Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[Bishop Briggs]

1 minute ago, jagfox99 said:

There's an old guy in rural Aberdeenshire we all know of...

He's too old for the trial and it's too late as he's already got it.

 

[TheGreenElves]

[Mr Pikey]

21 minutes ago, Tynierose said:

Absolute scenes when that c**t Rees Mogg gets it.

And not a mild case either.

I wouldn't wish anyone to catch the virus but obviously there are always exceptions to every rule

[DA Baracus]

1 hour ago, Dunning1874 said:

Companies will have different setups, but generally your forwarding someone’s desk phone to their mobile scenario involves forwarding calls made directly to that phone. If someone calls your office phone it can go straight through to your mobile, and it you’re already on another call on your mobile meaning they can’t get through then that’s fine, they can call back or leave a voicemail while you’ll get a notification for the missed call.

No one phoning a call centre is dialling one of the phones directly, you have tens or hundreds of calls sitting in a queue for minutes waiting to be diverted to any one of those phones to become available when a call ends. You can’t simply bounce a call through to someone’s mobile the same way you can in the above scenario as there’d be no simple way of knowing when someone’s mobile is available without the call actually being handled on the phone in the office, and if you decide to just risk firing callers through to the forward mobile of whatever phone the call lands on hoping they get an answer then they don’t, all they can do is call up again and they’re going right to the back of the queue of calls.

Obviously there are technological solutions to this and FWIW I’m not arguing that call centres should be staying open just now, but it’s not as simple as just doing the exact same thing on a larger scale if you don’t have the existing technology to handle it.

Also call centre workers don't just chat in the line to folk. They need to be able to access customer accounts and other information, as well as be able to update customer accounts. They need to be able to use systems that can change things in real time. They also need to be able to transfer calls or call a colleague in another department up to ask them something. And if one dickhead customer demands to speak to a supervisor then that of course can't happen. In addition they need time after a call to be able to do things like update a customer's notes. Unless they use the usual telephony system they won't do that, as just putting calls on forward to employees means they'll just get call after call with no stop. They'd have to turn their phone off during breaks.

So every employee needs a laptop or other computer that has VPN and needs to have specialised software and internet access at all times to specific intranet sites.

Then there's massive data protection risks, especially for financial call centres. Indeed the data protection laws might even mean it isn't legal for folk to work from home. On top of that calls cannot be monitored, which also carries data protection issues.

Absolutely laughable to think that call centre workers can easily work from home.

Edited March 27, 2020 by DA Baracus

[The OP]

4 minutes ago, throbber said:

I think anyone laughing that Bojo has the virus really needs to have a good look at themselves.

Have had a look and I appear to be smiling.

[welshbairn]

11 minutes ago, SlipperyP said:

Question for all the doctor out there on P&B.

I'm allergic to Paracetamol, and usually take Ibuprofen if every ill.  As I keep reading Ibuprofen is not good for you if you catch it.  What the f**k do I do for relief?  I looked into and the best they could give me was natural remedies or fucking YOGA.

I'm not a panicky person and don't wan't to start, but there must be other people in the same boat as me.  

The scare about ibuprofen comes four french people who took some when they had the virus and got worse, they don't know if it caused it. The WHO are not recommending against it. A detailed podcast on it here. P.S. I'm not a doctor.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/audio/2020/mar/26/covid-19-can-ibuprofen-make-an-infection-worse

Edited March 27, 2020 by welshbairn

[KnightswoodBear]

3 minutes ago, Tynierose said:

Nefopam.

I love the smell of it in the morning.

[Gaz]

8 minutes ago, DA Baracus said:

Also call centre workers don't just chat in the line to folk. They need to be able to access customer accounts and other information, as well as be able to update customer accounts. They need to be able to use systems that can change things in real time. They also need to be able to transfer calls or call a colleague in another department up to ask them something. And if one dickhead customer demands to speak to a supervisor then that of course can't happen. In addition they need time after a call to be able to do things like update a customer's notes. Unless they use the usual telephony system they won't do that, as just putting calls on forward to employees means they'll just get call after call with no stop. They'd have to turn their phone off during breaks.

So every employee needs a laptop or other computer that has VPN and needs to have specialised software and internet access at all times to specific intranet sites.

Then there's massive data protection risks, especially for financial call centres. Indeed the data protection laws might even mean it isn't legal for folk to work from home. On top of that calls cannot be monitored, which also carries data protection issues.

Absolutely laughable to think that call centre workers can easily work from home.

Many years ago I worked for Prudential and took part in an 'emergency' training day to simulate what we would do if our call centre at Craigforth was compromised.

