If I can't be on the ships, maybe I could talk to people who can? I know: I'll take inbound customer service calls for a major cruise line!
Yup. That's what I'm gonna do. I start training today at 9am.
This gig's through Arise, an outfit I contemplated for only a minute back in my Chase days when one of my co-workers proposed we partner and form an IBO under the Arise platform. An IBO (Independent Business Operator) is a 1099 contractor, paying for the month-to-month use of the Arise platform (a suite of webpages enabling coordination of client supplied software (usually other web-based applications), scheduling software, CRM tools and invoicing apps) to "service" (not "work," just like LiveOps, you don't "work" for anybody) inbound customer calls for a client business.
The "job" was not guaranteed, not offered any benefits whatsoever including "time off," health, dental, 401K, etc. and didn't withhold taxes so you'd be tasked with paying them out-of-pocket. Back then, I wasn't keen on those specs, but I'm more willing to do so these days as the scheduling of "service intervals" is loose and I hope to maintain the insurance set up I currently "enjoy."
You can gander at the pic above and know who my client is. Don't want to write it in the body of this post, that could be searchable if this blog ever goes back under public availability, and like LiveOps, Arise also doesn't like you divulging the identity of the client specifics.
I haven't sailed with this cruise line before, (nor its parent company signature line named for an entertainment venue akin to what Europeans would call a "Fun Fair") but as you know, I have a goodly amount of experience with similar lines so the basics of cruising, which I'm sure is essential for call proficiency, will be a breeze.
Unlike the high-end department store line I dropped with LiveOps, I think my experience and enthusiasm for this line of business will make the calls a lot more endurable, so I'm hoping this will be a much better fit overall.
Oh, speaking of LiveOps, I just recently picked up another client through them and I'm set to start training on it in about a month from now so watch for news of that.
I ALSO just today completed an application and pre-testing for a full-time WFH CSR position. If I get hired with them, I may have to make some winnowing decisions, or, simply carve out time to professional trainee the full-time position, keep one or both of the contract positions, continuing all the while doing the guinea pig sessions with Pinecone and the mind-numbing surveys with mTurk.
With all this "work," I'm not sure when I'll ever be able to embark on another REAL cruise.