes!
Yea, I know the feeling of wanting to walk off. Been there and done that, I decided not to walk, and rather stay til they fire me. That way, I could and done that explained to next potential employer why I left them. I tried to solve the problem, and they just simply refused to do anything until I get kicked out. They would view me as not quitter and persistist to get problem solved, and that my former boss quit on me.
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By phone sex, I'm referring to teenagers placing prank calls, making us say whatever sexually explicit and degrading phrases they can come up with to their friends.
 
Dennis said:
No legitimate business will hire anyone they feel will have the remote possibility of breaking the law. In this case, YES, no matter what you feel about relay companies, hiring someone who pretty much WILL break the law again is STUPID. Not "cheap" or "easy" or 'convenient" it's STUPID because relay services have to maintain a good reputation or else their business goes down the tubes.

If people were really being hired for relay and identify theft starting happening through relay you bet you'd know about it and you bet no one would use relay ever again.
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Yeah. I'd be extremely skeptical of the objectivity and confidentiality necessary for any interpretation. And a relay operator falls into the category of interpretation. This is not a good suggestion at all.
 
What about the Chinese prisoners to work in the relay service in China instead of American relay employees? Perhaps, the FCC would like that. Who knows.
 
I believe they make select on whom have, depend on their criminal history that would allow them to be relay operator than rather anyone who is con-artist or have not well behavior.

Yet, I imagine that it would be awesome if I have problem with customer service and the prisoners can swear better than me to make pay attention. :lol:
 
I watched something on a news show once where inmates at a prison where actually working as customer service reps for a major company (but would not disclose the company name). The inmates were males who were convicts serving time for violent and non-violent crimes. None of them were death row inmates.

They had about 20 inmates in a closed windowless room setting two at a desk. They each had what looked like an old telephone base that was squarish in shape and lime green in color. There were two headsets to each base that had a single earphone and microphone. And there were only four buttons and a key hole on the base. The white button was to accept the call, and the red button was to disconnect the call. The inmates are not allowed to have any type of pen or paper with them during this time and they are searched for it several times a shift. The key hole was for the supervisor to press the white and red button simultaneously to place the caller on hold, the supervisor unlocked the phone, placed a supervisor headset into the headphone jack (the inmate has to disconnect their headphones so not to hear the conversation), and the supervisor is an actual supervisor for the company that has contracted this work to the prison. The supervisor then writes down the information on a form that is placed into a locked file outside the room and is taken to the company to be entered into the computer as data and processed off of the prison grounds. The inmates are paid around $1 day to do this work.

I think this is a good idea for inmates, putting them to work instead of just allowing them to laze around all day doing nothing watching cable TV or playing cards. This makes them productive. I believe the prison also receives a large chunk of the wages being paid for the maintenance and upkeep of the prisoners in the work program. The prisoners are thus earning their own keep and are a lesser burden to taxpayers. In return they earn a small amount of money that can be spent at the prison canteen where they can buy sodas, chips, shoes, haircuts, etc.

As long as the inmates are helping us in our transactions while not having any access to our information such as our names, addresses, telephone numbers, email, and credit card information then I am ok with it.

I do know that many poultry processors are turning to inmates to do their work as more civilians are turning this work down. Tyson Foods in Pine Bluff uses inmates from nearby Tucker Correctional Facility. These inmates work in various positions and wear special colored smocks to let supervisors know they are an inmate and cannot be placed in specific positions that requires the use of a knife. Many of their sanitation crew are inmates from the prison. I am not sure what the inmates earn for their work. I got this information from a USDA Inspector that had worked at this facility for a short time.

It is a win-win situation. Tyson is able to keep a full workforce at that facility, inmates are given a job in which they are able to earn their keep at the prison until they are released or transferred to another prison, and the Tyson plant is able to stay open also providing jobs for the community.

You would be surprised at how many companies use prison inmates to fill a portion of their workforce.
 
Brian said:
I have and will always appreciate(d) all of the relay operators like cental34 doing their jobs to serve the deaf/hard-of-hearing community 24-hour a day! I really hope we have the relay services around for many more of years to come. :)

The only time I have had a weird experience was with a new relay operator that will remain nameless. That person was no longer employed as a RO after that incident - they must have discovered it shortly. I am not sure if this would be approrirate for me to talk about it here.
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I, like yourself have only had a few weird calls. What I am more concerned about (and is a bit off topic I will admit) is that some professional offices , like my Internist, will not take a relay call...I informed them that it was not ethical or good customer service..but the receptionist stated they are not going to discuss appts, names or dates with a third party so.......my physician agreed.
Now I have to drive myself to that office to schedule an appt..geez..and I speak perfectly..just stone deaf....laughing...life is too much fum...smile..Peace:wave:
 
MidnightSun said:
I, like yourself have only had a few weird calls. What I am more concerned about (and is a bit off topic I will admit) is that some professional offices , like my Internist, will not take a relay call...I informed them that it was not ethical or good customer service..but the receptionist stated they are not going to discuss appts, names or dates with a third party so.......my physician agreed.
Now I have to drive myself to that office to schedule an appt..geez..and I speak perfectly..just stone deaf....laughing...life is too much fum...smile..Peace:wave:
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The fact is, it is illegal for them to refuse relay calls. It is discrimination, and that claim has held up in court. And a relay call is not considered discussing your personal information with a third party.:roll: Any more than having a terp in the room is discussing your information with a third party. They are not part of the discussion. They are simply facilitating the discussion and are bound by the same priviledged communication laws that the doctor is. Your doctor is ignorant.
 
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