We were shuttled by bus to a remote office somewhere near East Kilbride and upon entering the office we were set up at wee booths to simulate what it would be like working from home. We had to dial in to VPNs and when we did we had exactly the same facilities we had at Craigforth - we could transfer calls to managers, we could access all systems as if we were in the office, we could write up calls, we could control our idle codes, calls could be recorded and listened back. It was literally just like being in the call centre, except we were in wee offices to simulate an individual room and didn't have the facility to chat up the new starts.

This was in 2004. Madness to think that this couldn't be done sixteen years later.

Edited March 27, 2020 by Gaz

[jagfox]

10 minutes ago, DA Baracus said:

Also call centre workers don't just chat in the line to folk. They need to be able to access customer accounts and other information, as well as be able to update customer accounts. They need to be able to use systems that can change things in real time. They also need to be able to transfer calls or call a colleague in another department up to ask them something. And if one dickhead customer demands to speak to a supervisor then that of course can't happen. In addition they need time after a call to be able to do things like update a customer's notes. Unless they use the usual telephony system they won't do that, as just putting calls on forward to employees means they'll just get call after call with no stop. They'd have to turn their phone off during breaks.

So every employee needs a laptop or other computer that has VPN and needs to have specialised software and internet access at all times to specific intranet sites.

Then there's massive data protection risks, especially for financial call centres. Indeed the data protection laws might even mean it isn't legal for folk to work from home.

Absolutely laughable to think that call centre workers can easily work from home.

My company has 1000 advisors working from home.

I'm deemed non-essential and getting paid for sitting about the house.

[doulikefish]

If Hopkins gets it aswell I will be found outside at 8pm clapping and making a noise

[Guest]

28 minutes ago, craigkillie said:

I would guess that the celebrities and sports stars are being tested privately out of their own pocket (or that of their employers) rather than for free on the NHS. You can argue that the government should be funding private testing for NHS staff, but I don't think it's fair to blame the people themselves who got tested. The ire should be solely aimed at the government, who should be testing frontline staff as an absolute priority.

In a situation like this, the Government should be commandeering the testing kits / equipment from the private sector and using it where there are priority cases.

If they can use "compulsory purchase" for HS2, then I'm damn sure they should be doing this in a National Emergency.

[Granny Danger]

That’s Jennifer Arcuri in self isolation!

And her sister.

And hers sister’s mate...

[SlipperyP]

6 minutes ago, Tynierose said:

Nefopam.

Thank you, I've checked and you get that here.

[Granny Danger]

2 minutes ago, doulikefish said:

If Hopkins gets it aswell I will be found outside at 8pm clapping and making a noise

Fingers crossed for Pitel.

[greendot]

1 hour ago, jagfox99 said:

Brain transplant? 

 

[Gaz]

I suspect the real reason that call centres wouldn't get staff to work from home, however, isn't because it is physically impossible, but because a large percentage of call centre workers are utter dregs who would take the utter pish out the system as much as they could without someone breathing down their necks.

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Gaz said:

Many years ago I worked for Prudential and took part in an 'emergency' training day to simulate what we would do if our call centre at Craigforth was compromised.

We were shuttled by bus to a remote office somewhere near East Kilbride and upon entering the office we were set up at wee booths to simulate what it would be like working from home. We had to dial in to VPNs and when we did we had exactly the same facilities we had at Craigforth - we could transfer calls to managers, we could access all systems as if we were in the office, we could write up calls, we could control our idle codes, calls could be recorded and listened back. It was literally just like being in the call centre, except we were in wee offices to simulate an individual room and didn't have the facility to chat up the new starts.

This was in 2004. Madness to think that this couldn't be done sixteen years later.

We have this capability and in fact many of our staff are currently working from home, however we just don't have access to enough mobile equipment or licences to kit out the entire workforce.

I suppose the argument would be that our "resilience" has failed due to the fact we HAVEN'T been able to source said equipment but again I'd imagine it's a logistical nightmare, especially with the constantly changing narrative from our Government.

[parsforlife]

Just now, WATTOO said:

In a situation like this, the Government should be commandeering the testing kits / equipment from the private sector and using it where there are priority cases.

If they can use "compulsory purchase" for HS2, then I'm damn sure they should be doing this in a National Emergency.

Ah, but you got to remember torries always love having a back up plan they can use for themselves when the initiations they run prove not not be up to scratch.

[coprolite]

16 minutes ago, throbber said:

I think anyone laughing that Bojo has the virus really needs to have a good look at themselves.

I have done as instructed and realise that i really need a shave. It is fairly amusing still 

[vikingTON]

This shan debate about fucking stock markets.