Avoidance 24.1.25

I know I should be sat on the front desk. Not hiding, not ducking work on the back desk pretending I am typing for a reason. I have just been forcibly talked to by security in front of co-workers, asked intensely to cover the front desk. Covering the front desk is my actual job.

I know I am in the wrong, I should be sat facing the public, ready to help. I should be diligently seeking things to keep myself occupied and cheerfully, greeting every customer in a bouncy, ready to help tone. The only reason I’m huffy is because I’m embarrassed. I know I should be at the front not hiding back here, and I am embarrassed because it’s been pointed out.

But actually no, no thank you. I would prefer to stay here. Hidden.

It’s tiring, pretending to be smiley, jovial, and helpful all day. And yes, I am moaning about having a somewhat cushy job. I am sure someone, anyone else, would be better at this than me. Answering the same question over and over again knackers me out. Having to answer them all identically because while this is the 7th time today you have pointed out where the stairs are, this student is only just meeting you. Even though you have literally provided the same answer for enough people to be visibly frustrated by it being asked, again, this student doesn’t know that.

If you’re a rude receptionist that one time in a day, that one student could assume that is what to be expected every time. How are they supposed to know you have just witnessed your co-workers joking about sexual assault, or that you have just had a huge unrelated task dumped on your desk that you need to be getting on with and now you’ve been asked where the toilet is. They don’t know the background, you have to fake it every time.

I don’t enjoy this role. That’s the bottom line. People ask me, constantly,

‘Are you enjoying it?’

and I have to lie every time and say,

‘Yeah I think so!’

Is that a red flag? People feeling the need to constantly ask me if I’m enjoying this role, does that mean I am right in thinking it’s not an ideal job? Or is it that my face is betraying me and I look as fed up as I feel.

I don’t know what would happen if I said no when asked this. They would probably ask how we could make it better, and I don’t want to tell them that accepting my 2 weeks notice is the only way to make this role better for me. Mainly because I haven’t got anything else lined up, and I need the money. This is my first proper salary job and we are trying to buy a house. That and the landlord of our current rental has just raised our rent by £400 and has decided to softly evict us by also putting the house up for sale while we are still living in it. On a slightly more preventable front, I also have to pay for all the shopping I’ve done in the last 3 weeks somehow. Granted if I have a busier or more interesting job I probably wouldn’t have as much time or feel the need to scroll through Vinted for an entire afternoon, which would likely prevent the expenditure.

Maybe I should just commit. Throw myself into the role of receptionist, really lay it on thick. Try and emulate the American hospitality mentality, but without the promise of tips at the end of my shift. Maybe it will make the day go quicker so I can get out of here quicker, and away from this flipping office. I suppose I let myself down here with the receptionist I hope to emulate being more like Annie Potts in Ghostbusters, rather than Tour Guide Barbie from Toy Story.

As I say this I am looking at a completely deserted reception area, not a soul in sight. So my emulation of famous receptionists will have to wait. Even the phone is quiet today, and that’s been ringing regularly this week, mostly with very stupid questions.

There are such things as stupid questions, ok? Like, asking me, a receptionist at a students union, if I can organize a solicitor for some random man who got nicked by the police for fiddling with his phone while driving. You cannot tell me that ringing me and asking that was a reasonable request. I would like to preface this story by saying that at the beginning of every phone call I clearly state that I they have called a students union. In the case of this man, I recited my greeting, and then he asked to renew a card. I asked,

‘A student card?’

And he confidently replied,

‘Yeah.’

At this point I am assuming I am speaking to a student, because he has asked to renew a student card. So I give him the number.

‘Wait, wait, wait I have another question.’

‘Ok.’

He then starts to go on and on about a court order.

‘I’m sorry did you say ‘court order’?”

He is now talking over me, protesting his innocence, describing the incident over and over again.

“Are you seeking a solicitor?”

I am now losing my helpfulness.

“We do not have solitors here. What is it that you have called for?”

“The Union!!! I want to speak to the Union!!!”

“You have called the Students Union. But I do not believe we are who you intended to call.”

There is a pause He then says,

‘Student? No not student.’

Well, pal, you’ve called the wrong place then haven’t you. And gone on at me for 5 minutes about utter crap. And now you’re annoyed at me?

That, that qualifies as a stupid question. I am sure that someone can explain it away like ‘oh it’s a simple mistake’, is it though? I said the word ‘student’ not 4 times in this conversation and he didn’t flinch until we were way too deep.

Another stupid question is ‘Give me my student timetable.’ Not so much a question as a demand and believe me I have had it asked like that regularly. And, no. I cannot do that.

I say

“Did you apply to attend classes at the University?”

“Yes.”

“Is your course run through the University?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have a personal tutor?”

“No, I haven’t started Uni yet.”

“When do you start?”

“September.”

“Ok…it’s January. You will get those details closer to the time you are set to attend university.”

“Really?”

“Yes. The University will send them to you.”

“You don’t have them?”

“No, the Students Union does not organize the timetables for university courses. That is organized by the university.”

This is mostly how it goes. I am feeling very tired today.