Amazing tales
The
25¢
mystic
Call center chronicles Episode one
r e d o c e d The
NINE A.M. A TRANQUIL MORNING IN THE CALL CENTER…
UNTIL…
HELP!
! P L E H
!
The Boss…
This is serious.
I need someone who is… courteous, Confident, professional, experienced, And a good listener!
GET ME THE MYSTIC !
our hero hero our
The mystic
A customer support legend
Knows every tech spec like the back of his hand Never misses Neve r fails Some say he’s too good to be true… Maybe he is. Others say he’s psychic… Perhaps…
Does the mystic have a crystal ball… Where all secrets are revealed…
Or is he a mere mortal who happens to be a good listener?
But Only to him?
Turn the page, dear reader, and decide for yourself…
After a courteous greeting and ensuring the customer he will be able to help, the mystic sets to work… Please describe the problem in as much detail as you can.
?
Who can demystify this nightmare?
The mystic listens closely and nods sagely to himself…
I’ve heard this before I know the solution already
Now I have to get the customer to see it too… …Before he has a stroke Time to invoke my powers!
mwuahhhaa hhaaaa The mystic enters a deep trance, and prepares for a deadly game of…
elimination poof
The mystic explains the method behind his madness… It’s like finding a specific card in a deck of cards…
Until we eliminate all but the card we’re looking for.
I’ll ask you to choose between options…
Trust me on this, I’m a professional. You decide to trust him…
The mystic conjures a deck of cards and leads you into the inscrutable unknown… Drawing from your words, he divides the pack in half… Tell me your choice.
red black
The mystic smiles serenely, as if knowing you would choose red. The echoes of your distress still resonate within him, something in your voice…
Your throat tightens at the prospect, but there is no turning back. not now… hearts
Excellent, but you must choose again…
diamonds
The mystic smiles serenely, as if knowing you would choose black for elimination. The echoes of your distress still resonate within him, something in your voice…
Beyond your perception, he divides the red cards by suit…
hearts
Excellent, but you must choose again…
diamonds
The mystic’s pulse quickens as he keeps the hearts before him…
hearts with faces…
I hear your heartbeat. But now…
faces Or without? numbers
The mystic wipes a jewel of sweat from his brow as he sets the diamonds aside…
hearts with faces…
I hear your heartbeat. But now…
faces Or without? numbers
The mystic breaks into a grin as he dethrones the royal family. Focusing on your voice, he asks… Odd or even?
You experience a sense of urgency… odd even
The mystic grins knowingly. it’s always in the numbers. Focusing on your voice, he asks… Odd or even? You experience a sense of urgency… odd even
The mystic does not think it odd that you would discard odd. He knew before you did… He heard it in your voice.
Only even cards remain. We’re getting very close.
You shake your head to clear it. The pace is so fast. You need to concentrate on your next answer because…
The mystic discards the odd cards. He knew you required the balance of even numbers. He heard it in your voice.
Only even cards remain. We’re getting very close.
You shake your head to clear it. The pace is so fast. you need to concentrate on your next answer because…
With your every response, the mystic draws you deeper…
And deeper…
And deeper…
Meanwhile…
She’s a good boss.
And like every good boss…
She’s been evaluating.
Watching .
Wondering …
It’s uncanny. He seems to know things in advance… like he doesn’t even have to listen… Her next thought sends a chill down her spine…
Maybe he’s not!?!
She pauses to reflect…
he hasn’t missed a step…Yet… he seems confident enough…
But…
These next steps are and… crucial…
The suspense is killing me!
our intrepid mystic continues… Based on your answers, here’s what remains…
…Or…
the mystic listens closely and retains your selection…
Just one more to go and we’re done…
Your mind reels at the prospect, but this is no time to hesitate…
the mystic nods and discards the two, four and eight…
Just one more to go and we’re done…
Your mind reels at the prospect, but this is no time to hesitate…
the mystic tears the ten in half…
As he knew he inevitably would.
After all…
He is the
mystic! And that can mean only one thing…
success
At last, dear reader, the culprit is revealed…
The dreaded six of hearts! suspected…
Didn’t you?
detected… selected… corrected… Just As expected! I knew it all along.
Another satisfied customer, thanks to…
The
mystic!
The end …Or is it?
The boss likes the result, but she has to ask…
How did you know? It’s really quite simple.
I cracked the code.
Striking a humble pose, the mystic begins… I don’t rely on mysticism…
I try to be a good decoder.
No, I don’t have a secret decoder ring! It’s part of the feedback loop. Let me explain…
The mystic reveals his method… First, you need to have a message… …Not always a given… then, you follow the five steps of the feedback loop…
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Encode transmit Receive Decode Re-send
Here’s an example to explore…
Say good night, mystie. good night, mystie. What was the intended message? How was it encoded? How was it transmitted? How was it received? Where did the failure occur? How was it decoded? Who has more responsibility How was it re-sent? for ensuring proper feedback? How could this be corrected?
The end really